I once saw horror and suspense movies that start with voodoo curses or such. Although I like the trill in watching those kinds of movies, I really don’t believe on those things. But it’s a different story in the other world.

***

I had too much to drink last night. Because of that, I barely remembered what happened. Although I do have a rough memory of being carried to the bed by two people, it must’ve been a dream.

I slowly opened my eyes from the brightness of the sun that came peeking from the window. My head feels like it’s going to break since I’m sober. However, it’s weird. I don’t remember my bed being heavy and warm. I didn’t put much thought on it since I’m too tired with the headache I’m feeling, so I decided to let my head rest for a while.

However, such thing did not happen.

The warm feeling on my chest suddenly moved. Then, a very familiar sensation is touching my side. It’s soft, warm, and for some reason, it also has two things poking me.

I’m starting to sweat terribly since I have a very good idea what is it.

As I turned my head to the right like an unoiled clock, I saw a girl with green hair beside me while using my shoulder as her pillow. Moreover, she’s naked and only has the blanket as cover.

“… miss Balerishk?!”

I think she heard me. She made a sexy yawn to respond and then open her eyes slowly then gave me a sexy smile.

“Good morning, sir Chardelier.”

“Good morning to you too. May I ask why you are naked on my bed?”

Before she answered my question, she leaned towards me and kissed me lightly on my lips.

“Can you not remember what happened last night?”

“Last night?”

Just when I was going to doubt her smile, everything that happened before I totally passed out come flashing back in my eyes like a huge slap on my face. It includes what I did to her during that night.

Her flustered red face remains in my mind.

“No way. Everything happened too fast. I can’t understand anything.”

“Don’t worry, it felt good for me even though it was my first time.”

“That was your first time?”

“Yes.”

I sat up straight to see my surroundings. Answering my doubt, I saw a blood stain on the bed sheet.

“No shit.”

Then suddenly, the door of my room slammed open like a bomb exploded on the other side. Good thing it’s sturdy and didn’t break.

“Dude, it’s already late! You need to wake—WOAW! You sure work fast!”

Sora who barged into the room without knocking got shocked when he saw Matilda lying next to me naked. Who’s working fast!?

“Oh, sir Flordist. You’re quite rude early in the morning aren’t you?”

“Leaving me aside, is this what you mean ‘taking care’ of him? I don’t understand you, the granddaughter of a viscount, would try to seduce a mere aristocrat.”

“Mere aristocrat, you’re quite an asshole for a friend.”

Then Sora made a slight gesture saying, “Come on, we’re friends.”

“More importantly, get prepared for school. The headmaster called me to get you. For some reason, he’s also calling for you Miss Balerishk.”

I nod to Sora as an answer. But before turning back, he got shocked when he saw the blood stain on the bed.

“She was a virgin. Gotta hand it to you bro…”

“Just get out!”

Because of his rude remark before going out, Matilda’s face cool and calm became slightly red from embarrassment and annoyance so I yelled at him. This guy…

I turned back to Matilda to calm her down.

“Sorry Miss Balerishk, just ignore that guy.”

“No, it’s ok. Uhm…”

Does she have something to say?

“Miss Balerishk?”

“Matt.”

“Excuse me?”

“Call me Matt. That’s the nickname you gave me last night after you told me that you gave Miss Goldenbloom ‘Cherry’ as a nickname.”

She shyly told me what happened between us during the night with a reddish face.

So [Drunk Me] is a smooth talker huh. Why can’t [Normal Me] do that?

***

“I should have warned you about this sooner. I’m sorry for not telling you about my daughter.”

“Huh, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Currently, the headmaster is apologizing instead of me. Because of that, I can’t help but tilt my head in wonder.

“I knew it was going to happen sooner or later after me and sir Flordist unsealed the power within you, but I only hoped on not letting it happen than prevent it myself.”

“No, no, no, I don’t quite understand. What’s the relation of my power and Matt? It doesn’t seem to fit with the picture.”

“That’s because you don’t know anything about my granddaughter’s situation. From my point of view, everything was meant to happen.”

Hearing those words, I felt like hot steel poured with cold water and hardened.

It’s because I didn’t knew she was a frail girl despite looking tough.

“No, she’s not frail. In fact, she’s powerful enough to rival a Saint.”

“Huh?”

“This is the reason why she came to you in the first place. My granddaughter is cursed with [Phantom’s Crystal].”

