Lucian turned on the couch, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Celestia walking toward him. She emerged from the kitchen with an air of elegance, her heels clicking softly against the floor. In her hands, she carried two steaming cups of coffee, the faint aroma wafting into the room.
“Good morning, darr” Celestia began, but she abruptly stopped herself, quickly correcting with a playful smile. “Lucian.”
Lucian’s heart nearly leapt into his throat. Did she almost just call me darling?! he panicked silently. His palms grew clammy at the thought, his gaze darting toward Rose and Olivia, who sat beside him. If Celestia had slipped, it would’ve been a disaster one he wasn’t sure he could explain away.
“H-hey,” he replied, his lips twitching awkwardly into a forced smile.
Celestia’s movements were graceful as she placed both coffee cups on the table in front of them. The table already had three pristine white cups sitting there, clearly prepared earlier by Olivia for herself, Lucian, and Rose.
Without a word, Celestia settled herself beside Lucian on the couch, her radiant smile undimmed by the tension hanging in the air. Lucian now found himself uncomfortably sandwiched: Celestia on his left, Rose on his right, and Olivia directly across from him.
Feeling a prickle of unease, Lucian instinctively slid a little closer to Rose, creating more space between himself and Celestia. His movements were subtle, but his intention was clear he was wary of whatever Celestia might do next.
He cleared his throat, forcing himself to speak. “Ugh… so, uh, what are you doing here?” His voice was low, almost reluctant, as he glanced first at Olivia, then cautiously toward Celestia, who was now gazing at him with a playful, almost seductive smile.
“Wait,” Rose interjected, her voice sharp as she frowned. “You two know each other?”
Lucian stiffened, his mind scrambling for an answer. “Oh, well… kinda…” he mumbled, avoiding Rose’s probing gaze and turning his head awkwardly.
Before he could flounder any further, Celestia leaned in slightly, her voice light and teasing. “Hey, hey, don’t be shy,” she said with a soft chuckle. “Tell her we’ve been good friends.” Her hand moved casually to slide one of the black coffee cups she had brought closer to Lucian, nudging it toward him as if urging him to take it.
Lucian swallowed hard, glancing nervously at the black cup in front of him.
“Princess mentioned she has some business in Wolly City,” Olivia suddenly said, her tone calm but measured. Her gaze, however, was sharp as it flicked toward Celestia. “She didn’t want to stay in a hotel, so she requested to stay here in the Kane household while she’s in town.”
“Oh… I see,” Lucian said blankly, his voice devoid of emotion as he tried to process the situation. But deep inside, an ominous feeling began to build in his chest. Something about this felt… wrong.
Olivia’s eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed Celestia’s casual gesture of sliding the black cup toward Lucian. Without missing a beat, Olivia gently pushed one of the white cups she had prepared earlier toward him, her movements deliberate and precise.
Lucian blinked, his gaze shifting between the two cups now sitting directly in front of him one black, one white. The contrast was stark, and for some inexplicable reason, he felt as though choosing between them carried far more weight than it should.
Olivia’s voice cut through his thoughts, repeating Rose’s earlier question. “But I didn’t know you knew the Princess?”
Lucian felt his throat tighten. His gaze darted back and forth between Olivia and Rose, both of whom were waiting for an answer. The tension was palpable, their curiosity almost tangible.
“Oh, well…” Lucian stammered, his mind racing as he tried to piece together a coherent response. His gaze instinctively dropped to the table, focusing on the cups again. Why do I feel like this decision is bigger than it is?
Before he could speak, Celestia’s voice chimed in, light and breezy. “We’re online friends,” she said with a smile, leaning slightly closer to Lucian. “Me and darr” She caught herself mid-slip again, her grin widening mischievously as she corrected, “Lucian have known each other for quite some time now.”
Her laugh was soft, almost playful, as though the entire situation amused her.
Lucian’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as Olivia’s sharp gaze bore into him, her eyes questioning in a way that made him shift slightly in his seat. To his right, Rose’s frown deepened, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of the sofa a quiet but steady sound that echoed her discontent.
The weight of the atmosphere felt stifling.
“So… when did you get here?” Lucian asked, his voice deliberately light as he attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere. His gaze flicked to Celestia, who sat beside him with an elegant smile that only added to his unease.
