By Zephyria 
Cecile’s expression noticeably hardened. Alexis seized the opportunity and pressed Cecile again.
“I’m sure you know the future.”
“That’s a ridiculous assumption.”
“Then how do you explain it?”
“Explanation or not, it’s all just coincidence.”
Cecile muttered while covering his face.
I know very well what my expression must look like right now. I didn’t want to show even the slightest hint of it to Alexis. He would surely catch on to my embarrassment.
Alexis looked down at him and slowly pulled down both of Cecile’s wrists.
Even with bare skin touching, the energy of the Gaia Goddess was still absent. Alexis was equally perplexed.
“It can’t be a coincidence.”
“Do you think I have some divine ability like Yuria?”
“Do you really think this is possible without that?”
“Honestly, it would be more believable if I said I came from the future.”
Cecile spoke as if he had given up.
Did he really expect Alexis to believe that he had died once and returned with knowledge of the future? It would be a relief if he didn’t just lock him up for being crazy.
But Alexis was still fiddling with Cecile’s wrists. As if he wanted to find some small clue, he kept rubbing his skin, causing Cecile to let out a small huff.
“Do you really think I have some kind of power?”
“……”
“If you really want to check, should I kiss you? What can you learn from just touching my hands?”
“You really have a knack for getting on people’s nerves.”
I feel the same way. Why does he keep pushing me into a corner? I’m already on edge, worried that something might go wrong with Alexis, and instead of helping, he’s just provoking me.
Cecile shrugged off Alexis’s hand and ruffled his hair roughly.
“Let’s stop this conversation here. It’s a waste of time and it’s draining. Aren’t you busy too, Your Highness? Don’t waste time on trivial fantasies…”
“Let’s check it out.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you’re that confident, let’s check it out.”
Cecile was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Alexis to agree. For a moment, he was speechless in disbelief, but soon regained his composure and stood up from the desk.
I don’t have any powers. Therefore, kissing him wouldn’t make me feel anything special.
It would be better to cut off the seed of doubt. A kiss? What’s the big deal about that?
Cecile decided to act confidently. He stood straight in front of Alexis, grabbed the back of his neck, and pressed his lips against his.
Their dry lips met, and flesh softly intertwined. Alexis didn’t take any action; he simply offered his body to Cecile.
As their lips touched, Cecile felt as if his heart might burst. No matter how much he tried to convince himself it was nothing, the person in front of him was the Alexis he loved. He tried to clear his mind and not think about it.
But despite the lack of passion in the kiss, their lips became moist. As saliva seeped into their lips, their bodies intertwined more softly, sending shivers down his spine.
With a soft sound, their wet lips parted. It felt like an eternity had passed, but in reality, only a minute had gone by.
“Phew.”
Cecile leaned back and let out a short sigh. It felt like he had just completed some monumental task.
“Now you know, right? I don’t have any powers, so let’s stop…”
“Is that all you did?”
The indifferent voice cut him off, and Cecile looked up slightly. Alexis was staring down at him, his breath completely steady as if nothing had just happened.
“What can you learn from such childish antics?”
Childish antics! Cecile was at a loss for words. He thought he had done his best, but now that Alexis belittled it, he didn’t know how to respond.
“At least it should be enough for me to understand.”
Alexis grabbed the back of Cecile’s head. His blue eyes came closer in an instant.
“Hold on tight.”
With those words, Alexis devoured Cecile’s lips. As their lips collided, a hot tongue invaded his mouth.
Unlike Cecile, who had been timidly kissing, Alexis’s dominating kiss was almost violent. Cecile realized what it felt like to be consumed.
His tongue felt like it might be pulled out, and his lips tingled. Each time Alexis slowly licked the inside of his mouth, his fingertips and toes tingled, leaving him unable to think straight.
“Mmm, mm!”
Every time he struggled to breathe, a whimper escaped him. Cecile had no time to realize how much he was feeling; he was just focused on accepting Alexis.
