And I will cook the white rice.”
Silence.
The words were so casually spoken. So softly whispered.
Yet the weight of them crashed into Rose and Olivia like an avalanche.
Olivia gasped.
Rose’s eyes widened in horror.
Did she just
No.
No, she didn’t just say that.
Celestia’s grin widened, as if savoring their reactions.
Her eyes gleamed dangerously.
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice into a whisper.
“And I won’t stop until I’m pregnant.
And then? I’ll ask him to take responsibility.”
A slow, mocking blink.
“And believe me… I’ll make sure to do it all in front of you, bitch.”
The words echoed through the room, cold and sharp like a blade.
Celestia wasn’t joking.
She smirked, watching as Rose’s entire body went rigid, as Olivia stood frozen behind her, shock overtaking them both.
She could do it.
If not for
If it was just about possession if all she wanted was to own Lucian she could have made it happen long ago.
She was smart enough, manipulative enough.
She could have played her cards carefully, broken him down piece by piece, made him fall into her hands without even realizing it.
But she didn’t.
Because she didn’t want a controlled Lucian.
She wanted him.
The real Lucian.
The stupid, reckless, infuriating, yet painfully beautiful Lucian.
She wanted his love to be pure.
Even if she didn’t want to admit it
She was jealous.
Of Avey.
Of the way Lucian had once loved her irrationally, stupidly, completely.
She wanted that kind of love.
The kind that made no sense.
The kind where nothing else mattered.
And that was the only reason she held back.
Because forcing him would be meaningless.
Because having him without his love would be empty.
Rose’s hand trembled as she pointed at Celestia, her breathing uneven.
“Y-You… you…!”
How shameless.
How could anyone say something like that out loud?
Pregnancy? In front of them?
Rose couldn’t even find the right words to react.
She felt something tighten in her chest a strange, painful twist that made her stomach lurch.
She didn’t understand why.
Why did hearing Celestia say that make her want to scream?
Her mind refused to process it.
No. This was beyond reason. Beyond sanity.
This wasn’t normal.
This was obsession in its rawest form.
And yet
Why did she feel a sharp, unbearable pain deep in her chest?
Behind her, Olivia stood completely still.
Like the world had crumbled beneath her feet.
Pregnant.
The word repeated in her mind, over and over, each time hitting her harder.
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
This woman.
This lunatic.
She was insane.
Her boy.
Her Lucian.
She wouldn’t allow this.
She COULDN’T allow this.
At first, Olivia had thought Celestia was just a girl in love.
A bit obsessive, yes.
But passionate. Fierce. Protective.
Someone who truly cared for Lucian.
She had seen how Celestia had fought for him, had stood up against everyone even his own mother for him.
There was a moment a brief, fleeting moment where Olivia thought,
“Maybe she really does love him.”
“Maybe she really would protect him.”
“Maybe she could even make him happy.”
But now?
Now, all she saw was madness.
Uncontrollable. Dangerous.
Celestia wasn’t just a girl in love.
She was a wild, untamed storm.
Something beyond reason. Beyond control.
And Olivia knew, without a doubt,
She couldn’t let Lucian fall into her hands.
Not this woman.
Not ever.
“So? Want to try and stop me again?”
Celestia exhaled slowly, tilting her head with a playful smirk.
“Go on, Rose. Give me a reason to do it.”
Her voice was teasing, yet dripping with a quiet threat one that Rose knew was real.
For the first time, true fear settled into Rose’s bones.
Her body felt cold, her chest tight.
Her lips parted, but
Nothing.
Not a single sound escaped.
Her heart ached painfully, a strange, suffocating feeling tightening around her.
Celestia didn’t say anything else she simply let her fingers glide gently across Lucian’s cheek, her touch slow, deliberate.
Mocking.
She was doing it on purpose.
She wanted Rose to watch.
To burn in helplessness.
Rose’s hands clenched into trembling fists.
She wanted to do something.
She wanted to stop her.
But then
Celestia’s eyes met hers.
A silent dare.
A challenge.
Do it.
Try to stop me.
And Rose
She couldn’t.
—
“Celestia… I think this is enough.”
Rose’s voice was barely above a whisper.
But Celestia didn’t respond.
She simply continued to run her fingers along Lucian’s jawline, completely unbothered.
Like Rose’s words didn’t matter.
Like Olivia’s presence was meaningless.
Like she was the only one here who had the right to touch Lucian.
Then
Celestia finally looked at Rose.
Her eyes were unreadable, cold, yet filled with a dangerous kind of amusement.
“Apologize to me.”
Her voice was calm.
“Right now.”
Rose’s breath hitched.
Celestia’s gaze bore into hers, unyielding.
“Apologize for what you did to Lucian.”
Her tone dropped, sharper.
“Slap yourself until I’m satisfied for kissing him.
Or…” Celestia smirked, “I will forcefully cook the rice. Right now. Believe it.”
“DO IT.”
—
Rose looked up at her.
Her heart ached in a way she had never felt before.
A deep, unfamiliar pain tore through her chest.
She didn’t want to.
She wanted to refuse.
She wanted to scream at Celestia.
But
She closed her eyes tightly.
It’s for Lucian.
If sacrificing her pride would keep him safe, she would do it.
If putting herself lower than dirt would prevent Celestia from doing something irreversible—she had no choice.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Her voice was small, trembling.
She lifted her gaze, looking directly into Celestia’s merciless eyes.
“Don’t do anything to Lucian. He deserves happiness.
Don’t force him into something like this.”
A weak smile formed on her lips, a desperate plea.
“It’s alright. I’ll do anything you ask. Just don’t do it.”
A single tear slipped from Rose’s eye.
Celestia watched her in silence.
Her expression didn’t change.
She didn’t blink.
She simply stared.
Then
Rose saw it.
Her eyes.
Cold.
Unmoved.
Unforgiving.
Celestia didn’t care about her pain.
She didn’t care about her regret.
She only cared about Lucian.
And Rose
She was nothing but a problem to be dealt with.
—
Rose’s hands trembled as she slowly lifted them.
“Okay.”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Just to satisfy you… I will slap myself.”
Her hands hovered near her face, fingers curled, hesitating.
Her body shook.
She hated this.
She hated Celestia.
But more than anything
She was scared.
Scared that Celestia would actually do it.
And she knew Lucian.
She knew exactly what kind of person he was.
She knew how he would react.
And she couldn’t let that happen.
She wouldn’t let that happen.
She wanted to give her brother the happiness of the whole world.
She had so much so much to repay him for.
This?
This was nothing in comparison.
Just slapping herself.
Just apologizing.
No big deal.
Right?
She inhaled sharply.
She lifted her hand higher
And just as she was about to strike herself
“STOP IT, CELESTIA!”
—
Olivia’s voice exploded through the room, filled with nothing but pure, unrestrained fury.
Before Celestia could react, Olivia’s hand grabbed her wrist, forcefully ripping her hand away from Lucian’s face.
—–