The night air was still heavy with the scent of rain as Brandon and Amelia descended toward the castle.

He landed softly on the stone balcony of her private chamber.

The moment her feet touched the solid ground, Amelia let out a shaky breath of relief.

Her legs felt slightly unsteady after the surreal experience of flying high above the clouds.

She stood there for a moment with one hand still resting on his chest for balance while her blonde hair was plastered against her cheeks and neck.

Rainwater dripped steadily from both of them onto the balcony floor.

Brandon pulled her a little closer and murmured "Go and dry yourself quickly... don’t get a cold."

His tone carried genuine concern, and Amelia’s heart fluttered at the closeness.

"Mhm." She nodded faintly, still trying to steady her breathing after everything that had happened.

Before she could step back, Brandon raised his hand and gently pinched her lower lip between his thumb and forefinger.

"Also... what happened between us should remain a secret."

Amelia’s gaze flickered involuntarily down to his lips for a brief second before quickly returning to his eyes.

"I swear on my name as Bleaufort... the secret will stay between us."

Brandon let go of her lip with a small smile "Good."

"I am leaving then."

Amelia nodded, but neither of them moved immediately.

With a gentle pinch to her cheek, Brandon finally turned toward the edge of the balcony, preparing to leap up to his own room on the floor above.

Before he could jump, Amelia’s hand reached out and caught the sleeve of his damp shirt.

"Wait..."

He paused and looked back at her.

Amelia lowered her gaze shyly "Again, thank you for tonight. I’ve never felt so... free."

Upon hearing this, his gaze softened, and he reached up to brush a wet strand of hair away from her face with the back of his fingers.

"You don’t have to thank me, Amelia. I enjoyed every moment of it, too."

Her eyes widened, and another deep blush bloomed across her cheeks,"Y-You damn Casanova."

Brandon let out a chuckle and leaned in a little closer, "Wow, calling me a womanizer now?"

Amelia glanced away shyly "You have some charm with your words. I wonder how many maidens you handled with that sweet tongue of yours."

Brandon’s chuckle deepened into a warm, genuine laugh "Sweet tongue?" he grinned, clearly enjoying her embarrassment.

"You make it sound like I go around seducing half the kingdom."

She glanced at him in the corner of her eyes "Then why does it feel like you know exactly what to say to make a woman’s heart race like this...? It’s unfair."

Looking at her, Brandon’s expression softened again "Well, I just speak the words in my mind."

"And for the record... I’ve never flown anyone above the clouds just to show them the moon before. You’re the first."

Amelia’s heart fluttered wildly again "Really?"

Brandon nodded, gently resting his hand against her cheek "Hmm."

She took a step closer, drawn by the warmth radiating from him despite their wet clothes.

"Then... I’m glad I was your first for that," she whispered.

"And I’m also glad you were my first for... many things tonight."

With a teasing smile, he hummed under his breath "Hmm... maybe I should stay here for the night and claim every ’first experience’ "

Hm? She tilted her head in innocent confusion for a second, but then she realized and raised her hand to hit his arm "I-I-I meant the kiss, you idiot, leave, leave!"

Brandon couldn’t hold it in and laughed as he caught her fist gently in his hand, "Hahaha... good night."

Amelia groaned in embarrassment "You are the worst..."

Raindrops continued to slide down Brandon’s face, but his eyes grew gentle with affection.

"Sleep well, Amelia. Dry off properly, alright?"

"Mhm."

---

Brandon stepped into his guest chamber and closed teh balcony door behind him.

There, Rheanne was lying peacefully on the bed with her long white hair spread across the pillow.

The sight brought a fond smile to Brandon’s face.

He walked quietly to the small adjoining restroom, took off his damp clothes, and dried himself thoroughly with a clean towel.

The chill of the rain slowly left his body as he changed into loose, dry trousers.

When he returned to the bedroom, he paused for a moment at the edge of the bed, simply watching her.

With a contented sigh, he let himself fall forward, landing gently on top of her in a full-body hug.

His face buried itself comfortably into the crook of her neck as he let out a deep, satisfied breath.

Rheanne exhaled gently "You are heavy..."

Brandon smiled against her skin, "That’s what you get for faking sleep."

Her lips curved into a faint smile.

She slowly wrapped her arms around his back, hugging him closer as her fingers traced lazy patterns along his spine.

"You have gotten even more clingy these days," she murmured in a drowsy voice.

He shifted slightly, settling more comfortably against her, enjoying the familiar warmth and the faint, comforting scent that always clung to her.

"I want more ether from you..."

Rheanne rolled her eyes and gave his back a light pat "Who told you to waste your ether by taking the princess to fly up in the sky?"

Brandon chuckled softly "You were watching?"

"Obviously. I noticed your presence leaving the castle with Amelia and returning later with her. I have to always be aware of my surroundings and check for potential dangers."

Upon hearing this, he nodded his head "Mhm."

His body relaxed further into hers as he continued to draw ether from her at a slow pace.

Rheanne remained silent for a moment, her fingers idly tracing slow circles along his spine.

Then she tilted her head slightly, glancing down at his face.

She noticed that his mood has gotten a lot better compared to noon.

She squinted her eyes thoughtfully.

’Did his relationship with her...’

Rheanne’s voice came out softer than before as she asked curiously "You seem to be in a particularly good mood tonight."

Brandon hummed in response, "Is that so?"

"Mhm." She gently tugged at a strand of his still-damp hair.

With a chuckle, he looked up at her and a fond smiled appeared on his lips "We... kissed."

Rheanne was dumbfounded to hear this ’Kiss?’

He simply rested his chin lightly on her collarbone and half-closed his eyes again as he continued absorbing her ether.

"Haa... I enjoyed today’s night."

Meanwhile, Rheanne’s gaze quivered in surprise ’They kissed...’

For more than two and a half years, Brandon had been close ONLY to her.

They had fought side by side, shared countless nights of rest, exchanged ether through quiet hugs, and built a bond that felt uniquely theirs.

He had never shown this kind of relaxed, affectionate mood after spending time with anyone else.

But now...

A strange, unfamiliar ache bloomed in her heart.

Rheanne took a slow breath, forcing her expression to remain calm even as her mind raced.

She gently resumed stroking his hair.

He let out another contented sigh, clearly still riding the pleasant afterglow of the evening.

Rheanne stayed silent for a long moment, and her eyes were fixed on the ceiling above them.

She had grown used to being the only one who truly understood him and being close to him all the time.

But now, the thought of him sharing even a simple kiss with someone else felt... unsettling.

Jealousy?

She isn’t angry at Amelia

The girl is kind, earnest, and full of genuine affection.

But the idea that Brandon had let someone else close enough to kiss him stirred something unfamiliar inside her.

Rheanne closed her eyes briefly, trying to push the feeling down.

’No... He is not mine to dictate, he can do whatever he wants...’

She has no claim over his heart or his affections.

But even then... her hands unconsciously tightened around Brandon, pulling him a little closer against her body.

Brandon nuzzled deeper into her neck "Thank you, Rheanne... after the chilling rain, it feels so warm to sleep with you."

Hearing his words, Rheanne was taken aback and her eyes widened slightly.

’Today is a rare occasion...’

Because Brandon rarely calls her by her name.

He had always referred to her as "Rheanne" in his thoughts, but out loud, he had defaulted to "you" or simply addressed her in the flow of conversation.

Patting his head, she murmured "Good night, Kael."

A gentle smile bloomed across her lips.

She lifted one hand and patted his head tenderly with careful affection.

"Good night, Kael,"

-------

After many suggestions, I created a discord server

https://discord.gg/9uvfcnfTCK