Corporal Greaves looked almost unrecognizable out of uniform and from when they first met. Her dark brown hair, usually tied back in a tight ponytail, now cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a deep emerald dress that hugged her athletic frame while still flowing elegantly, the fabric accentuating the curve of her hips and the toned shape of her arms.

  But what truly caught Kaiden off guard was her cleavage. The dress had a plunging neckline, revealing far more than he had ever seen of her. He had never thought about it before, but now it was impossible to ignore—she had a very big chest, and the way the dress framed her figure made it obvious. A jade necklace rested just above the exposed skin, bringing out the sharp green of her eyes in a way that made them almost glow under the warm lighting of the bordello.

  There was an ease to the way she moved, a different kind of presence from her usual commanding demeanor. Even dressed like this, she still carried herself like a leader—but with a touch of something more playful, something effortlessly sensual.

  Kaiden blinked, trying to shake off his surprise. This was Greaves, the same woman who had led him through his first dungeon run with the unit. And yet, standing here, she looked nothing like the strict, no-nonsense corporal he had come to know.

  Kaiden turned to Davick. "Be right back."

  Davick raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" But before he could say anything else, Kaiden was already walking toward Greaves.

  "Corporal," Kaiden said as he reached her. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

  Greaves narrowed her eyes slightly. "What’re you talking about? I’m not here for you."

  Then, she glanced past him, scanning the room.

  Kaiden felt his face flush slightly as realization hit. The way she was dressed, the deep neckline of her gown, the sultry way the jade necklace rested just above her exposed skin—combined with her relaxed, almost playful demeanor—it all suddenly made sense. This wasn’t Dungeoneer Greaves. This was a different side of her, one he had never imagined seeing..

  She wasn’t here for him.

  She was here for the same reason as everyone else.

  Kaiden swallowed hard, his mind briefly betraying him with a mental picture he didn’t expect, and quickly forced himself to focus back on her face before he made things worse.

  He tried to cover his embarrassment. "I just thought… because of my meeting with General Thorne, that you came by for answers."

  Greaves’ eyes widened as her attention snapped back to him.

  "What!?" she hissed. "You had a meeting with General Thorne? You can’t be serious."

  Kaiden blinked. "I thought you knew that."

  She shook her head. "No way. They don’t tell me these things. All I was told was that you’d been summoned to headquarters and to get your ass there ASAP."

  “Oh...”

  "Holy shit," she muttered, looking at him with newfound interest. "General Thorne? You’re not shitting me?"

  "I’m not," Kaiden said.

  Greaves chuckled, shaking her head. "Wow. You really are something."

  She clapped him on the shoulder. "But we can talk about that later. I’m meeting someone here, enjoy your night."

  With that, she walked off, leaving Kaiden standing there, still trying to process what had just happened.

  Kaiden sat back down next to Davick and saw a drink waiting for him on the bar.

  “Damn!” Davick blurted. “I had no idea your corporal looked like that.”

  “Me either,” Kaiden muttered as he deactivated Regeneration.

  He grabbed the glass and took a sip, letting the liquid coat the back of his throat with that familiar sting. Gin.

  “Thanks, man,” Kaiden said. He hadn’t asked, but Davick had remembered that gin was his favorite.

  “Just glad you’re back,” Davick said, raising his glass.

  They clinked drinks in a quiet toast before downing another sip.

  After seeing Greaves here, Kaiden had made up his mind—he was going to see this through.

  He was far outside of his comfort zone just by being here, but he didn’t want it to be that way forever. He didn’t want to be the guy who froze up around women, or worse, someone who had no idea how to please them. He had already promised himself that he would grow.

  This was his new life. He wouldn’t waste it.

  Besides, bordellos seemed normal here. Greaves hadn’t looked embarrassed or shy about being in a place like this. If anything, she had seemed at ease, like it was just a regular night out.

  Kaiden downed the last drop of his drink and set the glass on the bar.

  “Davick, I’m ready,” he said, steadying his voice as best he could. “Please choose a good one for me.”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  He still lacked the confidence to go out and pick a girl himself, but this was still a huge step.

  Davick grinned. “Now we’re talking.”

  Finishing the last sip of his drink, he hopped off his stool. “Be right back.”

  Kaiden didn’t bother watching to see where Davick went. Whatever was about to happen, he’d just let it happen.

  His heart was already pounding in his chest as he waited nervously.

  "First time here?" a sultry voice said over Kaiden's shoulder as a woman slid into the empty seat next to him.

  "How’d you know?" Kaiden asked, turning to get a look at her.

  She was beautiful, with dark hair cut just past her ears, framing her sharp features in a way that made her striking rather than delicate. Her deep blue eyes held a playful glint, and the black dress she wore clung to her curves without being overly revealing. She looked to be around his age, maybe a little older, with the confidence of someone who had been in this setting far longer than he had.

  The woman smiled. "It's obvious to anyone here. You don’t have to look so tense."

  Kaiden forced a smile. "Right… that makes sense."

  Her smile widened. "How about some drinks to take the edge off?"

  "Sure," he said, glad for the excuse to occupy himself with something other than overthinking.

  She waved the bartender over. "What’ll you have?"

  "Gin."

  The woman nodded approvingly. "And he has good taste, too."

  The bartender arrived, and she ordered two glasses of gin before turning back to Kaiden and extending a hand. "I'm Selise."

  He shook her hand. "Kaiden."

  "A pleasure," she said smoothly. She studied him for a moment, then smirked. "Now, let me guess—you’re a new Dungeoneer."

  Kaiden chuckled. "Yeah, you’re quite perceptive."

