Sparks flew.
A silent, unseen storm churned between them.
Olivia stood still, her instincts screaming that something was off, but she couldn't place it.
Lucian? He was utterly lost.
What is happening?
Rose was acting strange not just arguing with Celestia but shifting the conversation, redirecting the focus.
Is she trying to cover for me? Pretending she doesn't remember?
A quiet tension settled in his chest.
Across from him, Rose's eyes burned.
This woman…
Her cold fury fixated on Celestia, her stare razor-sharp.
Celestia only smirked, reading every slight shift in Rose's expression like a hunter watching prey.
Why?
From the corner of her eye, Rose caught Lucian's confused gaze.
He's completely lost.
Does he think I don't remember? Stupid.
She was putting in so much effort to deflect suspicion, and yet he stood there like a fool, making it even more obvious.
Her sigh was silent but heavy.
The butler, ever-watchful, stood with an unreadable gaze, glasses glinting as if he'd already figured everything out.
Then
"Lucy, come here."
Lucian blinked, his body tensing slightly.
"…Huh?"
Rose sat up straighter, ignoring Celestia completely.
What now?
Olivia and Celestia's eyes sharpened, both watching closely.
Lucian hesitated but stepped forward.
"Say it from there." His voice was neutral, but his nerves spiked.
Rose lifted her chin, her cold gaze unwavering.
"Bend down."
Lucian's frown deepened.
"…What?"
"I can't reach your ear from here," Rose said, steady, unreadable.
Lucian hesitated.
Something felt wrong.
His gaze flickered toward Olivia and Celestia, both watching, their expressions unreadable.
Why is she acting like this? Won't this make Mother more suspicious?
Still, she wasn't backing down.
With a sigh, he leaned in slightly.
Maybe she wants to ask about last night?
Maybe something important?
Rose's gaze flickered to Olivia. Then to Celestia.
Her fingers twitched.
Her pulse pounded.
This was it.
A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind.
What will Mother say?
What about Lucy? He won't hate me, right?
He loves Avey… No, he doesn't anymore. It's fine.
She swallowed.
Better than that woman who hurt my brother…
Better than this obsessive freak Celestia…
Her jaw tightened.
This is the only way to prove it.
Lucian…
Maybe with this, you can trust me.
Her resolve solidified.
Her face flushed.
Her fingers trembled, but she moved without hesitation.
She slid one hand behind Lucian's head, fingers threading into his hair.
The other grasped his jaw.
Lucian didn't react.
He assumed she was just steadying him so she could whisper.
Celestia's violet eyes sharpened.
Her breath slowed.
Her instincts flared.
Why is she looking around like that?
What is she about to say?
A dark, uneasy feeling crept into her chest.
Rose's lips parted slightly.
Lucian felt it warm, shaky.
A slow, creeping heat ran down his spine.
What is she doing?
Celestia's eyes flashed.
Then
Rose's grip tightened.
Too tight.
Celestia who was looking from side suddenly her eyes went wide.
No
Rose yanked him forward, tilting his head sharply.
Lucian's body locked up.
Before he could even process what was happening
Soft.
Warm.
The sudden pressure of her lips against his.
---
A Shocking Collision
Lucian's mind shut down.
His breath caught in his throat, eyes blown wide in sheer disbelief.
What?
Instinct screamed at him to pull away, but before he could react, Rose's grip tightened.
Her fingers curled into his hair, her other hand pressing against his jaw, trapping him in place.
His body locked, frozen.
His mind? Completely blank.
Not a single thought formed.
Not even a flicker of resistance.
Just shock.
---
Olivia.
The moment she saw it, her heart stopped.
The air left her lungs, her vision tilted, her mind refused to comprehend.
Her daughter.
Her daughter.
Kissing her son.
No. No. No.
It didn't make sense. This couldn't be real.
Her fingers trembled, gripping the edge of the hospital bed like a lifeline.
She wanted to scream. To deny what was happening before her very eyes. But her voice her entire body betrayed her.
Her legs threatened to give out.
Her reality was cracking apart.
---
Celestia.
Standing just a few feet away, her golden eyes stared.
Blank. Unblinking. Cold.
Her fingers twitched at her sides, curling into tight fists.
Her body shook not with rage, but with something much, much worse.
A silence too dangerous.
An emotion too lethal.
Her heart?
It went still.
Her breath?
Frozen.
Her thoughts?
Deadly.
The sight before her engraved itself into her mind like a scar she would never forgive.
Her precious darling.
Her only one.
Stolen.
Right in front of her.
By Rose.
A smile twitched at the corner of her lips one that didn't belong there.
A quiet, eerie smile.
The room temperature dropped.
----
Meleonora, standing off to the side, almost collapsed. Her jaw hit the metaphorical floor, her mind struggling to comprehend the absolute madness unfolding before her.
Rose Kane just kissed Lucian Kane.
What. The. Actual. Hell.
She had to be dreaming. Right?
Her mind spiraled. Wasn't she his sister?
WHAT.
She scanned the room wildly, trying to confirm whether she had gone insane or if this madness was actually happening.
Lucian Kane had already been rumored to have an affair with Avey Starline. Then, the crown princess Celestia calls him 'darling' and his mother 'mother-in-law.'
And now Rose Kane?
This wasn't a love triangle.
This was a damn catastrophe.
And the most insane part?
All three of them had fallen for him of their own accord.
This wasn't some playboy scandal.
They were actively chasing him.
What kind of supernatural luck did this monster have?!
Meleonora barely had time to register her own existential crisis before she felt a shift a dangerous shift.
Her body tensed instinctively.
Her instincts screamed at her to move.
She turned her head, her pulse spiking
And immediately regretted it.
She saw Celestia.
A suffocating presence filled the room. Cold. Lethal. Unstable.
Celestia wasn't blinking.
Her golden eyes fixated on Lucian and Rose, devoid of warmth, devoid of emotion just empty.
But her shoulders shook.
Her legs trembled.
Her breath came in shallow gasps.
Her fingers twitched violently on the verge of losing control.
A beast locked in a fragile cage, seconds away from breaking free.
Meleonora swallowed hard. Oh, shit.
She turned toward General Damian, desperation clawing at her.
"…General," she whispered, voice barely above a breath. "Am I hallucinating, or is this really happening?"
Silence.
No response.
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She turned.
And nearly lost her soul.
The hardened war veteran a man who had stared death in the face countless times, stood there…
Mouth hanging open.
Completely. Freaking. Stunned.
------