Lucina
The first sensation was a dull, throbbing ache pulsing behind my eyes.
Ugh… my head.
It felt like my thoughts were wading through thick mud, sluggish and unsteady, as if I were clawing my way up from a nightmare I couldn't quite recall.
Fragments flickered in my mind. A conversation. Talking to Hakan yesterday.
But the moment I tried to grasp the memory, it dissolved like mist.
And then—
My eyes snapped open.
W–WHERE AM I?! WHAT ARE THESE CLOTHES—?!
Panic pumped through my bloodstream so fast I felt dizzy. I was dressed in an elegant white gown, embroidered with silver thread, lying in the middle of a massive bed draped with silk sheets.
This wasn't my room.
This wasn't even my world.
A soft rustle of sheets.
I froze.
Slowly, dread coiling in my gut, I turned my head.
A man lay beside me.
Shirtless.
Sleeping peacefully.
Long dark hair spilled across the pillow, his tan skin adorned with sweeping, black tribal tattoos that curled over his chest and shoulder. Muscles defined every line of him. He looked like he'd been carved from bronze — powerful, imposing… breathtaking.
And a stranger.
I must have jerked in shock because his lashes lifted, and he opened his eyes.
We stared at each other.
A sharp SWISH of breath escaped me.
Hakan.
It was the man called Hakan.
His name alone sparked blurry recollections — a surreal image of myself as a tiny, child-like form hugging a giant red apple.
This apple is so big and hard. I bet it tastes great.
My face burned at the memory. Had that actually happened? Or was it a dream?
Either way—
I needed to get out of here.
Before I could think, my body lurched into motion. The instinct to flee roared through me.
DASH!
I leapt out of the bed, nearly tripping on the hem of the unfamiliar gown, and ran toward the exit.
I just needed distance. Space. Answers.
I slammed through the chamber doors, nearly stumbling over my own feet.
The hallway spun.
Ugh. My head.
I pressed my palms against my temples, but it did nothing. The pain only intensified.
Standing guards whipped their heads in my direction — one of them a tall, imposing man with thick silver-braided hair. His arms were crossed tightly, jaw clenched in agitation. Beside him was a tiny maid with round eyes and restless hands.
"WHY HAVEN'T THEY COME OUT YET?" the braided man growled, pacing.
The maid bit her lip. "WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO LUCINA…?"
And then they saw me.
"MA'AM!" The little maid — Titi — practically launched herself toward me.
She skidded to a stop and grabbed my hands with surprising strength.
"ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!" she shouted.
"Don't shout, Titi…" I winced, curling inward from the stabbing pain in my skull. "I'm in so much pain…"
I tried to push her hands away gently, sucking in a shaky breath.
"My head feels like it's going to explode. Is it because… I drank some wine…?"
Titi let out a horrified gasp.
"YOU'RE IN PAIN?! WHERE DOES IT HURT?!"
"M–my head," I groaned. "It hurts so much I can barely walk…"
Their reaction was instant.
Both Titi and the braided-haired man stiffened like struck animals.
"YOU CAN BARELY WALK?!" Titi whisper-shouted, eyes huge.
She darted a look toward the still-closed doorway of the bedchamber, face turning bright red.
"WHAT ON EARTH DID HE—?!" Her voice broke off in mortified embarrassment.
My entire body flushed.
W–wait.
They thought… the reason I could barely walk… was because—
"D–DID YOU DO IT THAT MUCH?!" Titi squeaked, hands covering her face.
The braided-haired man looked ready to explode.
His whole aura screamed MURDER.
Titi snapped at him, "THE KING WOULDN'T DO THAT! HE WOULD'VE CALLED FOR SOMEONE—"
CREAK.
The sound silenced everything.
All three of us turned in unison.
The bedchamber door had opened.
And Hakan stepped out.
Of course — here is the expanded version up to the exact passage you provided, ending exactly at:
"Regarding that girl living in Velk territory with silver hair and eyes… Apparently there were two others besides Lucina."
__________
Hakan
The heavy CREAK of the chamber door froze the hallway.
Titi and Turan went rigid.
I swayed where I stood, one hand on my pounding head. The migraine had turned into a full-body throb.
"C-could you get me some water…" I whispered toward Titi, feeling like my soul was leaking out of my ears.
The two exchanged a look so alarmed it made me uneasy.
"I-It was too much… Wine, I mean." I attempted to explain through the fog in my brain. "I think I drank three or four times…? I kept refilling my glass…"
Titi clasped both hands over her mouth, eyes trembling.
Turan went pale, then red, then pale again.
Oh no, I realized too late.
They were misunderstanding.
"IS SHE TALKING ABOUT DRINKING WINE?" Turan's expression all but shouted.
