Chapter 6

“Ah.”

The sensation Lucien thought was new stirred up memories from his past that he had buried deep inside. It knocked on emotions he had forced himself to keep hidden. Over Serenia’s face, a slightly younger version from the past overlapped.

A small garden behind the training grounds, a place adults rarely visited. Beneath the fountain where a thin stream of water trickled down. The two sat side by side on a worn wooden bench. The moment Serenia met Lucien’s eyes as she gently tied a handkerchief around his hand was superimposed over the present.

Time seemed to stop, and all the sounds of the world faded into silence. Even the slow flutter of Serenia’s eyelashes was so vivid it felt imprinted on his mind. As the distance between them slowly closed and the warmth of their breaths seemed about to touch……

“Stop.”

“……”

Serenia, shrinking her neck, blocked Lucien’s lips with her trembling fingertips. Her fingers flinched at his hot breath, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Lucien, gently biting the fingers that blocked his lips, finally realized he had been about to kiss her. He thought to himself, ‘Am I really crazy?’ and, annoyed by those fingers, licked them lightly with his tongue.

“That face…! That’s cheating.”

The strange thrill of recalling the same moment made Lucien’s brow twitch mischievously.

Face?

Lucien turned his head toward the window, and the flush slowly faded from his cheeks. The midnight window reflected the brightly lit room like a mirror, and the face looking back at him reminded him of someone.

<Lucien, you really look just like Serion did when he was young.>

A phrase everyone had said to him so many times it rang in his ears, now flashed coldly through his mind. Nowadays, few people said the two looked alike since their builds and impressions had changed so much, but Lucien’s face, softened by the moment’s heat, surprisingly bore the same features as Serion.

“Ah, is that so?”

At first, his playful nibbles on her fingertips were like a cat seeking affection, but they soon grew rougher. Lucien bit her hand hard enough to leave a mark, and as Serenia let out a short cry, he flipped their positions while holding her.

The hair Lucien had carefully arranged just moments ago spilled over the sofa like spilled water. Serenia, eyes wide in confusion, looked up at the shadowed face looming over her. The gentle man who had been so tender just before had vanished, replaced by eyes blazing with crooked anger that seemed ready to devour her.

“Why? Is this the situation you always secretly imagined?”

With a sly smile, Lucien pressed Serenia. His gentle touch coaxed her response as he tapped her cheek and pressed her lips, leaving her speechless in bewilderment. The soft, yielding feel of her lips under his fingers made Lucien’s throat burn with irritation.

“So, did your heart flutter? Still, mistaking me for someone else right in front of me isn’t very polite, is it?”

Lucien’s teasing continued, and though Serenia seemed frustrated, she couldn’t deny it. Her thoughts tangled, unable to form words, and her tongue brushed against Lucien’s fingertips. A shiver ran down his spine, and as heat pooled below his waist, his expression grew even harder.

“Then how about this? In exchange for ending your tiresome crush, I’ll make your fantasy come true, if only for a moment.”

“…Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”

“Of course. You’re drunk, but I’m perfectly sober. I never thought looking like my brother would be useful, but it’s not bad.”

“Why, why are you doing this?”

“Because it bothers me.”

“…What?”

“I don’t like you hanging around my brother, and I can’t stand that you can’t even say you’ll stop this ridiculous crush.”

Lucien’s words were abrupt, but the quiet anger in his gaze was entirely sincere. He found Serenia’s long infatuation more unpleasant than anyone.

Serenia barely managed to hold back the hot emotions rising in her throat. Lucien’s fingers played with her lips, and a faint whimper escaped. Her eyes, flushed with heat, grew wet, but she stubbornly endured the urge to break down and cry. She didn’t want to show Lucien any more of her ugly side, especially when his face grew harder with every twist of her own.

“Fine, do it.”

“……”

“I want to stop this stupid crush too! If you’re so great, go ahead and try!”

Was it so wrong to like someone alone? She’d never thought of confessing, never been greedy. She’d always known it was impossible. She’d wanted to quit so many times, but couldn’t, and that pain was hers alone. The shame and pity she felt for her heart, treated by Lucien as trash to be thrown away, stung deeply.

Her challenge was both a grudge against Lucien and a genuine wish for him to end her one-sided love. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop loving—so if he could end it, let him try. And if this really was the end, if this was truly the last, she wanted to reach out to him fully, even if only as an excuse for his misunderstanding.

“…This really feels awful.”

Lucien frowned and muttered, even after getting the answer he wanted. Their gazes met, neither backing down an inch. And when their eyes finally crossed, Lucien devoured Serenia’s lips. Their lips pressed together roughly, and as if rehearsed, both swallowed silent gasps.

Their tongues tangled, sharing each other’s taste like rain after a drought. The tightly suppressed desire melted away in the warmth spreading between them.

* * *

“Ah.”

Lucien’s fingers, unbuttoning Serenia’s blouse, suddenly stopped. The dim light slid over the smooth skin revealed between the parted fabric. Like seeing ripe fruit makes one’s mouth water, Lucien subconsciously swallowed at the sight of her pale, soft skin.

His hand, caressing her collarbone, moved up to her shoulder, naturally slipping off her blouse. Serenia, though shrinking slightly, lifted her torso to help him undress her more easily. Seeing her cooperate, Lucien felt a rush of pleasure, but also a tinge of irritation at how familiar she seemed with this, unlike his own trembling hands.

“…Hng.”

Lucien pressed his lips once more to Serenia’s lips, slick with saliva, then lowered his head to her neck, exposed collarbone, and the deeper shadow between her br*asts.

His tongue gently traced over her skin, which shivered slightly in the cool air, and Serenia trembled, stifling a m*an.

Lucien’s straight nose brushed her skin, marking his movement. Each breath he drew filled him with Serenia’s scent, making his chest pound. His breath scattered over her skin, growing rougher, like an excited animal.

“Your face, ugh, show me your face.”

As Lucien savored her skin with his eyes closed, Serenia’s cautious fingers touched his ear. When he slowly opened his eyes, she was looking down at him, pleading in a voice thick with emotion.