╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Music: Van Gogh - Vesislava & Virginio Aiello
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The bird flew inside and landed on Lucian's desk, treating him like a servant who brought it food.
"You are welcome for the meal," Lucian said, walking to his seat behind his desk, "You could at least greet me back, you know?"
The bird gave him a side eye as Lucian rested his chin on his hand, watching it eat. His free hand snaked to the bird's feathers and gave it a few pets. Feeding time was the only time it was docile.
"I hope she won't try to sneak out of the academy grounds," he said with a sigh, resuming his work, "If she gets caught, she will get into a lot of trouble."
The academy housed the most powerful children of the kingdom. The security was so tight that it was almost like a prison. The student's rooms were checked regularly during the night.
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The sky outside the window gradually darkened, the stars twinkling in the distance. Togo had finished eating and was now resting on Lucian's desk, its head tucked into its body.
It was definitely nicer than usual, making his birthday special in its own way.
Lucian got up from his seat and walked toward the balcony, careful not to make too much noise. 'I'm going to take a look at the renovations.'
He climbed over the wall of the backyard and jumped onto the balcony of the neighboring building.
He unlocked the glass door and entered the room. It used to be a guest bedroom, but she turned it into a private office with a curtain screen to separate the office from the bedroom area.
The renovations were almost finished, and everything looked good. There were still some finishing touches that needed to be added, like her personal belongings that had yet to be unpacked and displayed on the shelves and walls.
Lucian laid down on the bed, his fingers tracing the pattern on the sheets. They felt smooth and silky, not like her skin, but close enough.
He once contemplated becoming a priest when he tried to move on from Celine. He was around fourteen at that time.
Celibacy was a virtue that was encouraged in the church. Forsaking worldly attachments and desires with a promise of a heavenly reward sounded like a great deal.
The church held a strong influence in the kingdom, not only because of the faith of the people, but also because of its blessing ability.
A blessing allowed a knight to absorb the earth's natural energy. The rarer and harder to obtain the earth's mineral a knight could absorb, the more powerful he could become.
Most blessings were weak and didn't last long since they all depended on the priest's devotion, and his ability to resist the temptation of the world.
"..." Lucian heard Voice's laughter when he recalled how his childhood plan had fallen apart.
They called his dreams unholy, and his fantasies sinful because he failed to hide them, and was scolded for being a lustful degenerate.
And how did he fail to hide them? He couldn't even pass the first trial, where the blessed ring he wore on his left hand, would turn the color of his sins.
Voice continued to laugh and Lucian couldn't help but ask in a slightly annoyed tone, 'Do you have to laugh every time?'
'They failed to help you and instead mocked you for it. It's funny how far humans go for a little bit of divine power,' it replied, 'that they forget what it truly means to have it.'
'Yet the god still lends them his power,' Lucian said.
'The more power a man has, the easier he destroys himself and others around him.'
"Lucian?"
Lucian turned to see Celine standing in the doorway. She still wore her school uniform underneath her coat and looked a bit in a rush.
"Celine?" He sat up on the bed, holding back from running to her like a starved man, "How did you get here?"
She closed the door, "Kidnapped myself on the way to the dorms," she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement, "The academy will get in trouble if someone were to find out that their student got abducted. It will be fun to see them trying to cover the incident up. What a shame I will have to keep my lips sealed."
"..."
She walked over to him and sat down beside him on the edge of the bed, removing her coat.
"Happy birthday," she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her smile widened when he pulled her onto his lap.
He hugged her from behind, his arms wrapping around her waist, his head resting against her shoulder.
"You can't just show up like this," he mumbled into her neck, "It's not safe and it's not good for my heart either."
It was a twenty minute walk from the academy, and she had to cross a few streets to get here. Who knew what kind of people could have been lurking around? She was still a duke's daughter.
"I had to see you, so here I am," she turned her head to the side to look at him, "Can't have you moping around here alone."
"I have Togo, so you don't have to worry about me," he replied, "I don't mop around, but if you feel lonely, then just say so and we will do something about it."
She stayed silent for a moment, thinking about it, before she finally spoke, "My reputation is in the dirt."
"Hm?" He turned her around to face him. Did something happen after he left?
Her hand went to her eyes to wipe the tears that began to pour down, "I hate it, but I have to do it."
She breathed in a sob, her hands rubbing away the thick layer of make up to reveal a face he was more familiar with. "I hate it even more when you see me acting like a brainless shrew. What if you stop loving me because of some stupid rumors?"
Lucian's heart broke a little at the sight of her tears, his arms wrapping around her tighter.
"Celine," his voice was comforting, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, "I won't…"
She shook her head, "This is just the beginning of my downfall. It will become worse, much worse."