𝗈𝚟𝓁xt.𝗇𝓔t

Ethan’s body subconsciously shuddered as Nicole’s hand moved downwards from his chest.

The young lady’s lips were moving as she moved her hand at a smooth, and steady pace, making sure to touch the places that she needed to touch.

When her hand reached Ethan’s belly button, she moved it in a clockwise manner, repeating it three times before moving it upwards, stopping right above where the young man’s heart was located.

A moment later, Nicole’s chanting ended, and Ethan’s body glowed faintly. Several lines started to appear on Ethan’s body, which the young lady eyed critically.

A few minutes passed in silence, and only Ethan’s slow and steady breathing could be heard inside the room.

Nicole’s hand also rested on Ethan’s chest, feeling his heartbeat under her touch.

“Strange…,” Nicole muttered softly. “I can’t tell if he has magic circuits or not. They don’t show up, even after using the scrying spell. But, if that is the case, how is he able to use magic without it?’

The young lady refused to believe that Ethan’s Magic Circuits didn’t exist. If that were truly the case, then there was simply no way that he could use powerful spells, as well as achieve a Partial Resonance, which required incredible magic power to cast.

“Just what kind of secrets are you hiding from me?” Nicole mused as her hand moved to caress Ethan’s face.

Suddenly, and without warning, Ethan opened his eyes, making Nicole flinch.

Instead of clear blue eyes that reminded her of the sky, Nicole saw a pair of crimson eyes that were brimming with magical power that seemed to suck her in.

‘W-What is this?’ Nicole tried to breakfree from Ethan’s gaze, but she was unable to do it.

Suddenly, she felt Ethan’s right hand, touched the back of her head, and slowly, but gently, pulled her close to him.

Ethan didn’t use much force in his hand, and if Nicole wished for it, she could have broken free from his hold.

Unfortunately, the young lady couldn’t muster any strength and found herself moving closer towards the handsome teenager, whose eyes seemed to hold the answers she was looking for.

A moment later, Ethan’s lips pressed on her forehead, giving her a kiss that made Nicole’s mind turn blank.

Although it was only a kiss on her forehead, no one, aside from her family, had kissed her, which made her body stiffen.

The kiss didn’t last long, and only lasted for a few seconds before Ethan released his hold on Nicole’s head.

The young lady stared in utter disbelief at the handsome boy, whose crimson eyes had a playful tinge in them.

A few seconds later, Ethan’s eyes slowly closed. Not long after, his steady sleeper breaths once again spread inside the room, which made Nicole wonder if what had happened earlier was just her imagination.

Her right hand then slowly rose up to touch her forehead, as if trying to confirm something.

‘No, I am not imagining things,’ Nicole thought after touching her forehead. ‘That really happened.’

She could still feel a lingering warmth, in the place where Ethan had kissed her. As a Magic Knight, she had the ability to detect any abnormalities in her body.

Because of this, she was able to confirm that Ethan had indeed kissed her.

The pink-haired beauty then stared at the young man with a complicated look on her face before making up her mind.

“This is payback,” Nicole said before lowering her head. “I hope you suffer when you wake up tomorrow.”

Nicole then lightly bit Ethan’s neck for a few seconds before pulling away.

She then covered him up with a blanket before leaving the room with a flushed face, leaving the sleeping teenage boy behind.

————————

The next morning…

Ethan was woken up by a knock on his door.

His head ached a bit, but it wasn’t painful enough to hinder him from standing up.

“Who is it?” Ethan asked as he moved towards the door with unsteady feet.

“Chloe,” Chloe replied. “It’s already nine in the morning. Do you want to have brunch together?”

Ethan yawned before opening the door.

Chloe didn’t bat an eye after seeing Ethan’s naked upper body because she was already used to it.

She had grown up with Ethan, and the two of them would often swim in the river together when they were young. Also, he would often remove his shirt whenever he trained to prevent it from getting wet due to sweat.

But, for some reason, Chloe’s gaze subconsciously moved towards Ethan’s neck and saw something that made the young lady’s body stiffen.

A few seconds later, Chloe regained her composure and walked towards Ethan, placing her hands on his shoulders.

She then stood on tiptoe in order to take a closer look at the mark on her cousin’s neck, which she hadn’t seen yesterday.

After confirming that it was what she thought it was, she pulled back and glared at the handsome teenager as if she was a wife that had caught her husband cheating on her.

“Who were with you last night?” Chloe asked with a glare.

“Me? I was eating and drinking with everyone,” Ethan replied before stifling a yawn. “Just wait for a bit. I’ll change clothes so we can go to the Dining Hall together.”

“You can’t,” Chloe stated in a heartbeat. “We’re going to eat here in the Manor instead.”

“Hah?” Ethan blinked in confusion but after pondering for a bit, he agreed to Chloe’s proposal.

It really didn’t matter whether he ate in the Academy’s Dining Hall, or the Dining Hall of Dud Manor.

“I’ll meet you there in a few minutes,” Chloe stated before storming away in a huff. “I’ll go look for Luna first.”

Ethan didn’t know why Chloe suddenly became upset, but since he just woke up, he didn’t put much thought into it.

Only after he had washed his face, and changed his clothes, did he notice the mark on his neck when he looked in the mirror.

“Where did this small bruise come from?” Ethan muttered as he inspected the mark on his neck. “Did I bump into something last night?”

Ethan didn’t have much recollection of anything that happened after he was drunk, so he thought that he simply bumped into something, while he was being carried back to his room.

For the time being, he decided to go to the Dining Hall of Dud Manor, where two angry young ladies were waiting for him.