System's POV

Chapter 1253: For A Heartbeat, The World Stilled

After their heart-to-heart talk under the starry skies, the Succubus Princess invited Zion to her room.

He agreed to rest in her room, and they headed back together.

When they prepared to sleep, Thirteen took his suit off, finding it uncomfortable to sleep in. Likewise, Princess Xynalia also removed her dress.

Since they were now officially engaged to each other, neither felt embarrassed by the other.

Not to mention, Princess Xynalia had already seen Zion, or at least, his grown-up past self, in his dream, so she was no longer fazed at the sight of his naked body.

As for Thirteen, he’d always been the kind of person who wouldn’t bat an eye even if a thousand beautiful girls were to strip naked in front of him.

The two decided to take a bath together, which proved to be a challenge for the princess.

Princess Xynalia thought she would be fine with Zion seeing her naked body, but to her surprise, she still felt embarrassed about it.

Thirteen, who had no idea what she was thinking, volunteered to wash her hair and scrub her back for her.

When he asked her if she wished for him to wash her front, Princess Xynalia finally snapped out of her daze and told him that she would do it herself.

Since he no longer needed to wash her, Thirteen then proceeded to wash himself, which didn’t take him a long time.

They finished at the same time, wiped their bodies dry with a towel, and went to bed.

Thirteen dutifully used a hairdryer to dry the princess’ hair, after which he combed it for her. He was already used to doing these things since it had been a daily routine for him since he had become engaged with Erica and Sherry.

After returning the gesture and drying her fiance’s hair, the princess watched as the teenage boy lay down on the bed.

“Are you not going to wear any clothes?” Princess Xynalia asked.

“Should I?” Thirteen asked innocently. “Erica says clothes only get in the way when we sleep.”

A sigh escaped Princess Xynalia’s lips because their roles seemed to have become reversed.

She was the succubus and was supposed to be the more aggressive and bold one between the two of them.

But in front of Zion, she was like an innocent maiden seeing a man for the first time.

Technically, she was indeed an innocent maiden. Still, as a succubus, she ought to be more confident since she knew about the art of lovemaking more than most ladies.

Of course, Thirteen had no plans on making love with her. He truly planned to sleep and do nothing else.

In fact, drowsiness hit him as soon as his head rested on the pillow.

If not for the fact that Princess Xynalia suddenly kissed his lips as she lay down on the bed, Thirteen might have already dozed off.

Thinking it was only a good night kiss, he returned her kiss, just like what he did to his lovers.

One thing led to another, and before either of them realized it, the two of them were only a step away from breaking that last barrier.

At that moment, Princess Xynalia’s succubus instincts overthrew her senses, compelling her to take that final step to become one with the man she had chosen as her life partner.

A soft, sweet sigh of surrender escaped the young lady’s lips as her body shuddered from their union.

The years she spent inside Zion’s dream, as well as the pent-up feelings that she felt for him, made her realize just how long she had been waiting for this moment.

For a heartbeat, the world stilled. The sound of the wind outside faded, leaving only the quiet rhythm of their breathing.

Princess Xynalia’s fingers trembled as she touched Zion’s cheek, as if confirming that he was truly there.

The brief pain she felt after losing her innocence was washed away by the overflowing love and happiness that was bubbling inside her chest.

“Zion…” Princess Xynalia said softly, her voice breaking slightly. “Please love me too.”

He met her gaze, and something gentle, almost sacred, passed between them.

“I will,” Thirteen replied. “I promise.”

That simple assurance unraveled the walls she had built around her heart.

She leaned into him, closing the last distance, not as a princess or a succubus but as a woman who had finally found the one soul she cherished.

Their closeness became a language. It was wordless, tender, and full of longing.

Each breath, each small movement, spoke of years of waiting, of emotions long restrained.

And when she finally reached her limit, she lay down in his arms, exhausted, but satisfied.

The warmth that was seeping inside of her womb was proof of their promise of forever.

———

Princess Xynalia looked tenderly at the boy who was sleeping peacefully in her embrace.

The faint light of the sun entered the room through the small space between the window curtains.

Morning had come, and yet, she didn’t want to get out of bed.

She wished to look at Zion’s sleeping face forever.

The face of her fiance, who had promised to love her.

She didn’t know when it started.

The princess had no idea when she started to feel strong attraction for him.

But after giving it some thought, she realized that it no longer mattered because what was important was the present.

’I wonder… can he stay with me for one more day?’ Princess Xynalia thought.

She was now feeling a little selfish and possessive of her lover after he had taken her first time.

’I think I now understand why Kate chose to give you a human body as her wish,’ Princess Xynalia mused, kissing his forehead. ’Maybe I would have done the same if I were in her shoes. Sometimes, love can make people stupid. Love is truly blind.’

Kate loved Thirteen.

She loved him very much.

For her, he was not just a System, but someone who had been there all her life.

He had been with her through every emotion—happiness, sadness, loneliness, anger—and had witnessed all her most important milestones. He was the only one Kate trusted absolutely, and seeing him in person made her feel complete.

As if the missing piece of her life finally fell into place, painting a beautiful picture that she would cherish forever.

Truth be told, if Princess Xynalia wished to conceive, she could easily do it.

As a succubus, she had perfect control over her reproductive system.

But she didn’t want to cheat.

Princess Xynalia knew that Thirteen was not ready to be a father at this point in time. He still had many things to do, battles to wage, and Gods to punish.

Although she felt anxious about her lover fighting against the Gods, she decided to believe in him.

If they couldn’t find happiness in this lifetime, they would find it in the next. Just like how Medea became Shana and was now standing by Thirteen’s side.

A few minutes later, Thirteen stirred in his sleep.

She watched as her lover slowly opened his eyes to look at her, still half asleep.

Without saying a word, Princess Xynalia kissed his lips not once, not twice, but thrice.

“Good morning,” Princess Xynalia said with love.

“Good morning, Xynalia,” Thirteen replied as he hugged her body and closed his eyes once more.

Princess Xynalia didn’t resist and hugged him back, enjoying the warmth of his body on her bare skin.

The two stayed like that for a few more minutes before they reluctantly left the bed to bathe and prepare for the start of a new day.

When they arrived at the living room, Lady Ristella gave her niece a knowing smile, which made the princess’ face turn beet-red, confirming her Aunt’s assumption that the deal had been sealed in more ways than one.