Chapter 49: The Flashback (End) The Start of The Mistake

Serelith’s smile widened, her eyes never leaving his as she continued, her voice a soft whisper. "Care to join me, Your Highness?" Mikhailis blinked rapidly, trying to regain his composure. This couldn’t be real—he must still be half-asleep or having some weird dream. He took a step back, finally finding his voice. "What the hell is happening, Rodion?" he muttered, barely audible. <Analyzing... The entity before you is Serelith, approximately 167 centimeters tall, hair color: long and purple, partially disheveled. Eyes: currently dilated. Emotional state suggests arousal, accompanied by—> "Rodion, stop!" Mikhailis hissed under his breath, his face growing hotter with every detail. But Rodion wasn’t done yet. <Facial skin tone indicates increased blood circulation. Her posture suggests a mixture of boldness and vulnerability. Physical state consistent with recent—> "Alright, alright, I get it!" Mikhailis cut Rodion off, trying to shake off the mental image. He could practically feel the AI analyzing Serelith’s every move, and it wasn’t helping at all. He let out a shaky breath, forcing himself to meet Serelith’s eyes again. She was still watching him, her gaze as steady as ever, her lips curling into an amused smile. "So she’s your type, huh, Rodion?" Mikhailis muttered under his breath, trying to sound more in control than he felt. "Never thought you had preferences." <This line of questioning seems irrelevant, Mikhailis.> "Yeah, you’re right... Not the time for jokes." He let out a breath, trying to steady his racing heart. He still hadn’t replied to Serelith’s question. "Mind to join?" she had asked, her eyes full of an invitation he wasn’t sure he could handle. And yes, it was tempting. She was beautiful, sure, but also unpredictable. Unpredictable meant dangerous, and dangerous was something he didn’t need right now. The best choice would be to pretend he hadn’t seen anything and leave. He gave her an awkward smile, the kind you give when you’ve stumbled into the wrong room at the worst possible time. "Ah, sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck as he stepped back toward the door. "I think I’m still half-asleep. I guess I’ll be returning to my room." Serelith watched him, the smile never leaving her face, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. She didn’t move to stop him, just nodded slightly, the amused smile widening. Mikhailis turned, making his way out of the corner of the library and back through the rows of bookshelves. He walked briskly, but not too quickly, his heart pounding in his ears. The second he was out of sight, he let out a long breath, shaking his head. <You appear to have declined her invitation, Mikhailis. Statistically speaking, your response was—> "Rodion, just leave her alone, alright?" Mikhailis interrupted, his voice low. "She deserves her... ’me-time’ without us interrupting." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I have enough love with Elowen. I don’t need another added to the mix. Besides, I’m still trying to maintain my stamina for all the nightly ’battles’ with Elowen." <Understood. Prioritizing existing intimate commitments is, in fact, advisable, especially considering your current physical limits.> Mikhailis groaned at Rodion’s bluntness. He could swear the AI had been getting more sarcastic lately. Shaking his head, he continued down the corridor, finally reaching his room. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, letting out another sigh. "Well, that was... something," he muttered. Before he could sit down and collect his thoughts, Rodion began speaking, providing what seemed like a full-scale summary of the last fifteen minutes. <You encountered Serelith in an unanticipated state of undress. She offered an invitation which was declined. The subject’s hair was purple, her physical stance was compromised—> "Rodion!" Mikhailis cut in, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Are you drunk or just bugged because of what you saw? You sound... off." There was a brief silence, then Rodion spoke again, this time with a slight hesitation in his voice. <Apologies, Mikhailis. I may have experienced a temporary turbulence in my thought processes due to unexpected visual input. I assure you, stability has been restored.