CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER : 44 : THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!

Lysandra stood frozen, her lips still tingling, her bright green eyes wide and her cheeks burning hotter than a forge. Her fingers hovered in the air as if she could still feel the contact.

"That... That was... my first kiss..." she muttered, voice trembling like she’d just confessed to treason.

Aiden tilted his head, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh? You sound like you’re blaming me."

Her glare snapped toward him instantly, sharp enough to cut steel. "B-Blaming? You—! That—! Ugh! You stole it!" She jabbed a finger at him like it was a blade. "Do you have any idea how important—!?"

He leaned back casually, as if her outrage was nothing more than a gust of wind. "Well, if you wanted someone else to take it, you should’ve said so." His smirk deepened, voice dipping into a teasing drawl. "Maybe one of the guards? Or that random dungeon skeleton we saw earlier?"

Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut, then opened again as her blush deepened into a dangerous crimson. "B-Baka! You also made me kiss her!" She jabbed toward Luna with wild accusation, like she was exposing the mastermind of a great conspiracy.

The wolf girl blinked at the sudden target, then growled low in her throat, ears folding back. "Oi! I had no wish to kiss you either, Princess." She crossed her arms and flicked her tail with exaggerated annoyance. "Your lips were cold. Like... dead-fish cold."

Lysandra’s eyes narrowed. "And yours tasted like wet dog!"

"Excuse me!?" Luna barked back, her tail fluffing to twice its size. "At least I don’t chew on fancy goblin perfume for breakfast!"

"Better than tasting like someone who rolled around in fur and bad attitude!" Lysandra shot back, stepping closer like she was ready to start round two of their verbal war.

Aiden just stood there, watching them with a grin, letting the sparks fly. It was like watching two cats fight over a sunny spot—lots of noise, a little swatting, but deep down neither really wanted to hurt the other.

"You know," he said casually, "for someone who claim they didn’t enjoy it, you sure sound like you’re describing it in detail."

"Shut up!" they barked in perfect unison, then glared at each other for accidentally syncing.

Lysandra was practically vibrating with embarrassment now. She looked... adorable. Too adorable for Aiden to resist.

In one smooth motion, he stepped forward, catching her wrist before she could recoil.

" Sir A-Aiden—?" she gasped, eyes widening as he tugged her closer, her chest pressing against his.

His arms slid around her waist, holding her firmly in place. "The first one was just an accident," he murmured, his voice low enough to send shivers up her spine. "This one... will be real."

And then his lips were on hers.

The world went silent. Lysandra’s breath caught, her eyes fluttering shut as if her body decided for her. His kiss wasn’t hurried or clumsy—it was deliberate, deep, and warm enough to melt away her flustered anger. Her hands bunched in his clothes, but instead of pushing him away, she clung tighter, her body betraying every ounce of her pride.

Her heart pounded so loud she was sure Luna could hear it.

By the time he pulled back, Lysandra was breathless, her lips slightly parted and her whole face the color of a ripe cherry. She didn’t even try to escape his hold—her knees weren’t entirely sure they could keep her upright without him.

"...Satisfied?" he asked with a cocky half-smile.

Her head dipped slightly, the back of her hand quickly coming up to cover her mouth. She couldn’t meet his gaze, her eyes darting away like a flustered schoolgirl. "Y-You’re... insufferable..." she muttered, though her voice lacked any bite.

Luna, who had been watching with narrowed eyes, suddenly stepped forward, tilting her head in the most exaggerated display of faux-innocence imaginable. Her tail wagged once, twice, and then she unleashed her secret weapon—big, shimmering blue puppy eyes.

"My turn~" she said sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward ever so slightly. "Please?"

Aiden sighed in mock defeat. "You’re ridiculous."

Her ears perked. "Ridiculously cute?"

"...Yeah," he admitted, and before she could milk the moment more, he caught her chin and kissed her.

Luna’s tail wagged so fast it could’ve powered a small windmill. She kissed him back eagerly, melting into him without shame. Her hands slid up his chest, her soft hum against his lips the kind of sound that could make Lysandra’s blood boil.

When he pulled back, Luna wore a satisfied grin, licking her lips as if savoring victory. "Mmm~ Better than the last one."

"Show-off," Lysandra muttered under her breath.

"Jealous," Luna shot back with a smirk.

"Both of you are hopeless," Aiden said, though his tone was far too amused for the words to carry any weight.

Luna hooked her arm through his possessively, pressing herself against his side. Lysandra, still flustered but unwilling to back down, took his other arm—though she tried to make it seem like she was only doing it so Luna wouldn’t have all the space.

