CHAPTER 26: HOW IT’S ALWAYS BEEN

I froze.

I totally didn’t expect Lucian to mutter those words. Wasn’t he the one who’d been willing to do anything to make this marriage happen?

His eyes locked onto mine, cold and unreadable.

"Let’s stop this whole fucking fake marriage, shall we?"

I blinked, lips trembling as I forced out a weak, "Why?"

Lucian turned sharply, his presence slicing through the air. "Leave us alone," he ordered.

The elves hesitated only a second before scattering out of the boutique, their soft footsteps fading until silence swallowed the room.

"Seraphina Vale, right?" he said slowly, his tone suddenly heavy with something I couldn’t place... determination, maybe, or warning.

I swallowed hard, instinctively stepping back. "Why now? You know I am not Lady Celeste from the start, so why now? We just need to go through with it. The Phoenix need this, and your clan needs—"

"No."

His voice cut through mine like a blade, sharp and absolute. A deep smirk curved his lips, and the air around him seemed to grow colder.

"Do you really think I give a damn about some marriage alliance?"

The confidence in his voice sent a chill down my spine. His gaze held mine, unwavering, like he was daring me to say something back.

I shook my head slowly, confusion tightening my chest. "Do you always make impulsive decisions? Like... does it depend on your mood swing?" I hesitated, then added before I could stop myself, "Say... are you on your period or what?"

Lucian blinked, clearly not expecting that. The sharp edge in his eyes faltered for half a second before a quiet, dangerous laugh slipped past his lips.

"My... period?" he repeated, his voice dropping lower, threaded with disbelief and warning.

I shrugged, trying to look unfazed even as my pulse raced. "Well, you were all cold and scary one second, then suddenly... ’let’s cancel the wedding.’ Sounds like a mood thing to me."

He stepped closer, his presence pressing against me like heat trapped in the air. "Careful, Seraphina. You’re either very brave... or very stupid to talk to a dragon like that."

I swallowed hard but lifted my chin anyway. "Maybe both. Whatever. My whole life’s already a mess since I ended up here. So dragon or not..." I threw my hands up, voice cracking slightly, "to hell with that!"

For a second, silence. Then, to my utter shock, Lucian laughed again, this time louder, clearer, the kind of laugh that sounded like he hadn’t let himself do it in years.

"Gods..." he murmured, brushing a hand over his face as if trying to hide the smirk forming there. "You really are something else."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "Yeah, well, tell that to the person who trapped me in this ridiculous plot."

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing just enough to show his confusion to my words. "What plot?"

I froze, realizing a beat too late for what I had just said. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. "Uh—I mean... you know, situation!" I stammered, waving my hands in panic. "This ridiculous situation, not plot."

Lucian’s eyes stayed on me, sharp and unreadable. "Since this situation is ridiculous... I am allowing you to run away from that. So take the chance before I change my mind..."

My breath hitched. "What?"

Lucian’s tone was calm, but there was an edge beneath it, like a quiet storm waiting to break. "You heard me," he said. "Leave. Go wherever you want. You are not supposed to be trapped in these ridiculous blood oaths, and I won’t stop you this time."

For a second, I just stared at him, trying to process his words. "You’re serious?"

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze flicked over my face, lingering just long enough to make my chest tighten. Then, finally, he said, "You wanted freedom, didn’t you? Consider this mercy."

I laughed softly, but it sounded hollow even to my own ears. "Mercy? That’s what you call it?"

Lucian’s jaw flexed, his expression unreadable. "I know about your situation... and about the Blaze. I’ll handle them. Actually," he paused, his voice lowering, "I don’t think they even care anymore. Since they sent you to me, they probably thought everything was already over."

The air between us grew heavier, pressing against my chest. For a moment, neither of us spoke. I wanted to ask why now... why, after everything, he suddenly wanted to let me go but part of me was too afraid to hear the answer.

Lucian’s gaze softened, barely, but I caught it. "You think they even care about the blood vows anymore?" He looked down briefly before continuing, his tone edged with quiet bitterness. "They never believed in it to begin with. To them, what happened to the Phoenix... the loss, the dwindling numbers, it’s nothing but nature taking its course."

My throat tightened. "So if they don’t care, why would we need to cancel the marriage?"

Lucian lifted his gaze back to me, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at his lips, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Because I do care," he said quietly. "And I won’t be part of another meaningless bond built on lies and convenience."

His words hit harder than I expected. I blinked, my heart skipping as I searched his face for any hint of sarcasm, but there was none, just cold honesty.

"So that’s it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "You decided this on your own, without even asking me?"

He tilted his head slightly, his tone calm but firm. "You already wanted freedom, didn’t you? I’m just giving you what you wished for."

"Who are you to tell me what I want?!" I snapped, louder than I meant to be. Heat flared through me, anger, humiliation, all the small betrayals piling up until I couldn’t breathe. "I decide what I want. Do you people just decide other lives as you please? If someone’s useful, you use them. If they’re not, you throw them away like rubbish!"

Silence snapped like a wire. For a heartbeat, Lucian didn’t move, his eyes locked on mine.

I let out a shaky breath and shook my head, my voice dropping to a tired whisper. "Never mind... What am I even getting mad about? I should be used to this by now." A bitter laugh escaped me. "That’s how it’s always been... thrown from one place to another, one home to another, until I stopped expecting anyone to stay."

Before he could say anything, I turned away, heading back toward the changing room. The gown suddenly felt heavy against my skin, like it was dragging me down with every step. My chest tightened, emotions twisting and choking inside me until I couldn’t hold it anymore. I sank to the floor, squatting as I buried my face in my palms, sobbing without a freaking tear shed.