Rael didn’t want to be dismissed by a junior student regarding a class she had taken for three years. Seeing her expression, Rubellan rested his chin on his hand with a languid smile.

“Well then, try drinking it.”

His voice was gentle. Yet strangely, it made her skin prickle with goosebumps. There was something dangerous about it.

“…”

Rael stared anxiously at the potion in her hand.

She swallowed hard.

Surely, even if it was made incorrectly, it would just have no effect. She’d only suffer a bit of embarrassment, right? Pretending to be drowsy even if there was no effect seemed like a good idea too.

Rael decided to act like she had made it properly while preventing any further collaboration.

“I’ll drink it,” she said with a resolute expression.

“Should I have added something sweet-smelling?”

“No need. Whatever.”

Dismissing Rubellan’s comment with a wave of her hand, Rael poured about half the potion and brought it to her lips.

Gulp, gulp. The potion slid down her throat. While drinking, Rael glanced at Rubellan, and their gazes locked—his red eyes meeting hers.

She could see her own reflection in Rubellan’s eyes. Strangely, that image gave her a precarious, dangerous feeling.

Something about it reminded her of a foolish young creature biting into a forbidden fruit.

“…Ah.”

As something hot traveled down her throat, Rael realized she had made a mistake.

This was definitely not a sleeping potion. It was too different from the familiar taste she had experienced many times before. Wondering if it had failed, her eyes darted around nervously.

“How is it?”

“I think…”

Just as she was about to say it seemed to have failed, heat rose through her body.

“What’s wrong, senior?”

Rubellan calmly asked as he watched Rael stagger, showing no surprise at her reaction.

“The potion… seems a bit wrong.”

Rael mentally listed the ingredients that had gone into it. Had she confused it with a temperature regulation potion?

“Why? How does it feel?”

“I’m getting hot. Maybe I mixed up the components with a temperature regulation potion…”

Rael looked again at the ingredients she had added. Rubellan’s cold hand touched her forehead.

‘That feels cool.’

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Rael felt even hotter—not from the potion, but from the memory flashing through her mind.

“Your face is red.”

“I should probably take something for the fever. Don’t touch the potion—throw it away. Let’s make it again.”

Rael leaned on the desk to stand up. The chair scraped against the floor.

“Senior.”

Rubellan blocked Rael as she turned to leave, trapping her within his arms. She was startled by how quickly he had moved and looked up at him.

“Shall I cool your fever?”

The rising heat made her head ache. She felt irritated at Rubellan for blocking her way.

“No thanks. Move aside. If I take medicine…”

As Rael tried to push Rubellan away, she stumbled backward against his solid body. She steadied herself by placing her hand on the desk, accidentally knocking a beaker to the floor.

Startled by the shattering sound, Rael quickly bent down to pick up the glass fragments.

“Ah.”

Sure enough, in her hasty movement, her finger was pricked by a sharp piece of glass.

Why did she keep showing these awkward sides of herself in front of Rubellan? Rael sighed deeply, rubbing her throbbing head.

Suddenly, her body was pulled upward. Rubellan had grabbed her arm, lifting her to her feet.

“What are you doing?”

Rubellan pulled Rael’s hand toward him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to…”

Rael yanked her hand away, remembering what had happened at the temple before. As she hid her hand behind her back, Rubellan’s body moved closer to hers.

His face suddenly inches from hers, Rael turned pale. This wasn’t the position she had intended to create.

“Are you worried I’ll suck your blood again like last time?”

His mischievous eyes curved into a smile.

“N-no. You just grabbed me so suddenly… M-move aside.”

Conscious of their proximity, Rael turned her face away, but Rubellan’s hand caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“That’s not what I’m after this time.”

“You…”

As Rael opened her mouth to speak, Rubellan’s lips captured hers. His tongue immediately invaded the opening.

Rael was so shocked by the sudden development that she forgot to breathe. Her wide-open eyes remained locked with Rubellan’s red ones.

His tongue explored her mouth thoroughly, moving with complete ownership. When he gently bit her lower lip, Rael finally managed to exhale.

“Mmh, Ru…”

Her pronunciation slipped, making it impossible to finish what she was trying to say.

His kiss was ruthless. He invaded roughly yet his tongue wrapped around hers with a gentleness that made her teeth chatter.

She couldn’t gather her thoughts. The fierce kiss was refreshingly cool, reducing the heat that had risen in her body.

Rubellan’s arm had somehow wrapped around Rael’s waist, pulling her tightly against him. His thigh had wedged between her legs, pressing heavily against her center.

His hand parted her hair and touched the back of her neck. The contact point glowed and burned like fire, but Rubellan didn’t remove his hand. Instead, he gripped it more firmly, causing the Goddess’s Blessing on Rael’s neck to flicker and fade.

Rael remained unaware of what was happening to her neck.

“S-stop!”

When his tongue briefly withdrew, Rael closed her mouth tightly and turned her head. Her body pulled back as far as possible, though her lower body remained held in place by his hands. At least her upper body had gained some distance.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Rael glared at him, pinching his arm that had been holding her without her noticing.

“What exactly am I doing?”

“Why are you… doing this? Why do you keep bothering me, why… ah.”

