CHAPTER 48: CH 48: THE TEMPLE VISIT - PART 1

Kana woke up to the soft rustling of blankets and a faint, unfamiliar warmth pressed against both sides of her body.

For a blissful moment, she lay still, eyes half-lidded, feeling strangely refreshed.

The gentle breathing of the two figures beside her added a rhythm to the morning stillness, and the sunlight streaming through the curtains painted golden streaks on the ceiling.

Then the memories from last night hit her like a bucket of ice water.

Her face went up in flames.

’Did that really happen?’

Her heart skipped. Irielle marking her neck. Lysera following suit, flustered and awkward. The heat and passion between them...

The quiet warmth in the dark, the closeness, the way she had let it all happen without a second thought.

Her entire body tensed. She slipped out of bed as slowly and carefully as she could manage, careful not to disturb either of them.

Her feet hit the floor and she all but darted into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Kana splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror.

Her neck—

A fresh wave of red spread across her cheeks. There were definite bite marks near her collarbone, and they weren’t subtle.

The skin was still red, indented, and slightly swollen. She winced and leaned in.

’Those aren’t playful nibbles... they really bit me.’

She ran a finger lightly along the mark and shivered. She could still feel the phantom warmth of Irielle’s breath, the hesitant press of Lysera’s lips.

"I can’t let anyone see these."

Without hesitation, she grabbed the thickest turtleneck she could find and changed into it.

The high collar scratched her chin a little, but it did the job. She tied her hair up to keep it from sticking to the fabric and took a deep breath before walking out to the dining room.

Both Irielle and Lysera were already awake. Irielle was lounging lazily near the table, nibbling on a fruit, while Lysera was reviewing some papers, looking far too composed.

They didn’t bring up last night.

Kana almost sighed in relief—until she passed Irielle’s seat.

In one smooth motion, Irielle stepped behind her, reached out, and tugged the back of Kana’s shirt down.

"Ah-ha! There it is. Look at that, Lysera. Doesn’t Kana look amazing like this?"

Irielle grinned with satisfaction.

Kana’s heart stopped.

"Irielle—!"

"These look perfect. Deep enough to be taken seriously, but still cute. No one’s going to mess with her now. Maybe I should’ve gone a bit higher. Actually, we should show these off more—"

Irielle continued, absolutely unfazed by Kana’s embarrassment.

She tugged again, pulling Kana’s collar down low enough to expose the red marks clearly. Kana squeaked and grabbed her shirt back in place, cheeks burning.

"Stop that! Someone could walk in!"

She hissed.

Irielle pouted.

"Why are you so embarrassed? You let us do it, remember?"

"I was trying to make you feel better—!"

"Aw. You’re so cute when you’re flustered."

Lysera stood abruptly, grabbed Irielle by the back of her robe, and began dragging her toward the door.

"Enough. Out. Go cool your head at the beach before you make her explode."

Irielle whined but let herself be pulled along, muttering.

"You’re no fun, Lysera..."

Kana slumped down onto a chair once they were gone, hiding her face in her hands. Her entire body was hot with mortification.

’Why does it feel like I’m the only one embarrassed about last night? she thought, cheeks still blazing. Irielle’s acting like it was nothing, and Lysera’s back to being all stiff and normal...’

There was a dull ache in her chest, an odd tightness that she couldn’t explain. It felt unfair.

Like she’d experienced something important—something personal—and they’d both just moved on as if it were no big deal.

She looked up as footsteps returned, and the two girls re-entered, both seeming utterly unbothered.

Kana straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"So... when are we leaving?"

Irielle’s teasing smile faltered instantly.

"Do we have to talk about that already?"

Lysera gave her a side-glance but said nothing.

Kana looked between them.

"It’s not like I’m going forever. I’ll just be gone for a week."

"That’s seven whole days. And you’ll be stuck with those prissy temple people the whole time. They’ll try to make you wear boring robes, eat dry food, and probably pray for five hours a day."

Irielle said, sulking again.

Kana blinked.

"That sounds... excessive."

"They’re excessive. Ugh. Let’s just stay a bit longer, okay? I’ll walk you to the temple when it’s time."

Irielle grumbled.

Kana sighed and rested her hands on the table.

"Fine."

And then there was a knock at the front door.

It opened almost instantly, as if the visitor hadn’t even waited for a response.

Evaya stepped in, her expression unreadable.

All three of them turned to her at once.

Kana’s stomach dropped. Judging by the angle she entered from—and the timing—she must have heard everything.

Evaya’s face remained carefully composed as she strode inside.

She didn’t acknowledge Irielle’s insult or the lingering awkwardness in the air. Instead, she walked straight to Kana and held out a neatly folded bundle of clothes.

"These are your assigned garments for the temple week. You’ll wear these when you arrive."

She said in her usual even tone.

Kana reached out, her hand brushing the soft fabric.

"Thank you."

Evaya paused. Her eyes flicked to Kana’s turtleneck, lingered for a fraction of a second, and then she added.

"If you want to cover your marks, you can use bandages. No one will question you if you say it’s from training."

Kana froze. Her entire body tensed. Irielle gave a low chuckle, pleased beyond words.

Evaya looked entirely unbothered as she turned to leave.

"You have an hour. Be ready."

The door closed softly behind her.

Kana stood there, stunned, holding the folded clothes in her hands. Her face was on fire again.

’She knew. She definitely knew.’

Irielle hummed beside her.

"Evaya’s so helpful, isn’t she? Giving you cover stories and all."

Kana turned to glare at her, but the smug smile on Irielle’s lips made her mouth go dry.

"Don’t look so panicked. Now everyone will know you’re taken. Isn’t that a good thing?"

Irielle added with a wink.

Kana didn’t respond.

She looked down at the clothes in her hands and tightened her grip. The marks on her neck tingled faintly beneath the turtleneck, still warm from memory.

She didn’t know what this feeling in her chest was, but it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Kana clutched the temple robes in her hands, the fabric soft and cool against her trembling fingers.

Her mouth felt dry, and when she finally spoke, her voice came out low and unsteady.

"I... I’m going to change. I’ll be back soon."

She didn’t look at any of them—couldn’t. Her heart was beating too fast, her face still flushed from earlier.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and hurried toward her room, footsteps quick and uneven.

The moment the door closed behind her, she leaned against it and let out a long, shaky breath.

Her chest felt tight. It wasn’t just the marks or Evaya’s calm acknowledgment—it was everything.

The way Irielle smiled so casually. The way Lysera had kissed her neck with hesitation, then acted like it didn’t mean anything. And the way Kana herself had let it happen so easily.

She ran her fingers over her collar again, eyes drifting to the mirror across the room. The marks were still hidden beneath her turtleneck, but she could feel them.

A reminder she wasn’t sure how to carry.

"...Just a week. I’ll get through it."

She whispered to herself.

With slow steps, she moved to change into the temple robes.