Chapter 77 : Lucy's First Kiss

Lucy ran into Knight's room, her body wrapped in a white towel, her hair still damp from the shower.

She froze when she saw Knight holding her panties. The embarrassment was too much to bear.

"Give it back to me!" she screamed, rushing to snatch the garment that was now the source of her mortification.

But in her haste, she slipped, her feet flying out from under her.

"Ah—!" Lucy screamed, bracing for impact.

Knight quickly stood up and caught her, preventing her from falling flat on her face.

"Careful," Knight said with a sigh, holding her steady. "It's just a pair of underwear. You don't have to go this far."

"Th-thank you." Lucy stammered, relieved but also flustered. Then, realizing what Knight had just said, she blushed furiously and snatched her underwear from his hand.

"It's all your fault! Ugh, forget it!" she huffed, her face as red as a ripe apple. She quickly bundled up the black lace panties and hid them behind her back, trying to cover her embarrassment.

In her frantic movements, Lucy completely forgot she was only wearing a yukata. As she moved, the loose robe slipped open, revealing more than she intended.

Knight, completely caught off guard, couldn't help but notice.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Lucy screamed again, hurriedly pulling the yukata closed.

A few minutes later, Lucy sat at the tea table, dressed in Knight's men's pajamas, holding a cup of chamomile tea. Her face still burned with embarrassment, and she kept her gaze low, occasionally sneaking shy, annoyed glances at Knight.

[I can't believe this happened. I've been seen naked! Damn Knight!]

She sipped the tea, the fragrant aroma spreading in her mouth like vanilla.

[This tea is really good. What kind is it?]

"Chamomile," Knight answered without looking up from his work. "The chairman of the Council gave it to me."

Lucy blinked, surprised. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

Knight smirked. "Our voice chat is still on. I can hear everything."

Lucy froze, mortified. [Oh no! How long has it been on? Have I been cursing him in my head this whole time?!]

"Have you been cursing me in your head?" Knight teased, still focused on his coding.

Lucy turned pale.

"Mashiro!" Knight teased again, making Lucy's face turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Stop! Enough already!" she snapped, trying to suppress her embarrassment.

Knight just chuckled. "I'm busy, can't you see?"

After a few moments of silence, Knight turned his attention back to his work. He was troubleshooting the magic network's voice chat feature, which was malfunctioning by picking up users' inner thoughts instead of just their spoken words.

"The regular voice chat should only transmit what you choose to say," Knight muttered to himself. "But maybe I can keep the 'heartfelt thoughts' function as a premium option… Some couples might enjoy it."

Unable to pinpoint the problem, Knight decided to turn it into a feature rather than a bug. He quickly adjusted the code so that the normal voice chat would only transmit spoken words, while an advanced version could read inner thoughts—with both parties' consent, of course.

But Knight, as the system's creator, retained the ability to "help" others activate it without them knowing.

As Knight worked, Lucy sat quietly beside him, sipping her tea. Her eyes wandered to him, and her mind began to drift.

[He's exactly my type... Handsome, powerful, and now one of the Ten Saints. And he created the magic network...]

Her thoughts raced, but then she jolted upright.

[Wait! Is the voice chat still on?!]

Panicked, she quickly checked the magic network and sighed in relief when she saw it was off.

If Knight had heard her thoughts just now, she would've died of embarrassment.

"Done!" Knight announced, stretching his arms as he finished his coding.

When he turned to Lucy, he noticed her flushed cheeks. "You're still embarrassed? Want me to even the score by showing you something too?" he teased.

"No way! You pervert!" Lucy yelled, glaring at him before putting down her cup. "I'm going to bed!"

"Wait."

As she turned to leave, Knight pulled her back. Before she could react, he leaned in and kissed her.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. Her first kiss!

After a few long moments, Knight pulled away, grinning. "There. Feel better now?"

Lucy, still stunned, covered her mouth. Her thoughts were a jumble of confusion and disbelief.

"I-I'm going to sleep!" she stammered, turning around robotically.

"Goodnight," Knight called after her with a smirk.

Lucy bolted out the door, her heart racing and her mind spinning.

Back in her room, Lucy lay on her bed, tossing and turning, her thoughts consumed by what had just happened.

[My first kiss…]