30 minutes later
Time resumed.
Lucian blinked, shaking his head as a strange sense of disconnect washed over him.
Something felt off.
Something was wrong.
But before he could process it, his eyes landed on Rose
Tears.
Her face was streaked with them.
“What’s happening? Are you crying?”
Lucian’s voice was laced with concern as he stepped toward her.
Rose’s body stiffened.
“Ahh no, no, I’m not!” She hurriedly wiped her tears, her hands trembling ever so slightly.
Her heart was still pounding so much had happened during the time stop.
She felt drained.
Exhausted from the mental battle between Olivia and Celestia.
From Celestia’s brutality.
From what she almost had to do.
But
Lucian couldn’t know.
No one in this room had any idea what just happened.
She forced a weak smile, her voice light. “No, really, it’s just… my back hurts.”
Lucian’s expression remained conflicted.
His mind was still reeling from what had happened just before time stopped
The kiss.
Rose had kissed him.
Why?
What was she thinking?
And why why was she crying now?
He was dumbfounded.
“It’s alright. Lay down and rest well. We need to have a serious conversation later.”
“You just had surgery, after all.”
Lucian spoke calmly, though his mind was filled with questions. The kiss. Her sudden tears. The strange tension lingering in the air.
He wanted to ask. He needed to know.
But
She was hurt.
Now wasn’t the time.
Rose didn’t respond. She simply closed her eyes, shifting carefully to her side, avoiding her back to prevent more pain.
Lucian sighed heavily, his conflicted gaze lingering on her.
For now, he wouldn’t press her.
For now, he would wait.
But before he could question her further, a loud thud from behind caught his attention.
He turned abruptly.
Screams?
Just now, he was sure he had heard Celestia yelling.
But now
His gaze fell onto Meleonora.
Unconscious.
Fallen to the ground.
“…What happened to this red-haired woman? Why is she on the floor?” Lucian asked, pointing at her limp body.
Celestia smiled.
A sweet, reassuring smile.
“Oh, don’t worry, darling.”
She knelt beside Meleonora, as if she was simply tending to an unfortunate accident.
“She probably didn’t eat anything all night and just collapsed from exhaustion.”
Her voice was calm, smooth, as if everything was perfectly normal.
Lucian’s brows furrowed.
Something felt wrong.
Celestia wasn’t normal.
He knew that.
And this?
This didn’t feel right.
—
“What about the yelling?”
Lucian turned his suspicious eyes back to her.
“I was sure I heard you screaming just now.”
Celestia didn’t flinch.
Instead, she let out a soft laugh.
“Ohhh, that?” She waved her hand dismissively.
“I was just shocked to see her pass out in front of me! I thought something serious had happened, so I yelled for help.”
Her poker face was flawless.
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
He was still conflicted.
Celestia had seen the kiss.
He was sure of it.
So then why?
Why was she acting so calm?
Why wasn’t she saying anything about it?
His gut twisted.
It felt creepy.
As if something was lurking beneath the surface something he couldn’t see.
He turned his gaze toward the General and the purple-haired man, who were both standing silently nearby, watching.
Their expressions were
Weird.
Stiff.
Tense.
Like they were hiding something.
As soon as Lucian’s eyes landed on them
They froze.
A slight shift.
A quick, nervous glance at each other.
Lucian frowned.
“…Did Meleonora really just pass out from hunger?”
His tone was sharp.
Demanding.
The General and the purple-haired man stiffened again.
They had seen everything.
They had seen Celestia go wild after the kiss.
They had seen Meleonora step in to stop her.
They had seen Celestia knock Meleonora unconscious before they could even react.
Too fast.
It happened too fast.
And now?
Now, Celestia was acting like nothing happened.
Her acting skills were terrifying.
The General hesitated, then subtly leaned toward the purple-haired man.
“Don’t say anything stupid, boy.”He whispered.
The purple-haired man blinked in confusion.
But seeing the seriousness in the General’s eyes he decided to follow his lead.
Both of them nodded.
“Yes, yes. Meleonora passed out from exhaustion.”
The General stepped forward, quickly lifting Meleonora’s unconscious body.
The purple-haired man followed, nodding along.
“Yeah, maybe everything that happened today was just too much for her. She was exhausted and passed out. Let’s take her somewhere to rest.”
Poker face.
Calm.
Controlled.
Lucian wasn’t convinced.
Something was off.
He could feel it.
But before he could press them further
Celestia suddenly stood up.
She brushed off her dress, turned to him
And narrowed her eyes.
—
“You.”
Lucian blinked.
Celestia took a step closer.
“You… kissed Rose.”
Her tone was neutral.
But her eyes
They weren’t.
Lucian felt something heavy in the air.
Something dangerous.
A cold sweat ran down his back.
“You”
Celestia’s lips curled into a small, unreadable smile.
Her eyes were locked onto him.
Unwavering.
Dark.
Lucian swallowed.
He didn’t know what to say.
He didn’t even know what to think.
