Her smile slowly faded, and her expression turned serious. Her sharp green eyes locked onto him, studying every detail of his face. Kael flinched under her gaze, feeling as though she could see right through him.
After a few long seconds, she finally chuckled, her voice low and smooth. "Interesting... it seems you really don't know who I am—or why I'm here."
Kael was about to respond, but then his eyes dropped for just a second—and instantly widened.
She was naked!!
A bright red blush spread across Kael's cheeks as he instantly averted his gaze. "S-Sorry!" he muttered.
The woman noticed, of course. Her lips curled into a sly, mischievous smile as she took a slow step closer, her tone dropping to a teasing whisper.
"My, my... such a polite little summoner," she said, clearly enjoying his flustered state.
The woman leaned in a little closer, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Do you like what you see?" she teased, slowly turning just enough to showcase more of her curves that Kael was so desperately trying not to stare at.
Kael's face turned an even deeper shade of red, his hands instinctively flying up to cover his eyes.
"S-Stop teasing me!" he stammered, voice cracking slightly, but it was obvious he couldn't help himself. His fingers parted ever so slightly and he took quick, guilty peeks, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
The woman caught him peeking and dramatically covered her chest with one arm and her lower body with the other.
"Pervert," she said with fake shame, though the grin never left her face. "Go bring this poor, helpless aunty something to wear before I catch a cold."
Kael groaned, half-embarrassed and half-flustered. "You're not even cold! You came out of a book glowing like the sun!"
She only winked. "Still, clothing is part of culture, isn't it? Or do you want to keep staring at your aunty's body?"
"Argh!" Kael turned around so fast he almost tripped. His entire face burned as he rushed to a nearby drawer, desperate for anything to distract him from the shameless goddess—or spirit, or whatever she was—standing behind him.
He opened the drawers and went through the contents. He found some of Lyra's old clothes—specifically a simple cream-colored gown with soft embroidery patterens. Without wasting time, he grabbed it and practically threw it toward the woman without turning around.
"H-Here! Put this on already!"
She caught the gown in one hand, lifting it up and inspecting it with a hum. "Hmm… simple. Not really my style—but I suppose it'll do."
Kael stayed frozen, facing the wall, afraid to turn around.
"Kael," she said sweetly.
"What?"
"You can look now," she whispered.
Kael hesitated, then slowly turned his head—and nearly had a heart attack.
She hadn't put it on yet.
"Don't tease me," Kael said, his voice flustered but tinged with irritation. He kept his gaze fixed on the wall, not daring to turn around again.
The woman laughed, the sound light and teasing, as if thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. "Fine, fine," she said, as she finally slipped into the gown.
Kael clenched his fists, still facing away. What a shameless woman, he thought. But... not gonna lie, the view was good. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he could stop it.
Unfortunately for him, she noticed.
"Oho~? What was that little smirk?" she said, amused.
Kael's eyes widened and he spun around to face the wall again, hiding his expression.
After a moment, she said in a more composed tone, "You can turn back now."
Cautiously, Kael turned. She was now fully dressed in the gown, its fabric hugging her figure softly, giving her a surprisingly graceful appearance. The mischief in her expression had softened into something warmer, calmer. Yet her beauty hadn't dimmed one bit.
Kael's gaze lingered—he couldn't help it. She really was beautiful. By every standard. Stunning. It was hard to believe such a woman had appeared from a book.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out—
Click.
The door creaked open.
Kael's heart skipped a beat.
He whipped his head around toward the door, panic washing over his face. Crap! What if it's mother? Or worse, Father?! He felt his entire body go rigid.