239 Test of Strength (11)

Before the two could come close to the stage, it was stolen by another. Gale rushed on it with a smile on his face, calling for everyone to settle down and enjoy the show. His presence sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd, but he didn't pay any attention to it.

Kyro led Iris to a table at the front and pulled a chair for her. Once she sat down, she gave him a look. "Didn't you say…"

He nodded. "Seems like Gale decided to steal the show."

"You're not angry?"

"I would've been more surprised if he didn't. Now that he got Lily, I wondered what he would get himself up to, since he no longer needs to put a show for his parents."

They then listened to Gale's introduction of the event and how they needed to help the abandoned and starving children for which this grand gala was held. He promised that all money was going to be donated to the chosen charity, so everyone should not be stingy with their offerings.

His speech was full of enthusiasm and energy, which easily transferred to the crowd. The moment the auction started, plenty of voices rose to bid. The prices started with thousands of dollars, but no one seemed to mind that.

Iris would have found it hard to believe that anyone could throw away such amounts of money without much care, but after living with Kyro, who sometimes spent money like water, her views had been changed. Otherwise, just thinking about how much her dress and all the other stuff cost would have given her a headache.

Kyro didn't bid on anything, so they just sat enjoying the lively atmosphere. There were some snacks on the table, which Iris sneaked into her mouth from time to time.

Once the event was over, everyone ate and a dance floor was opened. Iris watched the people moving there with grace and made sure to be as far away from them as possible. It wasn't that she didn't like dancing, but who could have possibly taught it to her? Her school curriculum didn't include such fancy things.

When Kyro tugged at her hand to go dance, she shook her head vehemently. "I don't know how to dance," she told him in a whisper, watching the grounds with wary eyes. It was really impossible to improvise such moves on a moment's notice.

He watched her for a moment, then pulled her away. They went to mingle with people, and Iris was surprised to see a few that were human-like. One old couple just no longer cared about social intricacies, so it was really amusing to watch them play with everyone that tried to bother them.

When one young businessman tried to get close to them with sugary words, he was told in an imperious manner to wash his mouth with soap first. Then, when another young star came to ingratiate herself with them for a patronage, she was told to learn her craft.

"What kind of terrible act are you selling? I can't even feel that you like me! Were you hoping I've grown blind from old age?"

The young girl then ran away with tears in her eyes, and Iris didn't see her for the rest of the evening.

Kyro wasn't good friends with that couple, but they didn't say anything to him. Not too much anyway. He had to evade a few pits they dug for him and Iris, but that was all.

His maneuvers were subtle and only obvious to Iris after everything had went past. Because of that, she didn't talk much. For the most part, she just watched him interact with others, acting like a fish in water.

His actions and words were full of confidence and competence. He didn't try to ingratiate himself with anyone, just spoke with them as equals no matter how high or low in the society ladder they were. This made him both friends and enemies.

It was easy to see from the sidelines who went away with joyous expression and who was harboring a grudge. Many of the younger people weren't any better in acting than the girl before, and their pleasant demeanor would fall away the moment they turned away from Kyro.

Although Iris didn't know much about the inner workings on this place, she found it interesting to try and figure it out. People that stood in groups were easy, but some weren't that simple. There were also those who kept on going from one person or group to another, seeming to be in a hurry to speak with every single person present at least once.

From time to time, Kyro would ask Iris if she was fine, if she wanted to leave, but she would always shake her head with a smile on her face. It wasn't that boring, and socializing was good to make connections, so there was no need to cut it short on her account.

However, when it neared midnight, her energy levels were near their end. Her face muscles were exhausted from smiling all the time, and she wished to just sit down and fall asleep somewhere.

Noticing it, Kyro soon said his goodbyes and called their driver. In the car, Iris was barely able to keep her eyes open. "Just put your head on my shoulder and sleep, it's a few hours' drive." Feeling that Kyro had the right of it, Iris did just that.

When they returned home, both of them were asleep. The driver had to wake them up, and they dragged their tired bodies out. The cold outside was a heavy punch to the face, and Iris' mind soon cleared up. All sleepiness was abandoned as she sprinted to unlock the house and get inside.

Lucy welcomed them with a loud meow, complaining about them having been gone the whole day. He then soon hobbled away and to the bed, on which he ordered them to lift him up. His back leg still hurt, so he had a hard time jumping.

Iris did as asked, then went to change. The dress was beautiful, but she was tired of worrying every moment to not stain or damage it. The heavy pendant on her chest weighted quite a bit as well, so it was a relief to get it off.

"Beauty sure requires sacrifices," she muttered to herself while putting on her pajamas. The comfort of her everyday clothes was hard to express with words.

When she turned around, she saw Kyro standing in the doorway. There was light from the living room behind him, but Iris hadn't turned the light on in the bedroom, so his face was in shadow. She couldn't see his expression.

"When did you come here?" she asked a bit startled.

He took a step forward, and she took a step back. Her heart began to pound against her chest, from worry or something else, she didn't know. It wasn't like she was really afraid of him, but…

"Don't you think we've waited for long enough?" he asked in a husky voice, coming even closer.

Iris would have escaped even farther back, but the wall was already behind her. There was nowhere else to move. "Wh-what do you mean?" Her words came out in a stutter, but she couldn't control it.

Her mind conjured various images, and she was just happy the room was dark enough that her burning cheeks could not be seen. It wasn't her fault that he was creating such a weird atmosphere!

The cogs in her head shifted. Slowly. Was he doing it on purpose?

His next step brought him right in front of her, and he extended his hand to pull her to him. "Are you really that clueless?" he asked next to her ear, his breath sending warmth through her body.

'Yes… No, wait, I don't know!'

It wasn't like she was totally blind, but she really didn't know what she was supposed to do, say, or… The kissing was already as far as she'd ever gone, so anything beyond that was uncharted territory. And as far as she was concerned, TV dramas on that regard couldn't be trusted.

Feeling cornered, she decided to answer the only way she knew—she kissed him. Caught by surprise, Kyro was a little slow to react, but he soon took the initiative. His hands moved to her T-shirt which she had just put on, and it soon ended up on the ground.

A cold breeze passed by Iris, but she was too distracted to notice. She was certain her whole body was aflame with embarrassment. It wasn't the first time she had been this undressed before Kyro, but it was the first time she felt like there was a fire burning within her. She wanted to both run away to hide and for him to see, touch her.

"You're beautiful," Kyro whispered, before sealing her lips and stealing her mind away. It wasn't for a long time that she remembered who she was.