“Oh, just this morning,” Celestia replied smoothly, her tone casual but laced with something playful something deliberate. Her eyes locked onto his, holding his gaze far longer than necessary, as if teasing him openly in front of his mother and sister. “I was feeling a bit lonely, being all by myself. So, I thought… why not?”
Lucian sighed.
“And what better household than the Kane family?” Celestia continued, her voice playful yet pointed. “After all, you’re my closest friend here, aren’t you, Lucian?”
Her words hung in the air, and for a fleeting moment, her gaze darted toward Olivia. The smile she offered Olivia was polite, but there was a faint undercurrent of something sharper beneath it.
Olivia nodded back, though her own expression seemed slightly strained. Her instincts, honed over years in high society, whispered that something was off about Celestia’s sudden arrival and her overly familiar tone.
“Oh,” Celestia asked, her voice measured. “And… in which room are you staying, darr~…Lucian?” She turned her attention to him, her curiosity evident.
Lucian blinked, caught off guard by Celestia’s question. “Uh… well, I’m on the second floor,” he said hesitantly. “Why?”
Celestia’s smile widened slightly, her head tilting as she turned to Olivia. “Miss Olivia,” she began, her tone light yet laced with subtle intent, “would it be possible for me to stay in the room beside his?”
Olivia’s lips parted, but no words came out immediately. Her usually composed demeanor faltered slightly as she tried to process the unexpected request.
“Ah… well…” Olivia hesitated, glancing at Lucian, whose expression was a mix of confusion and silent alarm.
“Ehhh? Wait, why do you want to stay in the room next to Lucian’s?” Rose interjected sharply, leaning forward from her position on the sofa. Her gaze was piercing, her voice carrying an edge that wasn’t entirely concealed.
Rose’s eyes locked onto Celestia, her sharpness unmistakable. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about this woman screamed danger.
Read latest stories on empire
“There are plenty of rooms here,” Rose continued, her tone unwavering. “I’ll personally make sure you get the best one like she is going to rob me of something precious.”
Celestia didn’t flinch under Rose’s scrutiny. Instead, her gaze shifted calm yet cutting as she turned her attention fully to Rose. “Oh? And where is your room, Miss Rose?”
Lucian’s eyes darted between them nervously, feeling like a spectator to a match he didn’t sign up for.
“I live on the second floor as well,” Rose replied firmly, her posture straightening as though preparing for a silent battle.
Celestia’s lips curved slightly, her smile coldly polite. “Interesting,” she said, her voice soft but sharp. “Is your room close to Lucian’s? Or… far away?”
Rose’s brow furrowed, her confidence wavering slightly under Celestia’s relentless gaze. “It’s… a little far,” she admitted reluctantly. “But that’s because I just returned from abroad. My old room… well, I used to stay there… so I didn’t get time to settle close to Lucian’s room yet, so…”
Her voice trailed off, the confidence she had moments ago dimming as if she were losing an invisible argument.
Celestia didn’t miss a beat. Her eyes glinted dangerously, a victorious edge to her tone. “Then what’s the problem?” she asked, her words as smooth as silk but carrying the weight of a challenge. “Lucian seems lonely, and so am I. It only makes sense for us to stay close, doesn’t it?”
Her words felt like a carefully aimed blow, and Lucian swore he could see Rose’s shoulders tense at the implied accusation.
Rose’s gaze hardened further, her lips pressing into a tight line.
“If you cared about Lucian’s well-being, you’d have chosen a room near him yourself,” Celestia added, her voice still light but her words striking with precision.
Lucian leaned back on the couch instinctively, his gaze shifting between the two women. His mind screamed at him to stay out of it.
Not a chance, he thought, his heart racing. This is way above my pay grade.
The tension was palpable, and the two women’s eyes locked in an unspoken battle of wills.
Celestia’s composed demeanor barely hid her disdain for Olivia and Rose. Her reasons were clear in her mind she had done her research. She knew how they had treated Lucian in the past, and while she respected them only because Lucian did, she wasn’t the kind of person to let it slide entirely.
She was here for Lucian, and she wasn’t about to let anyone family or not get in her way.
Lucian shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of their gazes and the unspoken tension pressing down on him. His eyes fell to the coffee cups on the table: two slid toward him one black and one white.
The choice felt heavier than it should.
“You don’t like Lucian, Miss Rose?” Celestia asked, a gentle and innocent smile on her face.
—