> Mikhailis raised an eyebrow, chuckling despite himself. "Turbulence in your thought process, huh? I think I’ve created a monster." He shook his head, amused. He could hear a hint of something in Rodion’s tone—something almost embarrassed. Before he could say anything else, there was a soft voice behind him. "Mikhailis?" He turned, seeing Lira standing in the doorway, her brows furrowed. She looked at him curiously, her gaze searching. "What happened?" she asked, noticing his slightly flushed face and the unease in his eyes. Mikhailis cleared his throat, his mind racing for an answer. "Uh... Nothing much. Just... library stuff," he shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "You know, dusty old books and surprises. Nothing important." Lira watched him for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, but she didn’t push. She just nodded, though her eyes stayed on him, as if trying to figure out what he wasn’t saying. Before either of them could say anything more, there was a knock at the door, making Mikhailis jolt slightly. He opened it to see Serelith standing there, holding a bottle of wine. She looked just as composed as always, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she met his gaze. "Mikhailis," she said, her voice smooth. "I thought I’d bring you this as a... token of apology. For the unpleasant sight earlier." Mikhailis stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge her intentions. Her eyes flicked past him to Lira, her smile widening slightly. "Says the guy who’s almost as drunk as I am, no need to act strong, your highness," she shot back, her voice a little unsteady. She set her empty glass down, leaning back against the sofa, her head resting against the backrest. Mikhailis leaned back as well, his head spinning slightly. He hadn’t intended to get drunk, but the wine was stronger than he’d thought, and he’d lost track of how much he’d had. "Amara..." Lira suddenly said, her voice soft, almost as if she was talking to herself. Mikhailis blinked, turning to look at her. She was staring at her hands, her eyes unfocused. "Amara?" he repeated, his brow furrowing. Lira nodded slowly, her eyes glistening slightly. "Yeah... Amara. She was my friend, you know? We worked together every day... and then..." She trailed off, her voice cracking slightly. Mikhailis felt a pang of sympathy, the fog in his mind clearing just enough for him to understand. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I’m sorry, Lira," he said, his voice soft. "I know it must be hard." Lira let out a shaky breath, her head lowering slightly. "I just... I don’t understand how she could do something like that," she whispered. "How she could betray us... betray the queen, betray you..." Mikhailis didn’t know what to say. He could see the pain in her eyes, the way her shoulders trembled slightly. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, trying to offer what comfort he could. "People do strange things sometimes," he said, his voice low. "Things that don’t make any sense. Maybe she thought she didn’t have a choice, or maybe she was scared..." Lira looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, there was silence between them—just the two of them, sitting there, the weight of everything hanging in the air. Then, slowly, Lira leaned closer, her head resting against his shoulder. Mikhailis blinked, surprised, but he didn’t move away. He could feel her warmth, the soft scent of her hair filling his senses. "Lira?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t reply, her eyes closing as she let out a soft sigh. Her hand moved, resting on his thigh, her fingers brushing against his leg. Mikhailis’s heart skipped a beat, his mind going blank for a moment. He looked down at her, his breath catching in his throat. There was something in her eyes—something that made his heart pound, something that made it impossible for him to look away. "You seem... drunk, Lira," he said, his voice shaky. Lira looked up at him, her eyes half-lidded, a small smile playing at her lips. "You too, Your Highness," she whispered, her voice soft, almost teasing. <Mikhailis, your heart rate is increasing at a great pace, you might want to stop drinking> Rodion’s warning sounded but he didn’t bother to listen. Mikhailis swallowed hard, his gaze locked on hers. He could feel her breath against his skin, her hand on his thigh, her body so close to his. There was a moment—a single, breathless moment—where neither of them moved, where the world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them. And then, slowly, Lira leaned in, her lips brushing against his. Mikhailis’s eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest. He hesitated for a moment, his mind racing, but then he closed his eyes, leaning into the kiss. It was soft at first—tentative, almost unsure. But then it deepened, their lips moving together, the world around them blurring into nothingness. Lira’s hand moved, sliding up his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt as she pulled him closer. Mikhailis didn’t think—he couldn’t think. All he could feel was her, the warmth of her body, the softness of her lips, the way her fingers tangled in his hair. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, his heart pounding in his chest. The kiss seemed to go on forever, and yet it ended too soon. They pulled away, both of them breathing heavily, their foreheads resting against each other. Lira looked up at him, her eyes half-lidded, her lips slightly parted. There was a softness in her gaze—a vulnerability that made Mikhailis’s heart ache. "Lira..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. She didn’t reply, just leaned in again, her lips brushing against his once more.