Yerin and Lutter spent another couple of hours drinking in companionable silence. None of them felt the need to speak. The situation wasn't awkward as one would have expected after Yerin's bizarre demand.

Lutter didn't verbally accept the request but Yerin was already considering it a done deal.

"Say, what are the symptoms?" She suddenly spoke after draining another glass of liquor.

At this point, she wasn't quite drunk, she just felt slightly warm and flushed. In the past, this amount of alcohol would have sent her deep into a drunken stupor. She would have been an incoherent mess. Now, she was still highly functional despite her tipsy state.

Lutter was looking above, at the sky. The question broke through his musings and his gaze fell back on her expectant face. he tilted his head slightly and asked:

"Why?"

"I think I am experiencing them. I feel a burning heat slowly spreading through my entire body." She answered, her voice languourous.

She crossed her legs and leaned on the palm of her right hand. Her eyelids covered her eyes in part, transforming her expression into a seductive one. Naturally, it wasn't her intention to appear like so.

Her whole being seemed to be highlighted as if reality itself was bringing her into focus. Lutter rose a brow in surprise. In his experience, it was not supposed to be this fast. Some took days to even manifest The 'Fever'.

"Well, this is unexpected. It is far too soon for a freshly minted cursed one." He rose from his chair and came to her side of the table.

He turned her chair toward him and put a hand on her forehead. He could feel the simmering heat beneath her skin, the maddening fever, and endless desire.

"So it is confirmed. Well, are you ready to fulfill my request?" While removing his hand from her forehead, Yerin asked.

"You are seriously weird, I hope you know that." Lutter shook his head defeated. In any case, he wasn't prudish. No cursed one was, as a general rule.

"It's agreed then." She clapped her hand and stood up. She half expected to fall back on her seat but she maintained her balance. Her limbs were still very much in her control. She paused in wonder briefly before grabbing one of Lutter's hands and heading toward the door.

Lutter sighed in resignation and followed her. As they walked through the corridor they had taken previously, Lutter asked :

"Are we heading toward your place or mine?"

"Mine."

Yerin answered with a humming sound. They came across an intersection and Lutter was surprised when she took left instead of right. After all, they didn't take that path when they arrived a few hours prior.

"Where are we going really?"

"As I said we are heading to my place." She pointed toward the flight of stairs at the end of the corridor.

"You live above a bar?"

"Yes, this whole building is my inheritance." She answered lightly.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"Your inheritance? So you were left with something when you left home." He assumed erroneously.

"Something huh? No. This inheritance was given to me by my adoptive father and master. The one who brought me in when I roamed the streets purposelessly." Her tone was distant as if reminiscing.

"I see." Lutter stayed silent after this. Soon enough they reached the Fourth floor of the building.

*Is there no elevator in this building?

Lutter thought, he was not exhausted by the long stairway, merely he found it very inconvenient.

The whole floor was occupied by a loft. It was a spacious Brick Loft Apartment with wooden flooring, large high windows, sofas, and a fireplace.

"Nice place," Lutter commented on the décor as they settled down in the living space. Yerin and Lutter sat on a huge leather sofa having a C shape. Despite the free space on the furniture, Yerin was seated extremely close to Lutter.

A few minutes of silence went by as Yerin stared at him expectantly. Naturally, she wanted him to make the first move. After all, he was the veteran and her the newbie. Even without considering this fact, she had not been involved with another man since that night they spent together. Understandably, she was a tad inexperienced.

"Fine, I gave you numerous chances to back out." Lutter suddenly spoke. His voice had changed. The casual air he had before was nowhere to be seen. As he turned toward her, Yerin's breath caught in her throat.

His eyes were different now. The pupils and irises blended harmoniously in a vantablack color. The ambient light seemed to be devoured by his eyes.

Yerin was fascinated. Because of this, she barely noticed when he closed the remaining distance between them. Her eyes widened before his lips crashed against hers. It felt like she was swept away by a tornado.

A potent rush filled her body and adrenaline flooded her system. The sensations were threatening to overwhelm her. A hint of rationality allowed her to push away from the kiss. Her breathing had become rough from the prolonged absence of oxygen.

Yerin's face was flushed, her body was burning but in contrast, her eyes felt incredibly cold. If she was to infer based on Lutter's current eyes she would conclude that her own were now as black as his.

"Is this normal?" She asked between a couple of breaths. She abruptly realized that she was now on his laps, her legs spread above his thighs. Following that she became extremely aware of the hands-on her thighs and the hardness between them.

"It is. This is the only thing that can betray a cursed one identity, that is if they do not showcase unnatural abilities." Lutter explained. His voice sounded calm despite the hunger on his face. Just as he finished his explanation, his hand reached for the nape of her neck.

Yerin only felt a slight pull and they were back to kissing. The heat she felt simmering inside her since a moment ago seemed to abate slightly, giving rise to a pleasurable feeling that spread to her entire body.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The abrupt sounds made her gaze fall on her hand. She had unconsciously ripped his shirt open, the buttons had popped off. The muscles underneath were things of wonder mixing aesthetic with practicability. Lutter followed up by removing the hoodie she was wearing as well as her shirt leaving her bare if not for her bra.

His gaze fell on her upper body.

"Where is your bedroom?" His voice was now almost guttural in quality.

"There." She pointed to the stairs leading to the second level of the loft. Even from their positions, they could see the interior of the room as the floor it was resting on was transparent.

After hearing her answer, Lutter stood up while carrying her. Yerin reflexively adapted to the shift in position by wrapping her legs around his waist.

In a demonstration of speed and grace, he carried her to the second floor in a blur. She barely felt the motion before she fell on her bed. She let out a small cry of surprise. Lutter then proceeded to prowl toward her lying figure. At that moment he gave her the feeling of watching a large feline advancing gracefully.

He got rid of the last pieces of fabrics between them and their body intertwined. The memories of her first time that were blurry in her mind came into focus as they reenacted that night.

Before she completely lost herself to the overwhelming pleasure, she heard Lutter whisper in her ears, "Remember, you asked for it." The hard body on hers, the feeling of being consumed and of consuming as well. Everything was too much, more than she could bear while staying in control. As such she let herself go.

She whispered back at him, "I know, give me your worst." His eyes came into focus at that statement.

She then closed her eyes and was lost to herself and the world.