A Gift and a Vow

The first touch had been a brief contact—more of a peck than a kiss—but the second was different.

Unlike Agniele, who was content with their lips merely meeting, Ensi took a more active approach. He lightly nipped at Agniele’s lower lip, seeking to part the firmly closed gap.

Though it didn’t hurt, the intensity of the action made Agniele’s shoulders tremble. Seeing such a transparent reaction, Ensi let out a low chuckle. Since Agniele’s mouth remained closed regardless, Ensi extended his tongue and licked the seam where their lips met.

Unable to endure the ticklish sensation, Agniele finally parted his lips.

Ensi didn’t miss the opening and immediately slid his tongue inside. The invading muscle was undeniably cold, yet paradoxically, it felt burning hot to Agniele.

Since it was warmer than the temperature of Ensi’s hand resting on his cheek, it wasn’t entirely a delusion.

The tongue that had freely invaded the sensitive space searched for the muscle that had shrunk back from the unfamiliar contact, lightly entangling their tips. After a brief touch that felt like a greeting, Ensi’s tongue began to explore Agniele’s mouth.

He traced the even line of teeth, moved past the hard palate, and swept along the delicate mucous membrane. Observing the shifting reactions with every stroke, Ensi nudged the tongue that had been left neglected.

Then, as if teaching an inexperienced student, he slowly entwined their tongues. He used the tip to rub against the flesh that possessed a starkly different temperature and suggestively teased the area beneath the tongue.

Agniele, who had frozen stiff when the tongue first forced its way through, gradually relaxed his shoulders as the kiss deepened, as if he had finally adapted.

Eventually, he tilted his head back to make it easier for Ensi and reached out to wrap his arms around his waist. Having secured a stable position, Ensi slightly loosened the tension in the arm resting on the sofa’s back.

The wet sound of their tongues tangling echoed in their ears. At the vivid sound blurring his senses, a sudden urge to see Ensius’s eyes surged within Agniele’s mind.

Finding no reason to suppress the impulse, he lifted his eyelids. As he blinked rapidly to focus his hazy vision, what reflected in Agniele’s eyes were deep, flickering blue eyes.

Had he not closed his eyes from the start? Or had he opened them halfway through, just like himself?

Whatever the truth, encountering Ensi’s gaze as he had wished filled Agniele’s heart with a sense of fulfillment.

Ensi did not look away from the eyes staring straight at him. The two continued the kiss, peering intently into each other’s eyes.

When they first began to mix their tongues under Ensi’s lead, Agniele couldn’t hide his status as a novice. However, that was only for a moment. Agniele’s awkward movements gradually improved.

Having been led by Ensi’s initiative, he quickly grasped the knack like the honor student he was and seized control.

Even though the man who had been busy just following his movements suddenly turned proactive, Ensi moved willingly according to his counterpart’s desires.

He let out a pleasant breath as Agniele scraped his sensitive membrane with the tip of his tongue and ensnared the hot flesh.

It was just as Ensi was teaching Agniele how to breathe through his nose. A rhythmic knocking on the door cut through the heavy air.

It was likely the servant who had been ordered to bring the box. Ensi lightly pushed Agniele away so that the faithful servant’s efforts wouldn’t go to waste.

As they slowly separated their lips to soothe the lingering regret, a silver thread stretched between them. Ensi looked down at Agniele’s glistening lips and lazily curved the corners of his mouth.

“Next time, you should be the one to start.”

His somewhat low voice was captivating. Agniele, who had been dazed while watching Ensius wipe his lips with the back of his hand, nodded belatedly.

At that, Ensi smiled brightly as if saying ‘well done,’ placed a short kiss on his flushed cheek, and moved off of him.

“Come in.”

As soon as Ensi gave his permission, the servant opened the door. In the meantime, Agniele, who had adjusted his posture by leaning against the backrest, placed the back of his hand on his forehead and exhaled a thin breath.

While Agniele focused on his breathing to regain his senses as quickly as possible, Ensi brightened at the sight of the box the servant had brought. He walked over and took the box from the servant.

“It’s a gift, so you should open it yourself.”

Standing behind Agniele, Ensi reached out and took his wrist. Turning the hand over so the palm faced upward, Ensi placed the box on top of it.

Agniele instinctively weighed the object on his palm. What could it be? Even looking at the box, no particular item came to mind.

Agniele stared at the box Ensi had handed him without even blinking, and only after hearing Ensi’s quiet urging did he move his hands.

“……A dagger?”

“It’s a dagger made from the Harpy’s feathers I obtained during the practical exam. It was forged by melting the feathers together with steel from Mount Neclin.”

