Cloudia turned her head slightly toward Reon, her voice soft—yet carrying a boldness that made his heart skip a beat.
"Master… will you kiss me?"
"Huh…!?" Reon blinked, stunned.
The wind rushing past them as the falcon soared higher into the sky.
He stared at her, half-thinking he misheard. "Cloudia, what… what are you saying all of a sudden?"
She didn't falter. Instead, she lowered her head shyly, her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush. "I want to kiss you, Master… right now."
The wind seemed to still for a moment.
"I… I feel like I want to stay by your side forever," she said, her voice trembling with sincerity. "Not just as your companion… but as something more."
Her gaze slowly lifted to meet his, and this time her cyan eyes sparkled with unmistakable warmth.
"And in this moment—this beautiful, romantic moment in the sky—I want you to take my first kiss."
Reon's breath caught in his throat.