TAPGB - Chapter 64
The Abandoned Prince's Ghost Bride
The eyes that had been closed slowly opened. He blinked his eyes hazily and looked around, and he could see the sun already rising beyond the window.
"... Leah?"
Without realizing it, his name popped out. Lucian, who had been dazed for a while, rubbed his eyes.
"What did I dream about?"
He feels like he's been dreaming a lot lately, but he can't remember anything when he wakes up.
"Haam, I guess it's no big deal."
Lucian ignored it as usual and got up from his seat. When he went to the window and pulled back the curtains, he saw a sunny day.
"It couldn't be a better day."
Imperial calendar year 325, July 17th.
Lucian's birthday has arrived.
Meanwhile, at the same time. Someone who had the same dream as Lucian stood up.
Unlike Lucian, who was soaked in lingering clouds, his head throbbed like crazy, as if he had had a terrible nightmare.
"Haha, Arya... It's been a while since you showed your face. Is this going to happen?"
How long has it been since he had a dream like this? It seems like it's been almost a few decades.
"Arya, don't smile at that bastard. I'm angry."
In the dream, Arya smiled at him and the person next to him.
In fact, she just smiled at both of them, but the mere fact that he saw her beautiful smile made him unable to control his anger.
"Now that I think about it, it's been a long time since I went to see you. I have never been to that mansion in my body."
'I'm sorry if I made you disappointed, Arya.'
The man chuckled playfully even though his voice couldn't reach her.
"I will see you soon. Please don't reject me this time. If I refuse, I don't know how I will turn out."
Just by listening, he could see how intense his obsession with Aria was. But he thought this was love for her, not obsession.
"Okay, then shall we quickly finish today's work?"
The man's eyes sparkled with obsession and distorted love.
His eyes were brilliant gold.
***
[What? You can't come? You decided to come on time this year.]
"That's what I'm saying! Why on earth isn't the work done?! I can't go today, but tomorrow... No, the day after tomorrow... No, no! I will definitely go within a week!"
[... Ha... Okay.]
Speak kindly to Lucian!
Caesar put his hands together and prayed. When contact with him was cut off, I sighed deeply.
[Lucian will be disappointed...]
Today is Lucian's birthday.
Over the past few years, Caesar has been visiting once or twice a year to spend time with Lucian, but he was unable to come and congratulate Lucian in person on his birthday.
Is he receiving training from eIders or something?
Anyway, I was busy with a lot of things, so I didn't have the right time, but I promised to congratulate Lucian in person this year when he came of age.
[But how can I cancel on the same day?]
Of course, Caesar may have had his own circumstances, but for no reason, I felt even more disappointed and grumbled.
[First, I have to talk to Lucian.]
I got up and headed to Lucian's room.
[Lucian, today Caesar....]
The room I entered through the door was very empty.
[Huh? Where did he go?]
It's a little later than morning now. Usually, Lucian was in the room at this time. Besides, I heard that he had an appointment with Dio in the village today, so I thought he was getting ready to go out.
[It doesn't look like he's in the bathroom]
I didn't feel any presence in the bathroom. Feeling puzzled, I came out of his room and wandered around the mansion.
I went out to the library, music room, first-floor living room, kitchen, training room, etc. to look for Lucian, but he was nowhere to be seen.
[Where on earth has he gone?]
When I entered the mansion again, scratching my head, I found Lucian.
[Lucian! Where have you been! I've been looking for it for a while...]
I stopped speaking and looked at Lucian. Lucian trembled like a child who had just caught something. The place he just came from...
[...Why are you out there?]
It was the basement.
The accident stopped for a moment. Why is Lucian coming out of the basement? No, how did he get into the basement?
It looks like he definitely used a spell. Could it be that Lucian lifted the spell?
'When you disappeared, your magic disappeared at the same time.'
Then, I suddenly remembered what Caesar said eight years ago. At the time, I thought the missing magic only referred to hastily prepared defensive magic.
Of course, this would also apply to magic installed before that.
First of all, it's my fault, so if I stop Lucian from going into the basement again...
I tried to reach out to Lucian but paused for a moment.
[...Why aren't you saying anything?]
Lucian was strangely quiet. If he had been entered by mistake, it would have been enough to explain. But looking at the reaction now, it's like...
[I can't believe it... Isn't this your first time going into the basement?]
“Ah, so.......”
When Lucian panicked, it felt like he had been hit on the head. But the shock was short-lived, and I was filled with emotions that I didn't know whether it was betrayal, anger, or fear.
[I told you never to go down to the basement! Have you forgotten what happened there? What are you going to do if something serious happens when you go down?!]
"Leah, calm down. There was nothing in the basement. No, there is..."
[Lucian! You never know when and where things that threaten you will pop up in the basement! From now on, never go down. If you had known that the basement was unlocked in the first place, you should have told me. Why did you go in there?]
I pushed Lucian aside and closed the door to the basement. And just as I was about to carve a sealing magic circle on the door, Lucian blocked my path.
"Leah, listen to me first. There's a reason I went to the basement."
