Hollow Crown: SSS-Ranked Godslayer’s Rise

"So?" Ethan whispered against her ear, his breath warm enough to make her shiver. "What's your answer?"

Lirael bit her lip, eyes darting away. "I-It… wasn't that bad."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Not bad, huh? Then you won't mind another one?"

Her eyes widened. "W-What do you mean… another one? No more…" Her voice trailed off, but the faint glimmer in her eyes betrayed her words.

Ethan chuckled softly. He leaned back, shifting position. With surprising ease, he lifted her and set her down across his folded leg, his other leg stretched out casually on the bed. One arm steadied her by the waist, while his other hand cupped her face gently, tilting it up toward his. Looking straight in her eyes.

"I mean exactly what I said." His gaze held hers, steady, amused but patient. Then, before she could react, he drew her closer and pressed his lips to hers again.

Her palms pressed lightly against his chest, as if to push him back—but the attempt lacked strength. His lips brushed across hers slowly, deliberately, claiming her upper lip first, then teasing her lower one. Occasionally, he trailed kisses across her cheeks, even the tip of her nose, before returning to her mouth.

"Mm—E-Ethan…!" she gasped softly between the kisses, her resistance weakening with every brush of his lips.

Soon, her hands no longer tried to push him away. Instead, almost unconsciously, her arms slid around his back—one slipping under his arm, the other resting over his shoulder. Her body softened against his, melting into the warmth of his embrace.

"Mhm~…" a breathy sound escaped her, helpless and unguarded.

Ethan's eyes softened for a brief moment. He didn't rush her—each kiss was slow, coaxing, letting her clumsy attempts at reciprocation grow naturally. She pressed back shyly, her lips trembling as she tried to follow his rhythm, her inexperience painfully obvious but endearing.

When she finally started to kiss him back in earnest, he smirked against her lips. Then he deepened it.

His hand slid from her cheek to the back of her head as he tilted her face, pulling her closer. His mouth claimed hers again—firmer this time, insistent. His lips parted, drawing hers open, and before she realized it, his tongue brushed against her lips, slipping past them.

Lirael's eyes widened in shock, muffling a startled sound into his mouth.

"Mmmh~!"

The sudden intimacy made her squirm, but Ethan didn't let her pull away. His tongue sought hers, curling and intertwining, his movements confident, practiced. He savored her sweetness, drawing out soft, muffled gasps as he sucked lightly at her tongue.

Her hands fisted against his back, torn between pushing him away and clinging to him tighter. Her breath came ragged through her nose, her body tense with the unfamiliar sensation.

But then—slowly—her resistance faltered. Her lashes fluttered shut, and she let him in, surrendering to the strange warmth blooming inside her chest. Her tongue, hesitant and unsure, began to move with his, responding clumsily but earnestly.

A shiver ran down her spine as she gave in, her entire body leaning into his embrace.

"Mmm…~"

Ethan's hand at her waist pulled her tighter against him, their bodies flush together, as if he intended to erase every gap between them. The kiss lingered, heated, drowning her in sensations she'd never imagined before.

---

After what felt like an eternity, their lips finally parted. A thin thread of saliva lingered between them before it broke, leaving both of them panting, foreheads almost touching.

Lirael's chest rose and fell rapidly, her face scarlet, her lips swollen and glistening from the prolonged kiss. She clung weakly to his tunic, as if letting go would make her collapse.

Ethan, though equally breathless, still wore that infuriating grin. His words came between ragged gasps, voice husky and low.

"Now… hah… that's what you call… a proper reward."

Lirael's eyes widened, then quickly narrowed into a glare.

"Y-You… you're insufferable…" she whispered, her voice trembling as much from fluster as from lack of air.

He chuckled, brushing his thumb along her cheek. "Insufferable? Maybe. But don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."

"I-I…" She faltered, unable to deny it outright. Her gaze darted away, crimson eyes refusing to meet his. "Y-You went too far… that was… shameless…"

"And yet," Ethan murmured, leaning close enough that his lips brushed the shell of her ear, "you didn't stop me."

Her body shivered, her hands tightening at his chest. "…You're the worst."

His grin softened into something fonder, though his tone remained playful. "Yeah, you've said that already. And I'll gladly keep being the worst, if it means you'll reward me like this."

Ethan studied her for a moment—her trembling hands still pressed against his chest, her flushed face, the way her crimson eyes darted away from his. A quiet chuckle rumbled from his throat.

"Relax," he said softly, leaning close enough for his breath to brush her cheek. "What you're afraid of… won't happen today."

Lirael's ears twitched at once, her head snapping toward him. "W-What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that." His smirk deepened, his eyes glinting as they trailed over her reddened features. "You're not ready. And yet… look at you. All flushed, trembling, crimson like a ripe fruit just waiting to be bitten into."

"H-How can you—" she began, voice wavering.

Before she could finish, his index finger pressed lightly against her lips, silencing her. His touch was warm, commanding yet gentle.

"Shh," he murmured. "Trust me. I won't do anything that would make you feel bad… or uncomfortable."

Her reply came as a muffled hum against his finger. "Mmm…"

He smiled faintly, the edge of his grin softening. But then his tone shifted, lowering, carrying a dangerous playfulness that made her heartbeat spike.

"And," he continued, brushing his thumb along her lower lip before letting his hand fall back to her waist, "what we did today… it won't be the last time. Because even if you resist…" His voice slowed, dropping into a husky whisper against her ear, mock-predatory. "…it won't matter. The moment I see an opening…" He let the words hang, savoring the tension, "…I'll take you."

The weight of his words sank into her like a brand. A shiver coursed down her spine, stealing the air from her lungs. Her ocean blue eyes widened for a heartbeat before she turned her face away, burying it against his chest to hide the heat burning across her cheeks.

"…Y-You're horrible," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ethan chuckled again, his hand stroking slowly down her back. "Maybe. But you'll learn to love it."

Her only answer was a deeper flush, her body trembling against him—not from fear, but from the overwhelming swirl of emotions she didn't know how to handle.