Dawn broke.
A sliver of harsh morning light filtered through the gap in the curtains, illuminating every speck of dust floating in the air.
Laxana’s consciousness clawed its way up from a swamp of lethargy.
The first sense to return was touch.
“My body… feels so heavy.”
Her left arm was completely numb, as if someone had been resting on it all night. Draped over her right leg was another long, shapely leg, warm skin pressed tightly against hers.
She stiffly rolled her eyes.
To her left was Wendy’s handsome face, utterly defenseless in sleep. The prince’s breathing was steady, long lashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes, a hint of a goofy smile on his lips—some pleasant dream, no doubt.
To her right was Astreia’s waterfall of golden hair, a few strands even falling across Laxana’s face, tickling her.
And the owner of that leg was clinging to both her and Wendy like an octopus, sleeping blissfully.
All night? The three of them… had squeezed into this one bed and slept?
Boom.
The bizarre, disorienting memories of last night came crashing down on Laxana’s fragile, just-awakened consciousness.
That trembling body, climbing peak after peak. That body, through the empathic link, shuddering in response to another’s pleasure. Those blush-inducing images, those unbearable cries.
“Ah!”
Laxana let out a short scream and bolted upright in bed.
The movement was too sudden, straining her sore muscles and making her vision go black—she nearly collapsed back again.
“Mmm… what’s all the noise…”
Wendy was roused by the commotion, grumbling discontentedly as he groggily opened his eyes.
The prince looked at Laxana, who was sitting up, wrapped tightly in the bedsheet, face flushed crimson, eyes darting away from him.
His brain stalled for two seconds.
Then he felt the other heat source beside him.
Wendy slowly turned his head.
Astreia was already awake, propping her head on one hand, lying on her side, watching them with great interest. She was completely unclothed, her perfect curves teasingly revealed under the thin blanket. Her emerald star-eyes were filled with the satisfaction and mischief of a well-fed feline.
“Morning.”
The princess flashed them a smile that could topple empires.
“My prince… and my mage.”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
The greeting froze the air in the room.
Laxana’s face turned a shade of red that could drip blood. She bit her lip hard, buried her face in her knees, wishing she could just die on the spot.
Wendy’s cheek twitched; he could still feel the ache in his lower back.
He cleared his throat, trying to break the deadly awkwardness.
“It was… okay, I guess. The bed’s a bit small. Cramped.”
“Oh?”
Astreia raised an eyebrow.
“Cramped? I thought it was just right.”
The princess reached out a pale finger and, through the blanket, lightly traced a line across Wendy’s chest.
“What do you think, Laxana?”
The lady in question stiffened, buried her face even deeper, and let out a protest as quiet as a mosquito.
“I-I don’t know!”
Seeing her act like this, Wendy felt an inexplicable mix of amusement and pity.
He cleared his throat again, deciding to help the lady save face—and to reclaim some dignity for himself.
“I say, Astreia, it’s morning now. Shouldn’t we—”
“Shouldn’t we go for another round?”
Astreia cut in with a grin.
Wendy’s face turned green.
Again?!
He felt like sugarcane that had been squeezed dry ten times over—there was nothing left!
“No, no, no! I meant I’m hungry! Shouldn’t we get up and eat something?”
the prince shouted with a powerful survival instinct.
“Oh, hungry.”
Astreia’s smile grew even more amused.
“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared breakfast for you already.”
As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Laxana, who was curled up into a ball beside them.
“You see, Miss Klein here is a delicious and tasty ‘appetizer,’ isn’t she?”
Laxana finally raised her head, unable to bear it any longer. Her red-rimmed eyes were filled with tears of shame and anger.
“Astreia! You’ve gone too far!”
Pfft. Wendy nearly spat blood.
“Am I bullying you?”
Astreia looked innocent.
“I’m just ‘helping’ you. Haven’t you always wanted to get closer to Wendy? Look, now you’ve seen each other naked and shared a bed. You should be thanking me.”
This twisted logic made Laxana tremble with rage, but she couldn’t utter a single word in rebuttal.
Because deep inside, besides the endless shame, she realized… there really was a secret, improper thrill that shouldn’t exist.
Just as the atmosphere teetered between tension and ambiguous tenderness, an untimely sound broke the stalemate.
“Achoo!”
Wendy sneezed completely without warning.
Probably because when Laxana had bolted upright, the blanket had slipped and let in a draft, giving him a chill.
The sneeze was especially loud in the empty room.
Astreia and Laxana both froze.
“Ha-choo… sorry.”
Wendy rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed.
Astreia chuckled and casually waved her hand, enveloping Wendy in a warm sphere of magic.
“Your body is way too weak. A little draft and you sneeze,” she said, her tone light and teasing, like the most ordinary scolding between lovers.
But that sneeze. That complaint.
Struck Laxana’s heart like a thunderbolt.
The lady stared blankly at Wendy, who was still rubbing his nose.
Yes.
He’s just an ordinary person.
No magical talent, can’t use mana to condition his body. Just a prince, eating a little better than normal…
He gets sick. He catches colds. He will slowly age with the passage of time.
And Astreia?
She’s a natural-born witch, with ancient power flowing in her blood. Barring accidents, her life will be extremely long.
What about herself?
As a supremely talented mage, as long as she keeps improving and breaking through bottlenecks, living a few hundred years is not out of reach.
But… Wendy?
Fifty years? Sixty? Or lucky enough to reach a hundred?
And then?
Then, in that endless stretch of time, would she and Astreia have to watch helplessly as he… left?
At the thought of that image—
At the thought of that handsome face covered in wrinkles one day, that warm body turning cold, that person disappearing from their lives forever—
A terror she had never felt before, one that could freeze the soul, instantly gripped Laxana’s heart!
No!
She doesn’t want that!
Last night’s madness, this moment’s happiness—everything became incredibly vivid.
She couldn’t imagine life without this.
That life where every morning she could wake up and see him and her, bicker, fight over him, share all happiness and pain together…
She didn’t want to miss even a single day!
She must… find a way!
There has to be a way!
Magic that can extend an ordinary person’s lifespan, even grant immortality…
Necromancy?
No, that turns people into emotionless liches or vampires craving blood.
Alchemy? The Philosopher’s Stone?
Just a legend. No one has ever succeeded.
What else? What else?
Countless names of tomes and forbidden spells flashed frantically through Laxana’s memory.
Her brilliant mind was working at an unprecedented speed at this moment.
She suddenly recalled that deep within the Forbidden Books Section of the Central Academy, there were a few ancient, unique copies…
Those were fields even her mother had warned her never to touch.
But now, she couldn’t afford to care.
“I… I just remembered I have something to do! I’m leaving first!”
Laxana threw off the blanket, disregarding her shame, frantically grabbed her mage’s robe scattered on the floor, wrapped it around herself, and rushed toward the door without looking back.
Her movements were so hurried that when opening the door, her hands trembled so much she had to try several times before turning the knob.
Bam!
The door slammed shut.
In the room, only Wendy and Astreia were left staring at each other.
“Laxana… what’s gotten into her?”
Wendy asked, baffled.
“Astreia, did your teasing drive her insane?”
The princess looked at the closed door, her emerald star-eyes slowly losing their playful smile, replaced by a deep, glimmering darkness.
“Who knows.”
She didn’t answer Wendy’s question.
Instead, she lay back down and pulled the prince into her arms again.
“Don’t worry about her.”
The princess buried her face in the prince’s neck and took a deep breath.
“Our breakfast time has only just begun…”