A night passed, and a new day dawned. In the early morning, the chirping of birds outside brought life back to the once silent earth. A ray of morning light shone through the window, and Sora's eyes twitched slightly.
"Awake again…"
Opening his eyes, a strange light flickered in his deep, night-like pupils as Sora murmured to himself.
With his current power and mastery over the authority of Verethragna, he could have revived within an hour at most. But last night, he had stayed in the Netherworld to chat with Pandora, which delayed his revival.
Well, "chatting" was really just them bickering the whole time.
Although Pandora, the matriarch of women, had existed for millions of years, she mostly stayed alone in the Netherworld. When it came to verbal sparring, even ten Pandoras combined couldn't match Sora. The result was predictable: poor Pandora was completely overwhelmed and bullied by Sora, ending with him feeling a bit guilty and finally letting her off.
Thinking back to when he left, Pandora's face full of grievance and sorrow as she said, "You promised not to bully me," still made Sora want to laugh.
Because he had just revived, his body was still a bit stiff, so Sora didn't get up immediately. Tilting his head, his gaze fell on Lilliana, who was sleeping by the edge of the bed. A sly smile curved his lips.
She was covered with a blanket, one hand still holding his, her neat and cute face marked by two large dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, the young girl had stayed up late last night and had only just fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Even in sleep, her delicate brows were furrowed, her expression weary. The lingering worry and guilt on her face were still visible. Sora felt a bit ashamed—if he had revived earlier, she wouldn't have been so worried.
Well, never mind. He would make it up to her properly in the future!
The smile on Sora's face grew wider as he began to plot mischievously…
…
"Mm…"
At that moment, Lilliana, lying by the bed, let out a soft murmur. Her brows twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.
Worried about Sora, Lilliana hadn't slept deeply, only resting briefly. The birdsong outside had awakened her.
Her first thought upon waking was to check on Sora. When she looked up and saw his smiling face staring at her, she froze.
"Good morning, Lilliana. Sorry to have worried you!"
Waving at her sincerely, Sora greeted her.
"Lord Kusanagi…"
"Ugh… thank goodness! You really revived…"
Almost unable to believe it, the girl's face filled with overwhelming joy. She rushed over and hugged Sora, crying softly.
She was a strong knight who rarely shed tears, but last night she had been truly worried. Although Athena and Perseus had told her about Sora's power to resurrect, without seeing it herself, she couldn't calm her heart.
More than once, she had wondered what she would do if Sora didn't revive. If that had happened, she might never forgive herself…
Watching the girl cry openly, Sora didn't try to comfort her with words. Instead, he smiled gently and stroked her back, letting her release all the pent-up negative emotions.
Seeing the girl up close for the first time, Sora couldn't help but nod in approval. Her fairy-like, delicate face was both adorable and dignified. If Erica was queenly and elegant, then Lilliana was pure and beautiful like an elf!
Her appearance and aura were nearly flawless. If he had to find a flaw, it would be that her bust was a bit small.
But to Sora, that was no problem at all. He might lack other talents, but when it came to enhancing his women's figures, he was an expert! Like Benitsubasa from the Sekirei World and Mine from the Akame Ga Kill! World—both had been personally helped by Sora to escape the ranks of the flat-chested!
"Feeling better?"
Seeing the girl calm down, Sora smiled and asked.
"Mm…"
Blushing, Lilliana answered softly.
Now calm, she felt shy thinking about her bold actions earlier and instinctively tried to pull away from Sora.
If Sora's memories were still sealed, even if he was reluctant, he wouldn't have made a move. Though Erica and Zola were bold and mischievous, they were his women, so he was more relaxed. But with others, he was usually more reserved.
However, now that Sora's memories had returned, would he let Lilliana just slip away? Obviously not!
With a startled cry, Lilliana was suddenly pulled back into Sora's embrace. He flipped her over and pinned her beneath him.
"Lord Kusanagi, you… you…"
Stunned by the sudden change, Lilliana's face flushed deeply, and she looked helpless.
"Lilliana, you are a beautiful and capable knight, and I like you very much!"
"So…"
With a mischievous smile, Sora didn't hesitate and kissed the girl's soft cherry lips.
"Ugh…"
Lilliana felt her mind explode into a blank. She had just been confessed to… and kissed!!!
The pure girl had long decided that her first kiss must be with the one who was her other half in life. But now, it had been taken from her so easily!
