LOGIN"You're incredibly easy to read, Fiora. You're curious about Vael, aren't you?"Before Fiora could answer Riven's remark, Darius cut in."Don't act like you know everything, Riven! Your mind-reading isn't always accurate!" he snapped irritably.Without another word, Darius took the plate from Fiora's hands. He speared a bite-sized piece of grilled meat with his fork and held it up to her lips.Vael had already cut the meat into small pieces beforehand.Fiora hesitated for a moment...Then, feeling slightly self-conscious, she finally opened her mouth and accepted the bite.Riven leaned closer, lowering his voice near her ear."He's feeling guilty about how rough he was with you in bed," he whispered, referring to Darius. "That's why he's being so tame now."Fiora glanced at Riven but chose not to respond."And besides..." Riven continued casually, "Darius likes you. A lot.""That's exactly why he's become even more annoying."Fiora nearly laughed, but managed to hold it back and focus
Inside her room, Fiora lay on the bed and staring quietly at her hands.Earlier in the library, Elyon had insisted on examining and treating her.She hadn't felt injured or unwell, but he had done it anyway—simply as a precaution to make sure she was truly healthy.A faint smile curved her lips.She hadn't expected that opening up to Elyon about everything weighing on her heart would actually make her feel a little lighter.In his own quiet way, Elyon had made her feel safe enough to talk.Truthfully... it wasn't just Elyon.Vael and Zephyr weren't so bad either.Fiora could sense that the three men genuinely treated her with care and were fiercely protective of her......unlike Riven and Darius.Riven was simply impossible to understand. Sometimes he seemed kind and attentive.Other times... he was frightening.She still remembered the day the venomous snake had bitten her, and how calmly he had reacted... even though she had been standing at death's door.As for Darius...Even now,
The corridor leading to the library was quieter than Fiora had imagined.Her steps slowed as she pushed open the wooden door at the end of the hallway.The hinges didn't creak. The room felt far too well maintained for a place that was rarely used.The moment she stepped inside, the scent of aged paper and polished wood filled the air.Towering bookshelves stretched toward the ceiling, lined neatly with thick volumes.Soft, dim light filtered between the shelves, casting long shadows that felt... almost comforting.Fiora let out a quiet breath. Truthfully, she didn't know why her feet had brought her here.Or perhaps she did... she simply wasn't ready to admit it."Can't sleep?" The voice came without warning.Fiora turned quickly and found Elyon seated in a chair beside the tall window.An open book rested in his hands, as though he had been there for quite some time."Or," he continued calmly without looking up, "...you never intended to sleep in the first place."Fiora fell silent
At last, the seed transfer was over, though neither Fiora's nor Zephyr's breathing had fully steadied.The lingering warmth between them remained.No longer in the form of movement, but in the slow rhythm of two hearts gradually returning to calm.Zephyr stayed close... as if he had no desire to let her go just yet.He still held Fiora on the bed, his lips lingering softly against hers.The kiss did not end immediately.Fiora slowly opened her eyes, looking at the man before her with quiet confusion.It should have been over already... so why wasn't Zephyr pulling away?His hand still rested around her waist, almost unconsciously keeping her where she was."Zephyr..." Fiora called softly, her voice still slightly hoarse.He didn't answer right away.His green eyes drifted down to her face before lifting again, as though confirming something only he could see.Fiora tried to climb down from his lap."I... should go clean myself—"Before she could finish, Zephyr gently pulled her back.
"I'm going to move now," Zephyr said.Fiora immediately held her breath.Her body tensed for a moment at his quiet whisper, yet strangely... fear was no longer the strongest emotion filling her mind.Instead, it was an unfamiliar sense of anticipation.Zephyr didn't move right away. He seemed to be giving her time.Not because he was hesitant, but because he knew that every second of restraint made everything feel even more real.His hand remained on Fiora's back, stroking her slowly and steadily, in stark contrast to his own breathing which had begun to lose its rhythm.And Fiora noticed that subtle change.The man who had appeared cold and perfectly composed from the very beginning was now starting to lose a fraction of that control."Zephyr..." she whispered unconsciously.Only then did he begin to move.At first, his movements were slow, causing Fiora to instinctively tighten her grip around his shoulders.The sensation came gradually... yet deeply.It was more than simple physica
Fiora froze at those unsparingly blunt words.Zephyr was asking her to suck… that?Her heart hammered so fiercely it almost hurt within her chest.She stared at him with eyes blown wide, trying to confirm she had not misheard.Yet his expression did not shift even a fraction.It remained flat and composed, as if what he had spoken was nothing more than an ordinary request.“Why don't we just… do it right away…?” Fiora breathed, her voice barely louder than a whisper.She did not mean to refuse, but rather… she was grasping for some way to steady her own nerves.Zephyr did not answer immediately; instead, he took one step closer, stopping right before her.The space between them vanished once more.“You are too tense,” he said at last. “A body that fights against itself will struggle to receive the seed.”His tone remained unchanged—emotionless, free of urgency, yet it bore a weight that pressed down on her all the same.Fiora swallowed hard. Her hands, which had hung loose at her side







