Nearing the parking area, Brandon raised his hand and patted Kiera’s head "Good job there, daughter."

Kiera’s lips twitched, and she swatted his hand away "I am older than you."

Brandon let out a low, warm chuckle and leaned back against the side of his car, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That still doesn’t change the fact that you are my daughter."

Kiera narrowed her eyes and elbowed him hard in the abdomen "Stop saying that. It’s weird."

Brandon grinned, rubbing the spot she hit.

"I wanted to talk about my new guild in the meeting a bit..." Kiera sighed, leaning against the car beside him. "But it ended so suddenly because of that Sytheria mess."

He tilted his head slightly, looking at her with quiet interest.

"Oh yeah. Kiera, how about adding Charlotte to the guild too?"

Kiera was startled to hear this "W-What? But she is tied to the government with an Empyrean position."

He shrugged casually "Well, currently after her atrocities... the government doesn’t seem to know how to handle her, so she might cut her ties with the government and become a rogue, non-affiliated awakener."

"So I think just being in the guild can be fresh air for her too."

Kiera stared at him for a long moment, "You’re serious?"

"Very."

She ran a hand through her ponytail, exhaling slowly "Charlotte Fleurdys... in my guild. Do you have any idea how terrifying that sounds? She’s not exactly known for playing nice with others."

Brandon’s smile softened "She plays nice with me."

Kiera was quiet for a few seconds, clearly turning the idea over in her mind.

"...It could actually work," she admitted reluctantly.

"Plus, having an Empyrean on our side would make us untouchable."

She glanced at him sideways "Finally, I am getting good stuff from you, my dear father."

With a grin, he replied "You can always count on me."

Kiera shook her head helplessly with a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face.

She turned her gaze toward the entrance of the hall, where Esmery was still chatting with a small group of matriarchs.

"Also that woman... are you sure that you are not trying to woo her?"

With a soft sigh, he replied "Just because I interact with her doesn’t mean I am trying to woo her, come on now... do I look like that kind of guy?"

Kiera gave him a deadpan look and replied "Honestly you do. Also the fact that you already have many women, including my mother and sister..."

Brandon: -_-

She leaned closer as her eyes narrowed further "Be honest with me."

He exhaled "I am being honest... Esmery does have nice big boobs and is attractive, but that doesn’t mean I am trying to woo her."

Kiera: (ಠ_ಠノ)

"You... darn-. My mom is there pregnant, and you are out here cheating on her."

Brandon opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Esmery walked over with a bright, satisfied smile on her face.

"Shall we leave, Brandon?"

He quickly turned to her, seizing the opportunity "Yeah, let’s leave."

He then glanced back at Kiera "You coming with me? I’m going back home anyway."

Kiera gave a soft sigh, still giving him that judgmental stare, but eventually nodded.

"Mhm, sure..."

Esmery got into the passenger seat and Kiera climbed into the back seat, buckling herself in.

Brandon got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and the low rumble filled the quiet night.

As they pulled out of the courtyard and onto the long, tree-lined driveway leading away from the assembly hall.

Esmery leaned back in her seat, letting out a long, satisfied breath.

"That went better than I expected," she said softly, glancing at Brandon. "Thank you again... for being there."

Brandon just smiled gently "You did all the hard work. I was just moral support."

From the back seat, Kiera muttered "Moral support with his arm glued to your waist the entire time."

Brandon: -_-

Esmery laughed lightly, turning her head to look at Kiera.

"You did wonderfully too, Kiera. That speech about the Bleaufort withdrawal was perfect. Your mother would be proud."

Kiera’s expression softened "Thanks. I was nervous as hell."

The car fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they drove through the winding roads toward Solvyrn City.

As they approached a quiet intersection, a brightly lit ice cream truck rolled past them in the opposite lane with the familiar jingle playing softly from its speakers even at this late hour.

Brandon noticed it immediately.

In the rearview mirror, he caught the way Kiera’s eyes glinted for a second with that unmistakable spark of childlike longing she tried so hard to hide.

Seeing this, his gaze lowered ’Under her grandma’s strict life, I wonder if she enjoyed her childhood...’

He slowed the car a little "Kiera, you want ice cream?"

Kiera turned her head sharply toward him, "Ice cream? I am not a kid."

Brandon raised an eyebrow with a dry smile "Uh-huh."

He glanced sideways at Esmery in the passenger seat "What about you?"

Esmery nodded her head instanly "Sure! It’s been a while since I got some ice cream too."

Brandon chuckled and smoothly pulled the car over to the side of the road, parking near the curb where the ice cream truck had stopped a little further ahead.

He stopped the engine and turned to look at both women.

"Come on. My treat."

Esmery unbuckled her seatbelt with obvious excitement, already reaching for the door handle.

"I want strawberry with sprinkles. And maybe a cone instead of a cup."

