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"Um..."
The mont Talvi tried to speak, she instantly began to stamr, the blush on her face deepening intensely. Lucian didn't show a shred of impatience. He simply floated there, watching her with a calm, placid expression. Seeing his utter tranquility seed to magically soothe her nerves, and Talvi slowly managed to regain her composure.
"I ca... to thank you," Talvi said softly.
"It was just a commission," Lucian replied. He used a quick pulse of magic to instantly evaporate the water clinging to his hair. He then leaned back against the surface of the pool, exposing only his broad shoulders and collarbone, deliberately turning his back to her.
"Even so, I still wanted to thank you personally, in private." Talvi took a step forward. "You know my circumstances. I was an artificial vessel, created and adjusted for the sole purpose of being a sacrifice to seal the Lord of the Swamp. For a very long ti, I managed to convince myself that my sacrifice was necessary so that everyone else could be happy... But if there was even a slight chance to live, to see more of the world, to experience all the beautiful things it has to offer—why would I ever truly want to die?"
Lucian listened in silence, offering no response.
The desire to survive was fundantally ingrained in all life; it was a basic animalistic instinct. Talvi had successfully conquered her innate, primal fear of death to offer herself up for the salvation of her people. That was the essence of true humanity. Humanity wasn't solely defined by its inherent ugliness; it possessed profound beauty as well. Lucian wasn't in a position to critique her thod of self-sacrifice, but her underlying nobility was undeniable. That much, at least, was absolute truth.
"So... I am truly, deeply grateful to you," Talvi whispered. She knelt gracefully at the edge of the pool, reaching out to gently massage his tense shoulders.
Her expression was incredibly strained. It was obvious she had aggressively ntally prepared herself for this, terrified that Lucian might instantly reject her touch.
"Alfia was the one who killed the Lord of the Swamp," Lucian stated coolly.
"I've heard the full story," Talvi replied, a small, tender smile gracing her lips. "Lady Alfia only knew about Beltane because you specifically brought her here. Which ans Lady Alfia's role in this incident was rely acting as your 'bodyguard.' You were the core mastermind behind our salvation. Not to ntion, the Sealing Pills you synthesized are vastly more effective than drinking the Spring of Life directly. Everyone here knows exactly whose contribution was the greatest."
"If this is purely an expression of gratitude, I accept it," Lucian said after a prolonged silence. "But you don't need to force yourself. I don't require you to offer your body as paynt."
"I know." Talvi took a deep, shuddering breath. "I am incredibly grateful to you. But I also... deeply admire you."
With those words hanging in the air, she stopped moving, her heterochromatic eyes locked intensely onto the back of his head. One second passed. Two seconds. Just as her face fell in crushing disappointnt, just as she bit her lip to stop the tears from spilling over, Lucian finally turned his head and gently cupped her cheek.
"It seems I have no reason to reject a young maiden's admiration," Lucian said with a faint, charming smile.
"Lord Lucian..." Talvi's eyes swam with overwhelming emotion.
It might have been an impulsive decision born in the heat of the mont, but she was absolutely certain she wouldn't regret it. She had completely resolved herself. If Lucian had flat-out rejected her, it would have shattered her heart into pieces. The hero swoops in and saves the beauty—Talvi's heart already belonged to him entirely, even if Lucian had barely paid her any specific attention during the entire ordeal. Even if... they had technically just t for the very first ti.
The trope of the hero and the rescued maiden was endlessly clichéd, yet it remained eternally effective. Acting on impulse was vastly preferable to paralyzing hesitation. If she let tonight slip away, Talvi had no idea when she would ever get another chance to be alone with him. Furthermore, Lucian belonged to Orario; he would inevitably leave.
"Kyaa~"
A splash echoed as Lucian pulled Talvi straight into the water. Her clothes were instantly soaked through, though the dense life force radiating from the spring prevented her from feeling any chill. Her soft body was pressed flush against his, allowing her to feel the intense, burning heat radiating from his skin.
A mont later, his lips captured hers. Under the pale gaze of the moon, their embrace deepened. A split second later, a flash of magical light erupted, and the two vanished instantly, teleporting directly into the Divine Court.
"They disappeared..." Shortly after they vanished, a white-haired young woman carefully crept out from the shadows, staring in shock at the empty pool.
"He possesses a teleportation magic that allows him to instantaneously travel from one location to another." The sudden voice from the side made teria jump in terror.
"Did you honestly think I didn't notice you sneaking around like a thief?" Alfia asked, brushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. "The Spring of Life produces drinking water. Even with its insane self-purification properties, doing that in the pool is still wildly disrespectful. Besides, he probably noticed you lurking there from the start. Why would he do sothing like that right in front of you?"
"Wait, he saw !?" teria gasped, looking utterly horrified.
"Just how dense are you?" Alfia sighed, completely exasperated.
"Um, Sis... what do you think about... them doing that?" teria asked, her face flushing violently as she stuttered over her words.
"A hero saves the beauty, and she pledges her life to him in return. What is there to think about?" Alfia replied flatly. "Don't tell your heart is starting to race for him too."
"Well... maybe just a little bit." teria fidgeted nervously. "But aren't Mr. Lucian and Lady Hephaestus already lovers? Doesn't this count as cheating?"
"Who knows. Maybe he and Hephaestus are just casually flirting and haven't actually made it official yet," Alfia analyzed coldly. "He's clearly the type who won't turn down a beautiful woman throwing herself at him. He doesn't actively initiate, but he doesn't reject them either. Whether he'll actually take responsibility for her is another matter entirely. So—you are out of the question!" Alfia declared, imdiately recognizing the dangerous look in her sister's eyes.
"Why!?" teria whined pitifully.
"I don't care what he does with other won, but I am absolutely not letting a playboy sink his claws into you," Alfia shot back, visibly annoyed.
teria was her most precious little sister. She wouldn't even be happy if teria fell into a completely normal, wholeso romance, let alone got involved with a shaless womanizer.
"But... ugh..." teria let out a pathetic, adorable pout.
"No ans no." Alfia frowned, a flash of genuine irritation in her eyes. "I know he saved our lives, but you cannot confuse gratitude with romantic love. Being saved by a hero makes for a great story, but it doesn't guarantee a happy ending."
"That's just prejudice! You clearly have a good impression of Mr. Lucian too, Sis." teria fired back stubbornly.
"I do not." Alfia paused for a fraction of a second before answering.
"Liar." teria called her bluff instantly.
She knew her older sister's personality better than anyone. Though it wasn't overly obvious, Lucian was literally the only person they had known for this long who hadn't been violently verbally abused by Alfia.
"Even if I did, it would strictly be out of camaraderie and gratitude. Nothing more," Alfia retorted defensively.
"You're just as dishonest as Lady Bheara," teria said, puffing out her cheeks angrily. "I'm going to go tattle on you later! I'll make Mr. Lucian scold you too!"
Recalling Bheara's flustered, humiliated expression during the banquet earlier that day, Alfia felt a phantom itch crawl across her skin. If she were ever put in that exact sa position, she would feel utterly, sickeningly uncomfortable. She fundantally despised the idea of being popular or admired. It would feel entirely alien to her—like forcing a severe introvert to give a speech under the blinding spotlight of a massive crowd. It would be pure torture.
Alfia was exactly the sa. She buried all her vulnerabilities and weaknesses deep inside her heart, aggressively using a venomous tongue and a terrifyingly cold exterior to violently push away anyone who tried to get close. It was her only way to protect her soft, fragile core. When it ca to being hopelessly dishonest with their own feelings, she and Bheara were cut from the exact sa cloth.
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