"Ngh," eyes opened as they noticed the ceiling above them and the black-haired young woman above them.
As his vision became clear, Ace's eyes locked onto Emilia's, a silent yet mellow tension forming between them for a moment.
"Hi, Ace," Emilia broke the silence first.
Though it didn't show on his face, it was evident that Ace hesitated for a moment.
"H-hi… Emi."
As she heard those words, something came over Emilia, making her freeze for a moment. Something that she couldn't hold back anymore. Something she couldn't control. Something… unexpected.
Ace's eyes were wide as what unfolded next was an outcome he didn't understand. Emilia's figure leaning in and the soft, warm sensation on his lips as the black-haired girl kissed him.
'Eh? What's… going on?' Ace's eyes were wide with confusion as the sensation on his lips lingered in his mind.
As the kiss finally broke, Emilia slowly lifted herself up, Ace following suit as they both finally sat on the bed.
Seemingly having regained a clear state of mind, Ace's voice broke the silence.
"E-Emi…?"
As if having finally been brought back to reality, Emilia's body tensed up.
"Wha—?"
"Sorry," Emilia interrupted Ace immediately, her feet leaving the bed to touch the ground. "I'm sorry."
As Ace's eyes widened slightly from confusion at Emilia's sudden apology, the young man found himself unconsciously reaching out to the girl that was about to leave his side. "Wai—"
'Huh?' his hand froze up before reaching Emilia's wrist, who was already moving towards the door, opening it up as the only words that left her mouth were simply: "I'm so sorry, Ace."
The door closed, leaving Ace alone in the room with his own thoughts.
'Wait? For what? Why?' he pressed his right fist against his forehead, pinning his seating body in place with his other hand. 'What was I going to say to her?'
The light from the moon passed through the window curtains as Ace's gaze drifted in that direction.
He stood up from the bed and walked towards the window, opening the curtains as his eyes stayed fixed on the waned moon high in the sky.
As his head lowered, his bangs covered his eyes that were now fixed on the ground.
'Don't be a hypocrite.'
His right hand rose to his face, clutching it.
With a sigh…
'Seriously, why did I even come back? Why did I even make that choice?'
The scene and the words he muttered previously echoed in his mind.
I'll just… take all of it.
His left eye poked from the gap in his fingers, its gaze now locked on the view outside the window, the sight of the moon reflecting itself in it.
His hand dropped, his eyes looking at the reflection of himself as a very recent scene replayed in his mind.
"What was that all about?" he muttered, the kiss he and Emilia had shared reappearing in his mind, completely unaware that Emilia hadn't left the door of his room as she also grappled with her own thoughts.
'Why did I do it?' she questioned herself, the scene replaying in her mind as her back that leaned against the door, slowly slid down until she sat down on the ground. 'I'm horrible.'
She stared blankly in front of her, her recent adventure and discoveries coming back to her and flashing before her.
'Did I…? Do I…?' the questions stayed hung silently within her as she rose up and walked away from the room.
---
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Approximately at the same evening time, within a certain luxurious apartment complex, with a 'DING!' a black-haired man with a long black coat and red scarf around his neck walked out of an elevator, heading towards a door tagged with an 10H plate.
He pulled out his keys and used one of them to open the door. As it opened up, he was greeted with the sight of scattered clothes that went layer by layer from the entrance onwards.
"Haaa…" he sighed deeply as he walked further inside, his ears catching a particular sound.
A wide panoramic view of city lights and skyscrapers that appealed to one's eyes, well-maintained furniture decorated the place, and a personal bar that was located in a small corner of the room featured within the living room of what seemed to be a penthouse apartment.
As he removed his coat, scarf, tailored blazer and his tie, the black-haired man placed them neatly on the bar table.
He then glanced at the seemingly feminine silhouette that moaned with pleasure on the couch, the arching body glistening with sweat amidst the darkness of the place that was only dimly lit by the outside light.
"Oh," unsettling purple eyes noticed the red-eyed man who had unbuttoned only the top button of his white shirt.
"Don't mind me," the black-haired, red-eyed man expressed himself as he folded his sleeves and poured himself a glass of wine.
"Apologies. I'll put an end to this right now," a pointy tail appeared behind the silhouette before shooting below them, a groan of agony and pain followed by a burst of blood.
"Mmm…" another moan came out from the figure that shivered and twitched with pleasure, licking their own lips as if they had tasted a sweet nectar. "Ah! Haah… Haaah… Simply fantastic."
With a sigh, the man flipped the light switch, his gaze then resting upon the flushed, intoxicated grin of the graceful figure with long black hair that immediately took a white bathrobe that did nothing to hide her medium-sized, voluptuous chest, and walked towards the bar.
"Mind pouring me one?" the enchanting face that was sprayed with blood offered a smile as they sat down at the bar.
"I see you've found yourself yet another prey, Lilith," the red eyes of the black-haired man gazed at their interlocutor with an amused expression.
"I apologize for sullying your home once again, Master," the purple-eyed beauty, Lilith, rested her head in her palm. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."
"No worries. I'm convinced you were simply too caught up in the moment to notice the time passing by, no?" the red-eyed man offered but a simple smile.
"Thank you for your indulgence," Lilith offered an immediate response with a bow.
"Sure. But still, be sure to clean up, all right?" the man poured a drink and then offered it.
"Of course," Lilith took the glass and sipped on it.
"So, this time it was a man," the man then sat down as the two shared the drink.
"Yes. A married man no less. Though… I suppose he will no longer have the opportunity to go behind his wife's back anymore."
"I see. Humans truly are strange," the red-eyed man took a sip on his own glass of wine. "On another matter, you should probably stop your escapades."
"Is that so?" Lilith had a mischievous, seductive smirk. "Does that mean you will make your move soon?"
"Yes," the man's unsettling red eyes gazed into his glass as he swirled his drink before gulping it all down. "It is only a matter of days now."