Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 165: To Be Free, Together

To Be Free, Together

Moonlight poured in from the open window, pouring silver radiance over Leon’s white shirt as Nova glided smoothly off his lap. Her body flowed with languid ease, and his arms, now bereft, hung motionless—between surprise and peaceful amusement. His golden eyes flashed with pleasure as he observed her stand, the light defining the contours of her shape, curiosity flickering behind his eyes.

Hey,” Leon inquired, moving closer to her, eyes glinting with a playful interest. ”Where are you going?

Nova hesitated, then looked back at him with a spark of flame in her green eyes—wicked, careless, and very much in charge. Slowly, slowly, she turned to regard him completely, one eyebrow raised. With a wave of her hand, she invited him down the length of her body—naked legs, black lace panties, and an open white shirt that did not conceal the bra cupping her breasts.

”You took me out on a date,” she told him, her tone teasing, chin cocking with mischievous defiance. ”You want me to go like this?”

Leon’s eyes blinked. Whatever clever retort he’d been grasping for disintegrated.

His gaze, treacherous eyes, lingered. The moonlight caressed every inch of her skin that was exposed, a glowing touch over the curve of her thighs, the tip of lace, the gentle separation in the shirt that topped her breasts like a silk-wrapped invitation. She was wild and careless and outrageously beautiful—like trouble wrapped in moonlight.

A breath hung in his throat.

Nova’s smile grew wider when she caught on. The flush creeping up her cheeks was soft, but it was there—constant and unspoken. Near to being a dare. But beneath it, her heart was pounding furiously. Not merely at the way he was staring at her...but at the peculiar, spreading warmth rising low in her abdomen. A heat she didn’t know. Could not describe.

And yet—she did not turn away.

”Ahem,” she taunted, tossing her hair over one shoulder. ”Leo–nnn,” she stretched out his name on a wicked smile, her voice playfully pointed.

Leon blinked, shaking off the haze. He cleared his throat, lips curving into a sheepish grin. ”I—uh—became lost in your loveliness once more.”

Nova raised a brow but remained silent, merely shook her head at him—half amused, half frustrated—and walked away without a word.

Leon’s breath hitched as she started walking towards the wardrobe, every step slow, deliberate in its swing. Her hips rocked with innate assurance, her green top moving just enough to tantalize him with fleeting, fleeting visions of her contours—the smooth curve of her hips, the flawless shape of her ass.

He couldn’t help it. His gaze tracked after hers, golden and focused, the edge of his mouth curling up. She’s totally flirting with me. And beneath the sultry confidence, something more tender awoke—something he couldn’t quite define. A quiet vulnerability that only made her more compelling.

But one thing was sure—Leon was enjoying himself immensely.

Nova stood on the other side of the room, her back to Leon, rummaging through the depths of her wardrobe with her movements calm, precise... but not entirely unaffected. Come on, Nova. You’re a warrior. But tonight... feel something else.

A thrill of quiet wrapped itself around her belly. She drew out a pair of magic black high-waisted pants, the material shining like silk at midnight. Sleek, strong. Coupled with a white turtleneck sweater trimmed in silver runes along the edges of the collar, it seemed like something ripped from a tale—sophisticated, deadly, and just wickedly enough for a night slip away beneath the moon.

She hugged the clothes to her chest, hesitating. Her heart skipped a beat. He’s watching me.

And he was not looking away.

The realization sent shiverings up the back of her neck, ones she attempted to repress with a scoff—but the telltale blush betrayed her.

Nova emerged from her apartment, and Leon’s eyes fell on her immediately. His eyes followed every contour, every catch of light on fabric, unhurried and unblinking. There was nothing relaxed about it.

Nova sensed his regard as heat on her skin—unapologetic, all-consuming, and entirely too raw.

Slip by slip, it was stripping away her laboriously constructed armor.

And... she didn’t care.

She moved toward him, slow and measured, each step light but filled with something more. Her breathing was level, regulated, but there was a softness to it now—a tug, unobtrusive but powerful.

Leon watched her approach, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. Without a word, she placed outfit she had chosen gently beside him on the bed.

Then, his golden eyes lifted to hers—asking nothing, demanding nothing—just waiting.

