Chapter 53: Chapter 53

My answer earned me a squint from him, the kind that said he wasn’t buying a single word of it. Lucian tilted his head slightly, studying me with that unnervingly calm expression that made it impossible to tell if he was teasing or dissecting me.

"I believe you’re a bit... unique," he said at last, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "You know, I did investigate you."

My stomach twisted. "You what?"

He ignored the mild panic in my voice, continuing smoothly, "Of course I would. I wouldn’t want to accidentally marry an unknown phoenix, right?" He chuckled, the sound low and unbothered before his tone shifted back to something more serious. "And yet, I found nothing. No records, no traces... not even a birth registry from the phoenix archives. It’s like you just... appeared. Pop, out of nowhere?"

He leaned forward slightly, gaze narrowing with quiet curiosity. "And there’s another thing. Usually, when phoenixes die and are reborn, they rise from their own ashes. It’s a full rebirth... A new body, new flame, everything. But you..." His eyes flickered with a faint glint of amusement. "You didn’t. You came back exactly as you were. Well... except for the part where you were completely naked."

My face flushed instantly. "You didn’t have to remind me of that last part."

Lucian chuckled under his breath, but his tone turned softer when he added, "You didn’t return as a baby phoenix, either. You just... came back."

I bit my lip, feeling the weight of his words settle over me. He’s right... that shouldn’t have been possible.

But what could I even say to that, when the truth was far stranger than either of us could imagine?

My gaze dropped, avoiding his eyes. A lump formed in my throat, one I couldn’t quite swallow down. The urge to tell him everything burned at the back of my tongue... Who I really was, where I truly came from but the fear of what he’d do with that truth held me still.

Would he believe me? Or would he see me as something else entirely... something that shouldn’t exist?

"You know what..." I whispered at last, forcing my voice to sound lighter than it felt. My fingers fidgeted on my lap as I stared at them instead of him. "I... I honestly don’t even know who I am anymore."

The lie and the truth tangled somewhere in between those words, and I prayed he wouldn’t hear the difference.

I forced a small, shaky smile, trying to sound playful even as my heart hammered in my chest.

"Would you still like me if I were an outrealm?" I should’ve use alien, but I’m sure there is no alien here.

Lucian blinked once, then let out a soft laugh, the kind that carried both amusement and disbelief.

"An outrealm?" he repeated, eyes glinting faintly. "You could be from the edge of the stars, and I’d still end up marrying you."

I froze for half a second, caught off guard by how effortlessly he said it, like it wasn’t a joke at all. His voice was calm, steady, without even a hint of doubt.

’You could be from the edge of the stars, and I’d still end up marrying you.’

The words echoed in my head long after he’d said them, looping over and over like a song that refused to fade. My chest tightened in a way I couldn’t explain, it was warmth, blooming where there shouldn’t be any.

’And Maya asked me not to trust him? How?’

He didn’t mean it seriously. He couldn’t have.

And yet, for some ridiculous reason, my heart decided to believe him anyway.

I lowered my gaze, hoping he wouldn’t see the flush creeping up my neck. "You really shouldn’t say things like that so easily," I murmured. "Someone might take you seriously."

Lucian’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Maybe I wanted you to." Fresh chapters posted on novel{f}ire.net

My breath caught... again.

Lucian’s expression shifted, the teasing curve of his lips fading into something more thoughtful. He leaned back slightly, eyes never leaving mine.

"You know," he began slowly, his tone softer than before, "our relationship was... abrupt. Even hard to believe, sometimes." His gaze flickered for a moment, almost as if he was choosing his words carefully. "But you need to know one thing, Seraphina... I don’t play with marriage."

I stared at him, not sure what to say. There was no jest in his tone now, only quiet sincerity, threaded with something deeper.

He exhaled, his fingers brushing against mine, a small, grounding touch. "I hate to admit it," he murmured, "but marrying me might bring you more harm than comfort."

My heart skipped. "What do you mean?"

Lucian’s eyes softened, but there was a sharp glint beneath them, the kind that spoke of warning, of battles fought in silence. "I don’t know when or how, but danger follows power. And I’ve made more enemies than I can count."

He paused, and the faint chill of his aura brushed against my skin. "Still," he said, voice low and steady, "if it ever comes for you... I’ll protect you with everything I have. Even if it costs me my life."

The air between us stilled, just filled with the weight of a promise I wasn’t sure either of us could take back.

Lucian’s lips parted, as if he wanted to say something more but before he could, a firm knock sounded at the door.

"My lord," came Sebastian’s voice from the other side, calm and composed as always. "The car is ready."

Lucian straightened slightly, the moment between us breaking like a fragile thread.

I blinked, confused. "Car?" I asked, raising my brows. "We’re... not flying?"

His eyes shifted toward me, and there was a flicker of hesitation, probably guilt... in them.

I couldn’t lie, a pang of disappointment tugged at my chest. "Because of the attack?" I asked quietly. "You’re canceling the flight? But I am okay..."

Lucian stood, buttoning his coat with that composed air he always wore in front of others. "It’s just precaution," he said. "Until I’m certain the sky is safe."

I pouted but ended up nodding faintly. Though I tried to suppress my emotions, disappointment still seeped through. I couldn’t help it... ever since stepping into this world, everything had felt like something out of a story. The underwater mall, the glowing orbs, even the skyships shimmering above the clouds... it all made me feel like a child seeing magic for the first time.

And now, when I’d finally gotten the chance to fly... to actually see that world from above, it was taken away.

I glanced down, forcing a small smile. "Right... precaution," I murmured. But deep inside, I was already mourning the view I’d never get to see.

Still, when he extended his hand toward me again, I took it without hesitation. His fingers curled around mine, steady and sure, grounding me the way the world below never could.

"Come," he said softly, a faint smile touching his lips. "Let me take you somewhere else. I promise... you’ll like it just as much as you would’ve liked the sky."