And so, time stopped flowing.
The whole world seemed to freeze along with the young lady's heartfelt confession.
Reflected in her eyes was an aurora from beyond the world dazzling, dreamlike, like an exquisite yet fragile fantasy.
The young lady waited quietly, waited for a meteor, coming for her, to streak across this silent starry sky, bringing the reply she had longed for.
So, what was the answer?
Ray was somewhat dazed at this moment.
This confession if that's what it truly was, had come too suddenly. He didn't know how to respond at all.
'Why would the Second Young Miss suddenly say something like this to me?
Could it be... she really does like me?
Or was this some prank between her and Luno?
No, that couldn't be.
With the Second Young Miss's personality, she would never go along with such a frivolous joke.
So, after eliminating all impossibilities, the only answer left was clear,
The Second Young Miss was serious!'
The moment he clearly understood this, Ray's eyes widened slightly. The wave of drowsiness that had washed over him earlier vanished instantly.
Now, only two paths seemed to lie before him.
First: accept Carlotta's feelings, allowing this relationship, which began as a facade, to henceforth be endowed with true warmth and weight.
Only...
If he agreed, how would they get along in the future?
Second: reject Carlotta and be a sigma male.
Better just ignore this option altogether.
So it seemed there was only one choice left.
"I—"
The moment the first word left his mouth, a faint sound of footsteps came from the direction of the bedroom.
It was Luno. She was awake.
Carlotta reacted instantly. She bent down, gently resting her cheek against his chest. At the same time, she quickly pulled the covers over herself, leaving only a single rebellious strand of hair exposed. It swayed lightly with his somewhat irregular breathing.
Ray immediately fell silent, closing his eyes and feigning sleep.
Luno stumbled out of the bedroom, still clearly teetering on the edge of dreams. She didn't notice anything unusual about the sofa. Acting purely on instinct, she shuffled to the table, poured herself a glass of water, and then, still sleepwalking, wobbled back into the bedroom.
Only after a moment, when the sound of even breathing once again drifted from the bedroom, did both Carlotta and Ray, whose nerves had been stretched taut, unconsciously let out a synchronized sigh of relief.
Although...
Even if Luno had actually caught them, it wouldn't have been a big deal.
Just... the scene would have been a bit awkward.
"....Phew."
Carlotta finally emerged from under the covers, where she'd been stifling for a while. She greedily breathed in the fresh air, her hair slightly mussed against her flushed cheeks. She lifted her eyes and met Ray's gaze.
With Luno's interruption, the tender atmosphere that had been so carefully cultivated had already dissipated like a dream.
But Carlotta didn't mind.
All she had ever cared about was his answer.
The young lady had already mustered her courage and put it into action. So next...
it was her Cat's Eye's turn to give his response.
"..."
Silence stretched through the air.
"..."
What answered her was still silent stillness.
"..."
It was as if even time had frozen in this quiet.
Carlotta bit her lower lip lightly, her gaze gradually taking on a hint of reproach. "Are you... just going to stay silent forever?"
Ray turned his face away, somewhat embarrassed, his gaze drifting elsewhere. "It's just... Second Young Miss, this is really sudden. I... don't know how to respond."
"Look at me." Without waiting for a reply, Carlotta gently turned his face back, forcing him to meet her eyes. From her elevated position, she gazed deeply into his. "Answer me, have you never felt even a trace of special affection for me?"
"Uh..."
"Yes or no?"
How could he not have?
The Second Young Miss really was close to his ideal type of girlfriend.
Although Ray had many ideal types for example, a tsundere like Luno, a sweet girl like Phoebe, a busty matriarch- well, getting off track.
"...You idiot."
Carlotta lightly biting her teeth. Emotions churned in her eyes, finally resolving into a complex tenderness.
After a moment of silence, she seemed to have made up her mind.
In the brief pause before silence could spread again, she closed her eyes, summoned the greatest courage of her life, and leaned down.
Moonlight flowed like mercury, and silence draped this moment in a hazy veil.
And her shadow mingled with his.
The moment her lips met his, Ray felt his world come to a halt.
They were soft and warm, lingering just long enough to steal his breath. Her hands rose to cup his face, gentle yet unyielding, as she suck his lower lip.
For a heartbeat, Ray remained frozen.
Then his shoulders eased. His breath steadied. He closed his eyes and leaned into it, answering her at last. Their lips molded together, awkward and sincere, learning each other in that fragile span of closeness.
Their interwoven breath became a nocturne, like the first snow melting on a lake's surface, leaving only ripples spreading outward.
Though it was clearly just a fleeting moment of contact, it felt as if time had stretched it into an eternal mark.
"So, what is your answer?"
Moonlight veiled the young lady's flushed cheeks. She averted her gaze, but her tone carried an unwavering resolve.
No matter how assertively she acted, she was still a young woman experiencing these feelings for the first time.
After making such a bold move, the shyness that belonged to a maiden still surfaced.
"You've taken a young woman's purity. That means you've lost the right to refuse!" Her tone was unquestionable.
Ray clicked his tongue, smiling helplessly. "But... Second Young Miss, you were the one who initiated it."
"I don't care about that. You took my first kiss anyway." She mimicked Luno's willful pout, giving a light hmph. "Besides—"
Her words paused. Her face crimson, she shifted down slightly, making their proximity even closer.
"You're not exactly being honest with me. It's already... pressing against me."
"I'll take the liberty of assuming that's your answer."
"But today's circumstances are a bit special."
She leaned down once more. Her soft lips touched his, light as a dragonfly skimming water.
As she rose gracefully and reached the bedroom door, she suddenly stopped and spoke softly to him.
"Once we're back in Ragunna..." She deliberately drew out the last words, letting them ripple through the night with a hint of promise. "...we'll continue what we left unfinished tonight."
The door closed softly, leaving only a wisp of fragrance and a dazed Ray to reminisce about this abruptly paused night under the moonlight.
"...Why did Anby bring back that stick it picked up earlier? So that's what was poking me."