IT WAS EARLY IN the morning, but SM was already in the cold shower. Her body felt so hot. She couldn't take her dream last night out of her mind. It was so vivid, it was making her heart race. This is not normal anymore!

Of all the dreams she could have, why that?

It was still clear in her memory—that Knight kissed and touched her body, and she moaned deliriously because of it. But it wasn't just that. Something much more severe happened in her dream! And every time she would remember it, her cheeks burned.

"Oh god... is this what they call sexual frustration? But why would I feel that?" She looked up so the cold water from the shower would hit her face. "Having that lewd dream... What is happening to me?"

Was this Knight's fault? For introducing such pleasure to her? Argh!

She dressed up after she finished taking a bath. She had not gone downstairs to the living room when she received a text from Knight,

From: Knight
I'm outside. Can I come in?

Her heart raced. How could she face him after her dream?

Dear God! she exclaimed to herself before letting out a loud sigh and then going out of the room. She couldn't help it. They would have to meet each other, and there was no way around. She couldn't avoid the circumstances, so she might as well face him.

She opened the door and greeted, "Good morning—"

But she wasn't able to finish her greeting because Knight had rushed to her and kissed her on her lips, forcing his tongue into her. He leaned her against the door as he drowned her with passionate kisses.

She moaned as he sucked her tongue, licked her lips, and teased her mouth all over.

When Knight pulled away, she was panting, and her heart was pounding so loud. And when Knight looked at her and gave her a smile, SM was sure that something inside her melted.

"Morning, Boss," Knight greeted as he showed her a paper bag. "I bought breakfast. Eat it while it's warm."

She stared at his handsome face for several seconds before responding, "Th-Thanks."

Knight furrowed his brows. "Are you okay? You look bothered."

Her entire face flushed when Knight met her gaze and then the dream she had last night suddenly came into mind. What he was doing to her in her dream was so vivid—he was in between her parted legs!

She quickly lowered her gaze and stepped back away from Knight. "Do you want coffee? I can make one from you."

But she didn't even wait for his answer. She went straight to the kitchen and made him coffee. In the middle of stirring, Knight's strong set of arms encircled around her waist, his chin rested on her shoulder.

"Boss?"

"W-what?"

"I missed you."

She cleared her throat to calm herself before changing the topic. "How's Cloud, by the way? Is he okay?"

Knight didn't answer her, so she continued to ask, "Is he doing okay? You said it was an emergency."

When Knight did not answer for the second time, she looked back at him. She was astounded to see his face darkened, his eyes sharp. He was also gritting his teeth.

He was mad.

But slowly, his face lost its hostility. Knight let out a loud, harsh breath. "Fuck, I can't believe I can be this possessive and greedy," he said, scratching his nape. "Sorry, I just lose my shit when I'm jealous like this. I just want you to think of me and me alone, that's all."

SM lifted her hand to caress his face. "Possessiveness always comes with hostility. I trust you that you won't hurt me, but I'm worried that you'll hurt somebody else. It's not nice, Knight."

His face fell. "Do you, uhm, do you want me to... control it?"

She felt as if her heart was being gripped when she heard emotions in his voice. His face was expressionless, but his voice... the underlying tone behind his words... it was as if he was begging her not to control him.

When it comes to Knight, she's overly sensitive to the tone and emotion hidden in his voice. Because even though the eyes are the window to a person's soul, Knight had already perfected hiding his soul in his eyes. If she would only rely on his face and his eyes to read his emotions, she wouldn't get anything.

SM smiled sweetly at Knight. "Just be careful with that emotion. That's all."

He looked relieved. "Thanks."

"Coffee?"

Knight smiled and reached for the contents in the paper bag. "Monet told me that mango pies are your favorite, so I bought one. Let's have breakfast together, Boss."

Smiling, SM nodded. They enjoyed the mango pie that Knight bought and the coffee that SM made together while having a conversation.

"And she said she wanted to get to know you," SM said, sharing what Eli and she talked about. "And she also scolded me for not knowing your address. I don't want to tell her you're from Spain. She even asked if I was back to accepting everything without questioning anything personal."

Knight chuckled. "Looks like your attitude is bothering her as well."

Her forehead creased. "Does it bother you that I don't ask questions?"

Knight nodded before gazing intently at her. "I know why you don't want to meddle with other people's affairs, but sometimes, I think that you just don't care about me, that you're not interested. As for me, I want to know you, SM. I want to know everything about you. Every single detail."

She smiled at him. "Then ask away."

Knight looked... elated. "Okay... uhm, my first question is... where do your parents live?"

"In heaven," she answered with a smile.

Knight was surprised, and a few seconds had passed before he could ask again. "When did it happen?"

SM sipped coffee before answering, "Last year."

"How did they die?" Knight followed, but he quickly retracted it. "You don't need to answer if you aren't comfortable."

