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The storm outside had passed, leaving only the steady drip of rainwater from the eaves. The world was quiet, but inside her chest, Himeka felt nothing but thunder.
Her skin was still warm from the bath, flushed from the steam and from the memory of pressing her lips against his neck, his shoulder, his lips. She had touched him boldly, more boldly than she ever dreamed she could. And he had not stopped her.
Her body trembled at the thought.
She followed him into the chamber, her damp hair loose down her back, her thin robe clinging to her still-heated skin. The air felt heavy, the silence charged, as if the very walls knew something fragile and dangerous was about to break.
He sat at the edge of the bed, calm as ever, unshaken. His crimson eyes flickered briefly to her, then back to the floor.
Himeka's breath caught at that single glance. Her entire body ached for more.
"Your Majesty," she whispered, her voice soft but urgent. She took a trembling step forward. "Why… why do you let me touch you?"
No answer.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "If you hated it… you'd push me away. You'd command me to stop. But you don't."
Her lips curved into a small, trembling smile. "So I'll be selfish again."
She climbed onto the bed beside him, her knees sinking into the mattress. Slowly, she moved closer, her hands rising to rest on his chest. The steady thump of his heartbeat against her palms made her dizzy.
"…You're alive," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "Sometimes you seem like a statue, carved from ice and moonlight. But here…" She pressed her hand harder against his chest. "…here, you're warm. You're human."
Her eyes lifted to his, shining with heat and vulnerability. "And I love you. So much it hurts."
She leaned in, her lips brushing his again. The kiss was slow at first, almost reverent. Her breath shuddered as she poured every ounce of longing into it.
When he didn't resist, she grew bolder. Her lips pressed harder, her hands clutching at his robes, pulling him closer.
"…Mnh…" A soft sound escaped her throat, half sigh, half moan.
She broke the kiss only to breathe against his lips, her cheeks flaming. "You drive me insane… do you know that? You don't speak, you don't move, and still—still—I can't stop wanting you."
Her forehead rested against his, her lashes trembling. "I crave you."
Her hands slid down, clutching at his waist, her body pressing flush against his. Her robe slipped slightly from her shoulder, exposing the delicate curve of her collarbone. She felt the cool air against her heated skin, and her whole body shivered.
"…Touch me," she whispered desperately. "Just once. Please. I don't care how. I don't care if it's only my hand, my face, anything. Just… prove that I'm not the only one burning like this."
Her voice cracked. "Please."
The silence stretched. He didn't move.
But he didn't push her away.
And for Himeka, that was enough to unravel her completely.
Tears welled as she kissed him again, deeper this time, her lips trembling with both passion and despair. Her body pressed harder against him, her hands tangling in his hair, damp strands clinging to her fingers.
Her kisses trailed to his jaw, then to his throat. Her lips lingered there, soft and trembling, tasting the salt of his skin.
"…You're mine," she whispered against his neck. "Even if you never say it. Even if you never show it. You're mine."
She kissed lower, down the strong line of his collarbone, before pulling back, panting softly, her face flushed scarlet.
Her eyes glistened with tears and desire as she whispered, "…If this is a dream, then I don't want to wake up."
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The storm outside had passed, but inside Himeka burned hotter than ever.
That night, she didn't sleep. She clung to him, kissing him again and again, whispering her love into the silence. Her body curled around his, desperate for warmth, desperate for closeness.
And though the Emperor never once spoke, never once returned her passion, he allowed her to stay.
For Himeka, that was the sweetest torment of all:
To hold the Moonlit Emperor in her arms, to kiss him until dawn, to love him with everything she had…
…while he remained as silent, and as beautiful, as the moon itself.
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End of Chapter 12
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