CHAPTER 53: DATE [IV]

Edna’s head felt like it was about to burst.

Yes... she had two children.

Yes... she was married to the Emperor.

But never — never had she been kissed.

Not once.

Not even the brief, innocent touch she had read about so many times in the romance novels tucked away in her private collection.

In those stories, kisses happened like breathing — light, casual, at the end of every confession, in the middle of every quarrel, even sometimes for no reason at all.

But her own lips... had never felt the heat of another person’s.

She longed for it. That was why she was so shy now.

Why her hands itched and her pulse hammered in her throat every time she thought about it.

The bowl between her and Azel still carried the ghost of his touch.

She looked at him carefully, genuinely curious if he even realized he had sipped from her side earlier.

But his face gave nothing away — he looked unconcerned about it, as if he had simply been eating.

Her fingers tightened around the bowl.

She took a slow, steady breath.

And then... she deliberately lifted it again — angling it so her lips pressed exactly where his had been only moments before.

It was still warm.

Her lips lingered for the briefest heartbeat longer than necessary, savoring the phantom heat, the imagined contact.

A shiver slipped down her spine.

’So this is what an indirect kiss feels like...?’ she thought.

If so... what would the real thing be like?

Would it be warm and soft and clumsy?

Or messy and wet, like some of the more scandalous novels described — trading breath, maybe even...

She swallowed hard.

’I want to know.’

The rest of the broth slid down her throat almost without her noticing.

Her mind was far too wrapped around the thought of Azel’s lips and how close — how dangerously close they could be to hers.

They wrapped up the meal quickly after that.

Azel paid at the counter without fuss, thanked the tavern master with a polite nod, and soon they were walking out together into the cool air of the street.

Her hand was still in his.

His grip was steady, warm — like he had no intention of letting her go until she told him to.

She wasn’t planning on doing that anytime soon.

"Is there anywhere you want to go to?" Azel asked casually as they stepped back into the bustle of the city.

Edna looked forward — and froze.

Right across the street... a modest but clean-looking motel stood in plain sight.

Her cheeks burned instantly.

Before she could think better of it, her feet carried her toward it, tugging him along by the hand.

Azel blinked. "...You want to go to a motel?"

His tone was unreadable for a moment but he was just... curious.

She wanted to hit him for that.

Instead, she sighed and turned her head toward him with mock irritation.

"Unlike you, I can’t use magic or aura," she said, lifting her free hand to point at her legs. "My legs are tired. And this is one of the longest times I’ve gone without a bath."

His lips curved faintly. "Alright, my lady. I hope you don’t find the motel’s facilities... lowly."

She elbowed him in the ribs for that one.

The inside of the motel was surprisingly well-kept — wooden floors polished smooth, the faint scent of lavender oil lingering in the air.

They booked a single room without a fuss.

And soon after, Edna found herself under the shower’s stream, hot water rushing down over her head, soaking her hair, tracing the curves of her body.

’You’re a fully grown woman,’ she reminded herself. ’It shouldn’t be this hard to get a kiss from the man you like...’

She scrubbed her skin clean, the motions almost mechanical.

Back in the palace, her maids had always done this for her, complimenting her on her soft skin, her glow, her elegance.

But none of that would help her today.

Today wasn’t about being elegant.

It was about courage.

"Are you done?" Azel’s voice came from the other side of the door. "I want to take a shower too."

Her heart gave a tiny jolt.

She turned off the water — she had been standing under it far too long anyway, thinking herself into circles.

Wrapping a towel around her, she stepped out into the room, still dripping, still warm from the steam.

And then she froze.

Azel was there.

His shirt was gone.

Her breath caught in her throat.

He was... built.

Broad shoulders, firm muscle, not bulky but defined — the kind of body that looked carved from training, not vanity.

He looked edible, she had to resist the urge to lick her lips.

She stepped closer.

"Edna...?" His brows lifted slightly. "Is there any problem?"

She didn’t answer.

She took another step.

And another.

Her pulse was roaring in her ears now, every nerve in her body tuned to the single thought burning in her chest.

She wanted it.

She craved it.

And when she stopped right in front of him, her voice was steady in a way her heart wasn’t.

"Kiss me," she said softly.

His eyes searched hers.

She didn’t look like she was joking — because she wasn’t.

Inside his head, Azel’s thoughts sharpened.

’Seems like she’s not playing around anymore.’

He wasn’t the type to run away from a challenge — or from something he wanted.

Besides she was his type if he was being honest, like a man of culture once said: MILF is law...

His hands moved, almost instinctively, sliding around her hips and pulling her in until her body pressed lightly against his.

Her breath hitched.

And then his lips were on hers.

The world vanished.

Her knees went weak instantly, her legs turning to jelly as a rush of heat swept through her from head to toe.

Her lips parted under the pressure of his, not because she meant to, but because her body seemed to know exactly what to do even if she didn’t.

Azel wasn’t gentle.

His kiss was firm, deliberate, hungry — as if he’d been holding back until this moment and now had no reason to.

Edna’s head swam.

This was the first time she had ever felt him be this forward, this close.

And gods help her... she liked it.

More than liked it.

The towel at her chest suddenly felt far too thin.

Her skin tingled where his fingers brushed the curve of her waist.

She could feel his heartbeat — it was beating quickly through the space where their bodies touched.

Her thoughts scattered.

This wasn’t like the novels.

It was sloppy, she could feel his tongue wrapping around her’s... She could feel his saliva entering her mouth.

She was in heaven.