Chapter 5

Serenia grabbed Lucien by the collar and glared straight into his eyes, matching his gaze. A faint shimmer flickered in Serenia’s eyes, as if they were slightly wet. Her lips, bitten so hard they looked almost bloodied, trembled pitifully as she struggled to open her mouth.

“Are you so worried that I’ll make the two of them, Princess Erisa, uncomfortable?”

“O-of course I am!”

“Ha, you really are loyal. That’s why you’ll only ever be ‘friends’ with Princess Erisa.”

“…That word ‘friend’ really gets on my nerves.”

Lucien’s voice, tense and rigid, gradually lowered. He had never seen Serenia cry before. Yet, just from hearing a few words telling her to give up her one-sided love, her eyes grew red, and he didn’t like it.

He didn’t want to hear Serenia lumping him together with Erisa under the word ‘friend’, and most of all, it bothered Lucien that Serenia was acting out of character, snapping back at him because of her feelings for Serion.

At first, Lucien had convinced himself it was only because he was Serion’s brother, and because he knew how dangerous Erisa could be. But gradually, he was forced to confront the true shape of his anger.

He just hated it.

He wanted to rip apart the simple sentence ‘Serenia likes Serion’ and erase it as if it had never existed. Every part of Serenia’s unrequited love was unbearable to him.

As Lucien’s expression hardened with his foul mood, Serenia, who was glaring at him, let out a short, weary sigh. With a look that was both disappointed and tired, she released her grip on his collar and pushed his shoulder. Lucien’s broad shoulders, enough to cover her whole body, obediently moved back with her light touch.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll behave so Princess Erisa and Serion aren’t bothered, so you can stop worrying.”

“Stop worrying? That’s it?”

“Yes. I never planned to follow them to the Imperial Palace, so you don’t need to worry. What more do you want?”

“You’re not saying you’ll give up your pathetic crush.”

Serenia, having pushed Lucien away, stood up abruptly to leave, but frowned and turned back at his sarcastic remark. Her cold, reproachful look made Lucien’s heart thump awkwardly, but he couldn’t shake off his discomfort unless he heard her say she’d give up her feelings right here.

“…You don’t have the right to meddle with my heart.”

“Are you playing word games with me?”

Her gaze, filled with frustration and hurt, quietly fixed on Lucien. A chill crept up his back. He didn’t know what he’d done wrong, but his instincts screamed of danger. Serenia, giving a faint smile as if she’d never expected anything, turned away again without hesitation.

“Wait, we’re not done talking!”

“Ah!”

Before Lucien’s outstretched hand could reach her, Serenia’s short cry echoed through the room. Wanting to escape, but slightly drunk, her body didn’t move as she wished, and her toe caught on the sofa table.

“Careful…!”

With a dull thud, the wine glass arranged on the table shook and fell to the floor. Even her body, trained daily, couldn’t overcome the effects of alcohol, and Lucien’s hand barely managed to catch Serenia as she stumbled.

“Ugh.”

Her spinning vision slowly settled. Fortunately, Lucien had quickly pulled Serenia into his arms, preventing her from crashing into the table. Having fallen onto the sofa with Serenia in his arms, Lucien clicked his tongue and raised his torso slightly.

“If you ever drink alone again…”

It’s always the drunk who can’t even tell if they’re drunk that’s the most dangerous. Lucien’s words, ready to scold her out of reflex, gradually faded.

Their legs tangled, and the unfamiliar sensation of Serenia’s slender waist and his hands protectively around her head made Lucien suddenly feel awkward.

Serenia, buried against Lucien’s chest, blinked in surprise and raised her head. Her face, pressed against his broad chest, was dazed as she looked up at him.

“S-sorry. I’ll get up.”

A brief silence, as if time had stopped. Serenia’s face, already flushed from the alcohol, turned a deep red. Embarrassed, she placed her hand on Lucien’s chest and tried to push herself up.

But it wasn’t easy to escape Lucien’s arms, which had stiffened like a statue. As she struggled to get up, her thigh inadvertently pressed against Lucien’s sensitive area. Even though he wasn’t drunk, Lucien’s face and neck heated up just as much as Serenia’s.

“Wait, Nia! Hold still, ahem. No, it’s nothing.”

D*mn. Lucien barely swallowed a curse rising to his lips. His face burned with shame, and his heart pounded wildly. Was he losing control? Was he frustrated? He cursed himself inwardly, trying his best to ignore the heavy, unfamiliar desire that stirred inside him.

If Serenia noticed his state now, she’d probably treat him like a hormonal teenager, so Lucien did his best to act normal, holding her tightly to keep her from moving, and sat up halfway.

With his back against the sofa armrest, Serenia ended up sitting atop Lucien. Lucien gritted his teeth, staring at the empty air in the room, while Serenia bowed her head, hiding her expression in Lucien’s shadow.

“So don’t get all worked up and run off. Let’s talk slowly… Nia?”

Finally shaking off the chilling sensation that had gripped his whole body, Lucien cleared his throat and spoke. Seeing her bow her head like someone who’d done something wrong bothered him, so Lucien tried to sound as gentle as possible. Through her messy hair, he noticed the tip of her ear was bright red.

“Oh…”

Forgetting his intention to let her go, Lucien was drawn in, and gently tucked her tangled hair behind her ear. Serenia flinched, her shoulders trembling. Her ear and neck, exposed beneath her falling hair, were flushed red, and she couldn’t lift her eyes. The closer they were, the more clearly Lucien could hear her shaky breaths.

A tension, anxiety, and undeniable trembling.

Suddenly, a spark flickered in Lucien’s hazy mind. Like something contagious, a shapeless anticipation swelled inside him. Sometimes, instinct overtakes reason. His hand, which had brushed her ear, naturally cupped her cheek, and he lifted Serenia’s chin, making her meet his gaze.

“Why, why…”

Her lips, bitten so hard they bore marks, barely parted as her trembling voice escaped. Unable to turn her head, Serenia’s eyes quivered, glancing aside as if too embarrassed to look directly at him.