Chapter 313: Sienna Merdein (9)
The clamor of the drunken revelry next door did not penetrate the peace of Eugene’s room. The soundproofing in this exorbitantly expensive hotel was remarkable, and Eugene had cast an additional spell to ensure an undisturbed slumber.
Was he missing out on the boisterous camaraderie? Nope, he was not bothered in the slightest. After all, he had shared his fill of drinks in the past life, and he knew there would be countless opportunities to do so in the future. Moreover, he was well aware that his presence wouldn’t do much to enhance the revelries. In fact, he didn’t know what kind of fate might have awaited him had he joined in the drinking.
He awoke in his plush bed, finding the hour to be about 4 AM.
He sensed a lingering presence outside his firmly shut door. He remained still and silent as he opened his eyes.
In the lavish suite of this high-end hotel in the capital of Aroth, Pentagon, who could be pacing outside his door at this ungodly hour?
Eugene suppressed a rising sigh and forced his eyes shut, pulling the duvet higher.
As if on cue, the door burst open, piercing through the barrier of his soundproofing spell. The raucous laughter of drunken fools shattered the tranquility of Eugene's predawn.
"Hameeael, are you asleep?"
"Hey, hey! You're not sleeping!"
Eugene pulled the blanket over his head pleadingly while maintaining silence. But the drunkards persisted relentlessly, their laughter laced with the stench of alcohol. They snickered at each other, hiccupping, seeming to find the whole situation immensely amusing.
"Help…."
"Mercy…."
The voices of Mer and Raimira, who had been serving the pair drinks until this late hour, sounded pitifully desperate. While Eugene couldn't see them from under his blanket, he could tell they would be a miserable sight.
Their faces were marked with haphazard scribbles, and their hair was styled in the most bizarre fashion imaginable. Mer's hair was gathered at the top of her head like a pineapple, while Raimira’s black hair was braided into numerous strands.
The two drunkards approached Eugene's bed, moaning like the undead.
"Hey!" Sienna reached out and snatched the blanket.
Eugene didn't want to surrender his last line of defense. He held onto the blanket tightly, but Anise's fist found its way to Eugene's ribs with a pop .
"Ugh."
It was an unexpected blow. Eugene had trained his body since he could barely walk, and it was backed by the mana he had cultivated through the White Flame Formula. His body was trained to withstand any ordinary blow, but this sharp and powerful punch was more than what one would expect from a drunkard.
As a result, his grip on the duvet loosened, and the hawk-eyed Sienna didn't miss the opportunity and swiftly pulled the blanket away.
"Why…? Why are you doing this to me?" Eugene questioned them pitifully while clasping his sore ribs. He could relate to Edmund, whom he had killed in the forest.
"I didn't do anything, so why are you tormenting me…!?"
Sienna draped the stolen blanket over her shoulders like a cloak, laughing wickedly. Anise applauded as she joined in the laughter. To Eugene, they appeared like demons that had crawled up from hell. Behind the drunken devils, Raimira and Mer, dressed in completely ridiculous outfits, shivered and clung to each other.
"Let me tell you…," Sienna hiccuped, slurring her words.
Baffled by this display, Eugene let out a desperate cry. "Why are you drunk?!"
For an ordinary person, intoxication was the expected consequence of imbibing spirits. Yet, upon reaching a certain level of mastery, one could cast off the effects of drunkenness at will, or so it should be.
Then what about shaking oneself clear of alcohol after becoming drunk to the point of oblivion? It was an improbable scenario for the average individual, but it was more plausible for the likes of Sienna and Anise.
They had safeguards implanted in their subconscious to shake off the inebriation and awaken their senses when needed.
Yet, no such signs were evident in the pair now. They were like two dogs who had lost themselves entirely to alcohol.
"You drink to get drunk."
"It’s our first meeting in hundreds of years. It's only natural to drink until we're drunk."
Sienna and Anise reasoned in unison, their faces meeting in fits of giggles. Then, Sienna turned to Eugene, wiping away tears of laughter. "Hold on. Hold on! I'm…. I'm not finished. I was... talking... about Kristina."
Sienna swayed closer to Eugene and began to pat his shoulder. "When we first spoke, I thought, what a cocky... bastard! But…. But when we spoke again…. She's bold and cocky! Yep, that’s for sure! But she's not bad."
"Hold on!" Anise barked. She slapped her lips, straightened her posture, and sat at the edge of the bed. "Kristina Rogeris!"
