"I must say, Kisaragi, your beauty cannot be compared to the moon," Selene said the moment she saw Rin.
Rin stood still for a heartbeat. Her simple yellow gown fell to her ankles, moving gently with the evening breeze. Her hair framed her face in soft waves, and the lamplight in the corridor warmed her skin. She looked almost fragile. Selene's eyes followed every movement, as if she were studying something rare.
Rin felt the weight of that gaze. It made her shoulders tense.
Selene stepped closer, slow and confident. She leaned in until Rin could feel her breath, close enough to steal a kiss. Rin's breath caught. Her heart jumped. She shut her eyes out of reflex, but the kiss never came. Selene stopped just before their lips touched.
When Rin opened her eyes, Selene was already stepping back.
"You are the one hosting tonight," Selene said, her voice light as she turned away. "So you should be the one to make the first move."
Rin blinked, confused and flustered. "Then why did you do that? If you were not going to kiss me… that was cruel." She tried to steady herself, forcing her mind to stop drifting. She came for answers, not for her heart to beat out of her chest.
Selene looked over her shoulder with a small smile. "So, where are you taking me, Kisaragi? I remember you wanted to show me why you think you do not deserve love."
Rin lowered her eyes. Her fingers curled at her sides. "Well… that was the plan," she said quietly. "But after what happened… I do not think a date should even happen."
Selene stopped walking. Her expression shifted to something colder. "Say that again and I will not mind killing your first kiss and taking the stone from her."
Rin's stomach twisted sharply. She took a step back without realizing it. "What? No. You do not have to kill her. There must be another way. Taking her life should not be the only option."
Selene's gaze became steady and unreadable. Rin knew this version of her too well. This was the queen everyone feared. The ice queen who killed without hesitation. The queen whose fingers once froze her heart until it stopped beating.
Rin swallowed. She felt her heartbeat in her throat. One wrong word and Selene might repeat the same cruelty.
"There is no other way," Selene said. "The vessel has to die for me to send the butterfly back where it belongs. The more time we waste, the stronger it grows. And once the butterfly gains full control…" She paused for a breath. "It becomes unstoppable."
Rin's voice dropped to a whisper. "Unstoppable?"
"Right now, the butterfly does not fully control your first kiss," Selene explained. "It clings to her, but it has not taken her completely. If it succeeds, chaos will follow. Not even I will be able to stop it."
Rin frowned. "Then why did you not kill her when you had the chance?" She remembered clearly. Selene stood in the main hall, blade raised. She could have ended Shion the moment she killed her.
Selene stepped closer now, slow and deliberate. Rin felt her presence before she felt her breath. A cold thrill ran across her skin when Selene leaned near her ear.
"Because you said I should not," Selene whispered. "Your words have power. Even a queen listens. Kisaragi, you truly are special."
Rin felt her cheeks warm. She looked away, unsure how to react. She did not understand what Selene meant, but her heart stumbled at the tone.
When she looked back, her eyes drifted to Selene's lips without meaning to. They moved slightly as Selene breathed, cool and soft. Selene noticed, of course she noticed, and a quiet victory filled her eyes.
"You know, Kisaragi," Selene said, "instead of staring, you could act on it."
"Huh?" Rin blinked quickly. Heat crawled up her neck.
"You want to kiss me, do you not?" Selene said calmly. "You are in charge, come on. Listen to what your heart wants, not what the voices in your head tell you."
Rin froze. She could not move or speak. She felt exposed. Her pulse beat loudly in her ears.
"What are you talking about? Voices?" she asked.
Selene tilted her head as if surprised Rin didn't remember. "You said it yesterday."
Rin tried to recall the night before, but everything was hazy and scattered, like someone wiped parts of her memory clean. "What? When did I say that?" she whispered.
Selene walked around her slowly, looking at her like someone admiring a painting. "When you were completely over me last night. You said you did not want the morning to come because of the voices in your head."
Rin felt dizzy. "What… what else did I say? What did we do?" She tried to piece it together. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted them.
Her face grew warm with embarrassment.
Selene's teasing smile became more obvious. She enjoyed this far too much. "Oh no, love," she said gently. "I will tell you when I wish to tell you. Not now. Tonight, you only need to host our date."
Selene reached out and brushed a strand of Rin's hair behind her ear. The touch was soft but cold. Rin shivered.
"Last night was the best night I have ever had," Selene continued. "I have lived many years. I have seen many things. But I have never had so much fun as I had with you. You are truly wild when you are yourself, Kisaragi."
Rin's breath caught. Her arms instantly came up to cover her chest as she stepped back. "You… perverted queen. You took advantage of my innocence."
"You can think whatever you want," Selene said, smiling like a demon that had just discovered a new toy. "But last night is my memory to keep and replay in my mind."
Rin's face turned red. Her thoughts tangled. She could not tell what scared her more now. The butterfly or Selene.
Selene watched her reaction, pleased. Her eyes were bright, almost glowing. She looked like someone who held a delicious secret.
The truth, which only Selene knew, was simple.
Nothing happened.
But letting Rin imagine otherwise was far too enjoyable for her to resist.