  Selise chuckled. "Not really. It’s an easy guess. This spot is close to the 2nd and 3rd battalions’ base, so it sees a lot of Dungeoneers. And since it’s your first time then you must be new to the base. And I guessed military since you look quite strong and fit. Also, handsome but that doesn’t have anything to do with the military."

  Kaiden felt a faint warmth creep up his neck. "Thanks… you look great too."

  Selise laughed softly and shook her head. "You don’t have to return a compliment that way. It sounds disingenuous when you do it like that. When you compliment a lady, do it naturally, not just as a response."

  Kaiden felt his ears burn at the playful rebuke and nearly doubled down with another compliment, but he stopped himself just in time.

  Selise tilted her head slightly, watching Kaiden with amusement as he hesitated. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she took a slow sip of her drink. "You're adorable when you're nervous," she said, resting her elbow on the bar and leaning in slightly.

  Kaiden cleared his throat, gripping his glass a little tighter. "I’m not nervous," he said, though the slight stiffness in his voice gave him away.

  She chuckled. "Of course not. Just completely rigid, avoiding eye contact, and holding onto that drink like it’s going to save you."

  Kaiden exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "I’m just... not used to this kind of place."

  "Clearly," she said, smirking. "That’s not a bad thing, you know. Makes you more fun to tease."

  Kaiden shifted in his seat, unsure if he should be flattered or embarrassed. "I, uh, didn’t realize teasing was part of the service."

  Selise let out a soft laugh. "Service?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "So that’s what you think this is?"

  Kaiden blinked, unsure how to respond.

  She grinned, leaning in just a little more. "Alright, since you’re new to all this, let me give you some free advice." She traced the rim of her glass with a finger. "When a woman flirts with you, don’t tense up like a cornered animal. Relax, breathe. Let the moment flow naturally."

  Kaiden exhaled slowly, trying to take her words to heart. "Right. Just... go with it?"

  "Exactly." She tilted her head playfully. "You're learning."

  He scratched the back of his neck. "Not very quickly."

  Selise smiled, her voice dropping to something softer, almost conspiratorial. "You're doing better than you think."

  Kaiden felt the warmth return to his face. He was fighting an uphill battle, but he had to admit, Selise had a way of making it less daunting.

  She took another sip of her drink before setting it down and looking at him with a knowing smile. "Why don’t we finish this conversation somewhere more comfortable?"

  Kaiden blinked. "Uh... upstairs?"

  Selise reached for his hand, her fingers warm against his. "Come on," she said, her voice smooth and inviting.

  Before he could think too hard about it, she led him toward the stairs, weaving through the dimly lit lounge as Kaiden followed, his heart pounding in his chest.

  This is it.

  Break

  Kaiden woke up to knocking on his door.

  He was back in his room at the barracks. After a very enjoyable evening with Selise, he had tried looking for Davick, but his friend was nowhere to be found. In the end, he had walked back alone, still processing everything that had happened.

  "One second!" he yelled, yawning as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched. He figured it was most likely Davick, wanting to catch up before training.

  He walked to the door and opened it.

  Sure enough, Davick was standing there, wearing a bit of an awkward smile but looking happy enough.

  "Come on in," Kaiden said, heading back inside to change.

  Davick stepped in, hesitating before speaking. "I'm so sorry about last night."

  "What do you mean?" Kaiden asked as he pulled a fresh shirt over his head and glanced over.

  Davick looked confused for a second. "Because I left you."

  Kaiden shrugged. "I don’t mind. After all—"

  "No, it's not alright," Davick interrupted, shaking his head. "I was a horny bastard last night. I said I’d find a girl for you, but when I went looking, well… I ran into this amazing girl, and I—uh, just couldn’t say no. I'm so sorry, man. I promise, on my next paycheck, I’ll get you any girl you want. No matter the price."

  Kaiden froze mid-motion. "Wait… you mean you didn’t send Selise my way?"

  Davick frowned. "Who’s Selise?"

  Kaiden blinked. "Oh." Then it clicked. "Oh shit."

  "What?" Davick asked, completely lost.

  Kaiden couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. He finished changing, grabbed his things, and headed for the door with Davick trailing behind. He locked up and shook his head, still amused.

  "I met someone there last night," he said as they walked toward the training grounds. "And it turns out her not being a working girl makes a lot of sense now."

  Davick slowed his pace. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

  Before Kaiden could answer, his attention snapped forward.

  Corporal Greaves was walking across the field, making a beeline straight for him.

  Kaiden stopped.

  Davick, caught off guard, nearly bumped into him. "Hey, why’d you—" He cut himself off when he followed Kaiden’s gaze and saw Greaves approaching.

  "Well, good morning, you two," she said, stopping in front of them. "Looking rather refreshed, I’d say."

  "Mornin', Corporal," Kaiden said evenly.

  "Morning," Davick echoed, though he eyed Greaves with suspicion.

  She folded her arms. "Hayward, seriously, what is with you?"

  Kaiden tensed. "Um… I didn’t do anything yet. What do you mean?"

  "You’re being summoned again," Greaves said with a sigh.

  Kaiden gulped. "Fuck."

  "This time, it’s not the general," Greaves added.

  "General!?" Davick exclaimed a little too loudly, eyes wide with excitement.

  Greaves flinched slightly at his reaction, giving him a strange look. Instead of commenting, she turned back to Kaiden. "Officially, it’s from the Merchant’s Guild." Then, lowering her voice, she added, "But unofficially… it looks like it’s from the Perennial Petal."

  Kaiden stiffened.

  Greaves immediately shot Davick a look that screamed you better not say that name out loud.

  Kaiden whispered, "Petal?"

  A cold pit settled in his stomach.

  Please not Zinnia.