To summarize his long explanation that lasted for almost an hour, [Phantom’s Crystal] is something like boiling water in North Pole of earth. If it doesn’t have fire, it hardens. Except for the fact that the fire is [Mana], and the ice is her body. If she doesn’t absorb a certain amount of mana for a certain amount of days from other people, her body becomes hardened like a crystal that has the color of green which her hair currently is. Long story short, she’ll die if she doesn’t take mana.

Lucky for her, my existence is like a miracle. If she’s always around me, she won’t be worrying about taking mana from other people which is considerably dangerous. Not for her, but for them because she might end up absorbing their life force too.

“So what do you propose I do?”

“I’m telling you to marry my granddaughter.”

It all comes down to that huh. I really don’t see a problem getting married with a beauty like Matt, but I’ll refrain from getting my neck tied with a leash yet.

And please Matt, stop smiling broadly in front of me. It’s blinding.

“What if I refuse?”

“I think that is not possible. My granddaughter arrived to the academy riding on your carriage which came from your house which is also the place where she stayed last night. I don’t need to guess what things could possibly have happened do I?”

Uhg, this old man is good.

Seeing the defeated me, Matt silently giggled cutely on the side.

Damn, those glasses really fit a giggling beauty like her.

“I do not have any qualms on marrying her. I’m being honest here. If I do end up marrying her, isn’t that a problem for you who has the position of a viscount? I’m just an aristocrat. It’s like heaven and earth for us.”

The headmaster got surprised with my excuse. He didn’t get angry, but instead, he laughed.

“Then work hard. If possible, I’d like you to attain the rank of Baron like your grandfather by next year. Since my daughter cannot yet be legally married yet since she’s still not of age, it’ll be a good chance for you to do it by then. If things go well, you can get married on her birthday.”

I’m glad he doesn’t hate me at all, but isn’t he pushing me too hard?

Trying to raise my peerage sounds troublesome, but I can’t use that as an excuse can I?

Just when we are getting to get comfortable with each other, the door suddenly opened with unexpected guests.

To our surprise, its Cherry girl and a tall guy with long straight hair that has a similar color with Cherry’s. He seems pissed.

“Earl Goldenbloom!”

“Viscount Balerishk, where is this imprudent new student of yours that defiled my daughter? Send him here so I can behead him!”

Hey, hey, hey! I understand you getting angry for your daughter, but isn’t beheading me way out of the line?

“Calm down Earl, for now, let me hear your problem. As a headmaster of this institute, I can’t show a student to you just to let him beheaded.”

Ah! Thanks old man—

“But if he’s proven guilty, then we shall proceed with the punishment.”

--HEY!!!

The man walked towards the Headmaster and slammed his table. It doesn’t seem that Cherry has noticed me from her position because of the huge chair I’m sitting on.

While thinking about that, I pushed myself on the soft cushion of the chair and tried to erase my presence. It seems to be working.

“That man has stolen my daughter’s first kiss. Do you remember what would happen if a member of the Goldenbloom household get their first kiss stolen?”

After hearing his statement, the headmaster’s face turned into shock.

Is a kiss really that much of a big deal!? Come on! It was just one kiss! Moreover it was an accident!

Even though I was thinking of that, I didn’t speak out because I’m too afraid.

A father in rage because of his daughter is scary!

Leaving that aside, I didn’t know that the headmaster wasn’t aware of that fact. I think everyone from last night’s party were—oh wait, there were inside the mansion so they didn’t hear our conversation.

After falling silent for a while, the headmaster calmly continued conversing with him despite looking panicked a while ago.

“Then isn’t that a bigger problem if you kill him?”

“No, there’s probably still time. As the Head of the Goldenbloom household, I can still revoke the [Golden Soul Union] state. If I kill him now, there’s still a chance my daughter would not die.”

So that’s what’s what. It really was a bigger problem than I thought it would be. To think a mere kiss would create such a lifeline… I should really stop looking too much at women.

Just when I was going for a sigh of relief seeing the man turning without noticing my presence, a voice that could either be called a scream or a yell reverberated inside the room.

“Sir Chardelier!”

Since I’ve been too wary of Cherry’s father, I didn’t notice Cherry herself would come here.

After that, a heavy pressure of killing intent fell on my back giving me cold sweats and goose bumps. Then, a hand grabbed my shoulder making me shriek like a girl.

“You… are Key Godfre Chardelier. Why didn’t you tell me that you were there?”

“Uhh…. You got the wrong person.”

“Wrong person? My dearest daughter just called you. Do you think I would believe such lie?”

“EEE!!!”

Because I got too scared, I instinctively tried to jump and run from my chair. But Cherry’s father is too strong that it only needed him to use one hand to kill my momentum and pull me back to the chair the moment I stood up. This guy’s a monster!

