His manhood pulsed inside her, releasing his seed in hot spurts. Her body was so heated that his essence felt lukewarm as it trickled down.

The amount he released was beyond measure. Seeing his seed dripping onto the floor, Reizen wordlessly reached down to plug her opening with his fingers.

“Hah…”

When Melissa tried to push his hand away, he planted a kiss on her damp hair and said, “Keep it all in. That’s how you get pregnant.”

He playfully patted her core, then turned away from the mirror to light a cigar that was sitting on the table.

The humidity made it difficult to light, requiring several attempts with the lighter. When the weak flame finally caught and transformed into cigar smoke, the already hazy air grew even whiter. Like being in a dream.

The man, his muscled body perfectly defined, stood n*ked with the cigar between his lips, gazing down at the dazed Melissa.

If they were in bed, she could have pulled up the covers, but here she didn’t know what to do. She tried to look away in embarrassment, but Reizen, holding his cigar in one hand, gave a slight nod.

Looking down, she saw his manhood still standing proud, not yet spent. Clear fluid dripped from the smooth tip like honey.

The bluish member twitched invitingly, still pulsing with life. As Melissa’s gaze remained fixed there, the man exhaled smoke and said with an amused tone, “Want to taste it?”

A lustful haze crept like smoke into Melissa’s innocent, clear eyes.

* * *

‘Crazy bastard.’

In the deep hours before dawn, Reizen woke in bed and covered his face with his right hand, laughing humorlessly.

The hotel bedroom was filled with the sharp scent of night flowers.

The air, heavy with moisture, weighed down on his body like lead. Their lovemaking had continued deep into the night, becoming almost savage. He hadn’t intended to be so rough…

Had he become a beast worthy of the Kalphenster name? Nothing else could explain it. Even thinking back now, that was the only explanation.

Until he dismounted his horse, he had questioned his sanity. When he turned away, abandoning his horse, he thought it was already too late. As he crossed the city in the rain, his mind was already consumed by an overwhelming urge, beyond reason.

His head stopped thinking and moved only on instinct. He vaguely remembered Melissa’s surprised face when he opened the hotel room door, dripping with water.

He undressed her, kissed her, rubbed against her skin, hoping his mind would blur. Desperately wanting the ugly reality to wash away with the rain, he took her like a man possessed. With each thrust, sweat dripped from his body, beading like dew on her skin. The heat of the night burned away the screams in his head. Lost in the satisfaction of being inside her, there was no room for unnecessary thoughts.

He wanted to live.

He wanted to breathe.

Feeling like he would suffocate, he needed to clear his airways. That’s how he ended up at this hotel.

Where Melissa Grey was.

Waking alone in the early morning, Reizen felt a deep despair. His lips curved into a fierce grimace.

‘You madman.’

A real madman…

Something had gone terribly wrong.

How could he have come here if he were in his right mind? It was as if something dormant inside him had exploded when Sion died.

The emotions he thought he had well under control burst forth in the rain, shaking his entire being.

He couldn’t regain his senses. A lifetime of suppressed feelings erupted all at once, breaking free of his control, his body and mind both raging like a wild beast.

Even now, his memories of what he’d done were hazy.

“Ha…”

He was definitely insane.

If only it had all been a dream.

He remembered Sion’s final moments, mouth open, horribly coughing up blood. A person’s death is never beautiful. No matter how many times you witness it, you never get used to it.

Reizen felt nauseated by the thick smell of blood on his body. Despite washing thoroughly earlier, the smell wouldn’t go away, making his stomach churn.

Feeling dizzy and nauseous, he lay on his back staring at the ceiling, pressing his hands hard against his eyes as his breathing grew ragged.

‘Calm down.’

He took deep breaths in and out. When trying to stay calm didn’t work, he decided he needed a cigar.

As he was about to get up from the bed, he noticed the woman sleeping beside him with an incredibly innocent face, breathing softly.

“…”

The bedside lamp was dimmed to its lowest setting, casting shadows across her face. Yet strangely, he couldn’t look away.

Reizen’s eyes lingered intently on her face. Having kicked off the covers while n*ked, she seemed cold. Like a caterpillar, she had gradually inched closer until she was clinging to Reizen’s left arm.

What is… this feeling?

Reizen quietly watched the woman who had latched onto his arm like it was a heater. Ha, a laugh escaped him unbidden. It was absurd, but he found it cute.

Leaving his captured left arm where it was, he pulled up the covers with his right hand.

Melissa smiled contentedly when he tucked the blanket up to her shoulders. Seeing her peaceful face helped calm his mind as well.

Melissa’s steady breathing came in regular intervals.

Reizen closed his eyes calmly, matching his breath to hers. The torrent of emotions that even strong cigars couldn’t tame began to slow, allowing him to breathe easier.

The clamoring voices in his head grew quiet. The churning in his gut, like a coiled snake, gradually settled.

As everything settled into stillness, he could hear a faint sound like electricity humming.

Reizen moved closer to Melissa. He smoothed her hair and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

Then, incredibly, peace came.

Reizen pulled her tight against him, hoping this peace would last. She smelled sweet like a baby. It was nice. Nuzzling her skin and burying his face in her bare chest made him ridiculously happy.

He could hear her heartbeat. Steady. Thump-thump.

At that moment, the man realized.

What he had desperately wanted when he dismounted his horse and ran here.

Money, honor, position, revolution, business, war, comrades, weapons, family, territory, ports, hotels… No matter how many such words he could think of, none compared to this small embrace.

What he wanted wasn’t just Melissa Grey’s body. It was her entirely. He knew without being told that this would be harder to obtain.

In the pre-dawn darkness, Reizen, dressed in the clothes Erich had brought, picked up paper and pen.

She would surely be disappointed if he left without a word, since they had promised to have more than half their conversation next time.

“You’re coming this evening, aren’t you?”

“I must.”

As time passed while Reizen wrote his note, Erich checked his watch and said irritably.

“Today’s schedule isn’t even that long.”

“Mm.”

Reizen, cigar in mouth, smiled and continued writing without concern. Though his responses were perfunctory, he finished the note with elegant, carefully formed letters.

He left the note on the bedside table where Melissa would see it when she woke.

* * *

The rain that had fallen all night finally stopped. The ground was still covered in a thin film of water, and gray clouds blocked the sunlight, leaving the air humid.

“The rain’s stopped?”

Selheim said in a rather pleased tone.

“Good.”

While rain and wind made it easier to infiltrate hotels in the forest, the opposite was true for the Asphalia Hotel in the city. As a building catering to foreign guests, anyone of Sys nationality was considered suspicious just for lingering near the building.

Security patrols continued through the night without pause. Ex-military mercenaries guarded the interior like a fortress, and the building was sealed on all sides, making entry nearly impossible.

If they moved troops in force, it wouldn’t be difficult… but for now, they were limited by watchful eyes.

Selheim’s carriage stopped across from the Asphalia Hotel. It was a position with the best view of the hotel from a deserted alley.

Terion, who had been waiting in advance, approached from outside the carriage and bowed respectfully.

“The preparations are complete, Your Highness.”

Selheim’s eyes curved in a gentle smile.

Taking this as a signal, Terion nodded to his subordinate, and a loud ‘BOOM!’ echoed from far away. Emergency lights immediately came on throughout the Asphalia Hotel. Along with blaring sirens, flames burst forth in brilliant display.