Chapter 31: Blossoms of First Kisses and Midnight Wonders

Emitting a strong fan vibe, Lara Schmord pinched her nose and scowled.

“You’re just as ridiculous, you know. Who was the one rolling around hugging Lord Robes earlier?”

“Ha, of course… I was so overwhelmed by the thrill of seeing him for the first time today!”

“Even though he promised he would drop by anytime.”

“Even though he transformed his entire house into his fan haven.”

Their brief banter ended when Lara’s sudden chuckle and head turn silenced the spat. Rahi let out a small but clear laugh.

“Are you really going to keep going on like that?”

The unexpectedly tender tone melted Lara’s heart. As the warm atmosphere returned, he softened his smile, resting his fork momentarily on the edge of his plate while he watched Lara.

“Actually, not long ago… I had my first kiss.”

“You spat on a treasured comic book! Do you even realize what you’ve done?!”

“Not a paper girlfriend… a real one.”

Seeing the wrinkles form behind his glasses, Lara listened intently.

“But I think I understand the feeling—like Lilica and Lord Robes’ very first kiss. It didn’t chime like bells or taste sweet, but it was warm and soft.”

“Oh my!”

“Of course, maybe she didn’t really want it…”

“Trash…”

“It was an accident. You know how much I despise the Dark Mage!”

Hmm. He had a point. Noticing Lara nod in encouragement, he leaned in as if interrogating a criminal in a dank cell, his voice lowered.

“It all happened so suddenly that I wasn’t prepared… I suppose she was even more startled than I was. Tell me, have you had a kiss lately?”

“W-why would you ask that?”

“Just curious! What did it feel like? It wasn’t unpleasant, was it…?”

“Actually… I too experienced my first kiss with a guy recently. I was flustered, but it wasn’t all that awful…”

In that precarious moment, his strong embrace shielding her, his handsome face descending, his warm breath, and the tender feeling of his lips—instantly, pink roses bloomed in Lara’s mind.

Amid flurries of rose petals, a dashing man in a crisp uniform with raven hair stood. With a gentle smile at the corners of his eyes, he bent his head to kiss her…

Lost in a dreamy haze, Lara naturally drifted into her imagination until reality hit her. Perhaps noticing her flushed face, he fell silent.

The quiet stretched on. Beads of sweat trickled down as Lara, unable to bear the silence any longer, slammed the table.

“How am I supposed to handle you being silent after asking a question?!”

“I-I’m s-sorry. Just wait a moment—I’ll get something!”

His ears reddened as he hastily rose with his head bowed. Yet Lara, still embarrassed and fixated on the table, didn’t notice.

Moments later, hearing footsteps, Lara turned to see Rahi affectionately holding Lilica’s Dakimakura as if she were his sweetheart.

“You dashed off—I thought you were bringing something important…”

“It means more to me than anything! It’s essential for keeping my peace of mind.”

Lara responded in a slightly hesitant tone, “Ah… yes.” Then she watched as he carefully placed the Dakimakura beside his seat, even setting out a napkin.

The Dakimakura, bent in half to fit in the chair, had slightly distorted the printed full-body image of Lilica.

While Lara pretended not to notice and resumed her meal,

“I’ve firmly decided…”

“What do you mean?”

“I could never betray Lilica. I promised her long ago that I’d love only her for the rest of my life.”

Who cares… Lara mused silently, but instead she offered a faint smile and said,

“I support your unwavering love…”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“By the way, earlier I asked if you have someone special, didn’t I?”

That made Rahi pause, his hand stilling the movement of his fork.

“Actually… I do. I’m not completely sure if it’s love, but whenever I think of them, my heart just loses control… Ah, anyway, that’s the truth.”

Her shy, stumbling confession made it obvious to anyone that she was smitten.

“Oh, I never expected you’d have someone in real life! Haha… I’ll be cheering for you too.”

“Thank you. Of course, my eternal favorite will always be Lord Robes.”

For a moment he gazed at her with a hint of dejection, quickly diverting his eyes when they nearly met, just as Lilica’s disappointed expression came into view.

“Lilica, why the long face?”

The printed image of Lilica on the fabric was slightly distorted by creases. Rahi smoothed them away with a gentle swipe, as delicately as one might wipe a smudge off a beloved partner’s cheek during a meal.

