Linking it to the physiognomist skill he'd gained today, Luke suspected that was the reason.
Because among the techniques a physiognomist had, there was one especially crucial ability: reading expressions.
Put simply, even the tiniest change in someone's face was enough for him to pick up their mood.
And if you were really good at it, a single look was all it took—he'd understand immediately.
In other words, Luke's physiognomist skill was basically a level 6 "read the room" ability.
For example, just from Lux's tense expression right now, Luke could tell—
She was currently trading blows with a complete newbie who had only just learned Gomoku… and she was even close to losing.
Just then, Yurna came over with a tray, several cups of steaming tea resting on it. She set it down on the table in front of Sona.
Sona gave her a small nod of thanks, then her attention settled on the tea.
She was the type who enjoyed tea in general. The moment she caught the aroma drifting through the air, she knew this wasn't an ordinary brew.
She lifted the cup, gently blew across the surface, then took a small sip. Her eyes immediately brightened.
Setting the cup down, she looked at Luke, curiosity in her gaze.
This wasn't simply "good." With just that first sip, she felt like every tea she'd ever had before didn't even deserve to be compared to it.
Noticing what she meant, Luke smiled. "It's called Smoky Earl Grey Tea."
Sona nodded as if she liked the name.
"Ugh! That move doesn't count—"
"Hmph. Once you place a piece, you don't take it back. You lost!"
"Give me one more chance!"
"No!"
Faced with Kahina's firm refusal, Lux weakly let her hand fall and stared at the board at her defeated position.
It was hard to believe she couldn't even beat a beginner.
Luke took another sip of tea, quietly amused.
With skill like that, this little blonde was never going to surpass him in this lifetime.
She couldn't even beat a newbie, and she always wanted to undo her moves—she was basically the shame of Gomoku.
"Again!"
When she turned back and caught Luke's contemptuous look, Lux's eyes instantly ignited with boundless fighting spirit. She shouted and immediately started the second round.
With the board occupied, there was no way for Luke to play Go with Sona for the time being.
Sona was savoring her tea. She sat there calmly, posture graceful, expression gentle—beautiful like a painting.
Luke didn't disturb her. He turned around and lay back down in the rocking chair, staring up at the sky in a daze.
He didn't even feel bored. With a light breeze brushing past, everything felt peaceful and unhurried.
Sona lifted her gaze slightly, watching Luke as he spaced out.
From him, she sensed a calm warmth—like sunlight quietly spreading across the ground, without a hint of noise.
Like a spring breeze across the face; just feeling it was enough to make her comfortable.
Even her own heart seemed to be affected, becoming gentle and quiet along with him.
In her life, she'd met plenty of people whose hearts were like this… but usually she could only sense it. Rarely could she be pulled into the same state of mind.
Only with Luke did it happen—she was drawn in as well, sharing that softness and peace with him.
And the only similar case she could think of… was Lady Crownguard.
That was the brightest light she'd ever seen in her life.
Lux's heart matched her innocent, lively exterior—pure, brimming with energy.
It shone brilliantly, warm and radiant. Wrapped in that cozy light, you could feel her kindness and gentleness.
But deep inside her heart, there was a place hidden so well that light couldn't reach it.
Fear. Worry. Panic. Uncertainty.
Those were the things Lady Crownguard kept buried.
Sona had sensed it long ago, and she understood where those emotions came from.
But there was nothing she could do. Beyond sensing it, she couldn't truly help Lady Crownguard in any other way.
This was a gift Sona had been born with.
From the day she was born, she couldn't make a sound.
But gradually, she discovered she could feel other people's hearts.
Every heart was different—some warm like sunlight, some cold like ice, some blazing like fire, some withered like dry hay.
And from the emotions in a person's heart, she could "hear" their voices.
Of course, she couldn't literally hear inner thoughts—emotions didn't become words.
She could only sense them.
Then, through those emotions, she tried to understand, until it became something like a voice.
"I'm so happy."
"I'm so excited."
"I'm so sad."
"I'm so upset."
"I'm in so much pain."
At first, she could only grasp the most basic ones. But as she grew older, she could read more and more.
Those emotions were like lines of text, carried to her ears, carried to her heart.
With her gift, she wove those emotions into melodies, so that the music she played could soothe others.
Even if the melody was the same, what each person felt would be different—because the piece was woven together from their hearts as well.
But as beautiful as this ability seemed, it had a flaw.
Sona couldn't choose whether to turn it on.
So wherever she went, everyone's emotions flooded into her ears like a storm—pain, joy, sorrow, grief. She couldn't choose not to listen.
And yet, she still hoped her music could help people.
She actively held performances—maybe tucked away in some corner among ordinary folk, maybe on a street somewhere, or in a bright, spacious concert hall.
No matter which performance it was, no matter who her audience was, she treated it seriously.
It wasn't that she liked being where there were fewer people.
It was that in places with fewer people, there were far fewer voices for her to "hear."