“It’s magnificent.”

Agniele pulled the blade from its hidden sheath while listening to Ensi’s explanation. Since it was made from Harpy feathers, the multi-colored blade reflected the sunlight streaming through the window, shining sharply. As Agniele examined the dagger closely, his long shadow wavered like a ripple.

It was clear at a glance that he liked the gift. Realizing his counterpart was satisfied, Ensi became equally pleased.

It had been a somewhat impulsive act, but he was glad he had made the decision that day. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to see the expression Agniele was wearing now.

“Try infusing it with your magic.”

“No matter how much Harpy feather was melted into it, I wonder if it can handle magic—”

“I had it made so it could handle it, so go on.”

Ensi leaned down and whispered while hugging Agniele from behind. Aware of Ensi’s breath near his ear, Agniele tightened his grip on the dagger.

Though he had been half-preoccupied by the excellent dagger until a moment ago, his concentration broke the instant Ensius’s arms wrapped around his shoulders. Agniele tried to infuse magic into the dagger as Ensius wished, but he couldn’t succeed easily because all his nerves were focused on his back.

“Agniele?”

The questioning call vibrated against his eardrum once more. Biting his lip hard to steady his wavering mind, Agniele finally funneled magic into the blade.

“—A mana stone.”

Because he hadn’t been able to focus properly, the flow was uneven, and it wouldn’t have been strange for the connection to break immediately; however, as the magic passed from Agniele’s hand to the dagger, the flow aligned cleanly.

Certain there was some mechanism in the dagger, Agniele examined it closely and realized the stone embedded in the hilt wasn’t a gem, but a mana stone.

“You recognized it immediately. How is it?”

“Calling it ‘good’ would be an understatement. An elemental mana stone, no less. It couldn’t have been easy to find one of this quality.”

“I was lucky and found it quickly.”

He’s excited. Ensi laughed softly at the emotion clearly felt in Agniele’s voice. With such a great reaction, giving the gift felt truly rewarding.

“Your magic rarely possesses an attribute, so I chose it with care.”

Strictly speaking, he had only added a few words while others did the work… but Ensi decided to be shameless. Everyone tells a lie like this once in a while, don’t they?

“It’s far too much for a reward.”

Agniele ran his index finger along the blade. It was indeed an excellent weapon, one that Ensius could be proud of having put effort into. It wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted, but knowing the value of this small dagger, he hesitated to accept it so readily.

“A ‘reward’? How can you say such a hurtful word? I clearly said it was a ‘gift,’ didn’t I?”

It would have been so nice if he had just been purely happy. Just as he had been when Agniele first gifted him the hairpin.

Besides, he had given jewelry set with expensive gems as a gift, so why was he saying a dagger with a mana stone was too much?

Even though Ensi knew that a dagger with a mana stone and jewelry set with gems had incomparable values, he grumbled shamelessly.

“But Ensius.”

“If you won’t accept it, I’ll throw it away.”

The next words were predictable. Not wanting to hear another refusal, Ensi intentionally pressed his body closer to Agniele’s and whispered. He rested his forehead on Agniele’s shoulder and slowly rubbed it as if throwing a tantrum.

Ensi deliberately placed his forehead near the nape of the neck. Because of that, his long hair brushed against Agniele’s sensitive skin, tickling him. The stimulation sent a shiver down Agniele’s spine, turning his mind blank, and the reasons he had seriously considered for not being able to accept the dagger scattered meaninglessly.

“En… sius.”

“You’ll accept the dagger, right?”

Observing Agniele’s reaction closely, Ensi didn’t miss the chance to drive it home. Whispering at a distance where his lips could touch the nape at any moment, Ensi secretly curled his lips.

A faint goosebump rose on Agniele’s skin at Ensi’s cold breath. The veins on Agniele’s hand holding the dagger bulged.

“……I will cherish it.”

“Since it’s a consumable item, don’t just cherish it—you must use it.”

Ultimately, unable to win against Ensi’s stubbornness, Agniele accepted the gift. At the serious words implying he wouldn’t use it recklessly because he had received something valuable, Ensi let out a low laugh. Withdrawing the arms that had hugged Agniele, Ensi walked around the sofa and took a seat beside him.

“I shall try.”

Gazing at the sharp blade, Agniele put the dagger back into its sheath and stored it in the box.

To be honest, since he had already received it and it was such a good weapon, he had a burning desire to test it immediately.

But he was no fool who forgot his priorities. For now, spending time with Ensius was more important, so Agniele forced himself to let go of the lingering thought.