Chapter 78: Lilith’s Curiosity

Everyone around the table was completely stunned.

"That’s insane! *Hiccup!* Big Brother Chris... You seem to run into those damn cliffs whenever you turn around! I can’t imagine what I would do in those situations!"

Kelvin was struggling to sit upright on his chair as he listened to Chris’s story, occasionally swaying from side to side.

Not long after they had started drinking, everyone had gotten a little too carried away, gulping down the wine as if it were water. What had initially been a simple celebration had quickly turned into a drinking party, with people taking turns recounting the dangerous situations they had experienced in the past.

One story led to another, and soon even Howard and Aldric had joined in, sharing tales from their younger days in the army. Their experiences were on an entirely different level from those of the youngsters, leaving everyone around the table listening with wide eyes.

"You are actually the legendary General Aldric of Dunestia!?" Kelvin exclaimed as he tried to stand up, only for his legs to buckle beneath him. He barely managed to grab the edge of the table before falling over.

The others were equally surprised. They had been drinking and laughing with an old man without realizing that he was such a famous figure. In fact, Aldric was even more renowned than their own General Howard.

"Can you tell us another story?" one of the girls at the table suddenly asked, looking at Aldric with sparkling eyes.

"I could, but my stories probably won’t be that thrilling for you youngsters." Aldric smiled before glancing at Chris, who was sitting right across from him. "You should ask this young man to tell you some instead. I’m sure his adventures are far more exciting."

"*Hiccup!* Old man, why are you throwing me under the bus?" Chris widened his eyes at the betrayal.

However, it was already too late. Everyone’s attention immediately shifted toward him, and several people began asking him to tell a story.

"Fine... Fine! I’ll tell you one!"

With the alcohol getting to his head, Chris became increasingly talkative and started recounting one adventure after another. Before long, their table was packed with people, with nearly half the room wanting to sit nearby and listen to his stories.

Even while drunk, he made sure not to reveal anything important about himself. Instead, he focused on the times he had been chased by monsters and forced to run for his life, occasionally leaving out a few details that might have raised unnecessary questions.

"But, Big Brother, where was your flying beast, Azreon, back then? *Hiccup!* Couldn’t he have carried you away from the cliff?" Kelvin asked.

"Azreon? Oh, he was just a baby back then."

A strange smile appeared on Chris’s face as he thought about his little dragon.

"Is... Is he telling the truth? He’s not making all of this up, right?" Howard asked, turning toward Aldric with wide eyes.

Aldric shook his head with a smile.

"I’m pretty sure these are all true stories. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were even crazier ones that he hasn’t told you about."

Howard looked back at Chris with genuine admiration.

"Young man, you’ve really opened my eyes today! At your tender age, you’ve already experienced so much!"

"Meh... It’s nothing much. Don’t praise me." Chris shook his head before taking another gulp of wine. "It’s just that my luck is both extremely good and extremely bad all the time."

"Okay, whose turn is it now? Aelonen’s?"

He turned toward the young man sitting beside him, only to find him lying motionless on the table.

"Hey, hey, Aelonen, are you still alive?"

Chris tapped his shoulder a few times, but there was no response.

"*Hiccup!* Big Brother Chris, I think he’s passed out... *Hiccup!*" Kelvin added from the other side, struggling to keep himself from falling off his chair.

"Then he won’t need this."

Chris casually grabbed Aelonen’s glass, which was still full of wine, and gulped it down.

"Okay, that’s enough."

Lilith suddenly stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the table.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Chris asked, looking at her in surprise.

"You’ve had too much to drink. You need to rest."

"But..."

"No buts!"

She didn’t give him a chance to argue and began dragging him toward the exit of the tent.

Watching them leave, Aldric shook his head with a wry smile.

’My dear granddaughter, you’ll need to work harder in the future.’

...

Lilith led Chris away from the noisy celebration and toward another, smaller tent that had been prepared. Unlike the enormous gathering area, this one was quiet and private, with a comfortable bed and a small table inside.

As soon as they entered, she pushed him toward the bed.

"Whoa!"

Chris stumbled backward and landed on the mattress, looking up at her in confusion.

"What’s the matter with you, woman?"

Instead of answering, Lilith leaned forward and began removing his outer clothes.

His eyes widened.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

She continued without saying anything, carefully taking off his upper garments and setting them aside. Before long, he was left wearing only his trousers.

"Woman, what in the world are you doing?"

Still refusing to answer, Lilith straightened up and began removing her own clothes.

Chris watched her in disbelief. She didn’t even try to hide herself this time, although a faint blush had already spread across her cheeks. Soon, she was standing in her underwear, looking away from him.

He blinked a few times, trying to understand what was going through her head.

