Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine

After sharing that kiss, Valra's mind went completely blank. Her heart still raced wildly, as if it hadn't yet caught up with what had just happened.

Everything had happened so fast and so... captivating, so utterly intoxicating, that for a moment she could barely form a single thought.

Her lips still tingled from the brief contact, her breath felt uneven, and the warmth of him still lingered like an invisible thread pulling her closer.

It wasn't just her. Leo, too, seemed to be processing what had just happened.

This was his first time kissing a girl... Well, his first real kiss given of his own will.

His gaze flickered toward her, then away again, as if holding her eyes too long might set something in motion that he wasn't ready for.

For a brief second, the air between them felt heavy with unspoken thoughts, but Leo cleared his throat. "So… uh," he began, voice a little awkward but steady enough to hide the rush beneath it.

"You… feeling okay?"

He didn't linger on the moment. Instead, he changed the subject entirely, guiding their conversation away from dangerous territory while still checking if she was alright.

Valra, though slightly disappointed that the kiss had ended so quickly, decided to follow his lead. She let the corners of her lips curl into a small smile.

One kiss… yes, it wasn't enough to satisfy the ache blooming inside her chest, but it was enough to make this day unforgettable.

For her, this was already a perfect home date.

Yup. That's exactly what this was—her very own home date.

Since his clothes had been burnt to a crisp earlier, she rummaged through her father's belongings and offered him a set of her father's old clothes. They were a bit dated but clean and comfortable. Leo, of course, accepted with an appreciative nod and stepped into the other room to change.

When he stepped back out, Valra's eyes softened.

"Hm… It's a little big," he muttered, looking down at the t-shirt and the long pants that hung just slightly loose around his frame.

The shirt draped over his shoulders, and the sleeves came down farther than they should. The pants, tied hastily at the waist, still threatened to slip a little.

Valra let out a quiet chuckle, watching the way he tugged at the fabric as if trying to make it fit better.

They settled onto the couch in the living room.

Valra returned with two chilled glasses of juice and handed one to Leo before curling up beside him, her knees tucked in comfortably.

They talked. A lot. Mostly about his previous self, the man she had once known.

Valra, after all, knew exactly who he was before. And since she knew, Leo asked—his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity—how she had grown so attached to him.

Yet, in the middle of this exchange, something shifted in his expression.

"Hm… something's not adding up here," he said, brows knitting together. "How long were we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

There was a pause.

He frowned deeper, as if replaying conversations in his head. "The timeline's weird. The month we first met… feels shorter than what you're saying. And Sakura mentioned once that we all became a couple... a couple of months ago."

Valra's throat tightened.

Crap... She forgot!!

Her fingers gripped the edge of her glass just a bit too firmly.

"H-Haha… I mean… I-I just lost track of time, that's all. Don't mind it," she replied quickly, her voice carrying a nervous tremor as beads of sweat prickled at the back of her neck.

Leo hummed, clearly not entirely convinced, but after a brief moment, he shrugged and let it go.

She exhaled silently in relief, but the guilt hit her harder than before.

She bit her lower lip, feeling the sting of her own teeth. She knew—she absolutely knew—that lying to him was wrong. Disgusting, even.

It wasn't something you should ever do to the one you love. And yet… she couldn't bring herself to stop... She couldn't lose this chance!

She had already lost once... to the first girl. And now, Sakura was moving in, playing her clever little games to win Leo over.

If Valra simply stood back and watched, she would lose him forever.

No! She would never let that happen.

Just losing to the first one had been unbearable enough; the memory of it still burned like an open wound. The pain, the bitterness, the crushing ache of watching him slip away—it had nearly broken her.

'P-Please forgive me, Leo,' she begged silently, her fists clenching in her lap.

Their relationship had only just taken a step forward. That kiss they shared… it had shifted something between them. Breaking it now would be disastrous, and she wasn't ready to face that kind of loss again.

Still, the guilt refused to fade.

Her lips trembled as she finally asked, almost in a whisper, "I-If I ever… did something wrong… w-would you forgive me?"

Leo blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"N-Nothing… just random thoughts, that's all… ahah." She forced an awkward smile, but the strain was visible.

Leo studied her for a second. She was acting strange, hesitant, almost fragile in her tone.

Maybe… maybe he'd rushed things.

Or... Maybe she was worried about where their relationship was headed.

After all… theirs wasn't a normal one. It was a three-way relationship, complicated and messy.

