“Can you make it for me?”

Vivianne is remarkably consistent. She falls for the same tricks and responds the same way as before.

It was a mark he made near her heart as a reward for waiting. She was a great comfort to him just by existing, waiting for the sound of his footsteps in the corridor, hoping for his return. That’s why Kian wanted to mark her as his.

Even if her memory becomes blank as a clean sheet again, he plans to deceive Vivianne the same way. He intends to engrave himself onto her heart like a tattoo, marking her as his over and over until it becomes indelible.

“As many as you want.”

Kian answered readily.

“…Then please make one for me too.”

“Of course.”

As soon as he granted permission, Kian pushed his tableware aside to create an empty space on the table. Then he lifted Vivianne from her chair and had her sit on the cleared surface.

“Why am I sitting here?”

“I couldn’t see you properly with you sitting over there. I need to see clearly to place it correctly.”

“Ah, I see.”

Kian stood up and pointed to his chest over his jacket.

“Look here. Medals are typically worn right about here, on the left side of the chest.”

“Why there?”

“Because that’s where the heart is.”

“The heart?”

“Yes, it symbolizes engraving honor into one’s heart.”

Vivianne nodded without questioning further.

“Let me see.”

Kian shifted his gaze to her chest area. Following his eyes, Vivianne naturally looked down at her own bodice.

The dress had a deeply cut neckline, making it difficult to place something in the same position as his.

“I suppose you can’t put it on this dress?”

“Are you disappointed?”

Before her dejected voice could fade, he stepped closer. When startled Vivianne instinctively pulled back, he pressed against the table, trapping her between his arms.

Only then did she realize she was captured with no escape route.

“I asked if you’re disappointed.”

His breathing was uncomfortably close. She thought he might kiss her again without permission, but he stopped just short of her face.

Their lips were close enough to touch with the slightest movement. More than the almost-touching lips, she feared he might hear her heartbeat.

Kian was strangely disrespectful even while asking for her opinion. He seemed to play with her casually in his hands, yet simultaneously appeared anxious about accidentally breaking her.

Perhaps that’s why?

Despite looking dangerous, there was something tender about him that made it impossible to push him away forcefully.

To be honest, Vivianne didn’t entirely dislike him. She had rejected his kiss yet simultaneously felt strongly drawn to him. She could have pushed him away more firmly but didn’t for that very reason.

The feeling of guilt that came with this attraction frightened her. Was it because they had once been passionate lovers?

She didn’t even know why they had separated. It scared her how her body craved him like an ingrained habit.

Her instincts were already overflowing. Like water filled to the brim in a glass, she worried that one more drop would make everything spill over.

“Stop… kissing me whenever you please.”

“I haven’t yet.”

A small laugh escaped him, tickling her cheeks.

“…Anyway!”

“Alright. I won’t do it without permission.”

He said he wouldn’t, yet he still hadn’t moved away. His obsidian-black eyes moved back and forth, meeting her gaze.

“May I kiss you?”

“What?”

He immediately asked for permission. When her eyes widened in surprise, he swallowed nervously, uncharacteristically tense. His Adam’s apple moved visibly along his long neck, strangely er*tic.

“I’m asking if I can kiss you.”

Even while seeking permission, their lips were already brushing, their breaths mingling. The sensation felt familiar.

“Is this a habit?”

“Hmm?”

“This… this thing with our lips touching… is this your habit when kissing?”

“You’re starting to remember, aren’t you?”

His eyes curved gently.

“So, Vivi.”

“…Yes.”

“May I kiss you?”

He persisted with remarkable determination. She knew he would keep asking until she allowed him to kiss her.

…Perhaps if they kissed, more memories would return like this one.

Her heart swelled uncontrollably at this newly discovered fragment of memory. To the point where she cleverly rationalized her own thoughts.

Once her mind reached that point, she could no longer restrain herself. Vivianne squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips against his.

Their soft lips met with a wet sound, repeatedly overlapping and interlocking. Despite having done this once already, her heart pounded violently and her face burned like fire.

Perhaps to prevent her from pushing him away again, he cupped her face with both hands, covering her ears.

She couldn’t hear any other sounds. Only the wet noises of their kissing echoed in her ears.