’What is this woman planning now?’

Lilith climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she moved closer and rested her head against his chest before pulling the blanket over both of them.

Chris remained still for a moment, his mind struggling to catch up with everything that had happened.

"I..."

He was about to ask her what she was doing, but Lilith suddenly lifted her head and brought her face closer, pressing her lips against his.

The unexpected kiss silenced him.

He was far too drunk to think clearly, and although he was surprised by her sudden affection, he didn’t particularly mind it at that moment.

Her lips remained against his for a while before she finally pulled back. Looking at him, she seemed to be waiting for him to say something.

"You..."

Before he could finish, she leaned forward and kissed him again.

This time, he raised one hand and gently rested it against her cheek, returning the kiss for a little longer.

When they finally separated, Lilith’s face was noticeably red. She lowered her head and hid it against his chest, seemingly embarrassed by her own actions.

Chris let out a quiet sigh.

’This woman...’

He ran his fingers through her hair, gently brushing a few strands away from her face.

"Time to sleep. I won’t take any excuses!" she suddenly commanded, trying to sound firm despite her flushed expression.

Chris chuckled, but the movement soon made him realize just how much he had drunk. The entire room seemed to be spinning around him, and even keeping his eyes open was becoming difficult.

’I really need some rest.’

He closed his eyes, and Lilith tightened her embrace slightly, resting her cheek against his chest as they slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

The next morning.

Chris slowly began to wake up, still feeling a little dizzy from the previous night’s drinking.

However, something felt strange.

As his consciousness gradually returned, he noticed a peculiar sensation around his lower body. Opening his eyes, he looked down and immediately froze.

Lilith was still lying beside him, completely awake, with one hand resting over his member through his trousers. She seemed to be examining it with genuine curiosity.

"WOMAN! What in the world are you doing!?"

Lilith jumped slightly before quickly retracting her hand. Her cheeks turned bright red as she looked away.

"I... I was just interested."

"Interested?" Chris stared at her before shaking his head with a helpless smile. "I’m sure I don’t need to explain that this is practically molesting."

"It’s not like that!"

"Then what is it?"

"I was just curious. Why is it so hard right now?" she asked, looking at him with a flushed face.

Chris stared at her for a few seconds, wondering how he was supposed to explain something so basic.

"It’s normal. It happens to all guys in the morning."

He felt as though he were explaining something to a child.

After a brief pause, however, he narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a minute. How old are you, anyway?"

"I’m twenty-six. Why?"

"Oh, so you’re older than me." He nodded. "I got startled there for a second."

Lilith immediately narrowed her eyes.

"You thought something bad about me, didn’t you?"

"You’re imagining things." Chris shook his head with a helpless smile.

She stared at him for a moment before looking away again, seemingly considering something.

"So... Do you want to do it?"

"Do what?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You know... The things couples do to... calm down..." Her voice became increasingly quiet as she glanced at him. "Since you’re hard..."

Chris closed his eyes and sighed.

"You are really unbelievable."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked, looking back at him in confusion.

"Woman, we aren’t even a couple yet. What crazy things are you imagining?"

"Hmph! In my head, we are already a couple." She moved closer and rested her head against his chest again. "I’ve already marked you. You’re the only person who can be my partner."

Chris looked down at her for a moment before letting out another sigh.

"I see you won’t give up on that. But I need more time." He gently shook his head. "Even if we end up becoming a couple one day, it won’t be now. I still have other things I need to focus on."

Lilith remained quiet for a while, her fingers absentmindedly drawing circles on his chest.

Eventually, she gave a small nod.

"I understand..."

For a moment, Chris thought she had finally accepted his answer. However, just as he relaxed, she raised her head again.

"So... Do you want to do it?"

His eyes widened.

’Does this woman have selective hearing!? Didn’t she hear a single word I just said!?’

He was just about to open his mouth when—

"BIG BROTHER CHRIS! ARE YOU THERE?"

The tent’s entrance suddenly opened, and Kelvin rushed inside without even checking whether someone was already there.

However, his steps immediately came to a halt when he saw the scene in front of him.

His mouth fell open, and his eyes widened.

"KELVIN!? GET OUT!"

Lilith’s face turned bright red as she grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him with all her strength.

*BANG!*

The pillow struck Kelvin squarely in the face, sending him flying out of the tent even faster than he had entered.

Chris watched the entire scene with widened eyes.

’What the hell!?’

He looked toward the entrance before slowly turning to Lilith.

"Is he still alive?"

Lilith quickly got out of bed, her expression still burning with embarrassment.

"I really hope he isn’t. For his own good."

With that, she began putting on her clothes.

Chris shook his head helplessly before getting up as well and starting to dress.

’What a way to start the morning...’