Her body instinctively wanted to resist, but then she thought of something and stopped.
Perhaps, as Karen said, he was her destined one. If that was true…
The moment this idea was born, it could no longer be stopped. Liliana had completely given up resisting and allowed Sora to do as he pleased. Her expression grew increasingly intoxicated, and instinctively, she began to cooperate slowly.
While the two were enacting this beautiful scene in the room, the door on one side quietly opened a crack. A pair of cyan eyes stared unblinking at Sora and Liliana, and faintly, the slight upward curve resembling a little fox's smile could be seen…
…
No one knew how much time had passed. It was only when Liliana was almost out of breath that Sora finally let her go, leaving a silver thread connecting the corners of their mouths, wearing a face full of savoring expression.
After breathing in some fresh air, Liliana gradually came to her senses. Thinking about what had just happened between them, she felt deeply embarrassed.
"Ah!!!"
With a scream, the girl quickly pulled herself away and took a few steps back.
"Lord Kusanagi, we… we…"
Standing there helplessly, pure Liliana had no idea how to handle this situation. If there had been a crack in the ground, she would have dived into it without hesitation!
So embarrassing, truly so embarrassing!
"Liliana Kranjcar!"
Looking at the girl like this, Sora's lips curved slightly into a smile, then suddenly shouted Liliana's name loudly.
"Ah… yes, Lord Kusanagi!"
Snapping back to reality, Liliana quickly straightened up. Although she looked directly at Sora, her eyes were still full of endless shyness, constantly avoiding his gaze.
Seeing the girl's endless nervousness and anxiety, Sora spoke again:
"Now, I have two questions for you. You must answer them seriously and sincerely!"
With a serious expression, Sora said to Liliana.
"Lord Kusanagi, please speak. Liliana will answer without reservation."
Slightly stunned, not knowing what Sora suddenly intended, the girl still breathed a slight sigh of relief, no longer as embarrassed as before.
"Heh… that's good!"
"Then, my first question—"
A mischievous smile appeared on his face. Seeing the girl listening so seriously, Sora found it amusing.
"Liliana Kranjcar, I like you very much. I hope you can become my knight!"
"Tell me your answer: willing or not willing?"
Her pupils contracted slightly, eyes wide open. Liliana never expected Sora to suddenly ask such a question. Although surprised, when she heard Sora say he liked her, the girl couldn't help but feel a burst of joy.
Liliana did not answer immediately. She was a knight, and choosing the lord to whom she swore loyalty was a lifelong matter that could not be taken lightly. Like last time with Marquis Voban, it was only because of the association and her grandfather's orders, not her own will.
Sora was not in a hurry either, patiently waiting quietly.
This guy was quite wicked in his heart. Whether Liliana agreed or not, he had no intention of letting her off easily. If Liliana agreed directly, that would be good. If not…
Hehehe, then he would just have to train her first!
Time passed second by second. Liliana kept weighing her options in her heart. Her previously confused eyes gradually cleared.
Sora knew the girl had made her decision!
"Phew…"
Taking a deep breath, a flash of determination appeared in Liliana's eyes. She stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Sora, and placed her right hand on her chest—
"I, Liliana Kranjcar, hereby swear that from this day forward, I will become my lord's sword and shield. Whether in sorrow or pain, I will live and die with you, never abandoning or forsaking!"
Her voice was clear and loud, without any falsehood or perfunctoriness, only endless sincerity and resolve!
"Heh… then, now for the second question—"
Grinning, Sora stood up and lifted the girl's chin.
"Liliana Kranjcar, are you willing to become my lover? Just like Erica, not only a loyal knight to me but also a woman who loves me?"
"Although no matter what your answer is, I will possess you arrogantly, I want to hear your answer, your own answer."
With a mischievous smile, almost pressing his face against hers, Sora's voice was full of dominance and charm.
Her heart suddenly trembled. For the girl, this question was even more impactful than the previous one.
Moreover, from his gaze, Liliana could tell Sora was not lying at all!
"I… I am willing…"
This time, the girl did not hesitate. Blushing, she softly replied.
She had already thought about this question before, so there was no more confusion. Although extremely shy, after saying it, Liliana felt a wave of relief, as if a long-held breath was finally released.
"Then, I won't be polite!"
A strange light flashed in Sora's eyes. He knew from now on, this girl was his! Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her cherry lips again…