Author’s Note: The previous Chapter has been corrected. If you can’t see the correct Chapter, clear your cache.
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When they reached the villa, Selene gave instructions to the kitchen staff, and the cooks promptly cleared out.
She entered the kitchen alone while Isaac waited in the dining hall.
She quickly prepared dinner and brought it.
What she hadn’t expected was to see Marien and Chairman Lucius seated at the table along with Isaac.
“Huh,” Selene said, glancing between them. “Why are you two here?”
Marien sipped water like nothing was out of place. She’d expected her to say something like this and didn’t react.
Chairman Lucius, however, looked visibly thrown off.
It was clear his daughter wanted him to leave, so she could spend time with Isaac.
“I wanted to try your cooking too,” Lucius said, a bit sulky.
“There won’t be enough for you,” said Selene unapologetically.
Still, when dinner was served, there were two plates. She set one down for Isaac, and the other for her father.
Marien declined. “I’m still on the clock. I don’t eat during work hours.”
Isaac took his first bite.
And paused.
It was… good. Really good.
Chairman Lucius, meanwhile, had already started singing praises about his daughter’s skills.
Selene treated him like air. She was mostly focused on Isaac, watching him with a smile.
He glanced up, chewing slowly. “This is actually really good.”
“I got the recipe from a book I found in Alice’s room,” Selene said casually.
Marien suddenly coughed.
All eyes turned to her.
She waved them off. “Don’t mind me.”
Internally, she was screaming.
’Thank the heavens I cleaned that room! If she’d seen even half the things Alice had left behind…’
Marien had cleared out Alice’s room just after she moved in with Isaac.
The idiot girl had been so excited about living with him, she’d forgotten to hide all the suspicious things.
And there were so many suspicious things.
Dinner passed quickly.
Chairman Lucius eventually left after finishing his food. He didn’t forget to give Isaac a glare, which meant: Don’t even try anything tonight with my daughter.
Marien also excused herself to return to her duties.
Now alone, Isaac looked at Selene and smiled. “That really was good. You should teach me. I’ll come over once a—”
“We’ll need to do it at least three times a week,” Selene interrupted, smiling gently. “That’s the minimum for you to learn properly.”
Isaac thought about it.
Coming to the Calloway estate three times a week wasn’t exactly easy. Time was the main problem.
Selene knew what he was thinking. She tilted her head, still smiling, but didn’t offer to meet him at his place instead.
To her, this was better.
The estate gave them more time together.
If they met at his house, someone would always be around. Alice, Emily, maybe even Professor Catherine. It wouldn’t be the same.
Isaac sighed softly. “Alright. Three times a week it is.”
Selene beamed.
He had the odd feeling that he was the one being reeled in, slowly and steadily, without even realizing it.
But somehow, like Alice earlier, he didn’t really mind.
Since Selene was earnestly trying to become a better version of herself, Isaac figured it was only fair he treated her nicely too.
He stood up, brushing invisible dust off his pants. “I’ll say goodbye to Alice before heading back. Where is she?”
“In the library,” Selene said. “End of the east wing. Take the stairs near the garden, turn right, then left. You’ll see the glass doors.”
“Got it.”
Isaac gave her a nod before walking off.
The estate was quieter at this hour.
Dim, golden lights lined the hallway, casting calm shadows on the walls.
The scent of old wood and leather-bound books greeted him before he even opened the door to the library.
Inside, Alice sat curled up in a corner, knees pulled close, completely absorbed in the thick tome spread across her lap.
She didn’t even notice him until he came up behind her, wrapped his arms loosely around her neck, and placed his chin gently on top of her head.
Alice stiffened, blinked, and tilted her head back to look up at him.
“When will you stop sneaking up on me?” she asked.
“I never did that. You were just too absorbed in the book to pay attention to the surroundings,” Isaac countered.
They stood there like that for a moment. The silence between them was oddly comforting.
“How was the day?” Alice finally asked.
Isaac closed his eyes and rested his weight just slightly against her. “I missed you.”
“Selene didn’t cause any trouble?”
“No. She behaved.”
A short pause. Then Alice shut her book and stood up, stretching her arms.
“Well, I’m glad.”
He stepped back, letting her face him fully. “Time for me to go.”
Alice gave a small nod. But before he could turn around, she leaned forward and gave him a soft peck on the lips.