“You… need to die.”

Before I could plea for my life, the man pulled out the sword from his waist and swung it towards me. I saw my life flash before my eyes—not. That flash was only because of a spark happening before me.

“My, my. Don’t be too hasty Earl Goldenbloom.”

It only happened in just a split second, but everything slowed down and I managed to see everything happened in detail.

The sword the man was holding stopped before my neck. This is because it was blocked by another blade from a long green crystalized scythe which is held by Matt which appeared out of nowhere. The blade of the sword and the crystal blade of the scythe were creating sparks since they were using too much strength.

“Why did you stop me?”

The Earl looked at Matt with murderous eyes, but Matt didn’t even flinch and continued to smile.

“I cannot afford letting my future husband die before I get married to him. Moreover, his existence is also my lifeline which is similar to your daughter.”

The moment the Earl heard her, his face became full of surprise and stiffened.

“Your future husband? I didn’t hear anything about this. Are you using this man as an excuse to not marry my son?”

“No I’m not Dear Earl. This man is more suited to be my husband because of special circumstances. But that isn’t my excuse because I am personally fond of him.”

“Special Circumstances? Tell me about it. I order you as a person of high prestige.”

After being told so, Matt looked at me and the Headmaster. I nodded to her as an answer and so did the Headmaster.

“I will tell you this not because of your position, but because this man has something to do with your daughter. And believe me, you wouldn’t like it.”

Before proceeding with their talk, they pulled back their weapons. However, the Earl is not letting go of my shoulder. He’s breaking it!

“First of all, my fiancée is a heretic. He was rejected by the gods during the blessing ceremony and almost got killed.”

“Isn’t that more of a reason to kill him?”

“I know it’s the common procedure, but that’s where you’re making a mistake. There’s a special reason why I didn’t kill him despite being blessed by God Helius. He wields the power of [Infinite], the power which grants him infinite mana and use magic endlessly by his will. If such power is by a hand’s reach, I won’t think twice on trying to grab on such opportunity.”

I feel like my right shoulder is getting numb.

The Earl was too shocked that he unconsciously gripped my shoulder too tight stopping the flow of blood to my arm. It’s turning pale!

“Power of [Infinite]. To think this imprudent man holds such power.”

Are you insulting me or commending me? Which is it?

The Earl fell into silence while thinking about some things. Since I’m not a telepath, I can’t tell what his thinking. But I can tell enough that he’s thinking about it seriously from the strength of his grip on my about-to-break shoulder and his twitching eyebrows.

“Hmm… since I’m not really much of a religious man myself, I will set aside his status as a Heretic. However—”

He looked at my face three inch closer while emitting dreadful aura. He’s like a demon! No, he is a demon.

“-since you stole my daughter’s first kiss. I’ll have you marry my daughter too.”

“Excuse me?”

Since his words were too different from what his eyes are telling me, I inadvertently got dumbstruck.

“Please explain, I can’t seem to understand this development. I can’t see the point in pushing a man you tried to kill earlier to marry your own daughter. More importantly, don’t I have Matt—I mean Miss Balerishk as my fiancée already?”

“What are you talking about? Having two or three wives is normal for a noble. Moreover, I won’t let a chance to have powerful descendants pass by.”

“But I’m just an aristocrat…”

“Excuses… work hard and become a Baron at least.”

Uhg… this guy sounds the same as the Headmaster. Are they brothers or something?

“Leaving that aside for now, I want to hear about this [Golden Soul Union]. I’ve never heard about it.”

Since I’m the one asking seriously, the Earl FINALLY lets go off my shoulder and decided to explain.

The [Golden Soul Union] is something straight out of a video game. As the name suggests, it connects the soul of a member of the [Goldenbloom] household to another person. But that’s not all. It allows the weak person to use the mana of the stronger partner and use it as her own. And all of that could happen if a contract could be done with the first kiss. There are two conditions for the contract to be formed: First, if the first kiss is given to another person, their powers are temporarily linked, but it will have only 60% chance on being a permanent contract. Second, if the pair would kiss again within the week, they will be permanently being linked until one of them dies.

Since long ago, because of the effect of the [Golden Soul Union], they value their first kiss as treasures for their fated partner and a gift for marriage.

“Until death huh, that’s scary.”

“What’s scary?”

I unconsciously muttered my thought and ended up getting heard by the Earl. Since I made an excuse saying “nothing”, he let me off.

After many arguments and agreements, I managed to preserve my life. Although it means that I will be tied with two troublesome women, I’m still thankful that I’m alive.

-End of Chapter 6-