Chapter 42: Him and Her
Neonidas had always noticed that Solara had developed certain feelings for him, and it seemed that he wasn't bothered by it. After all, he had see that Solara was a skilled woman, and to top it off, she possessed a beauty that easily captivated men. However, in the context of Neonidas's future plans, the idea of committing to just one woman was unlikely. That's why he was afraid of losing Solara.
One thing was clear in this world: it was that Neonidas's former girlfriend's novel had many differences from this world. Maybe this world was designed or corrected based on the original novel, but everything else had been made as realistic as possible. Although the original protagonist of the novel, Avelina, had indeed shown the ability to easily form a harem, this didn't mean that others could easily do the same. Human psychology is extremely complex but also simple. Even though Solara was madly in love with Neonidas now, it was unpredictable how she would react when she saw him kissing another woman.
Knowing this, Neonidas wanted to keep his relationships with women under control, but now, in order not to lose Solara or at least not push her down an unwanted path, he needed to take action. To secure Solara's confidence in him and to ensure there wasn't a second man who could solve her dilemma, Neonidas needed to make things more serious now. That's why he had asked her this sudden question.
"Solara, are you in love with me?"
Solara's face froze, and her eyes widened. At the sudden question, she couldn't think of anything to say; in fact, she couldn't think properly at all. Neonidas broke the strange silence by opening his mouth again.
"Solara, if you love me, at least nod your head slightly," he said while gently stroking her soft hand with his hand.
For a moment, Solara's eyes locked onto Neonidas's face. Her face turned red, and her lips trembled. It was as if words were caught in her throat; she couldn't make a sound. But Neonidas's gaze didn't require her to say more; this was Solara in her most vulnerable state.
Solara involuntarily nodded her head slightly. As a faint smile spread across Neonidas's face. Solara felt as if the sun had risen in her heart, but it was a wave of mixed emotions. Was her master's smile a victory, or was she plunging deeper into confusion? Solara didn't know.
Neonidas slid his hand through Solara's hair and drew closer. "Then… I must tell you something," he said softly but firmly. "Being with me won't be easy. Besides you, I might be with a few other women. Sometimes I'll spend a lot of time with them, and I will hide my relationship with you for a long time. Can your love for me to handle all of this?"
As Neonidas's words reached Solara, she felt a shiver in her heart. His words stirred both hope and fear within her. Her love for Neonidas was so great that she didn't want to think about the time he would spend with other women. But the possibility of being with Neonidas seemed worth any pain.
"Master," Solara whispered, her voice barely a murmur. Her face was crimson, and her eyes were fixed on his hand. "My love for you… can endure anything."
Neonidas paused for a moment in response to Solara's words. He noticed the shy expression on her face, but at the same time, the stubborn determination in her eyes. Despite her shyness, Solara's love seemed so vast that she could accept other women as well. But Neonidas sensed that behind this shyness lay a deep attachment and a dangerous resolve.
Solara gathered her courage and continued, her voice louder this time. She finally raised her eyes to meet Neonidas's. "But… if… there will be other women… I want to make sure you won't value them more than me. I mean… um…" Her face turned even redder as she clutched the edge of the blanket in embarrassment, pulling it toward her face. "I want to be your most p-precious... If that's possible…"
Neonidas smiled faintly at Solara's words as she tried to hide behind the blanket. Her demeanor shifted between childish shyness and deep emotional intensity. No matter how innocent she looked, Neonidas could see the intense love and hidden darkness within her. Slowly, he extended his hand, gently pulling the edge of the blanket down so he could see her face again.
Her small, flushed nose, the carefully placed cherry-red lips, her beautiful blue eyes that shone in any environment, and her white hair—all of Solara's beauty could be described with one word: "a work of art." As Neonidas stroked Solara's cheek with his hands, he leaned in closer to her. Solara's breath quickened, and her heart raced in her chest. Every movement from Neonidas seemed to draw her deeper into his attraction. In that moment, her entire world was contained in the determined gaze in Neonidas's eyes.
"Works of art are usually untouchable," Neonidas whispered, his voice light as a feather, but the emotions behind it were deep. "But some… are exceptions."
After these words, he slowly lowered his head and moved closer to Solara's lips. The distance between them was almost gone. For a brief moment, Solara's eyes seemed to disappear into Neonidas's gaze. Then, Neonidas gently pressed his lips against hers. Undoubtedly, Solara's lips were soft, and it felt like there was a sweet, strawberry-like flavor hidden in them.
The kiss began gently and carefully, as though Neonidas was trying not to break a piece of glass. Solara closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the magic of the moment. His warmth and gentle touch soothed every turmoil inside her. However, this innocent beginning soon turned more passionate as Neonidas lightly wrapped his hand around Solara's waist. As he deepened the kiss, he also wanted Solara to surrender herself completely to him.
Solara's timidity was giving way to surrender with Neonidas' brave actions. She was so shy that she lightly placed her hands on Neonidas' chest, but instead of pushing him away, she seemed to only want to feel his presence, gently touching him. Her heart was racing, her face still flushed, but the powerful emotions inside her were intensifying with the kiss.
Before ending the kiss, Neonidas pulled back for a moment, but still remained close to her face. Solara, her eyes still closed, sat there with uneven breath. Looking at her defenseless state, Neonidas smiled softly.
"Now," he said in a low voice, "I truly understand how much you want to be my most precious. But this path won't be easy, Solara. I may push you, but I'll never leave you. I promise."
Solara slowly opened her eyes and looked at Neonidas. She was still dazed from his words and the kiss. But she could feel her love for him growing even stronger. She nodded slightly and, in a hushed voice, said, "No matter what happens… I'm with you, master."
Neonidas smiled with satisfaction when he heard her response. He placed his hand back in her hair and gently stroked it. "Then... you should start getting used to this," he said, giving her lips another deep kiss. This time, the kiss quickly became much more passionate. It was as if Neonidas wanted to invade those beautiful lips with his tongue. He caught Solara's shy tongue with his own, and at the same time, his hands were slowly moving down her body.
Finally, when Neonidas' hands reached her full and soft hips, he stopped. Solara felt her heart pounding in her ears when she felt his touch on her most intimate parts. Neonidas lifted the blanket from over her and, holding her by the waist, gently pulled her toward him before suddenly lifting her into his lap. The movement was strong, but just as gentle. Solara let out a small moan from the suddenness of the move, but being in Neonidas' arms made her feel safe. Her face was bright red, and her eyes hesitated, looking at Neonidas. She was so shy that, even though she wanted to look away, Neonidas' gaze seemed to trap her.
To extricate herself from this awkward situation, she brought her face closer to Neonidas, her eyes closed as if begging him to kiss herself again. A slight smile spread across Neonidas' face as he kissed Solara's lips once more and, at the same time, continued to run his hands over Solara's buttocks.
The softness of Solara's buttocks was reminiscent of a jelly, but it was still extremely plump. Gradually he began to caress and even squeeze her buttocks and this caused Solara to let out obscene muffled moans while they were still kissing. The rest of the world no longer mattered to the two of them. Now it was just him and her.
Solara was about to faint with embarrassment when she felt a hardness beneath her groin, but now she realised where this was going. Before she had met Neonidas, and when she was about to become the concubine of that hated nobleman, she had learnt about sexuality from the old maids. So she knew exactly what was happening now and what was about to happen but she had never expected it to happen so quickly.