CHAPTER 34: THE MIRAGE FAIR

"How are you feeling?" Lucian’s sharp eyes softened the moment he saw me awake. He walked closer, pulling the blanket up to my waist.

"I’m sorry..." he muttered, guilt flickering behind his voice, probably because of what happened after the vows.

"Is she stable now?" he asked, turning to Dr. Darian.

"Ah—yes," the doctor replied quickly, straightening his coat. "The flame... resisted at first. It took hours before it finally calmed. I thought I had contained it, but—" he hesitated, glancing at me briefly before lowering his voice, "I believe it was the lady herself who allowed it."

Lucian’s brow twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

"The frost and flame... they shouldn’t have balanced," Dr. Darian continued softly, "but it seems she stopped fighting it. That’s why the energy finally settled."

I frowned faintly, not understanding half of what they were talking about, but the look Lucian gave the doctor made him fall completely silent.

"Understood, you can leave for now. Thanks for your hard work," Lucian said, his tone calm, maybe... too calm?

Dr. Darian froze for a moment, the polite smile on his face faltering. His eyes flicked toward Lucian, and for some reason, a trace of unease crossed his expression, as if he’d just realized he’d done something that he shouldn’t have.

"Ah, of course, my lord," he replied quickly, bowing slightly before turning to gather his things.

I tilted my head, watching him fumble with his notes a little too fast. What was that about? The air had suddenly grown heavier, though I couldn’t tell why. I looked at Lucian, but he was standing still, silent, his expression hidden from where I sat.

"Where are you coming from?" I asked quietly, my voice breaking the strange tension lingering in the room.

"Ah—" He instantly smiled and took a seat at the edge of the bed near me. "I was looking for someone who could help with your condition."

His hand reached up to smooth my hair, the gesture so natural that it didn’t hit me until a moment later... making me blush, of course! Who wouldn’t? That was like an unexpected sneak attack.

Smiling faintly, he glanced toward Sebastian, who stood stoically by the door like some unshakable statue. "You can go home now and take a rest."

Sebastian blinked once, visibly startled. "My lord?"

Lucian nodded. "I’ll be taking a week off starting today. Don’t disturb me with work things."

I stared at him. "A week?"

His lips quivered slightly, that teasing glint returning to his eyes. "Yes. I was told newlyweds are supposed to go on a honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" I repeated, nearly choking on the word. "You mean—like—now?"

Lucian leaned closer, that maddening calm never leaving his face. "Yes, little birdie," he said softly, his voice low enough to send an involuntary shiver down my spine. "But not now now... let’s say tomorrow, if I’m sure you’re well enough to travel."

He reached out and tapped the tip of my nose lightly.

That was the second time! Wait—no, third? Ugh, whatever! What is this dragon plotting? I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to ignore the way my chest tightened for no good reason. My heart felt like it was performing an entire percussion concert inside my ribs.

And the worst part? He smiled, looking calm and unbothered, as if tapping my nose and calling me little birdie was the most normal thing in the world.

"I will take my leave, my lord." Sebastian bowed slightly before turning toward the door.

The soft click that followed his exit left the room in an almost too-perfect silence. The kind that made you painfully aware of your own heartbeat.

It was just us now.

Only the two of us.

Ah—right. Maya. I just realized she had gone completely quiet the moment Lucian walked in. Of course she did. She couldn’t stay active near him.

I swallowed, glancing up at Lucian, who was still sitting comfortably at the edge of my bed, his hand resting lazily on his knee as if he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

"So..." I began cautiously, my voice a little too soft, "this honeymoon you’re talking about... where exactly are you planning to drag me?"

He tilted his head slightly, the faintest smile curving his lips. "Hmm..." He moved a little closer, his voice low but teasing. "Do you have anything in mind? Any place you’d like to visit?"

I blinked a few times, thinking hard. "Do you have... like, Wisneyland here?"

He paused. "Wisneyland?"

"Yes," I said, nodding eagerly. "You know... rides, parades, people in animal costumes waving at you, and those giant ice cream cones that are way too expensive but totally worth it?"

Lucian stared at me, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and concern. "Are you... describing a festival or a form of punishment?"

I gasped, offended. "Excuse me? It’s the happiest place on earth!"

"Earth? Happiest..." He murmured, slightly confused with Seraphina’s choice of words. "I don’t think such a place exists here."

"Oh, tragic," I sighed dramatically, sinking back against the pillow. "You really need to work on your world’s priorities, you know?"

He chuckled quietly, the sound low and smooth. "Then... should I make one for you?"

My heart stuttered for absolutely no reason whatsoever. "Wh—what?"

Lucian’s gaze lingered on me, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, as if amused by my flustered reaction. But before he could say anything else, his phone buzzed softly in his pocket.

He pulled something like a crystal pad, glancing at the screen. ’Wait, is that a phone?’ I could see the faint reflection of blue light flash across his eyes as he read the message.

Sebastian: My Lord, perhaps she is referring to The Mirage Fair?1

Lucian’s brow lifted slightly. "The Mirage Fair," he repeated under his breath.

I tilted my head, blinking. "The... what?"

He looked back at me, that same unreadable calm in his expression.

He looked back at me, that same unreadable calm in his expression. "It’s a festival... rarely open to the public. A floating city of illusions and light, run by the Luminicorn clan."

I blinked, curiosity instantly sparking. "Luminicorns? Like... glowing unicorns?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "If that’s how you wish to describe them. Their magic manipulates light, reflection, and desire. It’s said the fair itself shifts form depending on what its visitors secretly long for."

"Woah..."

His lips quirked. "Does that meet your ’happiest place on earth’ requirement?"

I smiled faintly despite myself. "I... don’t know... but it sounds fun."

"Then it’s settled," he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket and rising to his feet. "Tomorrow, we leave for the Mirage Fair."

My jaw dropped. "Wait—what? You’re actually serious?"

Well, if you wonder how he knew about it... Sebastian is a basilisk with extremely heightened senses, especially hearing and smell and he is still hanging outside the door...