Rael suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. Tears began falling without her control. It was the stress reaching its peak.

Rubellan.

Everything had gone wrong since meeting him. She disliked how all her attention was focused on this mysterious being, how they kept running into each other, how he appeared even in her dreams after occupying so much of her thoughts, and most desperately, how she had sought comfort for her frustrations through him.

And now, oblivious to her struggles, Rubellan was pressing his lips against hers.

“I don’t want to get entangled with you. Sob…”

“Why not?”

Rubellan’s eyes flashed sharply as he watched Rael wiping away her tears with an aggrieved expression.

“You…”

She sensed danger. Her instincts were sending warning signals. One wrong word might lead to something she couldn’t handle.

Her lips remained sealed.

“Hmm? Speak to me, senior. I’m listening.”

Anything.

“…Never mind.”

A sigh escaped her lips.

Rael pushed Rubellan away, but her gesture was futile.

“Seriously, why are you doing this? If you want to make things difficult for me…”

While speaking, her head suddenly spun.

“How does your body feel?”

At Rubellan’s question, Rael noticed that her elevated temperature had dropped.

What’s going on? Why did she suddenly feel better?

It was strange. Why did touching Rubellan give her a cooling sensation? She had thought it only happened in her dreams, but now that it was happening in reality, she was confused.

“…I’m fine.”

Should she ask? Would it be okay to ask? Rael was bewildered. Her tears receded with the shock.

Hearing that she was fine, Rubellan’s hand, which had been supporting her waist, moved up along her spine.

“You shouldn’t be fine.”

His upturned lips gradually settled into a line. At that moment, his thigh pressed more deeply between her legs.

Rael gasped. Every place his hands touched felt like it was crawling with ants—a ticklish sensation.

‘What’s happening?’

The confusion she had barely hidden resurfaced in her eyes.

“W-wait… mmh.”

A moan she could hardly believe came from her own mouth escaped. Rael bit her lower lip hard.

“You can’t possibly be fine.”

Just as he said, she wasn’t fine anymore. The sensation she had experienced at the temple seemed to be reviving—that unforgettable pain.

“Ah, mmh… wait…”

Rubellan’s lips touched Rael’s neck. The slow, sucking sensation made her chest tighten and vibrate. His hands were unfastening her shirt buttons so naturally that Rael didn’t even notice.

“Ah, Ru-Rubellan.”

Her immediate thought was fear. This wasn’t a dream. This was definitely not a dream.

The firm grip on the back of her head brought her back to her senses. Her hands kept slipping from his forearms as she tried to stop him. Her strength was fading.

Below her waist, she felt a floating sensation. Rael’s body nearly collapsed onto Rubellan’s thigh. Surprised by the firm muscle pressing against her center, she tried to strengthen her legs again, but it was useless.

“Ahh.”

Her body was becoming increasingly sensitive. The ticklish feeling that had traveled with his touch now dominated her entire skin. Even the brushing air made her hair stand on end.

Who am I with and what am I doing here?

She barely opened her tear-filled eyes to look at the door. If someone were to come in and see them like this…

“Ah!”

Rubellan, unable to tolerate Rael’s momentary distraction, bit her collarbone.

“I’d prefer if you focused on me.”

His voice was composed, unlike hers. Rael felt indignant. Why was she the only one suffering like this?

“M-move… mmh.”

Her weakened hand grabbed his hair. The soft black strands tickled between her fingers as they slipped away.

Rubellan gripped Rael’s waist with both hands and lifted her onto the desk. The experimental materials they had been working with were pushed back.

Supporting Rael’s body with his own as she leaned forward, Rubellan quickly unfastened her remaining shirt buttons with his freed hands. She shivered as the cold air enveloped her bare skin.

His lips captured the luscious br*ast that had been hiding beneath the removed fabric. The small fruit that had been standing proudly even before his lips touched it now rolled inside his mouth.

“Ah…mmh.”

Rubellan pushed his entire body between Rael’s spread legs. She tilted her head back, her eyes brimming with tears. A droplet that had flowed down the back of her neck clung to her earlobe, glistening.

The lips that had been greedily licking and sucking her br*ast separated with a soft sound. The sensation sent another shiver through her.

But even after waiting a moment, there was no further stimulation.

Rael looked down at the motionless Rubellan. He was still looking up at her from between her br*asts, his face composed.

“Senior.”

His voice showed no sign of being affected.

“Shall we stop?”

A gentle question.

She should stop this. She should yell at him to move away. But her lips seemed coated with honey, unable to part.

Rael’s waist twisted. Her body contorted without her conscious control.

“If you want, I’ll go back just like this.”

It was an utterly shameless statement. Rael didn’t believe his words were sincere. Though he spoke casually, giving her the illusion of choice, the heat in his eyes couldn’t be faked—even someone as inexperienced as Rael could sense that.

Above all, her body was already craving pleasure, just like in her dream.

“…I’m still hot.”

“The potion’s effect is still there?”

Rubellan answered with a low laugh, amused by her transparent lie.

“So… cool me down.”

As soon as Rael finished speaking, the curtains by the window rustled, blocking out the light. With a clicking sound, both the window and door lock closed.