Chapter 185: Unspoken Fears
All of them were exhausted, and they knew that if they didn't rest now, they wouldn't have the chance later, knowing that they would not have time to spare once the battle started.
Ethan and Lily returned to the Pyramid to rest as well.
They were confident that Sebastian would wake the two of them up if the enemy were to really attack them while it was still dark.
"How much magic do you still have in your body?" Lily asked as she laid down on the bed beside the handsome young man.
"I still have more than half remaining," Ethan answered. "I'll use it sparingly tomorrow."
Lily didn't say anything for a minute and simply looked at him with a curious gaze.
"We kissed a while ago," Lily commented. "Is it possible to replenish your magic if a full day hasn't passed yet?"
Ethan pondered for a bit. He genuinely had no idea whether it was possible to replenish the magic power that he absorbed from the same girl if she were to kiss him again.
During the Clash of Manors, Chloe kissed him repeatedly before the duel started.
However, since he had just absorbed her magic power at that time, he didn't really notice any changes after being kissed by the same person.
Also, he felt rather shy asking for another kiss from a girl after he had already been kissed. Even with the Fairies, Ethan didn't kiss them more than once when he was absorbing their powers.
"I don't really know if it's possible," Ethan replied after a minute had passed. "I've never tried it in the past."
Lily smiled after hearing Ethan's reply. She could tell that Ethan only kissed girls when it was necessary for him to absorb magic.
"We are currently in a bad situation," Lily said softly. "After you use up the magic inside your body, the only other source you'll have is the magical bracelet.
"When that is used up, you will have to wait several days before you can use magic again. For now, how about we experiment first? We won't lose anything by trying."
Ethan's face reddened because he suddenly had another opportunity to kiss Lily.
Seeing the blush on his face, the smile on Lily's face widened, finding Ethan's shy reaction quite endearing.
"Why are you blushing?" Lily asked in a teasing tone. "Have you forgotten that we have done more than just kiss?"
After realizing what the beautiful young lady was talking about, the redness of Ethan's face became a shade deeper.
His gaze subconsciously moved towards Lily's chest, which was currently covered by her wizard robe.
Since they didn't know when the Old Necromancer would decide to start their next battle, both of them kept their robes on.
"What am I to do with you, Ethan?" Lily sighed before cupping his face. "Do you want it that badly? I suppose I can let you do that again as a reward if we manage to beat that Necromancer."
After Ethan regained some of his emotions, Lily no longer slept naked beside him and just cuddled with him with her clothes on.
For that, Ethan was quite thankful.
If his grandma found out about the things he had done with Lily, she would slap his face repeatedly with her flip-flops and force him to take responsibility and marry Lily.
Of course, Ethan wouldn't mind taking responsibility and doing that. Lily was a beautiful young lady, and he would be more than happy to marry her.
However, he also understood that neither of them was ready for that. Their relationship might be more than friends, and less than lovers, but couldn't the same be said for Chloe and Luna?
The two young ladies who had supported him during his darkest moments also had a special place in his heart.
There was an unspoken promise between the three of them, and Ethan wanted to tell Chloe and Luna what he felt about them.
However, before he could do that, he and Lily were forced to enter a Nexus that sent them in the past.
Not only was he thousands of miles away from Brynhildr Academy, but he was also hundreds of years away from their current timeline.
"A-Are you crying?" Lily asked in surprise after she saw a few tears stream down Ethan's eyes. "Um, if you really wish to do it, I guess I'll make an exception just this once…"
Ethan, who was pulled out of his daze by Lily's words, touched the side of his face and felt something wet.
That was when he confirmed that he was indeed crying. He didn't feel sad because of his pain and the trauma he experienced on the battlefield.
He felt sad. It only dawned on him how much he missed his grandparents and the two ladies who had given him their unconditional support… and love.
They were the people that he would be unable to see again unless he managed to defeat the Necromancer who wished to take over his body.
"I'm okay, Lily," Ethan said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I just remembered my grandparents."
"Only your grandparents?" Lily asked in a teasing tone. "Why don't you admit that you also miss Chloe and Luna? You shouldn't underestimate a woman's intuition, you know? We know when the boy in front of us is thinking about other girls."
Instead of answering Lily's question, Ethan just smiled and looked at her with a gentle gaze.
"You're right," Ethan stated. "Right now, we should be doing everything in our power to survive. I haven't tested if it's possible to replenish my magical power by kissing the same girl before a day has passed. If you are fine with it, can I please kiss you, Lily?"
Lily pouted. "You're changing the subject."
"Right now, I am only looking at Lily," Ethan commented. "I won't think about other girls for the time being."
"For the time being?" Lily arched an eyebrow. "Does it mean that you will think about other girls when you feel like it?"
"… No comment."
"Hah~ what am I going to do with you?"
Lily shook her head helplessly before cupping Ethan's face.
The two of them stared at each other before the two of them moved to kiss each other.
This time, their kiss was different from the kiss that they shared on the ramparts.
It was not a passionate kiss, but it was a very sweet kiss and lasted for a few seconds. When the kiss ended, Lily pecked Ethan's lips two more times before pulling back.
"Well, how is it?" Lily asked
Ethan's eyes widened in shock because he could feel that his magical reserves had been filled up completely.
This was a groundbreaking discovery. It turned out that he could replenish his magic by kissing Lily repeatedly, as long as a day hadn't passed.
"It worked," Ethan replied with a smile. "My magic is at full capacity."
"Great." Lily smiled back. "Now, let's sleep. Tomorrow's battle will be tougher."
The young lady hugged Ethan and buried her face in his chest.
She always had a confident and fearless expression whenever she was talking to Ethan. But he seemed to have forgotten that Lily was still a teenage girl.
Deep inside, she was also feeling anxious. However, she would not allow herself to show any hint of weakness because it might affect Ethan's unstable condition.
She didn't want to lower his morale, which would in turn lower the morale of the people who believed in the Tide Bringer.
So, for now, she would bury her face in Ethan's chest and prevent him from seeing the fears that she had bottled up inside her heart.
Ethan didn't know what Lily was going through, but the overflowing desire to protect and keep her safe rose in his heart.
Wrapping his arms on her soft, and delicate body, the handsome young man wanted to let her know that he would always be there for her.
Both of them felt warm and safe in each other's arms. Soon, the two of them fell asleep, resting their bodies for the upcoming battle.
A battle that would force the two of them to make tough decisions for the sake of their survival, as well as the budding feelings they had for each other, that had taken root deep inside their hearts.