Chapter 24: Deep Synchronization

"Surely, you know that doors are meant to be knocked on before entering, brother-in-law Vincent."

Ephraim finally straightened.

Without any slightest hint of panic, he moved away from Lydia and adjusted his white shirt. He even took the time to smooth out the wrinkles before turning toward the furious intruder with his polite smile.

Vincent’s face twitched at his audacity.

"Greetings to the future sun of Adelstein, Crown Prince Ephraim." Vincent bowed stiffly before straightening and snapping a military salute.

"Reporting for duty, Commander, sir!"

The words escaped him automatically, drilled into his bones by years of military training.

What a wonderful day to be Vincent Valendorf.

Then he straightened and pointed an accusing finger at Ephraim.

"No! I wasn’t here to say that! How dare you fuck my sister right in our house?"

He unleashed a stream of curses that would have made star fleet mercenaries and Otherworlders blush. Colorful words flew from his mouth so quickly that Lydia couldn’t even keep track of them all.

At this point, Brother Vincent would be better off starting a career as a rapper than serving as the Head of Imperial Elite Sentinels of the Adelstein Empire.

He is throwing his dignity away one curse at a time. Seriously.

Considering Vincent was the heir to a prestigious ducal house, his choice of vocabulary was remarkably unsuitable for someone of his standing.

Ephraim listened without reacting. When Vincent finally paused to draw breath, he smiled.

"We were just doing a deep guiding session," Ephraim explained. "Deep Synchronization."

This damned shameless, thick-skinned lunatic! Your Highness, you were just caught with your face buried between your fiancée’s breasts! Have some decency!

And why did you have to repeat it in such a 21+ term? Do you think adding a technical term makes this any less embarrassing?!

Lydia wanted to bury her face in her hands. Of all the excuses Ephraim could have come up with, he had chosen to drop the bomb of truth right in front of her own brother.

Vincent gaped like a fish out of water as his face turned redder by the second. "Commander! How could you do that to my little sister!!?"

"We are engaged. It’s perfectly normal."

"You shameless bast—"

Vincent’s face turned an even deeper shade of red as he pointed an accusing finger at Ephraim. His mouth opened, but whatever insult came next seemed too scandalous even for him to say in front of the Crown Prince.

He let out a strangled noise of pure frustration. Without another word, Vincent spun around and slammed the door shut behind him.

For a moment, neither Lydia nor Ephraim spoke. Then she slowly lowered her hands and turned toward her fiancé.

"You pervert!"

"Not when you were enjoying that as well."

"Yes, of cour—No! Don’t change the subject! Don’t tell me your Resonance Stress corruption has gotten to your brain, too, Ephraim!"

Oh, what Lydia would do to erase that devilish smirk on his face! She just couldn’t believe it.

Lydia had known Ephraim for years across her previous lives, and although the man certainly wasn’t innocent, she had never expected him to become this shameless.

He had kissed her senseless, gotten handsy, and then casually announced to her brother that they were performing Deep Synchronization.

Sentinels and Guides were not ordinary humans, after all. Their Spirit Animals affected their instincts, and Guiding did more than connect their mental powers.

Guiding a Sentinel to lower their Resonance Stress could also awaken their primal desire to mate.

When a Sentinel and Guide became sexually intimate, some called it sex, others called it mating, while the Imperial Authority referred to it as Deep Synchronization.

Lydia swallowed hard as the heat inside her body grew harder to ignore.

The knowledge did little to help her regain her composure. If anything, it only made her more aware of the man standing so close to her.

Before she could properly think about what she was doing, Ephraim had already leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Again.

"Closer physical contact strengthens the connection," Ephraim explained. "It helps stabilize your mental power and accelerates Guiding."

"You’re just making excuses to be a pervert!"

"The closer the contact, the stronger the guiding, Lydia."

She stared at him suspiciously.

"So you’re saying this is actually part of Guiding?"

"It can be."

"And could you have explained that BEFORE making out with me like your life depended on it?!"

"I wonder. That was amazing, I’d say. I like it when you guide me."

Ephraim smirked against her lips.

Still, the explanation made enough sense that Lydia decided to check the facts before accusing him of making everything up.

Raising her wrist, Lydia activated her bracelet and opened his Resonance status.

[Resonance Stress: 6%]

She looked up at Ephraim. "You... weren’t lying."

The relief came before she could stop it.

His Resonance Stress had dropped from 45% to 6%. Lydia had been worried about his condition, but seeing the number fall so low finally put her mind at ease.

Whatever had happened between them, the improvement was undeniable.

Ephraim pulled Lydia into his embrace and buried his face in her hair. He held her close and kissed the top of her head as he enjoyed her warmth.

"Ephraim?"

"Hm?"

"You’re going to have to explain what happened to my family later."

His arms tightened slightly around her.

"Why?"

"Why?" Lydia repeated in surprise. "You were pinning me on my bed when Brother Vincent walked in! Do you honestly think Father and my brothers will let that go?"

Ephraim considered this.

"We’re engaged."

"Have you no shame at all?" She lifted her head to stare at him. "They’re going to be furious!"

"Then I’ll explain."

His answer was so calm that Lydia couldn’t decide whether to admire his confidence or worry about his survival.

However, something soft brushed her from behind. Ephraim’s tail was swishing merrily behind him despite his perfectly composed expression.

Unlike their owner, Ephraim’s Spirit Animal features were terrible at hiding his emotions.

His face might have been as calm as a lake, but his ears and tail were practically celebrating. The sight was so adorable that Lydia had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

How cute.

The moment Ephraim noticed where Lydia was looking, his expression stiffened. His ears flattened and disappeared into his blond hair, and his tail vanished from sight.

"There," he said, as though nothing had happened.

They’re cute." Lydia smiled at him. "You don’t have to hide them from me, you know. You can just be yourself when we’re alone. I like seeing the real you."

For a few precious moments, the room fell into comfortable silence. Lydia was content to stay in Ephraim’s arms until something on the floor caught her attention.

A piece of paper lay on the floor near the bed. Vincent must have dropped it during his dramatic entrance. Lydia leaned forward to get a better look, and Ephraim followed her gaze.

"What is that?" he asked.

"I don’t have a good feeling about this."

Lydia reached down and picked it up.

The document bore the official seal of House Fielyn, with a formal accusation printed beneath it.

Lydia read through the document until she found the charges House Fielyn had filed against her for Emily’s emotional distress.

"How dare her..."

Ephraim leaned closer to read it over her shoulder.

"A demand for compensation money from Emily Fielyn?"