CHAPTER 340: THIS WOULD BE TROUBLE...

As Charlotte left, Brandon turned to glance at Florence and walked to her.

She smiled softly and leaned forward to hug him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Brandon exhaled, closing his eyes briefly as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Kiera glanced at them out of the corner of her eyes but stayed silent and turned her gaze to the corpse in front of them.

Kissing Florence’s head, Brandon whispered "What to do with her corpse..."

Nuzzling into his neck, she replied "I will give her a proper burial just like the previous Bleaufort Matriarchs."

He gave a nod, and Florence glanced at Kiera "Kiera, will you handle her corpse?"

Kiera blinked, still standing before Henriette’s body. "Mhm, I will take care of it."

There was no resentment left in her tone now, only the faint echo of old grief and duty.

She crouched beside Henriette, brushing a strand of silver hair from the woman’s face.

Florence turned back toward Brandon, "First, let’s cleanse ourselves."

Her gaze softened as she looked at Kiera again. "You too."

Kiera’s fingers lingered for a moment near Henriette’s hand before she finally rose to her feet. "Alright, I will take care of the corpse first."

---

The sound of running water had long stopped, yet faint wisps of steam still clung to the air.

Brandon stood in front of the mirror with a towel draped over his shoulders, his damp hair falling in uneven strands across his forehead.

He rubbed it dry slowly, watching his own reflection.

For a moment, he just breathed.

He could feel the energy flowing through his body. His S-rank ether was... different now.

He flexed his fingers in front of the mirror and the air around them shimmered faintly, reacting to the latent energy.

Each movement left a ghostly trail of silver light before fading away.

He raised his right hand and watched the faint ember of his silver flame materialize just above his knuckles, curling like serpents of light before fading again.

"Stronger..." he murmured under his breath.

Brandon exhaled slowly, setting the towel aside "Guess this is what it means to really step into S-rank."

He rolled his shoulders, flexed his hands again, and let out a deep sigh "I am pretty sure Naevora is going to be mad at me..."

*thoom* He heard another lightning strike outside as the noise of heavy rain lashing against the window reached his ears.

Brandon stepped out of his room wearing a plain gray t-shirt clung lightly to his shoulders, and his hair was still damp as he rubbed it with a towel.

He stopped in front of Florence’s room and, without thinking much, turned the handle.

The door creaked open.

Inside, Florence stood in front of the mirror with her back to him, adjusting the strap of a dark red bra.

Her long blonde hair which was still wet from her own shower, cascaded down her shoulders with small beads of water sliding down the curve of her neck.

Brandon stood there for a moment admiring her curves and the swell of her ass cheeks covered by her dark red panties.

Florence turned her head slightly, catching his reflection in the mirror, and a gentle smile curved her lips. "Come in, Kael..."

Leaving the door, he stepped forward and walked to her, gently hugging her from behind.

He leaned down, brushing his lips against the damp skin of her shoulder, leaving a soft kiss "You smell so nice..."

Hearing this, she blushed and leaned back on his chest "Is that so?" she said, tilting her head slightly to let her wet hair brush against his cheek.

His hand tightened gently on her waist while his fingers traced the curve of her hips before playfully teasing her belly button, coaxing a soft giggle.

Kissing her cheek, he nuzzled into her hair "You know... I am really glad that you are alright, Florence."

She closed her eyes in his warmth and nodded her head "I also feel the same, Kael. When I saw you bleeding, I thought I would lose and that scared me more than anything..."

Florence turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest as she looked up at him with a mix of vulnerability and affection.

His gray t-shirt is still slightly damp, and she could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingers.

She rose on her tiptoes, pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw.

But Brandon’s hand slid to her chin, tilting her face upward, and he captured her lips in a sudden, tender kiss that made her startle.

H-Huh? Her eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped her lips as she pulled back slightly, her voice trembling with surprise.

"K-Kael..." she stammered and her cheeks flushed with a deeper shade of pink while her heart raced at the unexpected intensity of his touch.

He didn’t hesitate, leaning in again to kiss her lips, deeper this time as his mouth moved against hers with a quiet insistence that sent a warmth coursing through her.

Florence sighed and muttered in a breathless whisper against his lips "Are you aware what you’re doing and the conseq-"

But her words cut off as he kissed her again, sucking gently on her lower lip and his touch was both gentle and possessive, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

"I am Eira’s mothe-" She tried to speak, but he just kissed her lips again, shutting her up.

Brandon’s hand slid lower, cupping her ass through the dark red panties before pulling her flush against him.

Florence’s breath hitched as she spoke "This would be trouble..."

Her emerald eyes flickered with a mix of hesitation and longing, the weight of her responsibilities as Eira’s mother clashing with the pull of her heart.

But Brandon’s gaze remained locked on her plump lips, and he kissed her again, sucking her lips gently and breaking her final resolve.

Her hands slid up to his shoulders, her fingers digging into the damp fabric as she surrendered to the kiss, her body pressing closer to his body.

Brandon’s hand slid to the nape of her neck while his fingers tangled gently in her wet blonde hair as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

His lips moved against hers with a quiet ferocity, drawing a soft moan from her lips.

His other hand slid lower, slipping beneath the edge of her dark red panties to grasp her bare soft ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

"Ha..." Florence gasped but her voice was muffled by the kiss and her body instinctively arched against his body as the sensation caught her off guard.

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, meeting his eyes with a mix of surprise and desire, before she melted back into the kiss, her hands tightening on his shoulders.

"Ka-el..." she murmured against his lips in a half-hearted protest drowned by the warmth of his touch.

Her fingers curled deeper into his t-shirt, pulling him closer as she surrendered fully.

"...Mother?"

At this time, they heard Kiera’s voice and Florence quickly pulled back the kiss and turned to glance at Kiera, who was looking at them through the half-opened door.