So outside of performances, most of the time, she preferred being alone.
Over the years, her music had redeemed countless people… yet no one had ever truly understood her heart.
Until that day, at a royal banquet.
She met Luke.
There were too many voices in the hearts of nobles—too messy. She hated that kind of environment.
But as she was leaving, within that endless chaos, she sensed Luke's—one single thread among countless others—and from it, she heard a kind of "voice" she had never heard before.
She was certain she had never seen Luke in her life.
And yet from that voice, she felt Luke was the person in the world who understood her best—who could understand her most.
It was unbelievably strange.
So she kept thinking about it, wanting to see Luke again, wanting to confirm whether what she'd "heard" that day was real.
This second meeting only made her more curious.
Once again, she felt that understanding. When he saw her, his heart was gentle, holding her with quiet acceptance.
Right now, as she studied his handsome profile—his clear eyes fixed on the sky, his hair swaying slightly with the breeze—
He looked like he was seriously thinking about something.
Sona couldn't help but wonder: what could he possibly be thinking about at a time like this?
What could be so important that he'd think about it so earnestly?
So she focused and listened more closely—and several "voices" drifted to her.
"They say walnuts are good for your brain, but if a walnut gets caught in a door… is it still good for your brain?"
"They say organ meat is good for the matching organ, but if the animal's organ is weak… does it still help?"
"When people walk, do they step with the left foot first or the right foot?"
"If I punch myself and die, does that mean I'm too strong… or too weak?"
"…"
Looking at Luke's serious face as he lay there, Sona blinked, and then she couldn't hold it in anymore—she burst out laughing.
Hearing the sound, Luke turned his head, puzzled, staring at Sona as she covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. "What's wrong?"
Sona held back her laughter and signed a few gestures. "What were you thinking about just now?"
"Oh." Luke put on a serious expression, gaze deep as he stared at the sky. "I was reflecting on some very important life philosophy."
"Pfft—"
Sona instantly lost it again. She shook even harder, to the point her chest swayed with it.
Her stomach even started to hurt from laughing.
So that's it—whether a door-pinched walnut still helps your brain. That was "important life philosophy."
Luke scratched his head, completely failing to understand why Sona's laugh threshold was this low.
"Hahahaha! You seriously think you can beat me? I was just letting you win earlier!"
At that moment, Lux's smug, triumphant voice came from over there. Hands on her hips, she looked ridiculously proud.
Clearly, she'd gotten her "face" back.
Meanwhile, her opponent, Kahina, lowered her head and sighed. "Yeah, yeah."
If she hadn't seen Lux looking like she was about to cry earlier, she definitely wouldn't have deliberately thrown it.
Lux, riding the momentum, declared, "Again!"
"Nope." Kahina didn't want to keep playing with the shame of Gomoku. "Didn't your sister want to play Go? Aren't you curious what Go even is?"
"Oh, right." Lux seemed to remember.
So the two girls brought the board back over again.
Seeing that, Luke stood up from the rocking chair, sat down properly, and prepared to show off.
His board was carved to match a Go board—nineteen lines vertically and nineteen horizontally. Nineteen by nineteen made 361 intersections.
The rules and gameplay in Ionia were basically the same.
Sona hadn't played Go in years, but her memories of Ionia were vivid.
Even if she'd only played as a child, she still understood the basic rules.
"You go first," Luke said confidently.
He wasn't a true master of Go, but casually crushing a beginner? That, he could do.
Sona nodded, took a white stone, and placed it in the upper-right corner of the board.
Lux and Kahina dragged over small chairs to watch from the side, showing intense interest in Go.
But as the game reached the halfway point, that interest gradually faded.
Luke explained the rules while he played.
But even if they heard him, when they watched the two of them actually playing, they were still completely lost.
Lux strongly rejected any game that would melt her brain. She stood up, grabbed Kahina, and ran off.
One look at their direction and it was clearly the basement.
Sure enough, not long after, the two of them came back happily carrying ice-cold cola and ice cream, sat down off to the side, and ate while chatting.
Just then, Fiora came out from the backyard. Her expression was crisp and refreshed; the restlessness in her heart had finally settled.
After imagining the training dummy was Luke and hacking at it a few times, her mood really did improve a lot.
When she spotted Sona, she greeted her with some surprise. "Sona, good afternoon."
She wasn't very familiar with Sona—they'd only met a few times—but she loved Sona's music. She'd just never had a chance to really get to know her.
She hadn't expected to see her here.
Sona looked over and smiled, inclining her head slightly in greeting.
"Are you playing Gomoku?" Fiora asked.
"Go," Luke answered.
"Go?"
Fiora's gaze fell on the board. With black stones and white stones everywhere, it indeed didn't look like Gomoku.
She became interested in Go.
But similarly—after watching for a while, her head started to ache too.
Gomoku alone already made her feel like her brain couldn't keep up.
Now there was Go too.
Fiora wanted to refuse, but she still watched patiently.
