After a few hours of drinking... Seraphiel's mother eventually stood up with a soft laugh, gently pulling her husband to his feet.

"Come on, dear. You've had enough twilight wine for one night. You're starting to get dramatic again."

Her husband protested loudly, swaying a little as he pointed at me with a wide grin.

"But I like this boy! He brought our daughter home! We should drink more and talk about how he's going to take care of her! I want to hear all his plans! Man to man!"

He tried to reach for the bottle again, but his wife firmly took it away and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"You can talk plans tomorrow when you're sober. Right now, you're going to bed before you embarrass yourself in front of our guest."

"But—!"

"No buts." She gave him a look that left no room for argument and started guiding him toward the hallway.

He kept glancing back at me with a big, tipsy smile, waving enthusiastically.

"Take care of my little star, Aestrea! She's stubborn, but she's got a good heart! Don't let her shadow side scare you off!"

Seraphiel's mother rolled her eyes fondly and gave me a quick wink over her shoulder as she pulled her husband away.

The door to their bedroom closed with a soft click, leaving Seraphiel and me alone in the warmly lit living area.

Seraphiel's cheeks were still faintly pink from her mother's wink. She gave a small, shy nod in return before turning back to me.

I reached for the bottle of twilight wine to pour myself another cup, but Seraphiel quickly moved, gently taking the bottle from my hand.

"Let me," she said softly, her voice a little shy but determined.

She poured the glowing liquid into my cup with careful movements, then set the bottle down. I smiled lightly and took a sip, savoring the smooth, shifting flavors.

"Where are your brothers?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You mentioned them earlier, but they aren't here. I forgot to ask your parents."

Seraphiel smiled, a bit of nostalgia returning to her eyes.

"They're probably at the Harmony Academy right now. It's the best place in Elyria for mastering both light and darkness spells. The professors there are incredibly strict, but they're the strongest teachers in the realm. My brothers always wanted to be the best, so they threw themselves into their studies. They rarely come home these days… but they write often."

I nodded slightly and took another sip of the wine.

The room fell into a comfortable quiet for a moment.

Then Seraphiel shifted in her seat, moving a little closer to me.

She reached over and lightly adjusted the collar of my coat, her fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary.

"You look… really good in this outfit," she mumbled in a voice that was softer than usual. "It really suits you. Makes you look even more… commanding."

I raised an eyebrow at her actions.

She was clearly trying to seduce me, so I decided to let her continue.

She leaned in a bit more, her shoulder brushing mine as she poured herself a small amount of wine.

"I've been thinking… It's quite nice to have you all to myself for once," she continued, her mismatched eyes flicking up to meet mine.

"No one else around. No battles or missions, but just… us."

She took a small sip, then set the cup down and turned toward me fully, one hand resting lightly on my arm.

"Back at the palace, there's always someone else wanting your attention. But here… I can have you all to myself." Her voice dropped a little, almost shy but clearly intentional.

"I like that."

She shifted even closer on the cushion, her knee brushing against mine.

Her wings fluttered once behind her... that was definitely a nervous little movement that betrayed how obvious she was trying to be.

"Do you… want me to show you my old room?" she asked, biting her lower lip slightly. "It's upstairs. I could… tell you more stories... in private."

Her fingers traced a small, slow circle on my arm, clearly trying to be seductive but coming across as adorably earnest and a little clumsy.

I didn't pull away.

Instead, I turned my head to look at her properly, letting a faint smirk touch my lips.

She noticed I wasn't rejecting her and gained a bit more confidence. She leaned in until her face was close to mine, her hot breath pressing against my cheeks.

"I've never brought anyone here before," she whispered. "You're the first one.... That means something to me… so, I really want to make this night special for you."

Her hand slid a little higher on my arm, her thumb brushing my skin gently.

"I could… help you relax," she added, voice dropping even lower.

"You've been carrying so much lately. Let me take care of you tonight, even if it's just for a little while."