Nova returned his stare, warmth rising beneath her flesh. Her hands went to the bottom of her shirt. She paused only for a heartbeat, then slowly drew it up inch by inch, uncovering bare flesh to the warm light of the room. Then, she threw it indifferently to the bed, but his eyes never wavered from hers.

Nova was left wearing nothing but a black bra and gentle, dark panties, moonlight having kissed her skin. Leon’s eyes narrowed—golden, molten, unguarded. No mask now, no pretender play. Only raw, aching desire.

She sensed it—gods, she sensed it in the air between them—but she didn’t even quiver. Instead, she smiled. Cool. Aware.

Then she stooped, slowly, to retrieve the white turtleneck sweater.

Leon’s breath hitched.

She pulled it over her head, the fabric draping like snow against skin. The sleeves hung down past her wrists, and the collar with its rune-edged tips lay just below her collarbones—demure, beautiful... and no less infuriating. The round of her full breasts disappeared beneath the gentle fabric, but the shape was still there—understated, deadly.

Still keeping an eye on him, she moved towards the black jeans. Her hands hooked into the waistband, then one leg in, and finally the other. The magical fabric hugged her hips as if it knew the way around her—tight, smooth, cupping every curve with wicked accuracy.

She yanked the jeans up, inch by inch, slowly enough to let him suffer through it. The way the material hugged her hips and thighs was not lost on either of them. A nasty little smile creased her lips as she made one final adjustment—pushing the sweater into the waistband.

And then she spun around to confront him.

Leon had not yet spoken. His gaze tracked every movement of cloth, every twitch of hair, every exhalation she made. He sat absolutely unarmed—entirely taken up in the moment.

He let out a slow breath, the sound halfway between a laugh and something grimmer. Harder.

”Leon?” she prodded, playing, pushing her messy ponytail over her shoulder.

That snapped him out of it.

He blinked, eyes shifting—stopping on the slope of her waist, the sweep of her hair, the gentle upward curve of her chest under that spellbinding sweater. Then at last, at last, he met her eyes.

And for a moment, Nova forgot how to breathe.

He cleared his throat, a bit sheepish—but didn’t look away. A gentle smile brushed his lips, and his tone fell lower. ”You... look amazing,” he said. ”Breathtakingly beautiful, my love.”

Nova’s heart skipped—first warm, then feral.

She was accustomed to brash words, teasing barbs, flirtation as sharp as knives. But this? This was different. Silent. Sincere. And it cut deeper than anything else ever could.

Get it together, she told herself. Her heart racing too fast, her breathing too shallow. She struggled to remain calm, but the fringes of her control were shattering.

A steadfast smile, however. Unfazed, on the outside. But her voice gave her away.

”Thanks. for your compliment,” she panted, softer than she’d meant.

She leaned her head, ever so slightly, and moved in closer. Close enough to sense the heat of him, to catch the soft breath he drew when she approached.

Her heart was racing in her chest, but her tone was breezy. ”So... are we going?”

Leon stood with serene precision, smoothing the hem of his white shirt and the creases in his trousers with a gentleman’s elegance—as if for a royal ball, not an escape by moonlight. Then, with a sweeping flourish, he offered his hand and dropped into a teasing bow, his golden eyes sparkling.

”My lady,” he whispered, voice low and smooth with charm.

Nova raised an eyebrow, but the smile fighting its way onto her lips was impossible to suppress. She fitted her hand into his—warm, solid—and for an instant, time stood still. His fingers wrapped around hers softly, firmly, and something unspoken moved between them.

Something that made her heart misstep.

Why is this so. right?

Leon’s eyes met hers with a tiny, intimate smile, and they walked together toward the window.

Nova braked as they drew near, a flash of puzzlement passing over her face. ”Wait,” she said, looking around. ”Aren’t we going out the door?”

Leon spun around to her with that trademark glint of mischief dancing in his eyes. ”No,” he breathed, like sharing some fine secret. ”We’re sneaking out. Out the window.”

Nova blinked. ”The window?”

He nodded once, decisive and amused.

Her heart skipped, the daftness curving with something curiously bittersweet. The window...