Oddly, she was calm and comfortable talking to Knight about her parents. "They were murdered."

Taken aback, Knight looked at her. It took him some time to recover from the shock. "Wh-who did it?"

"Car crash." SM clenched her fists. "At least that's what they want to convey, but I don't believe it. They don't even want to open the investigation, and they don't want to accept our appeal on the case I filed in court."

Knight's hand reached her, wiping her tears away. SM didn't even notice that tears fell from her eyes.

"Do you want me... to help you?"

She looked at Knight, surprised by his offer, but she was desperate for any help she could get. "How?"

He lowered his hand that wiped her tears and then intertwined his hand with hers before he stared into her eyes. "Would you let me help you?"

SM nodded. "I will accept every help I can get."

"Then don't cry anymore," he pleaded, caressing her cheek. "I may not seem like it, I may be crazy and a baby most of the time, but I am Count Knight, and I can pull some impossible shit if I want to, Boss."

Grateful, SM beamed at him before leaving her seat to hug Knight from the side. Knight immediately faced her to hug her back, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"My Knight in shining armor..." she joked while ruffling his hair. "Thank you, my lord."

SM gasped loudly when Knight held her nape, pulling her head down to his face. Without a word, he captured her lips with a kiss.

Her response seemed automatic. She opened her mouth and welcomed Knight's tongue and kisses. She could taste the coffee they had drunk as their tongues teased each other. Their mouths locked in a passionate kiss, and they did so fervently until they were out of breath. They pulled away panting, but their lips were still hovering over each other.

Knight held her chin. "Why is it that when you call me my lord, it turns me on, but when it's Cloud, I feel nothing?"

She roared in laughter. "Should I be jealous of Cloud now?"

Knight chuckled. "Don't be. He doesn't swing that way... but, you know, Cloud is a gay magnet."

She sat sideways on Knight's lap. "Really?"

Knight nodded. "We're always together, so I've witnessed it a lot of times. Good thing Cloud doesn't get angry about it. They just let them be. He will just calmly tell the person that he's straight."

"How about you?" she asked while she fixed Knight's messy hair. "Do gay men approach you often too?"

"Sometimes. It can't be helped. With how handsome I am?" he joked as he shrugged. "Kidding aside, It's okay, though. I mean, that's their sexual preference, and I respect that."

She gazed at him tenderly and caressed his cheek. "And I like you more for that."

Knight tightened his arms around her waist. "Boss?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for making me happy."

SM kissed Knight's forehead. "Knight?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Eli gave me some advice when we were talking."

Knight looked up at him with his brows furrowed. "What kind of advice?"

"She told me to date you as my boyfriend if I wanted to get to know you better."

Knight immediately grinned. "I like your friend. Good advice!"

SM chuckled closely before seriously meeting his gaze. "Yeah... I've been thinking about it, and I think it's good advice."

Knight froze. "D-don't tease me, Sweet Monday."

Giving in to his irresistible cheeks, she pinched them and said, "I'm not teasing you."

"A-are you sure?" Knight asked. He could meet her gaze.

She pinched the tip of his nose this time, jokingly but tenderly, and replied, "I'm sure. Let's be a couple and exclusively date each other. That way, we can get to know each other—with a label, this time. I have plans on officially saying yes anyway, but I decided to say it now."

He pressed his face against her arm, trying to hide the joy he was feeling, and stayed silent. SM wanted to tell him to look at her when he realized that his ears were flushing red. Even his nape.

SM chuckled silently. "Knight? Are you blushing?"

Knight shook his head, his face still nuzzled into her arm. "What am I, a chick? Why would I blush? I'm a man! A very manly man!"

She tried to stop herself from laughing. "Then look at me and let me see your manly man face—"

"No!"

She laughed and teased, "Aww... my lord is blushing. So cute."

Knight looked up at her and gave her a piercing glare. "This is unfair! You look so calm while I'm hyperventilating—"

She pressed her lips on his for a couple of seconds before pulling away. Knight looked dazed. "Holy... fuck. That's a fucking loud heartbeat."

Her cheeks flustered. Did he hear her heartbeat just now? Because she knew it was beating so loud. "Th-That's probably mi—"

"It's mine." Knight took a very deep breath before speaking again. "I need to calm down."

He lifted her gently and settled her onto the chair beside him before leaving the kitchen. Curious about what he'd do to calm down, she followed him and found him in the living room talking to someone over the phone.

"Cloud, no one has had a heart attack because someone they liked told them they could finally date, right?" He was pacing back and forth in the living room, unable to stay still. "I mean, fuck! I'm hyperventilating, and I'm losing my shit—fuck! Answer me, Cloud! Give a medical report about what's happening to me—" He stilled. Cloud must've said something. "Oh? I won't die with this, and I'll just go crazy in love? Well... that's not a bad thing."

