Skyler stared at the closed door for a moment before shrugging. Like he cared. His gaze shifted back to Riruru. Earlier, his anger had kept him from fully appreciating the soft, cool touch of her pretty lips.
"Let's continue, okay? Just ignore her."
But Riruru had other plans. As he leaned forward, she pulled back with a gasp.
"Teacher left! I have to say goodbye!"
Skyler's eyebrow twitched in disbelief, momentarily speechless.
"Should I leave too, then?"
Riruru, who had been about to follow her teacher—a woman she'd grown fond of for teaching her so many new things—to say goodbye, immediately shook her head.
Her brows knitted together.
"No, don't leave. Let's go together."
Skyler smiled, his arms wrapping around her. He liked how easily he could envelop the woman in his arms now—completely and protectively. He was bigger, taller, and so much different than before, yet Riruru had recognized him in an instant.
"Good. Come here."
She leaned down, a bit confused, only for her eyes to widen as he pressed his lips to hers. She had been fine when she initiated it, as it was brief and fleeting, but now that he was the one doing it, her body tensed.
Her heart rate spiked. Skyler chuckled into the kiss, noticing her eyes were still open, before biting her lower lip softly.
"You should close your eyes."
Riruru closed her eyes, her face flushing a deep red. She held her breath, but when she felt something warm and wet lick her lower lip, she gasped in surprise, and a familiar bright light suddenly flashed in the room.
Skyler stared at the empty space before him, the soft touch had faded, then looked down at the white snake sitting on his body. She had transformed back into a snake.
"Pfff... Hahaha..."
He laughed, the sound warm and genuine. Finally, he had gotten a good reaction from her. The way she casually kissed him earlier had stirred something in him—annoyance. It was as if he was the only one bothered.
Now, it seemed Riruru was finally feeling embarrassed, even though she still had so much to learn about humans. Reaching out, he caressed her head, the lingering taste of her soft lips still fresh in his mind.
"That was my first official kiss as well. I suppose we will call it quits for now."
His eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched the snake turn away from him.
"And... as for your earlier question, I think I liked what we did. A lot. Let's do it often."
Chuckling, he stood up and left the room with the white snake circling his arm.
He paused, however, when he noticed the older woman who had left earlier was still standing outside. Her face was grim.
She straightened her suit coat, her gaze flickering between the snake and him. She already knew that Riruru was a beast.
"I didn't interfere earlier, since I recognized your face, but did she even consent to it?"
Skyler stayed silent. He gazed at Riruru as he rubbed his neck. Sensing his hesitation, Riruru turned toward the older woman.
'I didn't mind. He smells like mine.'
Her response seemed to stun the woman, who coughed again before nodding.
"As long as you know what you are doing. And he doesn't mind that you're a beast."
The woman turned and walked away.
Skyler watched her fading figure before turning to Riruru, raising an eyebrow.
"What did you tell her? I was about to say that we are staying together forever."
Riruru simply looked away, still feeling self-conscious about what they did earlier. The scene kept replaying in her mind.
Skyler poked her scales.
"Aren't you going to answer? And if there's ever something I do that you don't like, you should push me away, alright?"
He rolled his eyes as she began touching his exposed neck. At this point, who was really taking advantage of whom?
Ignoring the cold sensation against his neck, Skyler quickly made his way back in the direction he had come from.
The same purple-eyed man stood exactly where he had seen him earlier, offering a silent nod of acknowledgment.
Skyler returned the gesture and was about to slip away—perhaps to swipe a few more valuables from the castle—when a servant suddenly approached from behind.
The servant bowed politely.
"Sir, the Queen has summoned you."
Skyler pursed his lips.
Had his grandmother found out he was stealing things? Hopefully she had not.
He followed the servant, who led him to a familiar hall—the very place where he had seen his grandmother for the first time.
There, atop the throne, she sat with the same regal grace he remembered.
But this time, only Skyler, the Queen, and Alistair Thorne were present. None of his cousins were around, nor their parents.
He quickly greeted the Queen.
"Good afternoon, Grandmother!"
Both Alistair and Elizabeth's eyes twitched at the greeting but chose to ignore the title.
The Queen's eyes landed on Riruru.
"I see... You have already found her."
She smiled faintly, her cold, indifferent expression softening, albeit just a bit.
"I've heard that you've obtained the Lost Sapphire of Serenity, and that you've also awakened something special."
She stood up from her seat, her hands crossing behind her back.
"Good job. You did great."
Skyler flashed a bright smile.
"Of course! My grandmother assigned that task to me—how could I not do my best?"
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, surprised at how candid he sounded. The corners of her eyes lifted, a hint of amusement showing.
"I really like your enthusiasm. I believe, just like this time, you will continue to help your dear grandmother in the future, right?"
Skyler nearly choked on his breath.
Wait, wait a damn second. Just now, did the Queen sound just like him whenever he tried to trick 505 into working for him for free?
This was giving him serious déjà vu!
He paused, carefully choosing his words.
No way in hell was he going to spend his life working for the royalty—he had no intention of becoming their personal errand boy!
"I want to as well, but I'm still a student. I'd like to return to the academy after you give me my reward for finding the Sapphire."