Coming Of Age III

"Finally," Cecilia exhaled, a mix of relief and exhilaration escaping her lips as we slipped unnoticed into her lavish bedroom. She shut the door behind us and leaned against it for a moment before turning to me with a mischievous smile. Without warning, she gave me a gentle push, and I found myself sitting on the edge of her bed, blinking up at her.

"Wait here," she said, her voice tinged with anticipation. Before I could respond, she disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and a rapidly quickening heartbeat.

Badump. Badump.

I exhaled slowly, trying to steady the rhythm in my chest. This wasn't uncharted territory for me—in my past life, I'd been through this before. But this life, this world, was different. I'd spent almost three years here, and this moment felt monumental in a way that defied explanation.

And then there was Cecilia Slatemark herself. A princess. Stunningly beautiful. Did I mention beautiful? Because she was. Utterly, distractingly beautiful.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to rein in my adolescent thoughts. "Focus, Arthur," I muttered under my breath. "You're not a child."

I glanced toward the bathroom door, the sound of running water in the background only amplifying the tension in the room. 'Luna,' I called out mentally, 'disconnect from my senses for a while.'

'Understood,' Luna's calm response echoed in my mind. 'I'll remain dormant unless you need me or sense danger.'

The subtle weight of her presence lifted from my consciousness, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It was a peculiar relief, like clearing a fog from my mind.

"Alright," I whispered to myself. "Calm down. You can handle this."

But calming down proved futile when the bathroom door creaked open moments later. Cecilia stepped out, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders and her slender figure wrapped in a delicate white one-piece lingerie. She stood there, the faintest hint of nervousness in her eyes as she awaited my reaction.

I stared, my breath catching in my throat. "Wow," was all I managed to say.

Her lips curved into a playful smirk, though I caught the flicker of relief in her expression. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said, her confidence returning as she crossed the room to join me.

Climbing onto the bed, she leaned in close, her crimson eyes locking onto mine. "You made me wait so long for this," she murmured, her voice soft yet edged with teasing reproach.

And then she kissed me. It was deep, electric, and impossible to ignore, her warmth drawing me into the moment entirely. My heart raced again, and this time, I didn't bother trying to slow it down.

I held Cecilia close as our lips met, her warmth a comfort against the cool air of the room. She straddled my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck, and her breath mingled with mine as we pulled apart, both slightly panting.

"Are you worried?" I asked gently, brushing a strand of golden hair from her face.

Her crimson eyes met mine as she nodded. "A little. I read online it can hurt the first time."

I placed a reassuring hand on her cheek, my thumb tracing soft circles. "I'll be gentle," I promised.

A sly smirk spread across her lips, the earlier nervousness replaced by her characteristic boldness. "Just make sure I can't walk tomorrow, Arthur. Otherwise, you're not leaving this room."

Her words hung in the air, a challenge and a confession all at once, as we melted into each other's embrace, letting the rest of the world fade away.

__________________________________________________________________________________

The morning light filtered through the curtains when I stirred. My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I reached for was my phone. The glowing screen greeted me with the time: 1 PM.

I stared at it, momentarily disoriented. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept this long. My body was attuned to six hours of rest, no more, no less.

"Did we really fall asleep at seven?" I muttered, running a hand through my disheveled hair.

Beside me, Cecilia stirred, her golden locks splayed across the pillow like rays of sunlight. Her arms instinctively wrapped around my waist as she nestled closer, a serene expression softening her face.

I smiled, unable to help myself. She looked so peaceful, so different from the teasing, bold woman she had been last night. Gently, I ran the back of my fingers along her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, and a sleepy grin spread across her lips. "Arthur," she murmured, catching my hand and, to my surprise, licking one of my fingers with a mischievous glint in her crimson eyes.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You're not tired?"

"Mentally, no. Physically…" She stretched languidly before smirking. "Let's just say you did your job. I genuinely can't walk properly."

Her words made me laugh, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Good," I whispered, a warm satisfaction settling in my chest as we lingered in the quiet intimacy of the morning.

"How about you join me and my family for lunch?" Cecilia asked as she began to stir, stretching her arms above her head with an elegance that only she could make look casual.

"What?" I blinked, taken aback.

"Come on now," she said, her crimson eyes meeting mine with a mix of mischief and determination. "My father already knows something's up. This isn't some fleeting thing, is it?"

I hesitated. "I don't think this is the best timing, Ceci."

She narrowed her eyes, sitting up and fixing me with a pointed look. "Arthur, you can't avoid my father forever. Now that we've taken this step, you're going to marry me. That means dealing with him as your father-in-law. Or were you planning to run away from this?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "You know I love you, Ceci."

Her expression softened into a victorious smile. "Good. Then get dressed—and help me with mine, while you're at it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just use mana?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically, her lips forming a playful pout. "Mana's not exactly helpful when it comes to untangling the aftermath of things like this. And let's be honest, we couldn't exactly do that with mana, could we?"

Her words hung in the air, her tone matter-of-fact yet laced with the usual boldness that had become her signature charm. I shook my head with a laugh, already resigned to the inevitability of the day ahead.

"By the way, you can stare as much as you want," Cecilia said with a teasing smile, her crimson eyes glinting with mischief. "You're the one man allowed to."

I groaned, shaking my head at her boldness. "You shouldn't tease me when you're so sore, Ceci. That's not fair."

She rolled her eyes, the picture of nonchalant defiance. "Oh, and like you didn't tease me endlessly, only to set the ridiculous rule to wait until we became adults? Deal with it, you hypocritical, horny boy."

I sighed, resigning myself to her victorious grin. "Fair enough," I muttered, shaking my head as I moved to help her clean up and get dressed.

Between her pointed quips and the occasional groan of discomfort she tried to hide, we managed to get her into a sleek, elegant outfit that perfectly balanced her natural confidence with a subtle softness. Once she was ready, I quickly dressed myself.

"We clean up nicely," I said, examining us in the mirror.

Cecilia nodded approvingly. "No one would guess what happened last night. Good."

She adjusted her ruby necklace, the final touch to her polished appearance, before turning to me with a smirk. "Though, of course, I wouldn't mind the world knowing about us."

"Let's keep that between us for now," I replied, trying not to think about how her father might already suspect everything anyway.

"First time meeting your girlfriend's father?" Cecilia asked, her tone carrying a playful edge. Technically, I'd met many girlfriend's fathers in my past life, but this was indeed the first time in this life.

"Not just that," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "Your father happens to be the Emperor, and I've, let's say, crossed a few boundaries with the daughter he treasures above all."

Cecilia smirked, patting me on the back with a mock air of sympathy. "Well, congratulations, Arthur. You've really outdone yourself this time. And guess what? There's no escaping this."

I sighed, already dreading the impending encounter. She, however, was unbothered, casually pulling out her phone to summon her maids to help her prepare for lunch. Watching her calm confidence, I couldn't help but wonder if she was enjoying this far too much.