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Aiden looked down at the two clinging to his arms like they were competing for some unspoken prize, and instead of pulling away, he simply grinned. Then—smooth as anything—he wrapped his arms around both their waists, tugging them just a little closer until neither could really pretend they weren’t pressed up against him.

They both stiffened.

"W-What are you—!?" Lysandra started, but he bent his head, his voice brushing warm against her ear.

"We still have one last monster to kill," he murmured.

Lysandra blinked, confusion overtaking her blush. "What? No, we—"

"—only killed ninety-eight," Aiden cut in, tone flat. His gaze shifted past them, over their shoulders, with the deadpan seriousness of someone about to announce a tragedy.

Both of them turned to follow his line of sight.

There, in the middle of the space Fluffynugget was happily rolling around with Ivy, kicking its stubby legs in the air, little glittery tufts bouncing with each movement.

Aiden’s expression didn’t change. "That thing."

Lysandra matched his deadpan perfectly. "...Right. Of course."

Meanwhile Luna’s eyes sparkled like she’d just found the cure to all the world’s problems. Her tail wagged once, slow and deliberate, before she whispered under her breath, "Cute..."

Lysandra gave her a side-eye like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "You do realize that’s probably the boss’s... I don’t know... pet? Or maybe is the boss?"

That’s when it clicked. Lysandra straightened abruptly. "Boss’s chamber..." she said out loud, like it was a revelation from the gods.

Aiden’s smirk was immediate. "A+."

She blinked at him. "...What?"

"You deserve a kiss for that," he said, already leaning slightly toward her, lips pursing in an exaggerated pout, his head tilting just enough to make it clear he was coming in.

Her eyes widened instantly. "Wha—No!" She pressed her palms against his chest, trying to push him back. "S-Stop it, you—!"

He kept leaning closer, making her panic spiral. Her blush spread down her neck now, and finally, she shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for impact.

...Only to feel it land gently on her forehead.

Her eyes opened slowly, finding him smiling down at her, that stupidly warm, smug smile.

Her pout was instant—and strong enough to rival a sulking child denied dessert.

"What, disappointed?" he teased, brow raising. "Wanted it on the lips?"

She trembled—not with fear, but with pure frustration. "L-Let me go!"

Luna burst out laughing so hard she had to step back to keep from falling over. "Pfft—! Oh my god, your face right now! Priceless!"

"Shut up, mutt!" Lysandra barked, but that only made Luna laugh harder.

"Don’t be jealous just ’cause you’re stuck with forehead kisses~," Luna teased, clutching her stomach as she laughed.

"I’m not jealous!" Lysandra shouted, though her voice cracked halfway, completely ruining her own argument.

Aiden watched them with an almost fond expression, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward like he was already plotting his next move.

Lysandra finally pried herself free from his grip, stepping back with a huff. She smoothed her dress like she needed to restore some kind of dignity, but her cheeks were still betraying her.

"Ugh! You two are impossible," she muttered.

"Us?" Luna grinned wickedly. "Says the princess who just closed her eyes and waited for it."

Lysandra’s head snapped toward her, scandalized. "You—!"

"What? It’s true." Luna’s grin widened. "For someone who keeps calling him annoying, you sure didn’t pull away."

"That’s—!" Lysandra’s mouth worked soundlessly, no comeback ready, and she finally just groaned and turned away.

Aiden chuckled lowly. "You’re cute when you’re flustered."

"I am not flustered," Lysandra snapped automatically, which only made Luna snort.

"She so is," Luna stage-whispered.

"Luna!" Lysandra yelled, lunging toward her, but the wolf girl darted behind Aiden for cover, grinning like a maniac.

"Hey, hey, don’t drag me into your little rivalry," Aiden said, though he didn’t move an inch to stop them. In fact, he looked vaguely entertained by the chaos breaking out on either side of him.

Lysandra tried to reach around him, but Luna kept weaving left and right, her tail swishing wildly as she laughed.

Then—without warning—Aiden looped both arms around them again, trapping them in place against him.

They both froze.

"Better," he said simply, holding them tight enough that neither could wiggle away. "Now... about our fluffy little final boss over there..."

They both looked toward Fluffynugget again.

It was now on its back, tiny legs pawing at the air, sparkles glinting around it like it was its own personal magical snow globe. Ivy was patting its belly like they were lifelong friends.

"...You’re not seriously suggesting we kill that, right?" Luna asked, horrified.

Aiden’s eyes didn’t waver. "Ninety-eight kills. One to go."

Lysandra stared between him and the creature. "...I’m starting to think you actually might."

Well... He is obviously not the boss.

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END OF Chapter : 44 : THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!

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