Cian finally gathered enough will to breathe again.
"G-Get off!" he gasped, shoving lightly at the soft-skinned girl still latched onto him like she was born to do it.
Solaira blinked—still silent—tilted her head, then released him with a lazy, innocent stretch.
And that's when Cian made the mistake of looking up.
Time stopped.
The sun hit her from behind, draping light across a body sculpted like a goddess—skin like sun-kissed flame, curves that dipped and bloomed like artwork stolen from another world. She stood tall, shoulders back, as if still catching her breath from the transformation.
His mind tried to reboot.
It failed.
Cian immediately yanked his tattered cloak and threw it over her, stumbling back, face redder than the bloodstained ground.
System Warning: Your dragon has evolved into a forbidden-tier waifu. Please consult your moral compass—if it's still functioning.
Solaira tilted her head again, the cloth barely covering her chest and hips as she stepped toward him, confused by the fuss.
Shirayuki screeched in rage, hopping in circles like she was about to commit murder. Her fur sparked. Her quills twitched. She launched herself at Solaira's leg and began slapping it with her tiny paws.
Then came the hoofbeats—dozens of them.
Knights in white and silver broke from the forest line, swords ready, armor gleaming. Their leader raised a hand and shouted, "Identify yourselves!"
The tension could've shattered mountains—until the old man casually stepped forward, brushing dirt off his coat and adjusting his monocle.
"Ah, worry not," he said in a calm, posh tone. "Just giving my student here a… special kind of training."
One knight squinted. "Wait… is that Darlan the Silver Gale? The legendary Bladewind Commander?"
The old man gave a humble bow. "Retired knight. Now just a humble butler… teaching some very enthusiastic children."
The knights all froze, nodding slowly in respect—and utter confusion.
System Remark: Legendary butler. Covers chaos. Still gets paid.
Cian stood there, cloak barely clinging to Solaira, Shirayuki still violently pawing her leg, and the knights saluting the old man like he was a war hero.
He looked up at the sky.
"I need a reset button."
The knights eventually rode off after offering another salute to the old man—minds spinning, eyes darting back at Solaira like they'd just seen a goddess wrapped in scandal.
Silence returned, birds chirping again like nothing happened.
The old man dusted his sleeves, turned to Cian, and asked with a grandfatherly smile,
"So, lad. Got a place to stay?"
Cian blinked. "There's an inn nearby, I think…"
"No, no," the old man waved a hand. "Bit farther out from this kingdom's reach, but I have a modest house. Quiet. Remote. Just enough for three young troublemakers and one tired old soul."
He started walking, then added over his shoulder, "Hope you won't mind if I teach you a thing or two about the sword while we're at it."
Cian raised an eyebrow. "You're offering to train me?"
The old man stopped, looked to the sky, his expression distant.
"I chose the sword. Not a wife. Not a son. And now, well… now that the end draws near, I need someone to pass it on to." He smiled. "Thought maybe it could be you, lad."
Cian was silent for a moment, then nodded quietly. "Yeah. I'd be honored."
Just as the moment almost turned too heartfelt…
Pomf!
Solaira tackled him from the side, arms wrapping tight as she buried her face into his neck, giggling in a mature-yet-childish voice that made his ears twitch.
"You're mine now, okay~?"
Cian nearly choked. "I-I'm what now?!"
Shirayuki was two seconds from combusting—her ears twitched furiously, her cheeks puffed up like a furious hamster. She grabbed a pebble and hurled it at Solaira's back with all her strength. It bounced off with a sad plink.
System Alert: Congratulations! You have unlocked the "Dragon Cuddle Combo." Defense: -10, Heat: +999. Jealousy Levels: Rising.
"Get off me!!" Cian flailed, caught between silky skin, dragon possessiveness, and whatever emotions Shirayuki was radiating from her very soul.
The old man just sighed, chuckled, and adjusted his scarf.
"I've trained through a hundred wars… but this might be my hardest battle yet."
System: Good luck, Grandpa. You're in the Cian Harem Arc now.
The old man gave one last wave, his voice raspy yet warm.
"Well, I'm off to the city now, lad. I need to report what happened… and try to soften the blow to that poor father about his daughter." He sighed dramatically, then winked. "Don't break anything while I'm gone—especially hearts."
Cian gave a lazy wave, too tired to speak, and slumped against a tree. "Take care, old man…"
He barely lasted a few seconds before dozing off under the late afternoon sun.
Solaira, still draped in a large cloak—barely managing to keep her dangerously seductive curves in check—turned to Shirayuki. She grinned sweetly, yet a little too sweetly.
"Shirayuki~ Would you mind gathering some firewood and maybe hunting a few monsters for dinner?" she asked in a tone that was as innocent as a halo… wrapped in pure sin.
Shirayuki tilted her head. Her quills twitched. She looked at Cian, then Solaira. Then back. A low "hmph" escaped her as she nodded with her arms crossed and stomped off, her steps extra bouncy from spite.
Solaira waited until she was gone, then spun dramatically in place and whispered to herself with a giddy flush on her cheeks. "Now then… time to mark my territory. A woman's gotta leave an impression, right?"
[SYSTEM: ALERT – THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO AVERAGE VIRGINS.]
[SYSTEM: Warning: Protagonist is asleep. Chest impact imminent. Temperature rising. Brain cells dropping. Proceed with caution.]
Solaira stretched with feline grace, licked her lips, and muttered in a singsong voice only the wind could hear, "I wonder if the bed creaks… heehee~ just kidding… or not~"
She glanced at Cian like a lioness watching a napping snack, then skipped off toward the house, hips swaying like she was modeling for an invisible audience.
[SYSTEM NOTE: That woman is up to something. Probably baking cookies. Spicy, deadly cookies. With frosting. Very… adult frosting.]
Solaira disappeared over the hill, humming.
Cian? Still asleep. The most dangerous part of the battlefield is ignorance.
And so, the sun dipped low… and the night of questionable intentions began.