I Bet It Was Good

After a moment, Domina emerged from the room where her mother rested.

Her eyes immediately found Kilian, who was patiently waiting, seated on a well-worn, perhaps patched, sofa near the doorway.

As the soft creak of the door announced her presence, their gazes met across the small, worn room.

Kilian offered her a warm, easy smile as she approached.

"Your mother is a lot of fun to talk with," he said, his smile widening.

"You probably don't have a boring day with her, do you?"

Domina didn't answer immediately, nor did she sit beside him.

Instead, she lowered her head, her soft hair, falling forward, obscuring her expression.

Her voice, when it came, was soft and tinged with profound emotion.

"Thank you so much for all you've done today."

Her hands, clasped tightly together, trembled slightly.

"This is probably the best day that could have happened to us... to me."

Her face remained unreadable in the dim light, hidden by her bowed head.

Kilian stood up from the chair, gently approaching her.

He reached out and took her trembling, clasped hands in his.

His touch was firm yet gentle, conveying a quiet sincerity.

"I only did what I wanted to do, Domina," he said, his voice soft and reassuring.

"You don't have to thank me."

Domina finally looked up, her golden eyes, now glistening, meeting his.

"I don't even know what would have happened in a few days if you didn't show up in our lives," she murmured, her voice thick with barely suppressed emotion.

"If you didn't save my mom, my brother and sister, and me..."

As the words spilled out, the dam broke.

Tears, slow and glistening, began to trace paths down her cheeks.

Kilian saw the welling tears, the silent distress, and without a moment's hesitation, he gently released her hands, reaching to cup the back of her head and pull her softly towards him, drawing her face against his chest.

Kilian saw the welling tears, the silent distress, and without a moment's hesitation, he gently released her hands, reaching to cup the back of her head and pull her softly towards him, drawing her face against his shoulder and chest.

He then hugged her, his one hand gently stroking her back in slow, comforting circles, while his other hand moved through her mostly white and black hair, his fingers softly sliding and petting her head in a soothing gesture.

"It must have been so tough trying to save your family alone," he murmured, his voice low and empathetic against her hair.

"I'm sorry I was not able to meet you earlier, Domina."

He slowly sat down on the well-worn sofa, still holding Domina closely in his arms.

A profound silence settled over the room, so complete it felt as if they were the only two people left in the entire world.

After a moment, he noticed the subtle change in her breathing, the relaxing of her posture against him.

Domina seemed to have fallen asleep in his arms.

Kilian didn't let go. He simply held her, cradling her gently for a while.

"It must have been tough and tiring for her," he thought, his gaze softening as he looked down at her sleeping face.

"Maybe I'll just let her sleep for a while."

He continued to look at her, a quiet wonder in his eyes.

"Wow, so this is how a cat girl looks like in real life," he mused. "They are indeed cute and beautiful."

"Nothing of her illustration in the game even surpassed her face right now."

He realized that he might have never seen Domina in the game with such a sleeping or truly relaxed face.

"Look at her," he admired. "It's like all the immense loads on her shoulders just disappeared."

"She just looks like an innocent cute girl with cat ears."

Then after a minute of looking at her sleeping face, Kilian fell asleep too, his breathing deepening as he drifted into a light sleep, still holding Domina securely in his embrace.

---

After a while, the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long, fading shadows through the small window.

Domina then stirred, slowly opening her golden eyes.

Disoriented, she didn't immediately register her surroundings.

She closed her eyes again, instinctively hugging tighter what she initially thought was a particularly comfortable pillow.

But then, her heightened feline sense of smell kicked in.

She recognized the unique scent of the man who had helped her so much today, a scent she had instinctively committed to memory from their hours spent together.

The realization hit her, she smelled him far too close for comfort.

Her eyes snapped open, wide with sudden comprehension.

She found herself pressed against his chest, her arms wrapped around his torso, while his arm was slung around her, holding her tightly against him.

A furious blush erupted across her face, spreading rapidly from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She felt as though steam might literally be rising from her head.

She involuntarily became fidgety, squirming slightly in his arms, a wave of intense nervousness washing over her.

Feeling these sudden, restless movements, Kilian woke from his light sleep.

He opened his eyes to see Domina's face, a fiery crimson, staring at him in mortification.

A playful glint entered his eyes, and a slow smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, beautiful," he teased, his voice still a little husky from sleep.

"How was your sleep?"

Domina didn't answer, her hair still slightly disheveled from sleep, her eyes wide and fixed on him.

She seemed momentarily speechless, processing the situation of waking up in his arms.

Kilian, seeing her dazed, almost startled expression, offered a small, understanding smile.

"Ah... she just looks like a surprised kitten being cradled in my arms right now." Kilian thought.

"I bet it was good sleep, you looked quite peaceful," then he remarked gently, his voice soft.

He then carefully shifted, helping her to sit upright on the sofa cushions as he rose to his feet.

He walked over to the window, gazing out at the deepening twilight.

"It looks like it's already late," he said, his voice thoughtful.

"I will have to leave for the day now."

He turned back to face her, his expression serious, the earlier lightness replaced by quiet resolve.

"Please think of what I said earlier. I would really appreciate it if you come and live in the castle with your family."

"I truly believe it would offer you all the stability and safety you deserve."

He took a step closer, his gaze earnest.

He leaned in and stroke her hair, trying to fix it, touching her ear in the process and said, "Stay safe, Domina."

His voice softened, conveying genuine care and concern for her well-being.

"I hope to see you soon."

With that, he turned and, with a quiet click, opened and closed the door behind him.

Leaving Domina sitting alone on the sofa, bathed in the fading light of the room.

Her thoughts swirling with the day's events and the young master's extraordinary offer.

The grand halls of the Noxhaven royal castle were bathed in the soft glow of evening light as Kilian finally stepped through the massive main doors.

The familiar clatter of armored guards and distant murmurs of court life filled the air, but one sound immediately caught his attention, it's the sharp, inquisitive tone of his sister, Vivienne.

He spotted her quickly, standing in one of the less frequented corridors, her regal posture undeniable even from a distance.

Facing her was Elara, who looked a bit overwhelmed, her ears slightly flattened, as Vivienne's questions rained down upon her.

It looked like a full-blown interrogation.

"Is she trying to find out what I did today?" Kilian thought, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Is she trying to make Elara spill my evil misdoings?" His amusement grew.

"Well, Vivi, unfortunately for you, she's loyal to me now. She won't do anything to betray me the same day she swore to me."

He began to approach them, his footsteps silent on the polished stone.

Vivienne, with her sharp senses, was the first to notice him.

Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowing as she instantly abandoned her interrogation of Elara.

She pointed a firm finger at him, her voice cutting through the evening air, even from a meter away.

"Where did you go this morning?" she demanded, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Why did you order your maid to leave you and come back alone? Why did you decide to come home this late? Answer me, Kilian, what are you scheming?!"

***

/I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If its alright, please drop a comment or a powerstone to help me keep making this world bigger!