SM secretly smiled. How can this "sometimes crazy, sometimes a baby, and sometimes emotionless" man be so cute?

"Oh, fuck you!" He seemed to be mad at Cloud. "Stop feigning to be shocked, you motherfucker! And what's surprising that SM told me we could date? I'm a very handsome man, you know. And SM and I look good together—I will shoot you as soon as I come home, Cloud. Don't be a motherfucker."

SM covered her mouth when she couldn't hold her laughter anymore as she listened to what Knight was telling Cloud. When Knight hung up, he called another person.

"Best friend!" He sounded so excited. "Guess what?! I have a girlfriend now—you don't believe it? With my good looks?"

So, this is how he calms down—by announcing to everyone their status, she thought. So adorable.

Smiling, she went back to the kitchen and let Knight do his own thing. She was cleaning up the dishes when she felt a warm set of arms wrapping around her waist from behind and a kiss on her nape.

She knew it was Knight, but she was also sure that she didn't hear footsteps coming toward her. She then recalled her father's warning about those who could move silently from one place to another—so quietly that their footsteps made no sound at all. Yet both Knight and Midnight could do that.

Dangerous kind of people.

SM inhaled sharply when she felt Knight's lips on her nape, his tongue leisurely licking her neck.

She held his hand on her waist when his lips and tongue traced the back of her ear. She held back her urge to whimper, even though she could feel a tingling sensation inside her. But she couldn't stop her moans that came out from her mouth when Knight bit her earlobe while his hand moved to caress her waist down to her thighs.

"Kn-Knight..." she pleaded, panting. Goodness! Why am I in so much heat?

Thank God, Knight finally stopped. God knew she didn't have the strength to push him away.

She was weak when it came to him.

Knight's arms returned to tightly embracing her waist from behind, his face buried in the back of her head.

"Fuck... your hair smells so good," Knight grunted, as if he was having a hard time because of her smell.

SM finished washing the dishes before facing him. "Let's go to the café?"

Knight nodded. But instead of releasing his arms, he pulled her closer, as if showing her that he didn't want to let her go. "I'll work hard to be a good boyfriend," he whispered in her ear. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy, and I will lay my life to protect yours, so don't ever think of breaking up with me. If I do something you don't like, tell me right away. I'll do everything, even changing to be a better man for you."

And just like that, SM's heart melted. She hugged him back and kissed the side of Knight's jaw. "Just be you, Knight. That's enough for me."

Knight pressed his lips on her forehead and held her even tighter. And because she was resting on his chest, she could hear his heart thumping loudly.

He really likes me so much, huh?

It was a nice feeling. To be important to someone.

"If I'm not being a good boyfriend, tell me, okay?"

SM nodded. "I will."

He gave her one final tight hug before releasing her and kissing her on her lips. "We should go, or else I won't be able to stop myself and bring you to your room instead."

SM shook her head and allowed him to guide him out of the house, into his taxi, which was parked by the gate of her house.

SM felt happy while holding Knight's hand as he drove his taxi to her café. I think I made the right decision. A decision she was ready to commit to, for better or for worse.

She knew this would be a difficult road to take. Knight was from a noble family after all, and she was just a commoner with no overwhelming wealth to back her up.

But her parents taught her to fight for what she wanted, and she wanted Knight. She entered this relationship of her own accord, and she needed to stand by her decision, no matter what would happen. To fight for them, if necessary.

Come hell or high water, I'll keep him.

KNIGHT WAS WHISTLING in happiness while entering his mansion when he saw Night and Cloud in the living room. They looked serious, and it seemed that they had been waiting for him, as their eyes were immediately on him when he entered.

"What is it?" he immediately asked as soon as he was in the living room.

"I heard some news from the palace," Midnight started. There was nervousness in his voice. "It's not good, Kuya."

He let out a loud, harsh sigh. "When did we ever receive good news from the palace? And why are you even hoping for it?"

Cloud spoke. "Your father sent someone to check up on you."

He stiffened. Check up on him means someone had been sent to spy on him. If he was doing a good job being a Boss.

His jaw gritted, fear filling him. "SM... he will know about SM."

Night nodded. "That's why we're telling you about this."

"Usually, before, this was not a problem since you have nothing to hide," Cloud added, "but now, you're in a relationship with SM. And if your father finds out about it, who knows what he will do to her?"

His shaking hands balled into fists. "Who did you learn this from?"

"From my tracker," Night answered.

"Love?"

Night nodded. "I ordered him to keep an eye on Father and Orlando's movements. Don't worry. Love can cover his tracks. Father won't find out. Actually, Love is on his way here. We have some work to do."

Knight nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. "When will Father's spy arrive?"

"The day after tomorrow," Cloud answered before facing his phone toward him to show Knight what the guy whom his father had instructed to spy on him looked like. "This is him. Be vigilant, my lord."

