In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the tall glass domes of the Flowerhouse, spilling golden rays onto the clear and neat marble floor.
The air was filled with the intoxicating fragrance of various hanging flowers, fresh and dizzying.
Sista stood there in a daze, her gaze unconsciously drawn to the girl quietly sleeping in her arms.
Her earlier agitation had already faded like the clouds, replaced by an unfamiliar emotion.
With her body pressed so close to that of this young girl, their legs gently brushing together, Sista’s heart inexplicably began to race, even though this wasn’t the first time they’d been like this.
Su Ling’s cheeks were flushed crimson, her eyes half closed, eyelashes fluttering softly, as if a butterfly was beating its wings in the silence.
Her long silver hair spilled over Sista’s arm, flowing like a river of stars in the sunlight.
Her breath was warm and carried a faint sweet aroma, each exhale gently brushing Sista’s neck, stirring a hidden, nearly imperceptible itch in her heart.
“Hey, enough, don’t lean anymore,”
Sista cleared her throat and spoke in her usual dignified tone.
But Su Ling remained motionless, her head lolling softly, breathing deep and even.
Sista called her a few more times, but the silver-haired girl simply lay there, nestled obediently in her embrace.
“How much did you eat to get this drunk? Your tolerance is just too low…” Sista muttered quietly to herself.
She’d only offered a few sweets to Su Ling, but hadn’t expected her maid would eat them all—and then get herself drunk on the wine-infused confections.
Sista glanced around. In one corner of the Flowerhouse, a white wooden semicircular swing hung, its frame covered in twining evening flower vines.
She gently propped Su Ling up against a nearby plant, carefully arranging her, then crouched down and gazed at Su Ling’s sleeping face.
What a troublesome girl. What should I do now?
Leave her here and ask another maid to send her back?
Yes, that would be best.
With that thought, Sista stood and turned to call out, but just as she took a step, an image of a red-haired girl flashed across her mind.
If she called a maid, that girl, Tii, would surely volunteer to take Su Ling back.
Normally, it was Tii who spent the most time with Su Ling, her closest maid and companion.
Those two really are close.
For some reason, thinking of this made Sista a little annoyed.
No, more than a little, she was very, very annoyed.
“It’s just work. Once we’re assigned to different departments, they’ll naturally part ways, right?” she grumbled to herself.
“Rather than letting someone else take care of Su Ling, I’d rather wait here until she wakes up.”
She was of the Royal Family, after all. If she wished, dealing with a little maid like Tii was hardly a problem.
But Sista had never liked abusing her power for personal feelings, which was why she’d never done anything to Tii.
The Su Ling before her truly seemed exhausted, lying still, her breathing calm and even.
Looking at her like this, it wasn’t just the effect of the alcohol, her daily duties must have worn her out as well.
Slowly, Sista reached out, wanting to smooth the tangled hair from Su Ling’s forehead, her fingertips hesitating just before touching her skin.
She recalled the confession by the sand pond that day. Though the words had been soft, the scent left behind lingered in her memory for many nights, a secret sweetness pressing upon her heart.
Now, with no one else in the Flowerhouse, and this silver-haired girl before her so defenseless, utterly at her mercy—
If she did something quietly, surely no one would notice?
At this thought, her heartbeat was already spiraling out of control.
It felt as if everything around them had fallen silent, leaving only their breathing and the occasional birdsong from the garden.
Sista’s fingertip brushed against Su Ling’s lips.
Usually, when Sista drank Su Ling’s blood, she never felt any particular reaction, it was merely feeding, with little emotional meaning. But this gentle touch now felt completely different.
Su Ling’s sleeping face was irresistibly lovely. Her fair skin glowed with a faint, healthy sheen, tinted with a soft blush, her eyelids gently closed.
Her lips, slightly parted, unconsciously revealing the tip of her tongue, seemed to invite Sista’s touch.
She wanted to taste that excitement again.
Sista’s heartbeat quickened, and she lifted her hand, parting those soft pink lips, behind her perfect white teeth, the tip of her tongue peeked out unguarded.
All rational thought was gone; her eyes were filled only with Su Ling’s image as she gently tilted Su Ling’s chin and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly to Su Ling’s.
Their lips met, parted, met again, like the opening petals of a rose, shifting and exchanging places in a dance.
At last, unable to hold herself back, she wanted to savor something even sweeter.
Her heart thudded wildly, a mix of fear at being discovered and the thrill of finally getting what she so desperately desired.
Never before in her life had Sista felt like this.
There was still a hint of sweetness from the dessert on Su Ling’s lips.
The mingled aroma of wine and chocolate blossomed on her tongue, with a lingering trace of sugar—far sweeter than anything she remembered, as if it could capture a person’s soul. Once tasted, it was impossible to let go.
She nibbled gently, then reluctantly let go, savoring the delight of her secret intrusion.
For a while, they tangled together, breaths mingling, while the falling sunlight wove a silver bridge between them.
One more time. She wanted it again.
Sista’s own cheeks were tinged with crimson, her eyes growing dreamy.
It felt so good, she wanted to just stay like this forever. She wrapped Su Ling in her arms, holding her tight, feeling the delicate warmth of her skin.
So lovely, so delightful, so precious, so precious, so precious…
Her hands moved without thinking, caressing the silver-haired girl’s stomach, then sliding upward, fingertips trembling.
She wanted to devour her whole ~ ah—
Sista was now utterly consumed by desire, unable to think of anything else.
Just then, a faint sound brushed her ear—Su Ling’s eyelashes fluttered.
Sista quickly pulled her hands away.
The sweet, intoxicating dream shattered in an instant as reality rushed back in—she let go, drew back, and took a hurried step away.
What am I doing… Sista bit her lip, feeling flustered and guilty. Anxious unease gripped her heart, making her restless and unsettled.
Su Ling probably hadn’t noticed anything, right?
She watched Su Ling warily, searching for any sign of a reaction.
Su Ling turned over, half-awake, murmured something for a while, then finally, those autumn-clear eyes slowly opened under the golden sunlight, still clouded with the last traces of drowsiness.
Her gaze wandered past the swaying leaves and flower petals, settling on the Bloodkin Knight not far away.
“Your… Your Highness…” she said in a dazed, slurred voice, “I… fell asleep?”
She really doesn’t seem to know anything…
Sista let out a long breath, her tense nerves finally relaxing. She composed herself, forcing her tone back to its usual calm.
“Yes, after finishing the sweets, you just fell asleep.”
“It was you who kept watch for me here… I’m sorry, I’ve caused you trouble again,” Su Ling said apologetically, still looking weary, as she sat up with effort on the bench. “The desserts were just so good, I didn’t notice how much I’d eaten…”
“When you’re rested, you should go back soon.”
She waved Su Ling off, wanting nothing more than to escape from the girl before her and sort out her own muddled feelings.
“Your Highness…” But Su Ling didn’t seem to hear, her eyes still dazed as she stared at Sista. “Just now, I think I had a strange dream.”
“In the dream… I seemed to be… kissing Your Highness…”
Sista’s body stiffened.
“Wha—! No, it’s not like that!”
The words tumbled out before Su Ling fully woke up. Realizing what she’d said, she slapped her own cheek hard. What am I saying! Sorry, Your Highness, I must’ve been talking nonsense in my sleep! I’ll leave right now, please forget all about it!”
She babbled on, flustered by her own breach of decorum, nervously watching Sista for any sign of offense.
But to her surprise, Sista quickly looked away, a trace of guilt in her expression, as if hiding something.
“What silly things are you saying? I would never remember something like that.”
As she said this, a faint blush seemed to color the tips of her ears, betraying her hidden feelings.