Because right now
Celestia was looking at him like he was prey.
“It’s alright, we will talk about that later.”
Olivia’s voice suddenly rang out, firm and unyielding, leaving no room for argument.
“I need to ask some questions, Mother-in-law.” Celestia’s voice was calm, her cool smile unwavering, eyes curving like a crescent moon.
“I SAID we will talk about that later!” Olivia snapped, her voice sharp. “Rose is resting. Let her be.”
Her gaze turned to Lucian, just as firm. “And you too. You can talk to her later.”
Lucian blinked. “Umm… yes, yes, sure.”
But inside, he couldn’t help but feel something was off. His eyes flickered between his mother and Celestia, sensing a strange shift in the air.
Why does Mother’s voice sound so cold toward Celestia all of a sudden?
Nothing had ever seemed friendly between them, but at least before, his mother had maintained some neutrality some level of face.
Did something happen between them?
Lucian could tell something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“It’s alright, Mother-in-law. We can talk about it later.”
Celestia’s voice remained gentle as she turned toward Olivia, unfazed.
For a moment, Olivia halted. Her body trembled slightly, but she quickly reined it in.
This woman… she’s a snake.
A flash of disdain passed through Olivia’s eyes. How can someone be so good at acting?
She shook her head, brushing away the thought.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted.
“Sir, I think it’s time to go.”
Lucian turned his head, frowning. “Huh?”
The butler stood at the side, speaking respectfully. “Sir, I have to leave now. It’s getting late.” He gave a slight bow.
Lucian almost wanted to punch this guy. The audacity.
But then he sighed. Forget it… it’s probably better to leave this place for now.
With all these women watching him, the atmosphere felt too heavy.
“Alright, I’ll go with you,” he finally said.
“Huh?” Olivia and Celestia spoke at the same time.
“Ahh… they helped me, right? So I should at least escort him out.” Lucian kept a straight face as he spoke.
Olivia frowned slightly, but then nodded.
“Rose is fine. Alright, go on.”
She wasn’t opposed to some alone time here. Her eyes stayed locked on Celestia.
“Okay.”
Lucian nodded toward the butler and started to leave when
“Take his son with him too. Don’t forget,” Olivia’s voice rang out again. “And remember to give them expensive rewards. Ten million each from the Kane Family Bank.”
A sudden stiffness overtook the purple-haired man.
WTF… why me?!
He screamed internally.
He had just been relieved when that monster (Lucian) was about to leave, but now now he had to go with him?!
Cold sweat dripped down his back.
“Go on…” Olivia continued, eyes locking onto him. “Aren’t you father and son? Or are you planning to go separate ways?”
The purple-haired man stammered. “I… I… I”
The butler smoothly stepped in. “Thank you for your concern, Miss. I wish Miss Rose a speedy recovery.”
Olivia nodded, attempting a smile, but her mood was too sour with all this Celestia business weighing on her.
“Come now, young man. Be quick.” The butler walked past the purple-haired man, his eyes flashing with something unreadable.
“Ahhh… ughhh…”
The purple-haired man hesitated, his gut telling him this was bad.
A quiet whisper brushed past his ear, just for him.
“Go on. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you… unless you piss off Lucian.”
The general’s low voice sent chills down his spine.
“Umm… but”
“GO. FAST.”
The sharp gaze shut him up instantly.
With a stiff posture, the purple-haired man swallowed his protests. Without looking back, he hurried after Lucian.
Lucian walked down the corridor, lost in thought. His mind was a mess, filled with scattered plans and lingering confusion.
Honestly, all of this felt weird to him.
As he walked, his fingers unconsciously brushed against his lips. The memory of the kiss resurfaced, making his brows furrow.
What the fuck happened?
He cursed under his breath. He still had no idea what kind of conversation he was supposed to have with Rose later, but that wasn’t what bothered him the most.
Because throughout this whole time the kiss, the tension, everything one person’s image kept appearing in his mind.
Avey…
Lucian let out a deep sigh.
Why am I thinking about her now?
They were over. So over. It had been a long time since their relationship ended.
Then why… why did he feel like he had cheated?
Damn it.
Now that he thought about it, Avey hadn’t contacted him in over a week. That wasn’t like her.
How is she?
Did she take his words to heart?
She’ll be fine… He convinced himself. She never had feelings for me anyway. Maybe her fun is over, and she’s moved on.
But even as he thought that, something in his chest tightened.
Sigh…
Lucian still regretted the words he had said that day.
“I hate you.”
Did she believe him?
The very thought made his heart clench.
It’s for the best… he reminded himself. Let her think that. Let her leave me alone.
Even so, he couldn’t help but wonder What is she doing now? What might she be thinking?
His footsteps echoed in the silence as he continued walking, lost in thought.
The butler walked ahead, silent and steady, while the purple-haired man trailed behind, equally quiet.
The air around them was heavy, but Lucian wasn’t paying attention anymore.
His mind was somewhere else.
Somewhere with her.
—