Chapter 23

With an innocent expression, Serenia’s fingertip lightly tapped Lucien’s thigh. She was too embarrassed to directly point it out, but both of them knew that she was referring to Lucien’s arousal, which was starting to show its strength. Lucien bit his lip for a moment.

“You know, with the event coming up soon, there’s a lot to prepare, so stamina is important.”

“No, just now, I really just…!”

“Just?”

“Never mind.”

Was this what they called ‘serving you right’? Lucien had coaxed Serenia into bed so many times that now she responded to his advances with the calmness of a vet giving a sedative to a riled-up animal, driving him crazy. Lucien misunderstood, not realizing Serenia wore her mask even more carefully to hide her pounding heart each time. Still, from his perspective, it felt unfair.

Of course, it was true that whenever Lucien saw Serenia, he felt a surge of energy below his waist!

And yes, he was often so excited he could barely control himself!

But just now, he genuinely hadn’t been plotting to lure her into bed.

He’d simply found her adorable, nestled warmly in his arms, gazing up at him with those round, beautiful eyes, and instinctively sought her lips. Only after the soft press and the faint, wet sound did he realize he’d kissed her. His heart fluttered wildly inside, like a swarm of angry bees, making his chest feel unsettled. Thump, thump. His heart pounded so hard he struggled to breathe, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It felt like the thrilling anticipation of a child before a birthday present, a mysterious excitement that tingled throughout his body. Unable to resist, Lucien hugged Serenia tightly.

“Ugh, why all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know, just, just…”

He just liked her so much.

Lucien’s heart kept racing, refusing to calm down. Even if his mind was slow with emotions, his heart was always running normally.

* * *

The moment Lucien recognized the youthful face, he realized he was dreaming. Memories long buried in the back of his mind unfolded before his eyes as vividly as if they’d happened yesterday.

Children, covered in dust on their faces and clothes, collapsed side by side on the ground. Their sweat-shiny faces didn’t suit the fancy mansion, but their laughter was pure and carefree.

“Is the sea as blue and wide as the sky?”

“Of course. I’ll go with you all the way to the end of the sea.”

It was the kind of childish promise only kids could make. Their expressions were serious as they hooked pinkies and made their vows.

There was a time of innocence. Lucien had promised Serenia, who had never seen the sea, that he would show it to her someday, as if it were the greatest gift. Even though Lucien could have joined the Imperial Knights or another border military unit, he stubbornly chose the navy, solely because of that promise to Serenia.

Lucien passed the officer exam first and became a naval officer as promised, but when Serenia later passed, she betrayed him by choosing to stay at the mansion instead of following the path of a soldier. Lucien was as disappointed in her choice as he had been when he realized she liked his brother.

What was this thing called love, that could overturn years of promises in an instant…?

No matter how much Lucien tried to convince himself he was simply disappointed and annoyed, not hurt, the lasting mark deep in his heart was painful, so he deliberately tried to forget those childhood memories. Just recalling them made a wave of bitterness rise from his chest.

“There really was a time of innocence.”

But not anymore. After many twists and turns, Serenia was now at Lucien’s side, just as she had promised in the past. With only that fact, Lucien could finally look at the fragments of his past and smile like a fool.

Watching the children’s secret whispers from afar, Lucien stood up and locked eyes with the young Serenia. It was an unrealistic scene, but possible in a dream.

“Lu!”

Young Serenia called Lucien’s nickname and ran to him. Even in the dream, Lucien felt a strange satisfaction that the young Serenia was running to the present-day him, not his childhood self.

With every step she took, Serenia grew older, transforming from the child he first met into a fully grown woman who stopped before him.

The one thing that remained unchanged was the way her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him. Lucien liked how he appeared in Serenia’s eyes. It always felt as if her whole world was filled with him, and his heart would swell with emotion.

“Lu!”

“That’s right. Nia.”

He naturally wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. Serenia, familiar with the gesture, rested her forehead on his chest and leaned back with a smiling gaze. Lucien’s eyes instinctively focused on Serenia’s plump, red lips, which moved slowly.

“…Say it.”

“Hm?”

“Lu! I like you!”

Huh? Lucien’s expression went blank. The words in his ear weren’t difficult, but it felt like he was hearing a foreign language. Who was saying they liked whom? Staring in confusion, Serenia burst out laughing, stood on tiptoe, and grabbed his face, holding his gaze so he couldn’t escape. Slowly, she repeated the words, carving them into him, one syllable at a time.

I.

Like.

You.

Lucien.

“Gasp!”

Lucien threw off the blanket and sat up, breathing heavily and wiping his face. His hand was damp with sweat. A chill ran down his back, as if he’d just woken from a nightmare, and his heart pounded anxiously.

“Crazy bastard.”

His heart thumped so wildly he felt dizzy. With trembling hands, Lucien pulled back the covers. If he woke up with this kind of shivers, it must have been a nightmare, but his body didn’t agree.

His tense lower abdomen was tight. Even after one release, his arousal hadn’t subsided, and his member was still growing. The sticky, damp underwear made it clear that he’d cl*maxed just from hearing Serenia say “I like you” in his dream. Muttering curses, Lucien pulled his *rection out of his underwear. The clear fl*id on the tip stuck between his fingers.

“Like some kid…”

It was a wet dream—something he hadn’t even had during puberty. If he’d dreamt of a scene like the ones he and Serenia had shared recently, it wouldn’t have been so embarrassing. But to cl*max like a kid over a scene with nothing explicit was mortifying.

His hand slowly began to move.

His mind was filled with only one person. He thought of Serenia looking up at him from the bed with wet eyes, her swollen lips and cute tongue, and her clear skin glistening with sweat. As he recalled her m*ans filling the room and her writhing in his arms, Lucien gripped himself tighter.