"FOUR TIMES?! AND YOU MANAGED TO SURVIVE—!" Titi wailed, tears gathering.
The two of them looked at me like I had endured a heroic trial of stamina rather than just being stupidly alcohol-tolerant.
Then Turan suddenly straightened, chest puffing with triumph.
"TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER!" he boomed, voice echoing off every marble surface. "SHE'S GOING TO BRING PROSPERITY TO TAYAR, GOT IT?!"
"WHISH!"
Titi snapped to attention. "P-please follow me, my lady!" she squeaked, grabbing my arm and dragging me away from the door.
As soon as I was out of sight, Turan's face crumpled into ecstatic joy.
In his imagination, glittery little signs materialized in his hands:
'SLEPT'
'TOGETHER'
"SNIFFLE—HE FINALLY SEALED THE DEAL!" he sobbed in silent celebration. "THE TAYAR TRIBE WILL BE SAVED! WOOHOO!"
Authors perspective
KNOCK KNOCK.
I—Turan—stepped inside after receiving permission.
His Majesty stood before a towering mirror, towel slung low around his hips, tattoos rippling across his back like living ink. He adjusted the towel with a relaxed hum, completely unbothered.
"You're back, Turan," Hakan said, turning with an easy confidence.
I bowed quickly. "Are you awake, Your Majesty?"
Hakan flashed a satisfied smile.
"Did you have a pleasant night? You look like your face is glowing today."
BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP.
My heart pounded with holy conviction.
The glowing face.
The relaxed posture.
The good mood.
HE CONFIRMED IT.
"Is that so?" Hakan tilted his head.
The triumphant signs reappeared in my vision.
'SLEPT'
'TOGETHER'
My throat tightened with emotion. He did it. The prophecy… the future of the Tayar tribe… secured!
Then the King sighed and inspected himself in the mirror again.
"I'm quite good-looking, wouldn't you agree, Turan? I do have a pretty good body compared to the others in the tribe, right?"
He posed.
SPARKLE.
My soul left my body.
"J-jeez…" I muttered, forcing my eyes away. "I-It's just that you're so handsome and you have such a nice body that… I get embarrassed when I look at you…"
Hakan smirked. "Is that what Lucina said to you?"
My knees nearly buckled.
SO TOUCHED.
"They must've really enjoyed their night together!" I thought, dizzy with victory.
"Well done, Your Majesty!" I declared internally. "Now all that's left is for Lucina to give birth to a guardian dragon—"
Hakan raised a brow. "But what brings you here so early in the morning?"
I straightened instantly.
Duty first.
"A-Ah. I've completed the investigation you requested not long ago…"
Even the servants whispered about her.
Lucina — the girl with silver hair and silver eyes. A beauty like a goddess. Courage like a warrior. Last night, she was truly remarkable.
But beauty was only one part of the truth His Majesty needed.
I cleared my throat.
"Regarding that girl living in Velk territory with silver hair and eyes," I began carefully, delivering the results of the inquiry. "Apparently there were two others besides Lucina."
"T-They must've really enjoyed their night together!" The chamberlain practically preened, his voice a mixture of awe and exaggerated delight. His expression screamed SO TOUCHED! "Well done, Your Majesty! All that's left is for me to give birth to a Guardian Dragon…!"
I glanced at him, a flicker of annoyance crossing my face, but forced a polite smile. "And… what brings you here so early in the morning?" I asked, shifting my gaze to the handsome man with long hair and braided dreadlocks who stood before me.
He straightened, his posture rigid, the faint light catching the intricate braids as he spoke. "Ah… I've completed the investigation you requested not long ago… regarding that girl living in Velk territory with silver hair and eyes."
I adjusted myself on the luxurious red cushions of the throne, trying to steady my thoughts. "Tell me," I prompted, voice calm but sharp.
"Apparently, there were two others aside from me," he began. "One of them fell ill and died not long ago, and the other… was an orphan who was taken to a temple in the Brionian Royal Castle." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in speculation. "I suspect they took her because they discovered she had divine powers."
I absorbed the words slowly. The King—or the man who might be—spoke again, his voice quiet but deliberate, carrying the weight of reflection. "I see. Does that mean that I am not the girl I met all those years ago?"
"Who is then?" I challenged, a tension creeping into my tone.
He let out a weary sigh. "It's true that I am Baron Velk's eldest daughter… but my mother was a prostitute."
A prostitute? The words hung in the air, heavy, bitter. I leaned back slightly, a shadow darkening my thoughts.
My aide, sensing the unspoken question in my eyes, confirmed gently, "Yes, Your Majesty. She appeared to be highly sought-after… well-known among the nobles in the capital."
"I heard that she was so beautiful that the Old King of Brion fell in love with her at first sight," the man with the braids continued, voice now tinged with somber melancholy. "However… it's unclear whether she was assassinated by the wives of the husbands whose hearts she stole… since no one knows her current whereabouts."
