Calix's voice lowered, seeping in softly like a temptation.
Odelia held her breath, avoiding his approaching gaze.
“Don’t avoid it.”
Calix gently lifted her chin and met her gaze. Then, very slowly, he led her body toward him.
Odelia's breathing trembled shallowly, and her heart pounded. Before she could even step back, Calix covered her lips.
As moist breaths passed between their lips, the air in the room instantly heated up.
The first kiss was cautious, but soon intense longing intertwined, settling deeper and colder. One of Calix's hands wrapped tightly around her waist, while the other went up behind her to rest on the windowsill.
Trapped between the window and Calix, Odelia was held in his arms, swallowing the breath she had been trying to escape. The breaths of the two intertwined roughly, yet somehow sweetly.
"Calix..."
When she called his name in a trembling voice, Calix laughed briefly and covered her lips again.
"Tonight... I’m here."
Odelia's cheeks flushed at that low whisper. A chilling temptation, piercing through her body, burrowed into her ears.
The candlelight in the room flickered violently, and the shadows of the two people overlapped into one.
“Calix, stop..."
As she swallowed the end of her sentence, Calix placed his hand on her shoulder instead of answering.
“Do you really hate it?”
"..."
"Yes? Odelia."
“...Ugh... no.”
With a brief word, his fingertips moved slowly.
The cloak her was wearing slid down to the floor. Even though the thick coat had fallen, the air felt hotter.
Calix's fingertips slowly brushed against her shoulder. The small sound of cold metal clashing broke the silence.
Calix's gaze slowly flowed down along the neckline to the collarbone, and then to the chest.
His gaze was persistent, as if engraving possession, and Odelia trembled slightly with tension and anticipation whenever his eyes met hers.
Calix's hand slowly moved up from her waist and completely grasped her. Odelia gasped for breath and placed her fingertips on the windowsill, but as Calix pressed his body closer, she was helplessly pulled toward him.
Odelia's gaze wavered, and her lips were dry.
Without either of them saying it first, they hugged each other tightly.
Odelia's fingertips traced up Calix's back and shoulders as she held him, and Calix's breath poured hotly onto her neckline. A short breath escaped from Odelia's lips.
In an instant, their bodies became entangled. Calix hugged her even tighter and lifted her up with his strong arms. Odelia’s vision blurred in a flash, and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, clinging tightly to him.
Calix threw her roughly toward the bed. As she collapsed onto the bed, the white sheets were crumpled severely.
Their breaths brushed against each other, and voices yearning for one another spread like ripples through the dim room.
Finally, they became one body, as if imprinting each other's existence upon their own bodies and souls.
With her eyes closed, Odelia tightly hugged Calix's neck, as if confessing that she never wanted to let go of this moment.
"..."
At Calix's answer that quietly burrowed into her ears, Odelia looked blank for a moment before bursting into laughter as if she were about to cry.
***
The sunlight gently streaming through the window passed through the curtains and bathed the room in silver light.
Feeling the morning air, which was much calmer and quieter, Odelia slowly opened her eyes.
The heavy body heat and regular heartbeat she felt throughout her body immediately brought her back to reality.
She was in Calix's arms.
His arms were tightly wrapped around her waist, and Odelia was trapped, completely buried in his embrace, unable to move.
It felt as though his breath from the previous night, which had approached her with a vivid craving that seemed ready to engulf her, still lingered on her skin. Feeling shy, Odelia lowered her gaze for no reason.
Then, suddenly, she raised her head and stared blankly at Calix's profile. Neatly closed lips, long drooping eyelashes, and a face that somehow looked much more relaxed than usual.
He looked not like the Emperor of the Empire, but simply as a man named Calix.
...To think that I, with someone like this, yesterday.......
As the thought suddenly crossed her mind, Odelia's cheeks slowly flushed.
She tried to move, driven by a strange urge to escape, but her body, tightly bound in Calix's arms, could not break free easily.
Just then, Calix let out a low breath and opened his eyes.
Their gazes met at close range and immediately caught her. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"...Why are you staring at me like that?"
The voice was still heavy with sleep, but it was strangely relaxed. Odelia flinched and averted her gaze in surprise at the thought of being caught.
"Ah. No... It's just... it's..."
As she trailed off in embarrassment, Calix's gaze deepened playfully. He hugged Odelia's waist tighter and laughed softly.
"Just?"
That one word made Odelia's heart race again.
Before she knew it, the morning sunlight had transformed from a cold silver light into a bright hue, coloring the room.
Calix wrapped his arms around Odelia's waist and slowly pulled her into an embrace from behind. His chin rested gently on her shoulder, and his hot breath brushed against her ear.
The warm sunlight seeping through the curtains gently enveloped the shoulders and arms of the two, and even their breaths grew much closer.
Odelia surrendered herself to his touch, lost in a pleasant languor.
Calix's hand overlapped the back of her hand. And soon, Odelia lowered her head at the subtly cold sensation she suddenly felt on her fingers.
"...Uh?"
Her eyes trembled greatly with a faint breath.
A silver ring was shining on her finger that had come into view.
So naturally, and so softly, that she wouldn't even know when it was inserted.
As Odelia turned slightly away from his embrace in surprise, she met the eyes of Calix, who was smiling comfortably.
His low laugh brushed past her ear.
"I'm not saying we should get married right now."
His voice was soft, yet held a solid resonance.
"This is just a token that my heart is with you from now on. Don't feel too burdened by it."
Odelia's lips trembled slightly. Calix wrapped his hand around her finger and lightly pressed his lips against the ring.
"No matter what path you take, I will be by your side until the very end."
The breath of an ancient vow tickled and seeped into her fingertips.
"Even if we are far apart, my heart will always be thinking of you."
Instead of answering with words, Odelia leaned deeply into Calix's arms and closed her eyes.
The rings on their fingers held the warmth of the two people, quietly proving that their hearts were always together here.
It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of the day they would be far apart, but she wanted to believe that at least their hearts would always be together.
And so, the two of them spent their last moments together, silently embracing each other.
***
The high walls of Talamand appeared in the distance.
Even though the attack must have been quite intense, the city walls remained in their place just as before.
The fortress wall stood guard in its place with perhaps an even more sturdy appearance.
As the magnificent silhouette approached, Odelia's heart slowly swelled with emotion.
It was the place where she had once failed to protect everything he loved, and the land where she had struggled to reclaim it.
The city gate slowly opened.
And unexpectedly, from beyond, the shouts of the people surged in like waves.
"It is Lady Odelia!"
"The Lord has returned!"
"Lady Odelia! Lady Odelia!"
"Welcome, Lord! It's good to see you back!"
The people filled the square in front of the city gate. Tears and laughter bloomed on their faces at the same time.
As Odelia appeared on horseback, the cheers grew even louder. It was an enthusiastic welcome.
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