For a heartbeat, my mind went blank. His hand still cradled my cheek, his touch cool, almost reverent. Then his lips found mine, slow at first, testing, before deepening just enough to make my breath falter. His warmth clashed against the faint chill that always surrounded him, a strange mix of fire and frost that made my chest tighten.
The scent of rain and ash clung to him, like a memory of storms long gone, something cold and unfamiliar, yet… grounding. My fingers twitched, unsure whether to pull him closer or push him away. Every inch of me screamed that this shouldn't feel real… but it did. Too real.
When I finally pushed against his chest, it wasn't with strength, but with hesitation. His lips lingered a second longer before he let me go, his breath brushing against my skin. I stepped back, heart pounding, my hand rising to my lips as if to confirm the kiss had actually happened.
"What… was that for?" I asked, my voice trembling between disbelief and confusion.
Lucian's eyes softened, the faintest flicker of warmth breaking through his usual composure. "I just want you to know," he began quietly, his voice low, almost hesitant, "that I'm being serious. This marriage didn't happen because of politics or alliance alone."
He paused, studying me as if weighing every word. "It's because I truly like you."
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The words didn't sound rehearsed or strategic, they carried a kind of quiet conviction that left me disoriented. He wasn't smiling this time… there was no smirk, no trace of mockery. Just honesty, genuine and disarming.
I wanted to ask why… but the words wouldn't come.
His gaze dipped to my lips, then back to my eyes… That subtle, deliberate triangle method I'd only ever seen in dramas, before the distance between us dissolved again, leaving no reason to stop him.
Lucian's hand found the back of my neck, fingers tracing the edge of my hairline in a way that sent a quiet tremor through me. His thumb brushed the line of my jaw, a fleeting, almost reverent gesture before he leaned in once more.
This time, the kiss came slower… then deeper. Not the sudden, stolen touch from before, but deliberate, anchored by intent. His breath mingled with mine, soft and steady, the chill of his aura mixing with the warmth of my skin until I couldn't tell where one began and the other ended.
My knees felt weak. Every heartbeat echoed louder than thought itself. I didn't know whether to pull away or fall into him completely.
When he finally drew back, his lips hovered a mere breath away, his voice roughened by something I couldn't name.
"See?" he murmured. "I meant what I said."
I blinked, still dazed, breathing unevenly as the warmth of his kiss lingered far too vividly. "B-by… kisses?" I blurted before my brain could catch up.
Lucian's lips curved into a faint smile, a glint of amusement flickering in his icy gaze. "It's the most direct way to prove sincerity, isn't it?"
I gawked at him, still trying to process both his logic and the lingering flutter in my chest. "That's not—! I mean, that's one way, but—"
He tilted his head slightly, pretending to think. "Would you prefer another?"
My mouth opened… then promptly closed. "I—no! That's not what I meant!"
Lucian's smirk deepened, his tone smooth but teasing. "By another way," he said, stepping just close enough for his breath to brush my cheek, "I mean spoiling you."
I blinked, caught off guard. "S-spoiling me?"
He hummed, the sound low, almost like a purr. "With anything you need. Clothes, jewels, comfort… whatever you desire." His eyes softened, the usual frost in them dimming to something quieter, warmer. "You're my wife, after all."
My brain short-circuited somewhere between spoiling and wife. "Wait—hold on—you can't just say things like that right after…" I gestured vaguely between us, still reeling from the kiss that refused to leave my memory. "And no… I'm not your wife YET."
Lucian's smile softened, the teasing fading into something gentler, something that made my breath catch.
"I know," he murmured, almost to himself. "Not yet."
For a moment, the world went quiet. The air between us felt fragile, suspended in that thin space where words no longer mattered. His gaze lingered on me… not with the cool detachment this whole day, but with a warmth that felt almost human.
His fingers brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, the touch light, fleeting. "Then I'll wait," he said quietly, his thumb grazing my temple before he let his hand fall back to his side. "Until you're my wife."
My chest tightened at the sincerity in his tone, and before I could think of anything clever to say, he had already stepped back, his composure slipping seamlessly back into place.
Just like that, the moment… sweet, fleeting, and impossibly delicate was gone.
"Go and take a bath," Lucian said quietly, his tone composed again. "I need to take care of something. If I'm late, go to sleep first." Without waiting for my reply, he turned and walked away, the soft echo of his footsteps fading down the room.
"Wait…" I mumbled under my breath, still staring at the door that had just closed behind him. "What just happened? In just a day—no, two days? Whatever…" I dragged a hand through my hair, sighing. "This is way too much to process. First, he looked like he was ready to freeze me alive… and now he's being all sweet and confusing and—ugh!"
My fingers snagged halfway through, and I winced. "Ow—what now?" I tried to free my hand, only to realize it was tangled in one of those ridiculous jeweled pins still stuck from earlier. "Oh, perfect," I muttered, struggling against my own hair like it had declared war on me. "Just what I needed after accidentally making out with my… maybe-husband?"
A faint beep broke the silence.
"Are you that happy?"
I jumped, nearly ripping my hair out as a small holographic square flickered to life beside me, a deadpan face glowing faintly at its center.
"Oh gosh—" I gasped, glaring at it. "You and Lucian both need to learn proper etiquette for appearing out of nowhere!"
"I warned you not to believe him," Maya replied flatly, her glowing light dimming a shade as if to emphasize her disapproval. "This is exactly how he manipulated the cannon fodder before, resulting in her death at chapter fifteen."
I sighed, frowning. "But… Maya… You told me I needed to make him fall in love with me! Isn't this supposed to be good?"
"It is," Maya said calmly, her little square hovering closer. "Progress toward your goal, at least. But don't mistake his affection for safety. Love is only useful until the story reaches its resolution."
I hesitated. "You mean… my death scene."
"Precisely," she replied without hesitation, her digital tone even. "Once that happens, the story will stabilize, and the system can return you to your world."
My hand dropped from my tangled hair, the jeweled pin still glinting faintly under the soft light. "Right," I muttered, more to myself than to her. "All I have to do is make him love me… and die for it."
"That's the plan," Maya confirmed cheerfully… back to her earlier tone when it appeared for the first time. "Don't worry, Seraphina. You're doing much better than the original cannon fodder."
The square blinked twice, then vanished, leaving me with the faint hum of silence and a knot in my chest that refused to ease.