[No matter what the reason is, it can't be done. Don't you remember what it was like eight years ago? At that time, the humans who came up from the basement looked at you... !]
"Me?"
[You...]
It was impossible to say that those who had sneaked into the basement were trying for his life. Although I explained most things to Lucian at the time, I did not tell him anything that would shock him.
[Yes, something like that. I'm saying this for you, so listen.]
There are truths in the world that are not good to know. I decided to keep my mouth shut for him.
"Why? Say it."
At that time, a voice was heard with a serious expression. When I turned my head, Lucian looked down at me with a cold expression.
"It looks like it's my business, but is it something I shouldn't know about?"
[...]
When I closed my mouth, wondering if I had made a mistake, Lucian roughly stroked his hair upward.
"Ha, you always leave me out of important matters."
[ No, Lucian, it's not like that...]
"Or tell me."
Lucian's eyes as he looked at me were even colder. I realized he was genuinely angry. The reaction was different from when I pushed him away through various means and intentionally hurt him.
'But how do I say it?'
The priests at that time were thinking of offering him as a sacrifice. It seems that some kind of contract was made between the priest and the imperial family. Perhaps the imperial family sent him here to offer you as a sacrifice.
How can I say that?
Thanks to Leopold, Lucian was finally able to let go of his resentment towards his family and the imperial family.
However, after learning the full story of the incident from eight years ago, he may fall into a deep sense of betrayal again.
I ultimately chose to keep quiet.
'Please pass over, Lucian. It's all for you.'
There was a heavy silence. The current situation was quite awkward and uncomfortable, so I slit my eyes.
And when I looked at Lucian, I could see his eyes losing focus.
At that moment, my soul was greatly shaken.
"Ha ha ha... I'm so sick of it."
Lucian covered his face with one hand and laughed. No, it was a dry sound without any humor.
"Leah, it's better to be honest. Don't make people miserable like this."
[... What?]
"You tell Caesar everything, but you say nothing to me. What is the reason?"
[That... Because it's a difficult story for you to hear...]
"No, that's not it."
Lucian interrupted me midway through.
"You've always been like that. I can only see sorrow. Unlike me, do you think Caesar is seen as an equal to you?"
[Lucian, it's not like that. There really is a reason for this.....]
"Don't make excuses. It doesn't mean that I can't rely on you in the end."
I couldn't shake the feeling that I had hurt Lucian greatly.
"Congratulations. If you were trying to get rid of my affection, you succeeded. Very true... I feel dirty."
I couldn't even reach out to Lucian and could only look at him from afar. These words were the only words that came to mind in the current situation.
[... Sorry.]
Lucian gritted his teeth as he passed me. He took his jacket and went out.
[Lu, Lucian...! Where are you going!]
It seemed like he would leave this place forever. As I urgently grabbed him, Lucian's face distorted even more.
"Who cares where I go?"
[But you can tell me where you're going...]
Lucian pursed his lips and then turned his head.
"I'm just going to meet Dio. I don't know when I'll be back."
Lucian gradually walked faster and left the haunted mansion. I went as far as I could and then watched Lucian slowly move away.
Ssaaaa-
The leaves swayed with the wind and made noise.
[Why am I so anxious...?]
An inexplicable feeling of anxiety continued to swirl around me. The fear that Lucian would disappear forever like this.
He just left to meet Dio. He went down to the village more than once.
[.... I need to apologize to Lucian.]
Although I said I hid it for his sake, he may have felt like he was being ignored.
I belatedly reflected on my foolishness. For a long time, I could not leave my seat and could only look at the place where Lucian had disappeared.
***
"Shit...!"
Lucian, who had almost reached the village, kicked a rock that was rolling around in the forest.
He couldn't quite calm his mind.
"Caesar can do it, why can't I?"
He was really a kid when he was younger, so he can understand why Leah doesn't talk about it out of concern but isn't he old enough to discuss it now?
Even if he hear something again, he won't be too shaken or scared, so why is she so worried?
When Leqh told him that he didn't have to know, he realized for the first time that she didn't see him as an equal.
To her, he is nothing more than a child who must be protected.
"Ha, I'm annoyed..."
The hurt was bigger than when Leqh pushed him away with all kinds of mean words. Lucian thinks it's more because the words she said unconsciously felt like sincerity.
Did he let go of his anger for so long?
It was only after some time had passed that the face of Leah, who had been following him, caught his eye.
"She didn't look very good."
They say the person you fall in love with first loses.
Whenever he got angry, he was worried that she might have been hurt by what he said.
"No, if I bend down and go in this time, it will be the same as before."
Relationships need improvement. If they continue like this, they will just bump into each other and not make any progress.
"But what should I do?"
Do you think he has to act like an adult for Leah to see him as an equal?
"For all that, Caesar is very immature."
Suddenly, Lucian remembered Caesar, who had a similar mental age to him when he was 8 years old. He wasn't much different from 10 years ago or now.
"If you really think about it, I guess I'm more mature than Caesar now?"
Lucian muttered to himself and wondered what he could do to make Leah feel like an adult.
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