He traced the threads of the tragic tale further. "It seems the Old King wanted me, her daughter, as his concubine instead of the mother. The Baroness most likely saw this illegitimate child as an eyesore…"
I closed my eyes, letting the truth settle.
The dark, tangled web of desire, power, and secrets that had led me here felt suffocating. My identity, my very existence, was a complex tapestry woven from royal lust and the shadowed past of a mother whose choices had marked my fate before I could even take my first breath.
A deep crease formed between my brows as the chamberlain's words sank in.
The Baroness—the legitimate wife of Baron Velk—had regarded me, the child, as nothing more than an eyesore. And she had used me, offering me to the King in exchange for some sort of favor or position.
The chamberlain, sensitive to the quiet storm in my expression, continued softly. "I assume I was treated poorly when I was younger. Apparently, there wasn't a single day where I didn't have some sort of bruise on my face. I was probably treated worse than a maid… So that's why I'm terrified of everything. I've been through a lot."
I turned fully toward him, eyes searching. "What? Why?"
He blinked, confused by my question about the abuse. I clarified, focusing on the lineage he had revealed. "The Tayars don't care if you're a slave or a prostitute as long as you give birth to a Guardian Dragon." In my kingdom, power and divine potential mattered far more than bloodline.
He shook his head gravely. "That may be true in our kingdom, but I am from Brion. I might feel humiliated if others found out about my background."
I looked away, a surge of protectiveness washing over me—over myself, over my life.
"I don't want to make my life difficult. I've already suffered enough."
The bruises, the endless fear, the harshness of a past I couldn't escape—it all crystallized my resolve.
"I want to live a happy and peaceful life from now on."
My words were soft, a quiet vow.
A promise to protect… to protect myself… from the shadows of the past.
This stops exactly at your vow.
I frowned, feeling the tension in my tattooed muscles tighten with concern.
"The Baroness most likely saw this illegitimate child as an eyesore… and used this opportunity to offer her to the King in return for some kind of position."
I reflected on Lucina—the girl I had been investigating. My mind traced over the shadows of her past.
"Apparently, there wasn't a single day where Lucina didn't have some sort of bruise on her face," I murmured.
The chamberlain's eyes darkened, confirming my worst suspicions.
"She was probably treated worse than a maid. So that's why she's terrified of everything. She's been through a lot," he said quietly.
I blinked, confusion crossing my features. "What? Why?" I asked, gesturing toward our own customs. "The Tayars don't care if you're a slave or a prostitute as long as you give birth to a Guardian Dragon."
The chamberlain shook his head gently. "That may be true in our kingdom, but Lucina is from Brion. She might feel humiliated if others find out about her background."
I looked away, letting the weight of his words settle. A wave of resolve washed over me.
"I don't want to make Lucina's life difficult. She's already suffered enough." I turned back, meeting his gaze firmly. "I want her to live a happy and peaceful life from now on."
The chamberlain bowed instantly, a gesture of absolute loyalty. "I understand. I won't tell another soul."
But before the moment could end, his brow furrowed with a matter of immediate concern.
"But… Your Majesty," he began, voice lowering slightly, "how long are you going to leave the late King's body like that? It's already been ten years. The ministers are starting to talk about it again."
A shadow crossed my face. "My mother is being stubborn…"
"This could ultimately threaten her position as well," he added, glancing toward the curtained alcove where my father lay in state. "I think ten years is more than enough time for your mother to say her farewells. It's time he was laid to rest in Mezaluc, along with his ancestors."
I nodded, accepting the necessity of the act.
"I know… It won't be long before we have a new Queen to rule over the Queen's Palace. Before that time comes, you must pay your respects to the late King in accordance with royal protocol."
The chamberlain cleared his throat, a sly smile replacing the earlier gravity.
"Ahem… Come to think of it, Titi mentioned taking Lucina to the hot springs earlier."
"What?" I asked, caught off guard.
"Why don't you join her to relieve the fatigue from last night?" he suggested, the mischievous curl of his lips betraying a playful tone. "The two of you can spend some quality time together."
The idea instantly appealed to me. Quality time.
"Y-you're right," I admitted, a flush rising on my neck. "I can finish telling her the things I couldn't say yesterday."
A triumphant, imagined image of the chamberlain cheering with prosperity notes for the Tayar Tribe flashed through my mind. I quickly wrapped a towel around my waist and began walking toward the baths.
Step. Step.
I entered the bathing room. The warm air hung thick with steam, carrying the faint, delicate scent of rose petals. I scanned the sunlit, elaborate chamber, taking in the serene atmosphere.
Why is no one here? I called softly. "Lucina?"