At Anise's loud call of her name, the control of the body instantly shifted to Kristina.
"Yes!" Kristina responded enthusiastically, raising her hand in acknowledgment. Eugene had hoped that Kristina might put an end to this farce, but seeing her face, he knew that his hopes were dashed. She appeared even more drunk than Anise.
"So, we all had a good talk, and… and it’s so unfair to Kristina!" shouted Sienna.
"What... what was?" asked Eugene.
"Anise kissed you... right? And I kissed you too! But Kristina, you haven't... haven't kissed him. Right?"
"Yes!" Kristina nodded enthusiastically.
Eugene was dumbstruck, unable to utter a word, his eyes blinking in confusion. He tried to reason with the ladies, "Everyone... aren't you all a little too drunk?"
"It's unfair and sad!" shouted Sienna, ignoring Eugene’s desperate attempts at persuasion.
"Yes!" Kristina agreed even more fervently.
"So, we talked a lot about it, right? If you kissed her secretly, I'd, I’d be furious. So…." Sienna trailed off.
"Right here!" Kristina thrust her hands into the air, shouting. "W-we will do it right here, where Sienna can see us!”
"Kyaaa!" Sienna clapped her hands as a jubilant roar escaped her lips.
Eugene quickly closed his mouth and hesitantly inched backward, "I think you've all had too much to drink. How are you going to cope when morning comes, and the effects of the alcohol wear off…?"
"Do not flee!"
"Stay put!"
Sienna shouted, and Kristina raised her hands high as though wielding an axe and latched onto Eugene’s shoulder.
This was when fear jittered in Eugene’s eyes.
"We've decided what to do!" Sienna declared.
"Yes!" Kristina’s blue eyes bore into Eugene. "T-think about it, Sir Eugene! When Lady Anise stole a kiss from you, I was unconscious!"
"What does it matter…?"
"Of course! I shared Sister’s memory after waking up, but the touch and emotions of that moment belonged to Sister, not me!" Kristina shouted to make her point.
"You refer to Anise as Sister?" Eugene had heard it a few times before, clearly a slip of her tongue, but when she was sober had tried to hide it.
Clearly, Kristina was far from sober now.
"So, what I want to say is... it's not fair, and it's lonely! Lady Anise and Lady Sienna have had their kiss, and yet I've been left out!" shouted Kristina.
"Kiss…." Eugene was stupefied.
"Yes, a kiss! Smooch, smooch!"
Kristina’s face was alarmingly close now.
"Sister stole a kiss, and Lady Sienna had hers stolen, so it is only logical... that you and I... together... should have a kiss!"
"Kiss him!" Sienna’s cheering sent ripples of courage through the alcohol-fogged room. Kristina swallowed hard and, with a flash of realization, turned her head away. "......Phew, hoo, phew......" She huffed, exhaling strongly.
For hours they had drunk wildly. They had indulged in alcohol as if there was no tomorrow. Now, she was worried that the smell of alcohol would be off-putting to Eugene. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't appropriate for this monumental moment, either.
Without a word, Kristina swiftly pulled out a tiny glass bottle from her possession.
It was the breath freshener she always carried, ready to use at any moment. She sprayed a small amount inside her mouth, swished it around a few times, and then took a few more breaths to check the smell.
"Are you sure you're drunk?" Eugene asked tentatively.
"Kiss!"
Eugene’s desperate, hasty inquiry was cut off by Sienna’s sudden shout. Kristina had no intention of responding to Eugene’s question either. Her mind was filled with the symphony of Anise’s screams, Sienna’s cries of 'smooch, smooch,' and the pounding of her own heart.
Kristina closed her lips, then puckered up and slowly moved towards Eugene. Eugene, however, did not offer his lips but only trembled in response.
What in the world was happening? Eugene thought, reeling from the impossible and preposterous circumstances unfolding before him.
Should he staunchly reject what was happening? Was it permissible? How would they face each other afterward?
Love? It wasn't absent. Yet the affection Eugene harbored for Kristina was not intense enough to warrant a kiss, and he still possessed a lucid human heart.
— I will try to make you fall in love with us.
Anise had once declared this in Yuras. At the time, Eugene assumed the “us” referred to her and Sienna, but later, he also came to feel Kristina’s emotions.
Anise and Kristina both acted true to their word. Their attempts to win Eugene's heart differed; Anise chose a more sly and assertive approach while Kristina pursued him, transforming her admiration into longing and longing into desire.
