Hearing Rosaria ask so bluntly, Nolan didn't deny it.
He nodded and said:
"Indeed, I won't deny that I like you quite a lot. If possible, I hope we can develop further."
"Mm. Not surprising. You've set your eyes on plenty of women already."
Rosaria leaned back on the sofa, gaze fixed on the ceiling, as if contemplating something.
She had never considered romance—it always sounded boring and a waste of time.
But since Nolan said it directly, refusing felt a bit unreasonable… especially after he gifted her so many rare and precious skills.
Rosaria also knew she did have a good amount of affection toward him.
Even if she hadn't thought about romance before, if the person was Nolan… she didn't really mind.
At worst, it just meant they'd see each other more often, maybe live together.
It wouldn't change her daily life all that much.
"…Fine. As long as you don't mind that I'm usually quite dull, I can agree."
Rosaria said it with her usual calm expression.
Most people would be excited or nervous when agreeing to date someone.
But her personality simply didn't rise or fall over such things—she met everything with the same cold indifference.
"Oh, really?!"
Nolan couldn't help showing his excitement.
Aside from the affection-grinding, her cold, melancholic aura struck him deeply—she had a kind of icy allure, and her pale skin held an unusual beauty.
"I don't repeat myself."
Rosaria sighed lightly, shooting him a flat glance.
[Rosaria Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 520 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (720/900).]
Seeing the prompt pop up again, Nolan felt a surge of joy.
Rosaria was the type who was cold on the outside and warm on the inside—she didn't show emotions through words or expressions.
Her sincerity was found only in her heart and her actions.
"Since that's the case… we're lovers now. Can I hug you?"
Feeling happy, Nolan wanted to do something intimate, but to avoid startling her, he asked for permission properly.
"As expected of a flirty, skirt-chasing man. You just got my answer and already want to touch me."
Rosaria's tone stayed as flat as ever. "Do as you like. If you want to hug me, then hug."
Though she teased him, she still gave her consent.
After all, hugging between lovers wasn't unusual.
"Rosaria, you're the best!"
Nolan scooted closer, wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned his face against her pale cheek.
Feeling the warmth pressed against her skin, Rosaria froze for a moment, then pushed his head away, displeased:
"I never said you could put your face against mine."
"This is a necessary step for enhancing your strength. The wider the contact area, the more efficient the energy transfer."
Nolan explained with a smile.
He wasn't lying—though he conveniently left out that with the "Beloved by Maidens" energy-transfer trait, he could strengthen girls remotely without touching at all.
Except during "training," he usually used that method—he couldn't split into clones and hug every girl at once, after all.
Realizing that her elemental power, physical strength, and mental clarity were steadily rising, Rosaria just let out a soft "hmph" and said nothing more.
About ten minutes later, with the soft body of the girl in his arms and her faint, unique scent brushing against him, Nolan couldn't help wanting to take the "training" further.
He looked at Rosaria—eyes closed, quietly feeling the changes in her body as she rested—and gently said:
"…Can I kiss you?"
Rosaria opened her eyes, revealing wine-red irises as calm as a still glass of wine.
She thought for a moment, then parted her soft lips and answered:
"…Do as you like."
Receiving affirming permission, Nolan leaned closer, slowly bringing his lips to hers, his eyes meeting hers.
She blinked once, then looked away.
Nolan didn't hesitate—he softly kissed her lips.
At first they were cold, but soon turned warm.
"…Mm!"
Rosaria instinctively wrapped her arms around him.
Having no experience, she could only let him lead everything.
His palm supported and caressed her back, brushing against the pale skin and elegant lines of her shoulder blades.
Her wine-red eyes widened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but because her lips were captured, she couldn't speak—so she simply fell silent and accepted it.
More minutes passed. Rosaria accidentally bit him several times, and after the kiss dragged on, her breathing grew unsteady.
She tapped his back, signaling him to stop.
But he seemed oblivious, even pulling her down with him as he lay back, making her press onto his body as the kiss continued.
Her chest was squeezed between them, making breathing even harder.
Looking at Nolan, utterly absorbed in the kiss, Rosaria grew faintly annoyed—and this time bit him hard.
"—!"
Feeling the sting, Nolan snapped back to reality and gave an embarrassed expression.
Seeing that, Rosaria finally released him.
"Sorry… got a little too into it."
He waited for her to catch her breath, then leaned forward again, wanting another kiss.
"That's enough. I worked all night—I'm exhausted. I want to rest."
Rosaria avoided his lips, trying to get up—but his arm was still around her waist, so she failed and had to speak helplessly.
"Right, then I'll carry you to your room."
Nolan slipped an arm under her legs wrapped in fishnet tights, lifted her bridal-style, and walked toward the bedroom.
"Hey, I can walk myself…" Rosaria said helplessly.
But since he was already carrying her, and there were no outsiders to see her in such an embarrassing state, she simply let him.
They entered the bedroom—a simple setup: a bed, a wardrobe, and a dressing table, nothing else of note.
Nolan laid Rosaria onto the bed.
Then, leaning down, he pressed her gently beneath him and kissed her again, while his hands roamed toward her hips.
"Y-You—mm!"
Rosaria tried to speak but her lips were already taken.
She tried biting him again like before—but this time he simply remained still and didn't move away.
Meanwhile, his right hand kneaded her hip, occasionally sliding to her lower abdomen and the inside of her thigh, brushing and caressing lightly.