I could see that she was trying very hard... the way she tilted her head, the soft tone of her voice, the way she kept finding small excuses to touch me.

It was obvious, almost endearingly clumsy, but there was real affection behind it.

I didn't refuse her.

I simply watched her with a calm, slightly smirking expression, letting her continue.

Seraphiel's cheeks were flushed, but she didn't stop. She moved even closer, her knee now fully pressed against mine as she looked up at me through her lashes.

"You've done so much for me… for all of us," she murmured.

"I want to show you how grateful I am. How much I… appreciate you."

Her fingers trailed lightly down my arm until they reached my hand. She hesitated, then slowly intertwined our fingers, squeezing gently.

"Stay with me a little longer tonight?"

Her mismatched eyes fluttered as they intently looked at mine.

"Please?"

I didn't hesitate.

In one single motion, I slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her effortlessly into a princess carry.

Seraphiel let out a surprised little yelp, her wings flaring out slightly in shock as her arms instinctively wrapped around my neck.

"M-My Lord—!" she gasped, her cheeks instantly burning bright red.

I smirked faintly, holding her securely against my chest.

"Where to?"

She buried her face against my shoulder, clearly embarrassed but not resisting at all.

"U-uh… upstairs… the second room on the right… ah…" she mumbled shyly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I carried her up the glowing crystal staircase without any effort.

The house's living walls shifted to a warmer, softer rose-gold color as we passed, reacting to the emotions in the air.

Seraphiel's room was exactly where she said, the second door on the right.

I pushed the door open with my shoulder.

The room was beautiful and unmistakably hers.

It was a spacious, elegant space with high, arched ceilings made of translucent crystal that let in the soft twilight glow from outside.

Floating lanterns drifted lazily near the ceiling, casting gentle golden light.

The walls were adorned with delicate shadow-weave tapestries she must have made herself.

A large, comfortable bed with silky midnight-blue sheets sat against the far wall, surrounded by small glowing crystals that hummed softly like lullabies.

There were personal touches everywhere: a small shelf filled with old books and crystal trinkets from her childhood, a wooden training dummy in the corner with practice swords leaning against it, and a beautiful window overlooking the floating gardens and the twin moons.

I carried her over to the bed and gently settled her down on the soft sheets.

She looked up at me, cheeks still flushed, wings half-spread beneath her as she sat on the edge of the bed.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Seraphiel's hands fidgeted with the fabric of her dress, clearly nervous but not pulling away. Her mismatched eyes kept flicking up to meet mine, then shyly looking away again.

I stood in front of her, looking down at her with a calm gaze.

She bit her lower lip slightly, then gathered her courage.

"…Stay?" she whispered softly.

"Pffttt...!"

I laughed at her words.

"Didn't I bring you here?" I asked, smiling softly as I reached down and gently caressed her cheek with the back of my fingers.

"Why are you still asking me to stay?"

Seraphiel's breath hitched at my touch.

She shyly grabbed my hand with both of hers, pressing her cheek more firmly into my palm, her skin warm and flushed.

"I… I just…" she mumbled insecurely, "I didn't want to assume… I know you have so many others who… who want your time…"

Her words trailed off, full of quiet vulnerability.

This girl...

Is she really the same arrogant woman who humiliated me back in that arena? I guess a woman indeed changes when she's in love.

I tilted her chin up gently with my fingers so she would look at me.

"You're not assuming anything," I said softly, my thumb brushing her lower lip.

"I brought you here because I wanted to be with you. Just you. Tonight, there's no one else. Only us."

Her eyes shimmered, the insecurity slowly melting away as she searched my face. A small, trembling smile formed on her lips.

Seeing this, I finally leaned down slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted.

She didn't.

I kissed her.

The moment our lips met, Seraphiel froze completely.

Her wings went utterly still behind her, not even a single feather twitching. Her hands tightened around mine as if she needed something to hold onto.