The sounds of their membranes sliding against each other and fitting together without gaps, the sounds of him nibbling and sucking her upper and lower lips alternately grew louder.

Though they were merely kissing, the sounds resembled those of intercourse, making her lower abdomen tighten and her breathing increasingly rapid. Even her ragged breathing mixed with the kissing sounds, making her toes curl with impatience.

Kian firmly supported Vivianne’s unsteadily tilting waist. She thought he was trying to support her, but her body gradually leaned backward until she was completely lying down.

When their lips parted, Vivianne released the breath she had been holding. Somehow, Kian had mounted her like a predator subduing its prey.

“And… remember this from now on.”

Kian caressed Vivianne’s flushed cheek with his slick finger, then gripped her chin and pressed his thumb firmly against her lower lip as she gasped for breath.

“When kissing, you should open your mouth.”

“Mmh…”

As soon as Vivianne’s lips parted downward, he pressed his lips against hers again.

His soft tongue pressed against hers and gently invaded her mouth. When she didn’t know where to put her hands, Kian naturally guided her to embrace his neck.

Vivianne finally found something to hold onto and clung to his neck while their lips remained locked.

Even without her ears being covered, the squelching sounds were just as loud as before. They kissed frantically, intertwining their tongues like snakes and gently nibbling each other’s lips.

The rough kissing pressed on her salivary glands, causing saliva to leak out. Kian accepted it, swallowing it while taking away what little breath remained in her mouth.

When Vivianne kept groaning from lack of air, he finally removed his lips.

Kian carefully admired the appearance of the woman panting beneath him. Whether her body had heated up like his from just kissing, a flush like heat blossoms had appeared on her previously snow-white neck.

That rosy trace was unbearably lovely, and he buried his face in her neck, completely entranced.

“Ah, mmm.”

Simply pressing his lips against her wasn’t enough. When he deeply sucked on her skin and grazed it with his teeth, Vivianne made a pained sound.

“W-wait, th-this is, s-strange…”

“Why? You said kissing was allowed.”

He was just kissing her neck. Was that not okay?

Kian smiled mischievously and moved up along her neck to gently bite her soft earlobe. She flinched, shrinking her shoulders in surprise.

He licked and sucked on her burning red ear before moving back down her neck. When he traced her smooth collarbone with the tip of his tongue, she trembled slightly.

“Right. I promised to make you a medal.”

When Vivianne lowered her gaze, Kian was lazily looking up at her with his cheek pressed against her chest.

“You can’t do it.”

“Who says so?”

“H-how…”

“Let’s see. The heart is around here.”

He pulled down her bodice to just above her n*pple and buried his lips there. He sucked deeply enough to make a popping sound, leaving a bright red bruise on her delicate skin when he released it.

He said it was a medal. What is this?

Just as she was about to make a sad face, Kian burst into playful laughter.

“You fall for it again. That expression like you’re about to cry is exactly the same too.”

“…Forget it.”

She wanted to hide somewhere out of embarrassment, but even when she turned her head away, she could feel his persistent gaze clinging to her.

“I’m sorry. You were just too cute.”

“I want to go home.”

When she tried to rise by turning to the side, he held her firmly in place.

“Instead, I’ll tell you everything you used to like. Don’t go. Okay?”

His grip was firm, but his eyes were quite desperate. Like someone who knew exactly what her weakness was.

She felt both hurt and annoyed. But since he offered to tell her more about what she liked, it seemed there was no harm in listening.

“Fine.”

“You know, you like ribbons too…”

He muttered while fingering the ribbon on her bodice before pulling it loose.

“When I asked how you liked me to touch you…”

“…”

As he pulled down her bodice, her full br*asts bounced into view.

“You said you liked it best when I took your n*pples in my mouth and sucked them.”

“…That’s a lie.”

His intentions to do as he pleased were obvious.

‘Think I’ll fall for it again?’

When Vivianne quickly covered her chest, he kissed her fingers moistly to soothe her.

“You can verify whether it’s a lie or not yourself.”

Naturally removing her hands, Kian cupped her br*ast with his large hand. Then in the blink of an eye, he took her n*pple into his mouth with a sucking sound.