Unable to withstand it, Cecile stumbled backward.
What he thought would be a brief kiss turned into Alexis wrapping his arms around Cecile’s waist, pressing their bodies even closer together. Just as their lips were tightly sealed, their bodies also closed the gap.
As they were pushed along, they soon found themselves in front of the desk.
Cecile sat down on a pile of scattered papers, while Alexis leaned on the desk with both hands. The kiss showed no signs of ending.
Cecile felt the need to hold onto something. Unconsciously, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Alexis’s neck, feeling the corners of his lips lift slightly.
The intense kiss continued for a long time.
Their tongues intertwined and saliva mixed in their mouths. Their breaths became so hot that their cheeks felt flushed.
Cecile forgot that he needed to push Alexis away and clung to him. Finally obtaining what he had longed for, he lost his reason and felt dizzy.
Alexis gently pushed against Cecile’s shoulder. Cecile, awkwardly perched on the desk, clung even more fiercely to Alexis, fearing he might fall backward.
That desperate gesture strangely satisfied him. Alexis felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment at the sight of Cecile relying on him and willingly became his support.
The study was completely silent, and the sound of their wet skin meeting was particularly vivid. At some point, it seemed they had forgotten their original purpose.
Alexis, who was also intoxicated by the kiss like Cecile, finally focused and sharpened his senses.
He shouldn’t have felt anything. After this much, he should have sensed at least a thread of energy. But it was just a hot contact. A wonderfully pleasant one at that.
Alexis lowered his hand and began to feel around the desk. When his finger caught on a piece of paper that Cecile hadn’t discarded, he opened his eyes briefly to check it. He secretly tucked away Cecile’s meaningless scribbles into his pants pocket.
The confirmation was over, and there was no longer any reason to continue the kiss. But Alexis couldn’t easily pull away.
Just a little longer, just a moment more; as he allowed himself that grace, he felt Cecile’s and his own lips swelling.
After a long time, Alexis finally pulled back and straightened his upper body. He saw Cecile, eyes closed, panting heavily. His cheeks were flushed, and his slightly parted lips looked indescribably seductive.
“You really can’t get a grip, can you? Was kissing me that good?”
“…Yes.”
Cecile replied in a weak voice, so dazed that he didn’t even know what he was saying.
Cecile finally regained his senses and straightened his slumped posture. He saw Alexis, whose lips were also swollen, chewing on them.
Slowly blinking, he asked, “Did you confirm it enough to be convinced?”
“For now.”
He exhaled deeply and ruffled his hair. Oddly enough, Alexis looked more troubled now than when he first entered the study to interrogate Cecile. Perhaps he regretted what had just happened.
Cecile nodded. It was undeniable that both he and Alexis had been swept up in the atmosphere.
He wiped his wet lips and got off the desk. Turning halfway around, Cecile plopped down into a chair.
“Well, I suppose you won’t be bringing this up again.”
“…Is that all?”
“Do you have anything more to say?”
Cecile asked again, sinking into the chair. His face was undeniably languid and wet, but his tone was as straightforward as someone who had finished their business.
Alexis looked down at Cecile and let out a faint laugh.
“No, I don’t. As you said, I’ll let it go this time.”
With that, he left the study and moved on. Heading towards the Saint Palace, Alexis immediately sought out Tristan. He handed him a note along with a discreet request.
“I need an interpretation of the writing here.”
“This is… just scribbles, isn’t it?”
“If you look closely, there’s a pattern. It’s clearly a code of some sort. If it’s too difficult to decipher, feel free to find an expert. For now… let’s proceed in secret.”
“Understood. …But Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? Your face looks quite red.”
At those words, Alexis touched his cheek with the back of his hand. His face was still warm, the heat not yet dissipated.
He wasn’t in a position to comment on Cecile’s face. He was just as flushed with excitement.
Alexis sighed deeply and rubbed his face.
“Yeah, it seems I’ve caught something pretty bad.”