"What are you planning about SM?" Night asked. There was worry in his voice.

He gave his brother a dagger look. "I'm the boyfriend. I'm the only one who can worry about her. She's mine!"

But Night bravely met his piercing gaze. "I like her. You can't stop me from worrying about her."

Knight tsked. "Be thankful you're my little brother. If not, I would have asked Cloud to assassinate you."

Night just tsked. "Whatever. So, what's your plan?"

"You have two choices," Cloud interrupted while looking at his master. "The first option is not to meet with SM. Even just for two weeks—"

"Hell no!" he hissed angrily.

"Or hide with SM."

He immediately calmed down. "The second one is better."

"Where will you hide?" Night sincerely asked. "And will she be okay with it? She doesn't even know why you need to hide her, unless you're planning on kidnapping her or something similar to that."

He slumped onto the single sofa. "I'll explain this to her," Knight said before breathing out harshly. "I don't want to lie to her again. I might lose her if I keep on lying to her. Fuck. Killing father has never been this tempting."

Night nodded. "If only killing him is that easy and no punishment would await us if we do, I have done so myself. But sadly, our father is a sick bastard. The ten families are his loyal dogs. They will surely know that we killed him."

Cloud agreed. "Your father has prepared for this. You two can't escape this."

Night let out a loud breath. "Decide what you want to do, Kuya. I'll back you up."

Knight felt proud of his brother. Midnight looked confident now, unlike before. He would even back him up. He was proud of what Night had become.

"I'll go to the airport," Midnight said as he walked toward the door of the mansion. "Love wants me to pick him up. That motherfucker."

"Speaking of which," Knight expressed, his forehead creased. "Until now, I can't understand why his parents would name him Love when he's a guy."

"Love said his parents are a bunch of psychos," Night answered before finally leaving.

Knight took a deep breath before pushing himself to stand up. "Cloud." He looked at his butler. "Clean my room and ready my hair treatment. My hair is growing again."

Cloud bowed. "On it, my lord."

After Cloud left, he called Valerian. "Still awake?" he asked.

And of course, Val is not Val if he's not angry at him again. "Stupid question. I answered your call, didn't I?"

Knight laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Can I come over? Something's bothering me."

"What am I, an organizer of your messy thoughts?" Val asked, his voice full of sarcasm. "Go pester someone else. Go to Tyron or Lysander... or go talk to Dark since you're both royalty—"

"They don't know the real me," he interrupted Val.

Valerian sighed. "Fine. Come over."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, what-the-fuck-ever." Valerian tsked. "By the way, Shun has mentioned that someone seems to be stopping him from finding your sibling."

His jaw clenched. "It's father. I'm sure."

Valerian sighed. "Talking about your father always stresses you out, so let's change the topic."

Knight smiled. Valerian really knew him well.

"So... when are you going to introduce your girlfriend?" Val asked instead.

"Soon." He chuckled. "For now, I'll keep her for myself. I'm possessive like that."

Valerian snorted. "Aren't we all?"

He laughed. "Yeah."

"Hurry up," Val said. "Grace is baking cupcakes for you."

He froze in fear. "On second thoughts, I'm not coming over. Bye!"

Knight shook his head before walking back to his house. He was walking upstairs when he received a text message from SM.

From: My Sweet Monday
Have you gone home already?

He immediately replied as he walked toward his room: Yeah. Safe and sound, Boss.

SM replied after a couple of seconds.

From: My Sweet Monday
Good. Rest well. Please have a good night's sleep this time.

He smiled, knowing that SM was worried for him. He answered, Thank you, Boss. Good night.

From: My Sweet Monday
G'night, baby.

He stiffened as his heart pounded rapidly at SM's reply. And then his face started heating up.

He covered his face. Fuck! This is embarrassing! he thought. How can the word "baby" make me blush like this?! Holy fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

"My lord?"

He froze in place upon hearing Cloud's voice behind him. If his butler would see him like this, he would not stop asking him. And if he knew why, he would not stop teasing him.

His strides were wide as he entered his room. He closed the door and headed directly to his bathroom to wash his face in the sink. Then he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Be a manly man," he pleaded to himself, "and don't let SM's sweetness and cuteness make you blush. You're a grown man. Don't embarrass yourself. Got it?"

He shook his head afterward. He seemed crazy by talking to himself in the mirror.

He went out of the bathroom and reached for his phone from his pocket to send a message in their group chat.

Knight Velasquez: Do you blush?

Knight thought that he would receive answers to his question the next day, but his lunatic friends replied one after another. None, however, sounded rational, so he turned off his mobile data and allowed himself to collapse onto his bed before finally closing his eyes.

Knight started counting sheep. He reached the two-hundredth count, but the sleep he had been waiting for still had not arrived.

He sat up abruptly and walked out of the room, whispering, "Fuck... I need my Sweet Monday."