And now, Kristina was drawing near Eugene with an intense desire. It was… tempting. Kristina and Anise had taken advantage of Sienna’s absence to carefully infiltrate his heart, and eventually, they succeeded.
Thus, Eugene found himself unable to firmly push Kristina away. But he was also unable to lean forward and offer his lips as she had.
Kristina slightly opened her eyes, staring at Eugene. She saw that his face, which was close enough for their breaths to mingle, was dabbled with sweat. He had an awkward expression.
Her expectations had been wrong. Even though she had bravely taken the plunge, fueled by alcohol and encouragement, she had considered the odds of success to be slim.
If Eugene gently pushed her away, she resolved to smile it off without issue. She had been prepared. After all, there was no rush. If not now, she believed she could slowly open her heart and approach him later.
But contrary to her expectation, Eugene did not push Kristina away. He was clearly uncomfortable, not knowing what to do, but he didn't let go of her hands either.
It was now time to proceed further. Once hazy, Kristina was now fully alert.
She let go of Eugene's shoulders, and her hands snuck upward. Her palms gently pressed against his cheeks.
Eugene made a slight noise as the pressure pushed his lips outward. Now was the time! Kristina seized the opportunity like a predator snatching its prey, leaning in to initiate a kiss.
Smooch.
Their lips met. Eugene's wide eyes trembled in surprise. Kristina kept the pressure on, holding the kiss.
[Tongue!!] Anise exclaimed in the background, but Kristina ignored the suggestion. She didn't want that kind of kiss yet. She wanted to savor the anticipation of slowly progressing toward that later.
“Heuk…” Sienna gasped. Although she had been enthusiastically cheering and waving her arms around, she was still taken aback by the unexpected display of affection in front of her. She bit her lip, her emotions roiling in confusion. This unfamiliar sensation was indescribable.
It was just a kiss, after all. That had been her initial thought, and since she was drunk, she had confidently permitted it. But now... what was this feeling? Anger? Annoyance? No, it was slightly different….? It was an emotion that wasn't entirely wholesome . It was a thrill tilted towards guilty pleasure.
Why? Her Hamel, Eugene, was being kissed by another woman right in front of her.
There was certainly jealousy about the loss, but it was not completely displeasing. Instead, it made her heart pound. What was this peculiar emotion? The root of these complex feelings lay in the fact that this kiss was happening with Sienna’s “permission.”
Thus, Sienna was incapable of experiencing pure rage or irritation at the spectacle. Instead, she felt something else…. A dark, addictive flame that threatened to consume her. This black fire made her senses reel as if merely watching it was intoxicating. If she approached... if she ventured any closer, it felt as if she would be drawn into the dance with those flames….
"Whew…."
The lips finally broke apart. Kristina took a deep breath, her gaze locking onto Eugene's face. Sienna’s hands were soaked with sweat as she clenched the hem of her dress tightly while swallowing hard.
Eugene felt as if his mind had become numb.
What was this... what was this spectacle supposed to mean? Dignity? Pride? Fundamental questions and shame about himself painted Eugene's face a deep crimson.
"Heh... hehe..." Kristina let out a chuckle while observing Eugene's state. Kristina gently squeezed Eugene's cheeks once before hopping off the bed, feeling invigorated. "Let's go back to bed."
"Huh... what?"
"I am... satisfied. I feel as if I could ascend to heaven right now."
With a reverent expression, Kristina traced the holy symbol once before turning around and walking away without any hesitation. Sienna watched Kristina's retreating back in a daze, then, swallowing hard, she rose to her feet.
"Sleep... sleep well!" Though Sienna was trying her best not to acknowledge the black flame still flickering inside her, she was afraid that she would eventually become fascinated by it. But now was not the time. This flame should only blaze upon her “permission,” and Sienna would always remain ahead of it.
So, Sienna quickly followed Kristina.
"Uh…?"
Eugene was left sitting on the bed in a daze. The door that had been left open slowly closed.
[Ahem….] A low grumble came from within the cloak. It was Wynnyd. Not knowing what to say to Eugene at this moment, Tempest simply emitted a dry cough.
"Sir Eugene…."
“Benefactor…."
Raimira and Mer, who had been discarded in their disarray, slowly crawled up to Eugene's bed. Blinking his eyes in a daze, Eugene silently embraced the approaching pair.
"You've had it tough,” he said.
In a few hours, the sun would rise. Eugene feared the coming of the morning.