Chapter 285 | Affection Scale

Chapter 285: 285 | Affection Scale

The moment Dexter’s lips kissed her head, Selene body went completely still and so did he. His lips lingered for barely a second before he lifted his head.

For a moment, neither moved. But then, Selene’s shoulders slowly relaxed.

Instead of pulling away like Dexter had expected, her fingers tightened as she played there.

Dexter eyes widened slightly. ’She’s awake.’

The realization made Dexter a bit embarrassed as warmth in his face spread to his ears. He waited, giving her time to say something, but she didn’t.

Instead, her embrace tightened again, and that small movement was enough to make him smile. ℯ𝕝.

His free hand rose to her hair, brushing it gently away from her face to reveal her forehead. Then he leaned down again.

This time, his lips touched her skin.

Selene drew a sharp breath as warmth followed the kiss, stronger than either of them expected.

Selene’s fist holding his cloth tightened even more as the kiss from Dexter’s body surged with intense heat even more hotter than his body as it spread through her body and made her everything tingle.

The eternal winter ice actually trembled as though it had met its nemesis.

Dexter swallowed as he felt Selene squirmed in his embrace making the urge multiply.

Dexter lowered his gaze, and she lifted her face slightly, her eyes still closed, the movement bringing her brow within easy reach.

He gently kissed the space between her eyebrows.

’Hm...’

This time, Selene groaned as the heat spread through her forehead, her skin, her tissue, her bones, all the way to her lower body as it tingled like an electric jolt, vibrating through her body.

"You’re bullying me..." Selene said softly as she pressed into his chest.

Dexter lowered his gaze as he looked at her, slowly stroking her hair. "Should I continue?" He asked gently.

Selene remained silent and he waited. Her fingers slowly loosened their desperate hold on his shirt, but she didn’t move away.

Then slowly, she nodded.

Dexter’s expression softened, and he leaned toward her, increasing to kiss even lower this time.

’Bang!’

Something shattered outside the room.

Selene jolted upright while Dexter’s head snapped toward the door, his hearing spreading through the house. It was at the living room and from the hesrtbeat, it was Lyra.

Before he could say anything, Selene was already pushing the duvet aside. "I—I’m going to the bathroom."

"Selene—"

She slipped out of bed, her face flushed and her silver hair slightly tangled, nearly forgetting the small stuffed dragon beside his pillow. She reached back, grabbed it, and hurried toward the door. "I’ll see you at breakfast."

Then she was gone.

Dexter stared after her as the door closed and he slowly leaned back against the headboard, then looked down at the wrinkled patch of his shirt where Selene had been holding him. His mouth curved before he could stop it, and he pressed a hand over his face.

’Calm down.’

That instruction accomplished absolutely nothing.

---

Nothing helped from overthinking what could have been without the disturbance.

The only thing that took his mind away was the system.

Dexter closed his eyes and called up the system. The notifications he had ignored were still waiting.

Golden lines unfolded before him.

[RELATIONSHIP UPDATE]

[Mira Calloway]

? Affection: 58%

? Current Stage: Budding Love

[Lyra Vance]

? Affection: 65%

? Current Stage: Love

[Selene Frost]

? Affection: 61%

? Current Stage: Love

Dexter stopped breathing for a moment. He read the numbers again, then the words beside them. Love. Budding Love.

His hand slowly lowered from his face, and for a long while, he simply sat there.

He remembered Mira glaring at him on their first night, Lyra watching him with that distant, unreadable expression, Selene flinching whenever he tried to help her. He remembered wondering how the four of them were supposed to survive in the same house.

Now—

"Sixty-five," he murmured. Lyra.

His gaze shifted. "Sixty-one." Selene.

And Mira, who had forced her spectral arms into supporting her legs because she wanted to stand in front of him.

Dexter exhaled slowly. He had suspected but seeing the changes laid out so plainly made something warm and unfamiliar spread through his chest.

A smaller notification appeared.

[Would you like to review the affection scale?]

Dexter accepted, and the panel expanded.

[AFFECTION SCALE]

? Affection measures a person’s emotional attachment to Dexter. It grows through care, trust, shared experiences, and freely made choices.

[0% — Indifference]

No emotional attachment. His presence or absence means little to her.

[1–10% — Interest]

She begins noticing him and becomes curious about him.

[11–20% — Familiarity]

She feels comfortable around him and begins enjoying his company.

[21–30% — Trust]

She starts relying on him and believes he cares about her well-being.

[31–40% — Fondness]

She cares about his happiness, worries about his safety, and looks forward to seeing him.

[41–50% — Growing Attachment]

His presence becomes important to her. She misses him when he is away and begins developing romantic feelings.

[51–60% — Budding Love]

She seeks closeness and wants to hold a special place in his heart. Her feelings may still confuse or embarrass her.

[61–70% — Love]

She recognizes that she loves him, even if she has not said it aloud. She wants to be with him by her own choice.

[71–80% — Deep Love]

She trusts him with her fears and vulnerabilities. She begins imagining a future with him.

[81–90% — Devotion]

Her love becomes a lasting commitment. She willingly supports him through hardship and trusts him to do the same for her.

[91–99% — Profound Love]

She knows his strengths and flaws and continues choosing him. Their bond rests on deep understanding, honesty, and shared commitment.

[100% — Complete Love]

She loves him wholeheartedly and fully commits to their future together. There is no uncertainty about her desire to remain with him.

[SYSTEM NOTE]

? High affection does not mean blind obedience. She retains her own opinions, boundaries, and choices.

? Affection can decrease through neglect, broken trust, or betrayal—even after reaching 100%.

? Each person expresses affection differently. Someone who hides her feelings may love just as deeply as someone who shows them openly.

Dexter’s gaze lingered on the final line. Then he glanced toward the girls room.

A quiet laugh escaped him. "Yes," he murmured. "Some hide it very well."

His attention returned to their names. The girls loved him. Or they were beginning to. He didn’t feel triumphant, he felt happy. And a little frightened by how much their happiness had come to matter to him.

He dismissed the scale only after reading their names one more time, then opened the rewards.