CHAPTER 54: THE PLAN

Edna didn’t know if her heart was beating too fast because of the spice in the noodles... or because of the man in front of her.

It was most definitely the man in front of her.

Azel’s lips were still on hers.

He wasn’t gentle.

His kiss was rough, hungry, almost desperate — like he wanted to claim her entirely until there was nothing left to claim.

She could tell he wasn’t particularly experienced, but she also realized something strange... he was learning.

Learning her taste, her rhythm, her reactions.

Their tongues tangled, coiling and pushing against each other like they were fighting and embracing all at once.

Her knees buckled.

The grip he had on her hips was firm — too firm, it sent shivers up her spine every time his fingers tightened.

The pressure alone made her legs tremble more and more, until she was barely able to stand.

And then came the heat — not just from the kiss, but from somewhere far more intimate.

She was getting horny from just a kiss...

She was losing air.

Her lungs burned for oxygen, but she didn’t want to pull away.

She didn’t want to lose the sensation of being devoured.

Finally, Azel broke the kiss. Edna staggered back slightly, chest heaving.

"How was it?" Azel asked, still holding her close, his forehead leaning down toward hers. "It was my first time kissing someone."

Edna froze.

First...

That single word echoed in her head like a forbidden melody.

Any time she heard it from him — whether it was his first time trying a food, first time being on a date, or now... this... it made her chest thump wildly.

It was like she was collecting his firsts.

A selfish part of her reveled in the thought.

Her lips parted, but no words came.

She didn’t want to say something stupid.

So instead, she stepped forward, closed the little space between them, and rose onto her toes.

This time, she kissed him.

His eyes widened slightly before he closed them, responding in kind.

Her mind was a haze of sensations.

’It... felt... fucking... amazing...’

She’d read about kisses before. She’d imagined them. Hell she was literally fantasizing about it minutes before.

She’d even daydreamed of how it would feel to have someone’s lips against hers, trading warmth and breath.

But now... now she knew reality far surpassed the fantasy.

Still, she refused to let him know that this was her first kiss.

When she pulled back, she didn’t step away.

Instead, she rested her head against his chest, breathing in his faint, clean scent beneath the spice of the food they’d just eaten.

"It was amazing," she admitted softly. "Kissing you is amazing."

Her body had somehow dried from the lingering heat, though she was still wrapped in nothing but her towel.

Azel sat back down on the bed, his eyes never leaving her.

"Edna," he said suddenly, "I have a question."

She tilted her head. "What question?"

His gaze was steady, unreadable. "Do you want to run away...?"

Silence.

She blinked, unsure she’d heard correctly.

"R-run... a-w-a-y?" she stammered.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "We’ll run away together — with Lillia. In exchange for me bringing you out today, I took a mission further north. We can go there together, lay low for a while. I’ll finish the mission, and then we can rest properly."

Her breath caught.

She would abandon the castle life in an instant if given the chance... but the thought of her daughters stopped her cold.

"Okay..." she whispered, "but... I can’t leave my daughters behind."

She was a mother before anything else.

Azel knew that.

"And besides," she added, "it would be suspicious if I ran away. There are Empresses who tried before me, and they were caught."

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Azel replied casually. "Because you’re going to die tomorrow."

Edna’s eyes widened. "Die?"

He met her gaze with a calm, almost cold certainty. "Would you believe me if I told you?"

Something in his tone made her nod. She didn’t know why, but she believed him.

"I have an ability," Azel began, "that lets me see a little into the future — only once a month, and only in the form of dreams. Last night I saw tomorrow’s events: people will attack the castle. They’ll come for your life... and Naelia’s. That’s why, as soon as I woke up, I came to the capital."

His voice softened. "It was partly because I wanted to see you... and partly because I didn’t want to lose you."

Edna stared at him.

A long moment passed before she smiled faintly.

"An ability like that... it’s overpowered. Then what should I do?"

"You should organize a tea party today," Azel instructed. "Invite Naelia, Elizabeth, and Ira. Tell them that due to the threats against your life, you want to change your identity and run away — but fake your death in the process. Assure them you’ll still see them occasionally. You need to explain everything so they don’t think you’re gone for good."

Edna nodded.

She couldn’t bear the thought of her daughters and even Ira who she had grown close with grieving while she was still alive.

It was selfish... but the pull of freedom, the fantasy of escaping like the heroines in her romance novels, was too tempting.

"I’ll buy magical disguise artifacts," Azel continued, "and we’ll have you leave the castle afterward. We’ll make it look like you died in the crossfire."

Her voice was quiet, almost shy. "Thank you..."

"You can thank me when it’s over," Azel replied, smirking faintly.

Then his eyes flicked downward. "Now... don’t you think you should change out of that towel?"

Her cheeks flared crimson. "Y-you—!"

She grabbed the edge of the towel defensively and bolted for the bathroom.

Azel chuckled softly once she was gone, his expression turning serious again.

’I’m sorry for lying,’ he thought, pulling up the System Store in his vision. ’But at least I have everyone I need to protect in one place. Now I just need the right disguise and something to fake her death properly.’

He scrolled through the list of magical artifacts.

And then...

’Uhm System, why are you selling stuff like this?’

[Author’s Note]

One more Chapter left, well I’ll write it when I wake up, later guys.