The next day, the Sitri estate was quiet when Riser Phenex arrived. He walked with his usual confidence through the polished marble halls, his golden eyes alight with mischief.
The butler bowed low and guided him toward the garden. Waiting there, beneath a winter-blooming tree, was Sona Sitri. She stood with her arms folded, her glasses catching the light, but the faint pink on her cheeks betrayed her composure.
"Good morning, Sona," Riser greeted smoothly, bowing with a flourish. "I hope you've recovered from your sister's… enthusiastic celebration."
Sona's lips twitched. "She has no sense of restraint."
Riser chuckled. "True, but she isn't wrong. You were magnificent yesterday. Standing with me before my family… it's a memory I'll never forget."
The compliment made her avert her eyes, but this time she didn't hide behind a cold remark. Instead, she motioned for him to sit with her at the stone bench in the garden.
For a while, they spoke quietly—about chess, about politics, about the Academy. Yet the air between them felt different. Lighter. Warmer.
Then, out of nowhere, Sona surprised him.
"Riser," she said softly, turning to face him directly. "I've been… unfair. You've been sincere with me, no matter how reckless or shameless your methods. I've only ever scolded you. Corrected you. Pushed you away." She drew in a breath, her hands tightening in her lap. "But the truth is… I don't dislike it. I don't dislike you."
For once, Riser was silent. His eyes widened slightly as her mask slipped further, her blush deepening.
"I don't know if I can say the words you say so easily," she admitted. "But… I can do this much."
And before he could reply, Sona leaned forward and pressed a quick, shy kiss to his cheek.
The world seemed to still.
Riser blinked. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face—warm and triumphant all at once. "Sona Sitri… did you just take the initiative to kiss me?"
Her face went crimson, and she quickly turned away, adjusting her glasses. "D-Don't misunderstand. It was only… a gesture. To show I acknowledge you. Nothing more."
He laughed softly, leaning closer so his lips brushed near her ear. "If that's how you 'acknowledge' me, then I look forward to when you start loving me openly. I'll be utterly ruined by you, my Sona."
Her heart skipped, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, a mixture of shyness and steel in her voice. "…Don't make me regret that kiss, Riser."
His hand gently found hers, squeezing firmly. "Never. I told you before—I'll only love you in this life, and I'll prove it as many times as it takes."
For the first time, Sona didn't pull her hand away. She let him hold it, her silence saying more than words ever could.