Later that deep night, Lara stirred at an unfamiliar sound outside her door. Was that someone out there? Straining her ears, she suddenly woke up fully.

‘Is someone on the balcony…?’

Above the curtained balcony door, a massive shadow loomed. A shiver ran down her spine as Lara clutched the nearby candlestick, appreciating its solid grip.

‘Should I call them? They could at least go to their brother’s room instead of invading a delicate lady’s…’

Yet, contrary to her expectations, the man outside didn’t try to force in. Instead, he bowed briefly before leaping off the balcony. Lara flung the door wide open, desperate to catch a glimpse of his face.

But the moment she opened the door, she was dumbfounded by a neat bouquet of pristine white flowers neatly arranged beneath the balcony railing. Under the moonlight, the cascade of blooming white roses was utterly captivating.

‘…Who on earth could this be?’

Glancing upward, Lara spotted a jet-black robe fluttering on a distant rooftop. Watching the back of a man dashing along the roof, she grinned like a child who had just seen Santa Claus.

“Ah…!”

It was unmistakably Lord Robes.

“Handsome, thank you so much!!”

Overwhelmed by the unexpected gesture, Lara shouted her thanks as loudly as if the night sky itself would echo her joy. Instantly, a reply came from the next room.

“Argh, keep it down…! Can’t you be quiet?!”

“Shut it, useless brat!”

“You… you’re as good as toast today. Open the door.”

“The door’s locked, dummy.”

“No, open it! Hey, Lara Schmord!!”

Despite the persistent knocking, Lara burrowed deeper under her blanket, grinning through every fiber of her being.

It turned out to be an unforgettable night of pure bliss.

* * *

But the joy was short-lived. The next day, a dreadful bout of magic washed over Lara. Even while disguised as a man on her way to the Knight Order, a persistent pain in her lower abdomen worsened during the morning drills.

‘My uterus is really killing me. Ugh…’

Huddled in a corner of the training ground, Lara shed a single tear. At that moment, Lawrence spotted her and knelt beside her.

“Laraan? What are you doing here… What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Seeing beads of sweat on her face, Lawrence pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them away. Muttering that he usually even treated his little sister better, Lara coolly pushed his hand away, her eyes scanning him up and down.

“You can barely open your eyes… Clearly, you’re in bad shape. Let me carry you to the infirmary.”

“Not the infirmary… Take me to the commander. I think I’ll need to take a day or two off.”

“Alright, your pale face says you need rest.”

Without a word, Lara climbed onto her brother’s back, recalling the tender way he used to carry her long ago.

‘I wonder when my brother will be back to his old self.’

‘Not today. I can barely walk, and work would just freeze me out…’

Muttering under her breath as she arrived at the commander’s office, Lara said, “Put me down here.” Lawrence carefully set her down and moved to open the door when Lara grabbed his wrist.

“Hey, I know it might be rude to ask, but… was it that day?”

‘Should I kill him?’

Lara fixed Lawrence with lifeless, dark eyes.

“Make sure you do a hot compress, take your meds, and get plenty of rest today. And then…”

In that instant, his lips brushed her forehead. Lawrence quickly rubbed his philtrum with a finger before darting away, then glanced back with a cheeky wink.

“That kiss makes all the pain disappear.”

‘Should I kill him?’

Glancing at the training Wooden Sword in her hand, Lara suppressed a sudden impulse as she turned to open the door. Whether from shock or something else, her eyes momentarily dulled.

Inside the office, Diches was poring over documents. Meticulously scrawling a signature, he eventually looked up at Lara.

“What brings you here, Laraan Kyung?”

“Uh…”

Before she could explain, her stomach roared to life, and as Lara slumped by the door, Diches quickly moved to support her.

“That… relentless ache… it’s my period…”

“If it’s a menstrual issue, there isn’t much we can do.”

Knowing she was a woman, he seemed almost understanding. He left her standing for a moment, then returned to his desk to retrieve something from a drawer. It appeared to be an unmarked book.

“Here, take this.”

“…What is it?”

“Something very dear to me. Borrow it and use it as you need.”

“…?”

Lara flipped through the book to inspect its contents. It was filled with full-length portraits of a seductive beauty clutching a staff—resembling a rather racy men’s magazine.