Axel gave a slight bow, wearing a neutral expression, "Your Highness, it’s an honor."
The 4th prince’s red eyes held no vibrancy, only a cold, calculating nature that viewed everything with suspicion and selfish motives. Lucien squinted his eyes; if he was surprised by what he saw, he did not show it.
As soone who possessed the golden dragon’s bloodline, as well as the energy sense skill, Lucien’s core intuition and senses were all exceptionally sharp. Not to ntion, there was an innate revulsion between the Dragon and the demon bloodline.
But as Axel had already made a deal with the Golden Dragon’s remnant will that was living inside of Lucien. Gilderon was making sure Lucien could not feel his bloodline’s innate hatred for the demons as he usually would. Previously in the academy, both were only 1st-phase seekers, and their bloodlines were much less integrated back then than they are now.
Lucien glanced towards Lumina and Vyra, and spoke with a smile, "I will give Axel a tour of the royal garden; you girls can do whatever you want..."
Lucien turned to Axel, "You don’t mind, do you...?"
Axel shrugged, "I’ve always wanted to see the illustrious royal garden..."
From the tone in which Lucien spoke, there wasn’t really a choice given by him. As he already settled the place and contents of the conversation they were going to have.
Lucien nodded and strode forward without saying anything more, and Axel spoke to Lumina before leaving,
"It was nice eting you, your highness Lumina."
Before Lumina could respond, he already left the chamber, following behind the Golden Prince.
As soon as Axel left the room, Lumina hurriedly sat down on the couch, covering her flushed face in embarrassnt. Only now could she think properly again. It was as if being in front of that person made it impossible for her to think.
She could not help but purse her lips in displeasure. Why was she feeling like this? Her heart was beating louder than ever, as if it would jump out of her chest at any given mont. That strange emotion of longing was bubbling up from within her. And those eyes, she couldn’t get them out of her head.
One mont, they were like the waves of the ocean; in another mont, it was like a gem, akin to a blue sapphire; it was so majestic.
She had never seen soone with such unique eyes, and heavens, those eyes were beautiful. Wearing a complicated expression, she turned towards Vyra, who seed to be already looking at her with a visible frown on her face, just as Lumina was about to open her mouth.
Vyra stated in an unusually serious tone, "Lumi, don’t even think about it...."
It was the 5th princess who frowned this ti at Vyra’s sudden shift in tone, "What are you talking about?"
Vyra shook her head, "Trust . That bastard is nothing like his appearance. Everything you saw is but a facade. Not because he is soone inherently bad. But simply because sothing romantic can never happen between you and Axel."
She continued sternly, "Whatever feelings you’re having of him, repress them instantly. It’s only because of his unusually high charm, which is even higher than your brother’s. You’re too soft-hearted to be able to distinguish your emotions properly."
Lumina glared at Vyra in displeasure. Why was she so vehently talking against Axel? Shouldn’t Vyra support her instead of saying things like that? She didn’t like what she was hearing one bit. She understood more than Vyra that she was not simply feeling such emotion simply because of Axel’s appearance.
After all, the bloodline of Luminaries made her almost invulnerable to any possible ntal contamination. So, this sense of attraction ca from her heart and nothing else.
She asked coldly, "What do you an by nothing can happen between him and ? And why are you talking about Mr. Axel as if he were so demon hiding behind a human skin?"
Vyra’s expression turned sour. If only she could speak it, she would have shouted that truth at the top of her lungs, but she could not. She sighed, "Axel loves soone else. And no one else can move his heart. Not even you."
Lumina’s eyes trembled, an incomparable wave of sadness washed over her heart, her face turned almost cold, and without saying more, she walked out of the room. From behind, Vyra kept calling her, again and again, telling her the sa damn things.
But Lumina did not stop, nor did she care to respond to any of her dearest friends’ calls. Her calm, serene mind, which always radiated nothing but positivity, was now a tumultuous storm.
***
anwhile, Axel continued to walk right behind Lucien on the path; not a single person in the palace failed to greet the only remaining prince. Even many influential noble figures ca to greet the 4th prince wearing humble expressions, bringing up certain important political topics, many of which were now under Lucien’s supervision.
From what Axel could witness, it seed much of the royal authority had already befallen Lucien, and he was extrely busy.
It did not take long for the two of them to reach in front of an enormous garden filled with countless flowers neatly clustered in various patterns. The scent of all the blooming flowers wafted into Axel’s nose, involuntarily prompting him to take a deep inhale of the refreshing air.
Lucien gestured toward a small table with two chairs. "Take a seat, Axel."
And so he did, then a servant ca hurriedly with two cups and a strange-looking blackened wine bottle. Pouring drinks for both of them. Lucien gulped it down in one go, while dismissing the servant.
Axel smiled, "Wouldn’t a tea fit better for this scenery?"
Lucien shook his head, "It’s a 100-year-old wine, Axel, made from the honey of the rare yellow roses. Try it, it’s pretty strong."
Axel swirled the wine in the small glass, as if inspecting it, then gulped it down. He savored the taste and chuckled, "Though I am not a fan of wines in particular. I must say, it’s a refreshing flavor. I never tasted sothing like this."
Lucien laughed, "Only the royal family can produce this after all. It would be suspicious if you tasted sothing like this before. Well, anyway. You’re pretty good, instantly shutting off the surveillance chanisms as soon as you entered the guest room."
Then he added after a mont of pause, as his smile deepened, "Not to ntion. Your existence is exceptionally heavy. You’re just that talented a runecaster, it seems. So, how is it that I know nothing of you, even though we attended the sa academy?"
Axel shrugged, "What can I say, I’m a pretty lowkey guy. Unless there’s a need for it. I don’t like revealing my specialities. But enough with these useless topics. We can go on and on about these. You can keep testing , prying into , but ultimately it won’t really lead anywhere."
Axel sneered, "Just like the temporary mind degradation poison you added to this wine won’t lead anywhere, either."
The poison worked on slightly dulling one’s thinking ability, which even worked on 2nd-phase Seekers. If it were a mundane person who consud this poison, they would permanently suffer damage to their psyche.
Of course, it wasn’t anything serious for a 2nd phase existence. Let alone Axel, who had the demon bloodline; just because of that, he was by default immune to 99% of poisons.
Unless it was a substance that inherently countered his runecaster aspect or the demon bloodline, no harmful poison would do anything significant to him.
Lucien’s eyes showed a trace of surprise, but then they turned cold for a mont. "On what grounds are you accusing of such things? and don’t you think you’re talking a bit too arrogantly in front of ?"
Axel gave a mocking look towards Lucien, "Your Highness, with all due respect. I’m not interested in these useless shenanigans. The only reason you’re here is that you need sothing from , and I also need sothing from you. We’re not exactly here to make friends, are we?
"We’re both here to simply make a transaction that benefits both parties."
"However, if you are soone who is lost in your arrogance just because of your current cented status as the only successor to the throne, then I would be greatly disappointed. Then there would be no further need for any discussion between us. So, let’s get to the fucking point, shall we?"
There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence after Axel spoke in such a hooligan-like manner in front of the golden prince; they both stared at each other coldly, until it was Lucien who smiled,
"You do know that you’re probably the only person who dared to talk to in such a disrespectful manner. Even before the death of my other siblings, no one dared to talk to in such a tone. But I am curious though...."
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