Leo sighed, "Honestly… I don't know what to do about our three-way relationship. Is that even possible?"

Valra smiled softly, seeing his pressured look. Of course, he would be stressed about having more than one girlfriend.

That's who he was... a man with principles and rules. He wouldn't do anything just for fun, unlike other males who would boost their egos by having more women and even treating them like some kind of trophies.

Leo was different!

"Don't worry… I'm fine with whoever you choose in the end. It's me and Sakura who pulled you into this. If anything, it's us who caused you problems… so we're ready for the rejection too…"

Her voice was steady, but her lips trembled faintly with each word. Leo could see it—the slight quiver she tried to hide. The fear in her eyes betrayed her calm act.

'What am I going to do?' he thought, honestly unsure. Right now, all he could picture was Valra's radiant smile, her shy glances, the way her cheeks had flushed after their kiss... And a thought of rejecting Sakura before she invested too much of her heart.

If anything, Valra being a mage meant that being with her would always be easier for Leo. She could handle herself in danger, adapt to strange situations, and even fight alongside him.

Sakura, on the other hand, was a normal, innocent girl… someone fragile, someone who would need protecting.

Still, that didn't mean Sakura was harmless... Far from it.

Sakura was a cute yandere girl—sweet and soft on the outside, but Leo could already imagine the lengths she would go to if she decided to defeat Valra and claim him entirely for herself.

He pictured it clearly—her bright smile masking a dangerous glint in her eyes, her patience stretching thin before snapping in ways that would surprise everyone.

'Sigh…' he exhaled inwardly.

Now wasn't the time to get lost in thoughts about the two of them. There were more pressing things to focus on.

Shaking his head, he brought himself back to the moment and glanced at Valra. "Anyway… can I get those Destruction Stones? I mean… I just wanted to test them out a bit… is that okay?"

Valra tilted her head slightly, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Well… those are old stones. My father kept them in his favourite library. Maybe he still needs them…"

Leo's face dimmed instantly, the light in his eyes fading,

'I guess… I'm going to end up stealing from my girlfriend's house'

But then—

"B-But you can have them."

Leo looked up, surprised.

Valra's cheeks flushed a soft pink as she added in a quiet, almost shy voice,

"I-If it's you, I don't mind."

"…"

He knew she was talking about the stones.... She had to be!!

And yet… the way her gaze softened, the way her lips trembled slightly, the faint nervous breath she drew before speaking—it all hinted at something else entirely.

Leo swallowed hard. Nope, man… nope! He already kissed her earlier. Moving any further now would feel like rushing too fast, like taking advantage of her.

If he wasn't careful, it would start looking like all he cared about was her body… and those stones.

And that… that was exactly the kind of man he didn't want to be.

This was also the very reason he didn't want her to know the truth. She had lost her champion because of his own greed, and yet… she hadn't blamed him, not even once. He knew if he asked for her help in facing Dracula, she would agree without hesitation—but that was precisely what scared him.

They were going up against Dracula. No one knew what could happen. And putting her in danger? That was the last thing Leo ever wanted.

He had already lost too much. He couldn't afford to lose more.

A soft smile tugged at his lips, more for himself than for her. 'Yeah…' he thought quietly, as though reassuring his own heart.

Without fully thinking, he stepped closer to her.

Valra's breath caught—her shoulders tensed slightly, and the blush on her cheeks deepened into a richer shade of red. Her lips parted for a moment, then pressed together as if… inviting him.

Leo's eyes softened. He leaned forward, closing the gap, and pressed his lips gently against hers.

"Hmm~"

It was their second kiss.

On the same day.

Moving far too quickly for someone like him… wasn't it?

Still, neither of them pulled away too soon.

When they finally parted, Leo gave her a faint smile before taking a small step back. "I should get going. My aunt wanted me to come back quickly."

Valra's lower lip jutted out in a tiny pout, but she didn't complain. "Alright… I'll see you later then."

She watched as he left her mansion, walking down the path with his bag slung over his shoulder—inside it were the Destruction Stones she had willingly given.

At the gate, he turned and waved once. She waved back softly, her heart swelling as she followed him with her eyes until he disappeared down the street.

Still leaning on the gate, she felt a smile grow... warm and full of the giddy joy she could no longer hold back.

Then—

"YYYAAAAAYYYYY!! I KISSEEEDDD HIIMMMMMMM!!!"

She screamed it to the sky, her voice bursting with the purest happiness she had felt in years, her laughter trailing behind it like music.