The garden was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of twilight. Sona was still flustered from handing Riser the note when he suddenly leaned closer, his hand sliding behind her neck.
"Riser—" she began, but his lips silenced her, warm and insistent against the pale skin just beneath her ear.
She froze, eyes widening as his mouth lingered there… then heat bloomed across her skin, a tingling burn that made her knees weaken.
When he finally pulled back, his smirk was as wicked as his golden eyes.
"There," he said, brushing her hair aside to admire his handiwork. A vivid red mark stood proudly against her neck. "Now they'll know you're taken. My mark… on you."
"Y-You…!" Sona's voice cracked, her hands instinctively rising to cover the spot. Her entire face burned crimson. "Do you have no shame at all!?"
Riser chuckled, leaning back with infuriating ease. "Shame? No. Pride? Absolutely. You're mine, Sona Sitri. Best everyone knows it."
Her lips trembled as she tried to summon her usual cold composure, but it was shattered by the hammering of her heart. "You… incorrigible…"
Riser only leaned closer again, whispering into her ear, "Cute. You're too cute when you're flustered. If you keep acting like this, you'll make me fall even harder."
Sona's heart skipped. She quickly turned her head away, but she didn't push him back.
He stretched lazily, then grinned wider. "Speaking of which—it's about time you met my family, don't you think?"
That caught her off guard. "…What?"
"My family," Riser repeated. "Lord and Lady Phenex. My brothers and sisters. I've already canceled my engagement with Rias, but it'll be much easier to silence any lingering doubts if I present you as my fiancée to their faces." His eyes gleamed with confidence. "I can't wait to see their reactions."
Sona composed herself quickly, adjusting her glasses. "…You're reckless. Do you think your parents will just welcome me with open arms?"
Riser leaned in close again, lips brushing her ear. "My mother is a little strict, you know. What if she can't accept you?" His smirk turned into a teasing challenge. "Will you let me go?"
Sona's breath caught. Her instinct screamed to scold him, to lecture him about propriety. But instead, her lips moved on their own, softly but firmly:
"No. I won't."
Riser's grin widened into something brighter, something almost boyish. His hand caught hers, squeezing gently. "That's the answer I wanted."
For once, Sona didn't try to pull her hand away. Instead, she let him hold it, the warmth between them more terrifying than any battlefield.