The golden apple's effects were immediate. Almost the instant Steven passed the warm energy from his mouth to Gladiia, he could feel her once-weak breathing stabilize.
However, just as he was about to pull away, the girl—who had been completely clueless about what he was doing—suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck on her own.
Before Steven could even react, a sweet fragrance overwhelmed the lingering taste of the golden apple, instantly filling his mouth.
His brain short-circuited on the spot.
He's a pure-hearted young man who had never even held a girl's hand before he transmigrated—how could he possibly handle something like this?!
His mind went blank, overwhelmed by the perfect sensation and taste. Even when facing hordes of monsters, he had never lost focus like this. But now, for the first time in his life, he experienced what it meant to "black out."
It wasn't until Gladiia, looking utterly satisfied, finally released her grip around his neck that Steven's senses came rushing back to his body.
At that moment, he sat there stiffly, his expression blank, his ragged clothes draped messily over him—he looked like someone who had just been… violated.
How should he put it?
It felt too good.
For a moment, he genuinely didn't know what to think.
So this is what it's like to kiss a beautiful girl?
He smacked his lips, savoring the faint, indescribable sweetness that still lingered in his mouth. A small part of him wanted to… keep going.
But the moment he met Gladiia's eyes—still pure and innocent—his mind instantly sobered up.
There was no way she did this because of his "overwhelming masculine charm."
She wasn't in control of her actions. Her mind was still in a childlike state. This was simply an instinctive response—like a dying traveler desperately clinging to a water source to survive.
Steven shook his head violently, trying to fling out the indecent thoughts that had taken root in his mind.
If Gladiia had done this while fully conscious, then as a healthy, functional man, not going along with it would have been an insult to his own biology.
But right now…
She was still an amnesiac child.
If he couldn't even control himself in this situation, then he might as well swap the position of his brain and his dick.
"Dad?"
Seeing Steven's strange reaction, Gladiia tilted her head in confusion. She was still savoring the sweet, delicious liquid from his mouth—far better than any candy she had ever tasted.
Her once pale and sickly face now had a faint flush of color, and the shimmering golden aura around her confirmed that the golden apple's effects were working.
But Steven suddenly didn't know how to face her.
Judging by her unchanged demeanor, it was clear that the golden apple couldn't cure memory loss.
Otherwise, she wouldn't still be like this.
"Could you call me 'big brother' instead? I really don't want to gain a whole extra generation for no reason..."
Steven sighed helplessly.
After checking her breathing and overall condition—confirming that she was no longer in that near-death state—he finally spoke, trying to negotiate with the amnesiac girl.
But Gladiia only tilted her head again, clearly not understanding what he meant.
"Dad, one more time."
Not only did Gladiia refuse to let things end there, but she even leaned in again, rubbing her soft little face against Steven's cheek like a spoiled child who hadn't had enough and wanted more affection from their father.
But this time, Steven wasn't going to let her get her way.
Without hesitation, he pushed her back onto the bed and looked straight into her crimson eyes with the stern authority of a parent educating their child.
"That thing we just did—you're not allowed to do it again. Otherwise, I won't take care of you anymore."
Steven had no idea when she would regain her memory, nor whether she would still remember all this embarrassing history when she did. But at the very least, he had to do his part.
Feeding her the golden apple had been a necessary decision.
Continuing any further? That would just be taking advantage of her amnesia.
And as a loyal advocate of pure romance, Steven absolutely could not accept that.
Hearing the words "I won't take care of you anymore," Gladiia finally showed a hint of panic.
Even though her mind had regressed to that of a child and she couldn't fully understand most of what Steven was saying, the fear of abandonment was something instinctual—deeply rooted in every living being's heart.
Her small hands clung tightly to his arm, and she looked up at him pitifully, nodding her little head.
"Seriously, why do humans have the same instinct as animals—to see the first person they lay eyes on as their closest kin?"
Having successfully preserved his second first kiss, Steven let out a wry chuckle and muttered under his breath.
Gladiia's attachment to him was getting a little too intense.
Maybe it really was just a biological instinct, like he had guessed.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that she had probably lacked a father figure since childhood.
After all, the things we are deprived of the most… are often the hardest to let go of once we finally have them.
That said, there wasn't much more he could do about it at this point.
All he could do was pray that when she did regain her memories, she wouldn't hold too much of a grudge against him.
Although…
Recalling the way Gladiia had so effortlessly skewered that Seaborn Elite with her spear, Steven couldn't help but swallow nervously.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no way this wouldn't become a problem later.
Especially after what just happened between them…
But whatever.
There was no point stressing over things that hadn't happened yet.
Might as well just focus on enjoying the present.
It's not like he couldn't handle her if things went south.
If there was one thing Steven was confident in, it was his ability to fight.
With Gladiia's condition temporarily under control, Steven could finally turn his attention to the real reason he came here in the first place.
This village clearly had secrets lurking beneath the surface.
And since he had no ties, no responsibilities, and no real goals in this world anyway—
Why not sit back and enjoy the show?