This round of Go ended with Sona, naturally, losing to Luke. She looked a little regretful.
Luke said, "For a beginner, you're already really impressive."
Go had far more variation than Gomoku. It really did filter people out.
Even though Luke had put on a little performance, in the end the girls unanimously concluded that Go wasn't as fun as Gomoku.
And Luke, after that one game, was forcefully chased away by Fiora.
Fiora turned to Sona and invited her, "I'll teach you Gomoku."
Sona nodded, agreeing.
So the two of them ignored Luke entirely and began their Gomoku match.
Luke, once again, had nothing to do. He flopped back into the rocking chair and muttered to himself, "With this many people, it feels like we could host a full dominoes table."
"Huh? What are dominoes?"
Lux's ears were sharp. The moment she heard the keyword, she scooted over, eyes full of curiosity.
Luke glanced at her and replied casually, "A game where you find order inside random chaos."
Lux blinked. "Is it fun?"
Luke said, "I'm not sure you'd understand it."
Lux instantly bristled. "Who are you looking down on?! Dominoes! I want to play it right now!"
"Even if you want to, you can't. Making a set is a pain."
Luke thought about it and figured he could have Navis commission a set of dominoes.
There were more people in the courtyard now. It really would be nice to enrich the selection of games.
Yeah—getting a dominoes set made could be added to the agenda.
Lux, bored from sitting around, asked again, "Then is there anything else fun right now?"
After thinking, Luke sat up. "Yeah."
Lux immediately asked, "What is it?"
"Yurna, bring out that deck of cards from the living room cabinet."
Luke turned and instructed Yurna.
Not long after, Yurna brought out the deck Lux had left at Luke's place last time.
The moment they saw the cards, Lux and Kahina both shuddered. They'd already remembered the last time and the knuckle-flick punishment, and their trauma instantly resurfaced.
"We're not playing that one again. Don't be scared."
Seeing how timid they looked, Luke chuckled. "Today I'm teaching you a game called Beat the House."
Only then did the two girls relax.
The rules of Beat the House were simple and easy to understand. Basically, big cards beat small cards—but compared to their previous game, there were lots of new twists.
And unlike that other game, this one let you openly play two-on-one.
Lux and Kahina understood quickly.
They exchanged a look, remembering how even teaming up last time hadn't been enough to beat Luke. Now their eyes burned with a thirst for revenge.
Of course, they still needed a couple of warm-up rounds first.
Once they fully grasped the gameplay and rules…
Lux immediately felt like she was back on top. "Alright. We can set the punishment now!"
Cards weren't like Gomoku—she'd never played Gomoku before, so of course she lacked experience.
But playing cards? Before she'd ever met Luke, she'd been known as the undefeated king.
Her experience bar was maxed out. And this Beat the House game was ridiculously simple.
Luke thought for a moment. "Knuckle flick?"
"No, no, no—"
"I don't think that punishment means anything!"
The moment those three words came out, the two girls shook their heads so hard they looked like rattles.
That thing had left an awful shadow in their hearts.
They never wanted to have anything to do with knuckle flicks again as long as they lived.
"Then we'll do the simplest thing—money. You've got money, right?"
Luke didn't really care either way. He smiled. "One point equals one silver coin. Bombs double. A sweep and a reverse sweep double."
"Fine, fine."
"Deal!"
They agreed immediately.
As long as it wasn't knuckle flicks, Lux and Kahina had no objections.
And so Beat the House officially began.
Hand after hand, the three of them got more and more into it, and naturally, the emotions ran higher and higher.
Like right now—
"A two."
Lux confidently slapped a two on the table, then smugly announced her hand like she was already victorious. "I've only got a pair of threes left. You already played the big joker, which means the small joker has to be with Kahina. If I were you, I'd just—"
Before her taunt even finished, she saw a cruel curve form at the corner of Luke's mouth. He pulled out a card and tossed it onto the table.
"Small joker."
The next second, Luke stood up, looking down at the dumbfounded Lux like a monarch. His hands moved in a blur as he slapped down four cards. "Three with one—now call it!"
This sudden, heated moment even drew Fiora and Sona's attention from the other side. They looked over, confused why Luke was so worked up.
Lux stared at Kahina in disbelief.
Kahina shrank her neck, helpless. "Call it."
Luke continued, slapping down five cards. "Three, four, five, six, seven—keep calling!"
"Call it…"
"Pair of tens—out. That's three silver each. Pay up, pay up!"
Luke held out his hand, completely pleased with himself, even flicking a glance at Lux, who was still stunned.
The two girls took out three silver and handed it over. Seeing Luke's smug expression made them furious.
It was only a small amount of money, but the fact it made this guy so proud was infuriating.
Lux sighed, full of regret. "If I'd known, I would've just played the pair of threes first."
If she hadn't been trying to humiliate him, she could've dumped the pair earlier and hoped Kahina would help cover her.
Instead, Luke turned around and pulled out the small joker, and she ended up humiliating herself.
Damn it.
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