Her body trembled lightly as if jolted by electricity, and on her pale face, a rare flush appeared.
Her knees curled up instinctively. The black high-heeled ankle boots pressed into the sheets, and her legs clamped around Nolan's waist—she wanted to push him away, but it only made him cling even closer.
"Let's stop here for today. I still have work tonight."
Rosaria's voice echoed in his mind.
Nolan replied with a faintly amused tone:
"It's fine. The enhancement effect will be even better next. After we finish, you just need a few hours of rest to feel fully refreshed."
Just as Rosaria was wondering what he meant, she suddenly heard the sound of her black fishnet tights being torn. Her similarly black lace shorts were pulled aside slightly.
"…Mm!"
Rosaria's wine-red eyes opened slightly in surprise.
At the same moment, Nolan saw a new prompt pop up on his panel:
[Rosaria Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 600 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.10 (MAX).]
Once their bodies pressed together, he instantly gained over six hundred affection, bringing her affection level to maximum with ease!
Holding Rosaria's waist, Nolan looked at the second prompt:
[Through sincere devotion and persistent effort, your fates—originally without intersection—have now become deeply intertwined. Henceforth, the maiden's star of destiny shall shine alongside yours. You have obtained the ability: Sin-Devouring Nun.]
As expected, after reaching max affection, he gained another affection skill.
The name Sin-Devouring Nun made him curious, so he opened it:
[Sin-Devouring Nun: Summon a Thorned Crown to float above your side, projecting a Thorned Domain with a radius equal to "the sum of both users' levels" in kilometers. All guilty individuals within the domain will be judged by the ice lance Final Rite of Annihilation, suffering massive Cryo damage with a chance of instant death. The heavier the guilt, the higher the probability.
Maximum instant-death rate = 0.1 × (sum of both users' levels).]
A domain that judges all guilty beings within range… dealing massive damage and granting a chance of instant death?!
Nolan stared in astonishment at the skill effect.
Instant death was a terrifying effect.
Rosaria's original level was seventy-one; with his Harmonization enhancement she had risen to seventy-five.
His level was one hundred twenty-four.
Together, that made one hundred ninety-nine levels.
Meaning the Thorned Crown could project a 199-kilometer-radius domain.
Within that domain, any guilty being struck by the falling ice lances would have a maximum instant-death chance of:
0.1 × 199 = 19.9%.
Nearly twenty percent—extremely high.
If the target had bad luck, one or two hits could kill them outright.
Of course, only if their guilt was extremely severe.
As for how guilt was measured, the feedback from the affection skill stated:
Any being who, through conscious direct or indirect action, had caused the death of innocent intelligent life—whether to the universe, to the world, to civilization, or to a specific race—would be classified as guilty.
"Innocent intelligent life" referred to beings who themselves had never intentionally caused such harm.
Other crimes like robbery, theft, or deliberate severe injury were also considered guilt, though lighter than killing.
According to the skill's feedback:
Causing the death of one innocent life gives 1/10,000 of the maximum instant-death rate.
Meaning that anyone who had killed ten thousand or more innocents would reach the full 19.9% instant-death chance.
And as their levels increased, the maximum probability would also rise.
At the current stage, killing one innocent life only gave about 0.00199% instant-death chance—far too low.
Against lightly guilty beings, the effect wasn't very impactful.
But against monstrous beings like the Lord Ravagers, this would be extremely effective—they must have killed far more than ten thousand lives.
With close to twenty percent instant-death probability, a few hits would likely trigger it.
Meaning Nolan effectively gained the power to nearly one-shot the Lord Ravagers.
…If the lance actually hit.
The ice lances fell from the domain's sky. They were fast, but strong enemies could dodge easily, or block with shields.
So it wasn't as simple as "press button to kill."
Still, with unlimited ice lances as long as he had energy, the domain became a deadly battlefield heavily in his favor.
Overall, it was a powerful but not absurdly broken affection skill.
—
Over an hour later, Rosaria looked at her torn black fishnet tights, glaring at Nolan with clear dissatisfaction.
This damn bastard… he didn't let her rest at all.
She pulled the blanket over herself and turned away from him, closing her eyes.
But the lingering heat in her body made it impossible to fall asleep.
"Move in with me from now on. How about we live together?"
Nolan hugged her from behind, extending a cohabitation invitation.
"…Do whatever you want."
Rosaria answered casually while waiting for her body to cool down.
She had already agreed to be his lover, and they had done all kinds of intimate things.
Living together wasn't much different.
She had mentally prepared for this the moment she agreed to be his lover.
"Hehe, great! Let's rest a bit, then we'll start moving your things. We can't delay your night patrol."
Nolan said happily.
Another girl would now be living in his Wonderland—making training far more convenient.
"Suit yourself."
Rosaria slapped away the wandering hand that was trying to touch her again. "On the condition that you don't touch me right now."
She was already tired.
If he kept groping her, she would never get any rest.
"Ahem… sorry. I'll just hold you. I won't do anything else."
Hearing her tone, Nolan obediently controlled his hands.
Time passed slowly, and the two eventually drifted to sleep.
They woke around two or three in the afternoon, after which Nolan cuddled with Rosaria a little more.
This time, however, she was the one on top of him.
After half an hour, they went to the bathroom together and took a shower.
Then, Nolan opened the "door" to the Wonderland, and together they packed Rosaria's clothes and belongings, moving them into her new room inside the space.
(End of Chapter)
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