Dante turned slightly, his gaze drifting toward his right.
"It's rude to stare, you know."
Vexion immediately blushed. She had been caught again. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips as she continued looking at him anyway.
He had changed.
His once-boyish frame had broadened into that of a young man. His lean, well-trained physique carried quiet strength beneath smooth skin that shimmered faintly after training. His short white hair had grown and been cut just enough to fall naturally over his forehead, reaching his neckline at the back, while those familiar deep blue eyes remained as unreadable as ever. His expression was still calm, almost indifferent, yet somehow that only made him more attractive.
At some point...
The little boy who had rescued her had disappeared.
In his place stood a man.
He was now taller than her by nearly half a head. Once she had looked directly into his eyes without effort. Now she found herself looking slightly upward whenever they spoke.
Eighteen years and one month.
Her master had officially become an adult. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.
Vexion had always admired strength. True strength. The kind that allowed someone to decide another's life or death without relying on morality, justice, or public opinion. Dante embodied everything she respected. Calm. Calculating. Absolutely free.
Yet whenever she stood alone with him...
That fearless woman vanished. She became painfully aware of herself.
The older he became, the more breathtakingly handsome he grew. It wasn't just her imagination either. Lady Aurora had quietly turned away countless noble families who wished to introduce their daughters to him. Noble ladies requested audiences he never accepted. Even maids who had watched him grow from childhood had begun looking at him differently.
Even Lexa had noticed. Knowing other women desired him should not have bothered her. Yet it did. She had expected him to become handsome one day.
She had never expected this.
When she stood beside him during missions, while training his future subordinates or discussing strategy, she remained composed.
But whenever they were alone...
She noticed his eyes. The way they lingered. The way he looked at her—not as a subordinate...But as a woman.
He never crossed the line. He simply looked. That alone was enough to leave her heart racing for the rest of the day.
Fear accompanied by nervousness. compounded with excitement, then bloomed into submission. All tangled together into emotions she could barely understand.
Somewhere along the way...He had stopped feeling like only her lord. Without realizing it, even her own heart had begun calling him something different.
Master. Not because he commanded her but because she wanted him to. Vexion smiled faintly as Dante tilted his head, quietly studying the outfit she had chosen.
Unlike her previous uniforms, this one was...Questionable.
At least in Dante's opinion.
A white dress wrapped around her figure tightly yet losely so, while a crimson leather belt hugged her waist. A noble robe rested over her shoulders more like a cloak than proper clothing. The dress exposed her shoulders, emphasized her collarbone and cleavage, and revealed the elegant curves along her sides. Even the sides of her breasts
Most concerning... The fabric split high along both thighs. It covered everything important. Yet somehow still revealed almost everything else. Dante slowly walked toward her. Then circled behind her.
Vexion froze. Her heartbeat immediately accelerated. "M-Master..."
He wrapped both arms around her waist and gently pulled her back against his chest. Every thought disappeared. She could feel the warmth of his body.
The firm hands that had wielded swords, spears and countless weapons rested carefully against her waist instead of gripping them with strength.
One hand slowly traced the exposed skin along the side of her thighs.
Vexion let out a tiny yelp.
She was in paradise.
She had dreamed about moments like this countless times. She had simply never prepared herself for what it would actually feel like. Thankfully... Dante's familiar, relaxed voice broke through her daze.
"Why this outfit?" She stiffened. This outfit... She had chosen it entirely for him. She wanted his eyes to find her. During missions. At home or inside the academy.
Whenever he looked around...She wanted him to notice her first and most importantly constantly desire her. She knew her desire was borderline obsession...
Had she gone too far? Did he dislike it? Almost as if reading every thought crossing her mind, Dante chuckled softly. His fingers continued tracing absent-minded circles against her side, making her flinch again.
"I like it." His answer instantly eased the tension in her chest.
"It's cool."
Saying this Vexion flushed even redder as she felt something poke her ass , something hard enough to take its place between her ass cheeks…
She knew what is was, yet Vexion's mind just froze her own flower responding in kind. 'Master is indeed strong and powerful in everything'
She was pulled back to reality as
Then his expression flattened. "But...You know you're mine, right?" Vexion's entire face flushed crimson. She slowly looked back at him. "Of course, Master."
Dante sighed.
"Then why are you wearing something that could end up exposing everything that's supposed to be for my eyes?" His tone remained completely calm. "It annoys me just imagining someone seeing your ass... or worse." Vexion couldn't help laughing quietly.
She placed both hands over his where they rested around her waist.
"I already thought about that. I knew Master would worry about something like this." She smiled proudly. "The outfit is enchanted. Just like yours and Lady Lexa's. It won't move unless I intentionally remove it. No amount of wind, speed, or fighting will expose anything." She looked up at him with a faintly embarrassed smile.
"So...Only Master can move it." For a brief moment... Dante simply stared at her then the corner of his mouth lifted into a satisfied smile. "Good."
That single word...Was somehow enough to make Vexion happier than any compliment she had ever received. Because despite everything...Despite the affection growing between them...Despite the obvious attraction neither of them bothered denying...Nothing fundamental had changed. Dante was still Dante.
He wasn't suddenly softer He wasn't exactly consumed by romance. He wasn't the type to lose himself in love, he made it clear to her only a few times he had said it but the brutal way he trained her and Lexa was enough for to aways remember why she loved him.
Be useful. Everything else came once that one requirement was fulfilled. Dante regarded her as special or rather He simply acknowledged what belonged to him...And expected the world to do the same. Oddly enough...
That was exactly the man Vexion had fallen in love with.