Kiera crossed her arms, trying to look uninterested "I’m only getting one because you two are peer-pressuring me."

Brandon grinned as he stepped out of the car "Sure, kid."

"I’m older than you!"

The three of them walked toward the ice cream truck together.

The vendor, an older man with a kind face brightened when he saw them approaching.

"Evening! What can I get for you folks?"

Esmery leaned forward eagerly "Strawberry swirl with rainbow sprinkles, please. On a cone."

Brandon nodded toward Kiera "And whatever she wants."

Kiera hesitated for a second, then sighed in defeat "...Chocolate chip cookie dough. Two scoops. In a cup."

Brandon smiled at the vendor "And I’ll take mint chocolate chip on a cone."

As the man prepared their orders, Esmery bumped her shoulder lightly against Brandon’s.

"Thank you for the treat."

They soon got their ice cream and Brandon handed the man a generous tip.

They walked back to the car slowly, eating their ice cream under the streetlights.

Esmery licked at her cone with obvious delight, and Kiera tried to eat hers with dignity but ended up with a bit of cookie dough on her nose.

Brandon noticed and reached over to gently wipe it off with his thumb.

Kiera blinked in surprise but didn’t pull back as he wiped it clean.

"...Thank you."

They stood there for a few minutes longer, eating ice cream on the side of the road.

The night felt lighter somehow.

When they finally got back into the car, Brandon stretched his arms and started the engine.

"Better?"

Esmery nodded happily, "Much better."

Kiera leaned back in her seat, "...Yeah. It was okay."

Brandon smiled to himself and pulled back onto the road.

---

The car rolled to a smooth stop just outside the grand gates of Esmery’s mansion.

Esmery turned in her seat to look at Brandon, "How about dinner at my place?" she asked in a hopeful voice "It’s still early enough. I can have something simple prepared."

Brandon shook his head with a small, apologetic smile "Maybe another time. I need to go home now. Florence and the others are probably waiting."

Esmery’s gaze lowered for a moment and a flicker of disappointment crossed her face before she masked it with a soft, understanding smile.

"...I see."

She unbuckled her seatbelt slowly, then leaned across the center console toward him.

Before Brandon could react, she cupped the side of his face with one hand and pressed a firm kiss to his lips.

Brandon’s eyes widened in surprise as his whole body went still.

When she pulled back just enough to speak, her gaze softened, her eyes shining with sincerity.

"Thank you for today... Brandon."

Before he could respond, she leaned in again and gave him one more kiss, then pulled away completely.

She opened the passenger door and stepped out gracefully.

Brandon sat frozen in the driver’s seat, utterly shocked while his lips are still tingling from the unexpected kisses.

His brain seemed to have short-circuited.

(⚆ᗝ⚆) From the back seat, Kiera’s jaw had literally dropped. She stared at the scene with wide eyes, looking like someone had just slapped her with a fish.

What the hell?

Esmery turned back toward the car one last time, offering a small, graceful wave.

"Good night, both of you. Drive safely."

She closed the door gently and walked toward the open gates.

The moment the car door clicked shut, Kiera exploded from the back seat.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Brandon blinked slowly, still staring at the spot where Esmery had been sitting.

"I... uh..."

Kiera leaned forward between the front seats, "She just kissed you! Twice! In front of me!"

Brandon finally snapped out of his daze and rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely flustered.

"She was just... thanking me."

Kiera’s jaw dropped even further.

"THANKING you?! Brandon, that was not a ’thank you’ kiss. That was a ’I want to climb you like a tree’ kiss!"

Brandon cleared his throat, ears turning slightly red "It wasn’t that deep-"

"It was deep enough!" Kiera hissed, flailing her hands. "And you just sat there like a statue!"

Brandon started the engine again, clearly trying to escape the conversation by driving.

Kiera wasn’t having it.

She poked his shoulder repeatedly from behind.

"You have my mother at home, my sister, Ravene, Elize, Yverine, Dhayun, Jiyeon... and now you’re collecting more women like limited edition figurines?!"

Brandon let out a long, suffering sigh.

"I’m not collecting anyone. She was grateful for the support tonight. That’s all."

Kiera flopped back against her seat dramatically, "Yeah, sure. And I’m the Queen of England."

The car rolled forward through the gates and back onto the main road.

For a few minutes, there was blessed silence.

Then Kiera leaned forward again, voice dripping with suspicion.

"Be honest. Did you like it?"

Brandon kept his eyes on the road, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

"...It wasn’t terrible."

Kiera gasped "You absolute-"

Brandon finally laughed "Relax. It was just a kiss. Nothing more."

Kiera narrowed her eyes at him in the rearview mirror and shook her head helplessly with a wry smile.

"For now."

Brandon didn’t reply and continued driving towards home.