The Extra's Rise

Chapter 328 - 328: Ice Princess's Heart (1)

"So it's your turn now?" I asked Seraphina as she simply nodded. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and ripped black jeans that fit her frame well. Her silver hair reflected the sunlight like a waterfall of molten silver and her ice blue eyes shone like condensed orbs of snowflakes.

She seemed to have changed after the event.

"The four of us played a game to decide the order," she said shamelessly as she stepped forward.

The two of us were alone in my room as the events for the day were over. Through the half-open window, the evening breeze carried the faint scent of night flowers blooming in the academy gardens. The soft glow of enchanted lanterns cast long shadows across the floor, shrouding the corners in comfortable darkness.

"Then, come here," I said as I got up and grabbed her. I saw her elven ears turn red as I looked down at her.

My eyes focused on her red lips before slipping below, then going back to her red lips.

"Pervert," she whispered as I leaned in to kiss her.

"And you aren't one?" I said as we both separated from each other after a deep kiss.

"For you," she said shamelessly as we kissed some more.

Her fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me closer. I could taste the sweetness of her lips, the slight hint of the berry wine we'd shared earlier. My hands found her waist, then slowly slid up her back, tracing the contours of her body as if memorizing every curve. The silken texture of her hair fell around us like a curtain, catching the fading light in strands of liquid silver.

"Arthur," she breathed against my mouth, her voice half-sigh, half-plea.

I responded by deepening the kiss, feeling her body arch against mine. The world narrowed to just this—her taste, her scent, the softness of her skin beneath my fingertips. Time seemed to stretch and compress all at once. The distant sounds of the academy faded away, leaving only our synchronized heartbeats and shared breaths.

When we finally broke apart, both breathless, her eyes were darker, that ice blue now stormy with desire. I traced the line of her jaw with my thumb, watched as she leaned into the touch like a cat seeking affection. The subtle shift in her expression—vulnerability beneath her usual composure—sent a rush of protectiveness through me.

"When is your birthday?" she asked suddenly, her voice still husky but her eyes sharpening with curiosity.

I just smiled, saying nothing, my fingers still tracing patterns on her skin. The question hung between us, unexpected and unwelcome, like a shadow falling across a sunlit room.

Her brows furrowed, the perfect arch of them drawing together in confusion. "Why won't you answer me?" The playfulness in her tone had hardened into something more serious, more determined.

I shrugged, trying to pull her close again, but she placed a hand against my chest, keeping a small distance between us. Her palm was warm, but firm—unyielding.

"This reminds me of the ruined island," she said, her voice quieter now. "In the Northern Sea Ice Palace. That six-star dungeon." Her gaze was steady,

"I can feel your heartbeat," I whispered, my fingers brushing her chest as her pale cheeks flared a deeper red, brighter than I'd ever seen. The rapid flutter beneath my touch matched the tempo of my own racing pulse.

"I can feel yours," she murmured back, her voice barely audible, a fragile thread between us. Her hand reached up, palm flat against my chest, feeling the rhythm that had accelerated at her touch.

A moment of understanding passed between us—wordless but profound. She would not press further today, but this wasn't surrender. It was a tactical retreat. Seraphina, master strategist that she was, knew when to wait for a better opening.

"I don't want to go further," I said, steady but gentle. The words carried more meaning than their surface—not just about our physical intimacy, but about the questions she'd been asking, the walls she'd been trying to scale.

"I know," she replied with a small nod, though a fleeting shadow of disappointment crossed her face. "If you did, we'd already be there. Don't worry. My heart—it only beats like this for you."