And then, out of nowhere, a memory nagged—distant and half-hidden under layers of incredulity. Her mother’s voice, whispery and ethereal, recurred from some forgotten children’s tale: ”One Night,” her mother had whispered to Nova as a child, shepherding her into bed with a gentle kiss to the forehead, ”a princely gentleman will arrive in the middle of the night to steal you off under the noses of all who protect you.”

Had she ever really thought it? Most likely not. But now—here, enveloped in the reverberation of that ancient legend, seeing Leon smile with mad schemes in his eyes—her heart skipped a beat.

Gods... tonight, it’s real.

Her breath halted for a second.

Otherside Leon caught her immobility.

His expression creased. ”Nova?”

She didn’t respond right away. Her gaze was far away, trapped somewhere between then and now.

So he did the one thing he knew that would be effective: he reached up and lightly pinched her nose.

”Oi!” she snapped, drawing back with a glare. ”What the hell is going on? Are you fixated on my nose or something?!”

”Guilty,” he said with a grin of apology. ”But you zoned out again. I had to snap you out of it somehow.”

She huffed, rubbing the tip of her now slightly reddened nose. ”Bothering man.”

He smiled. ”Admit it. You love it.”

She shot him an unconvincing scowl. ”Debatable.”

He chuckled softly, then cleared his throat. ”So. What were you thinking about?”

She paused. Then shook her head. ”Nothing important. Just... a childhood memory.”

Leon caught the telltale wobble in her tone—wistful, nearly fragile—but opted not to push.

She bit her lip, then tilted her head slightly, trying to rein back the fluttering inside her chest. ”Are you serious?

Leon stepped forward, closing the space between them. His hand rose, fingers brushing her cheek with a gentleness that made her breath hitch. ”Yes, my love,” he said softly, golden eyes steady. ”I’m more than serious.” He smiled, eyes gleaming. ”So... ready for a moonlit adventure?”

Nova closed her eyes, momentarily blinded. Her heart was racing—harder than in combat, louder than her mind. And yet, all she could feel was yes.

She nodded, out of breath. ”Yes... I am.”

His smile became triumphant.

Without a word, Leon swept her up into his arms, hoisting her easily into a soft princess carry. Nova shrieked, taken aback. ”Leon!”

But her voice dissolved into laughter as she snuggled into his chest, her arms loosely encircling his neck. He was warm and hard and utterly absurd—and she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

”Here we go,” he whispered.

He climbed up onto the broad windowsill, the night wind sweeping in to meet them—cool and wild and full of promise. It teased her hair, pulled at his shirt, and brought the heady scent of pine and faraway stars.

Moonlight illuminated them both, soft and silver, tracing their silhouettes in light.

And for an instant, Nova forgot she was a warrior. Forgot the world beyond. Forgot her walls.

Because this—this foolish, irresponsible, magical instant—was hers.

And Leon?

He made it real.

Nova leaned in further, her cheek against his chest in a gentle lay. She could sense the low beat of his heart against her ear—steady, warm, grounding. Her hand wandered up to his shoulder, nails lightly skimming the shoulder of his shirt. That simple beat... soothed her. Grounded her.

Leon raised his head, golden eyes aglow with unspoken love. He gazed down at her, nestled in his arms, his voice low and earnest.

”Ready, my love,” he whispered, ”for this exciting night out?”

He moved slightly on the sill, body poised with perfect poise, as if born to soar through stars.

”Tonight is ours,” he breathed. ”To feel. To enjoy... to be free.

Nova attempted to say something, but the feeling lodged in her throat. Her lips shook as she gazed up at him, eyes glinting in the moonlight.

”I... I think you,” she whispered.

Leon’s face softened—something soft, something awed passing over his features. He smiled, slow and full of love.

Then, without a word, he moved forward—

—and they leaped.

He still held her in his arms as they flew through the window, out into the open air.

Into the dark unknown.

Out into moonlight and breeze, where rooftops lay like stepping stones, and shadows made vows of mayhem and enchantment. The wind whirled around them, laughter in its tail.

And when they disappeared into darkness, hearts close against each other, beating in identical time—

They were free.

They were alive.

They were together.