It was quick, just like the one she gave him before.
However, faster than she could fully pull away, Isaac’s hand moved to her waist and pulled her closer.
Then he kissed her again. He didn’t let her go.
Their lips moved against each other slowly at first. But quickly, hunger crept in. Their tongues met, wrapping together. Their bodies pressed close, and the warmth spread between them.
Both of them had been pent up. They hadn’t been intimate in days.
Alice had told herself that pecks would be enough. Just enough to feel close. She had even convinced herself that it was part of learning restraint, and of controlling her instincts.
But now, with Isaac kissing her like this, everything she’d planned disappeared. She wasn’t thinking anymore.
And neither was he.
Then they both heard the sound.
A dull thump, followed by the creak of wood. They turned.
A book had fallen off one of the shelves, and standing near it was Selene. She was wide-eyed, and frozen. Her cheeks had turned red.
Alice froze too.
She stepped away from Isaac so fast she nearly tripped. Straightening her clothes, she cleared her throat. “I… I think I’m getting sleepy. I’ll turn in early.”
She didn’t wait for a response before hurrying out of the library, almost running.
That left Isaac and Selene alone.
Selene looked flustered, her hands rubbing together slowly. Her face was still flushed, and her eyes flicked from Isaac to the floor, unsure of where to look.
Isaac figured it was better to ease the awkwardness.
“I’ll be heading out now,” he said casually. “Can you walk me to the parking lot?”
Selene nodded quickly. “Of course.”
They walked side by side in silence for a bit.
Then Isaac asked, “Do you know any SSS-rankers personally?”
Selene blinked. “A few. Why?”
“I want to meet some,” Isaac said. “Could you introduce me?”
She glanced at him, thoughtful. “I could. But it might be pointless.”
“Why?”
“You’re trying to form your own faction, right?”
Isaac raised a brow. “…You figured that out?”
Selene gave him a small smile. “It’s obvious. Everyone thinks you’re under the Sanctum of Master’s umbrella, but you’re too independent. It’s only logical that you’re trying to build your own group.”
Isaac chuckled. “You really are sharp. As expected of someone set to inherit Calloway Conglomerate.”
“Flattery won’t distract me,” she said, teasing lightly. “But you’re out of luck. Almost every SSS-ranker is already affiliated with some organization. They won’t be easily swayed.”
“Not a single one left?”
“Well… there’s Celia.”
Isaac looked surprised. “Isn’t she with the Governor?”
Selene shook her head, then glanced around before speaking quietly. “No. While she respects the Governor, she’s never actually worked for him.”
“Why?”
Selene hesitated. “According to the information we gathered, it’s because of Vale Rae. He’s… acting as a barrier. Almost like he’s protecting her from the Governor.”
Isaac didn’t respond right away. He simply nodded with an unreadable expression.
When they reached the vehicle, he looked back at the estate, then turned to Selene.
“Thanks for the walk.”
“Goodnight,” she said softly.
He got in the car and drove off.
Back in the mansion, Selene made her way toward her room. The hallways were dimmer now, most of the lights turned down for the night.
Marien met her near the main staircase.
“Did Isaac leave?”
Selene nodded. “Just now.”
Marien gave her a glance. “Did he do anything weird?”
Selene paused. “Weird?”
He had done something weird, just not with her.
Selene zoned out as she thought back to those moments. Then she turned, cheeks slowly coloring again.
“Does… kissing feel good?” Selene asked.
Marien stopped walking. She looked at Selene with a surprised expression.
Selene blinked, then waved her hands frantically. “Ah—sorry! That was a weird question! Never mind!”
Before Marien could say anything, Selene spun around and darted toward her room.
Marien heard the door shut.
On the other side, Selene flopped onto her bed, face buried in her pillow.
She didn’t know how long she lay there. Her thoughts kept circling back to the image of Alice and Isaac kissing. The way their bodies pressed together. The tension between them.
She rolled over, stared at the ceiling.
Her face wouldn’t stop burning.
She kicked the blanket over herself, then buried her head deeper into the pillow.
“…It looked kind of nice,” she mumbled, barely audible.
From the hallway, Marien could only sigh.
The only thing good out the day had been the fact that Selene was still not aware of her own feelings.
As long as it remained that way, everything would be fine.