Chapter 24

“Hu, huu, ugh, huh…”

Trying to erase something from his mind, Lucien purposely pictured Serenia’s most sensual expressions as he moved, but even at the peak of pleasure, something felt off. Using his calloused thumb, he roughly rubbed the narrow tip, squeezing tight as he recalled the sensation of her inner walls. The feeling of that hot, slick membrane clinging desperately to him. Lucien turned halfway on the bed, thrusting toward cl*max as usual.

<I like you!>

“Ugh, ngh, d*mn it…”

Yet, at the very moment of cl*max, what filled his mind was not Serenia’s *rotic moaning face, but her bright smile as she confessed her feelings to him. It was a desire born only from Lucien’s imagination, something he could never have in reality. Breathing heavily on the bed, Lucien sensed something was wrong.

His ominous premonition, as always, proved correct.

* * *

“Major!”

Derkan waved a hand as Serenia turned the building corner. Serenia glanced around, a little disappointed, as she approached Derkan.

“I thought you were with Lu— I mean, the commander, but you’re alone?”

“Oh, well, yes, right? I haven’t seen the commander today. Why, is it urgent…?”

“No.”

Serenia quickly waved both hands, hesitated for a moment, then sighed. She felt a bit of self-doubt, thinking she’d been seeking Lucien too personally when there was no real reason.

Still, Serenia felt a bit wronged. Lucien had conditioned her to seek him out whenever he wasn’t around. After always being at her side, Lucien had recently become so busy that Serenia felt a little lonely and empty, as if a piece of her heart was missing.

“He seems very busy lately. You said before you needed to investigate that ghost ship, and I heard he’s been really distracted by it.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah! That’s right! The commander and I have been preoccupied with that lately. Still, I’m sorry for leaving all the important event preparations to you, Serenia.”

“It’s fine. It’s my job. I’ll make sure everything is handled without any issues.”

“Good. Don’t tire yourself wandering around, just work in the office and go straight home afterward.”

“Thank you for your concern. Then…”

Serenia saluted, then turned away with a gloomy face. Even though she hadn’t found Lucien after searching so hard, Serenia obediently followed Derkan’s advice and headed to the office.

Watching Serenia’s dejected figure walk away, Derkan glanced toward the bushes.

“What exactly are you doing right now?”

“Ahem, I—wha—what?”

Emerging from the bushes, coughing awkwardly, was none other than Lucien, the very person Serenia had been desperately searching for. His clothes were crumpled, leaves stuck here and there, and Derkan clicked his tongue as he brushed him off.

“Did you do something wrong? If you’re hiding because of that, go apologize. She didn’t look very angry.”

“Who said I did anything wrong? I’m not exactly hiding.”

“Oh, really? Then let’s call Serenia back. Sere—! Mmph!”

As Derkan started to shout toward the office, Lucien clamped a large hand over his mouth, glaring fiercely. He acted more like a nephew than an officer, but his grip was so strong that Derkan decided to stop teasing him. It was fun, but life was precious.

“You used to hate being apart even for training other soldiers. If you didn’t do anything wrong, why are you avoiding her?”

Eventually, Derkan crouched with Lucien under a wall, starting to counsel his superior’s worries. At first, Lucien gave him a look that said, “What would you know?” but recalling Derkan’s age and married status, he hesitantly began to speak.

“…She keeps appearing in my dreams.”

“Serenia?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s not surprising. You’ve been glued together; it’d be weird if she didn’t show up in your dreams. Why, did you do something naughty in them?”

Derkan had only guessed their chemistry, never actually witnessed their intimate moments. But as a fellow man, if Lucien was hiding for this reason, there was only one explanation.

“No, it’s not like that!”

“Then why are you running away? Honestly, you act like a teenager after a wet dream.”

“……”

What? He said he didn’t do anything naughty. The suspicious silence made Derkan stare at Lucien. Unable to voice the truth, Lucien scrubbed his face with both hands. Even Derkan, who prided himself on being his closest aide for years, had never seen such a conflicted expression.

“That’s exactly the problem.”

“What?”

“I didn’t do anything dirty, but it still happened!”

Lucien’s face flushed with shame as he whispered through clenched teeth. Derkan pieced together his words, his expression turning sour. So, without anything explicit happening in the dream, just Serenia appearing… in crude terms, he… finished?

“Well, I guess you’re just full of youthful energy… Everyone has different triggers, so let’s hear it.”

“In the dream, …it happened.”

“What?”

“In the dream, Serenia confessed!”

“…And that’s it?”

Embarrassed even thinking about it, Lucien buried his face in his hands and nodded weakly. Derkan was honestly impressed. The man who seemed like a beast to everyone else was just a kitten when it came to love. Derkan almost reached out to pat Lucien’s head but managed to hold back for the sake of his own safety.

“You’d think you’d get the hint by now…”

“What?”

“Dreams are supposed to be the sum of your desires, right? And if her confession was that stimulating, it means, deep down, it’s what you really want.”

“What are you talking about? Serenia and I are friends.”

“Commander, I think you don’t understand friendship well because your circle is too small. Most people don’t get physical with their friends.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Hugs are one thing, but insisting you’re just friends after more intimate contact is just denial.”

“How would you know?”

“What would I have seen? It’s just a feeling. Honestly, if you two keep up that intense atmosphere and still call yourselves friends, it’s harder for others to buy it.”

Lucien’s gaze mixed confusion and doubt as it landed on Derkan, who just met it with a look of mild exasperation. Maybe it was Derkan’s experience and age, but truthfully, every time those two were together, the world seemed to shrink to just them.

“We have a special reason, so it’s just temporary…”

“Honestly, I don’t get why you’re so hung up on being just friends. Is there a reason you can’t be lovers?”

“Serenia likes someone else.”

For a moment, Derkan wanted to shout, “That someone is you, you fool!” but held back. No matter how frustrating, he couldn’t confess on someone else’s behalf. His gaze toward Lucien only grew more pitying. No matter how much of a genius or capable superior he was, when it came to love, he could be so clueless.