CHAPTER 41: FALL IN LOVE

The car stopped in front of Lucian’s manor, the sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires breaking the long silence between us. He stepped out first, the cold night air brushing through his hair before he turned to open my door.

"Go upstairs," he said quietly, his tone gentle but leaving no room for argument. "Get some rest. You’ve had a long night."

I blinked at him, hesitant. "What about you?"

Lucian’s gaze shifted toward the far end of the manor, where faint mist curled against the lights. "There’s something I need to take care of," he said after a pause. "It won’t take long."

I frowned. "Can’t it wait until morning?"

He smiled faintly, one of those polite, distant smiles that said more than words ever could. "It’s better if I handle it now."

The way he said it made something twist uneasily in my chest. Still, I nodded. "Alright. Don’t stay out too long."

Lucian stepped closer, brushing his hand lightly against my arm. "I won’t," he murmured. "Go on..."

I turned toward the manor’s entrance, the grand doors opening before me as I stepped inside. The warmth of the hall greeted me instantly, but for some reason, it didn’t reach me.

"My lady..." The maid hurried over and placed a pair of soft slippers at my feet. "Do you want me to prepare something warm to soothe your throat?"

I blinked, realizing my voice must have sounded hoarse when I answered Lucian earlier. "That would be nice," I said quietly. "Thank you."

She gave a small nod. "Right away, my lady."

As the maid disappeared down the corridor toward the kitchen, I slipped off my shoes and stepped into the slippers she’d brought. The floor was warm beneath them, but it did little to ease the chill sitting in my chest.

Taking a seat on the long sofa in the living room, I let out a quiet sigh. The manor was beautiful, but in moments like this, it felt far too big, its silence echoing through every corner.

Then, a familiar ding broke the stillness.

"Miss Vale!" Maya’s voice blared in my head, sharp and urgent, no greeting this time, no cheerful tone, just full panic.

I blinked, rubbing my temple. "What is it?" I asked flatly, my voice low. "You don’t usually sound like that unless it’s to remind me not to trust Lucian."

"And I’m reminding you now!" Maya’s voice rose sharply. A faint blue light flickered to life beside me, and her rectangular hologram appeared, floating a few inches above the coffee table. The corners glowed brighter than usual, pulsing fast, matching the irritation in her tone.

"You shouldn’t let your guard down around him," she snapped, the holographic emoticon on her screen shifting into a sharp angry face. "He’s not what you think."

I frowned and crossed my arms, glaring at the hovering projection. "And you... do you know him that well?" I shot back. "Just because you’re a system doesn’t mean everything written in this book before is right."

For a second, Maya’s blue corners flickered unevenly, as if it’d been caught off guard. The angry emoticon blinked away, replaced by a small, expressionless face.

"You think I’m just repeating what’s written here?" Maya said finally, its tone is lower now, quieter. "No, Miss Vale. I’m telling you what I know."

I straightened slightly, my heart skipping once. "What do you know?" I asked, suspicion threading through my voice. "You sound like you’ve actually met him."

Maya’s screen dimmed a little, its corners glowing faintly, and an unreadable emoticon appeared, just two dots and a straight line.

"Maybe I did," it said softly. "Or maybe I just know exactly what happens to girls who fall for him."

My chest tightened. "Maya... what are you trying to say?"

The corners of its hologram pulsed slowly now, like a heartbeat.

"I’m saying," it whispered, its voice distorted slightly, "that once Lucian Drake gets what he wants... no one ever leaves him alive."

I frowned, trying to keep my tone even. "Is it written in this book? I mean, did he ever kill someone? Even my character..." I hesitated, glancing at the faint reflection of its glow on the glass table, "it was never confirmed that Lucian was the one who killed her."

For a moment, Maya didn’t respond. The corners of its hologram flickered... once, twice, as if it was debating what to say. Then, the small emoticon on its display changed to a weary-looking one.

"Not everything is written, Miss Vale," it finally said, it tone flat but edged with something darker. "Books end where the author stops writing. But people... they keep going."

I stared at the hologram, unsure what to make of that. "That doesn’t make sense."

The blue light around its frame pulsed faster now.

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "You’re inside the story. You think you’re safe because you’re following a script that doesn’t exist anymore. But Lucian Drake..." it voice crackled faintly, "he’s not following the story either."

"Maya—"

"He’s rewriting it," she cut in sharply. "Every time you change, he changes too. That’s what makes him dangerous."

I leaned back slowly, uneasy. "You talk about him like you actually know him."

There was a pause, then its voice came out softer, thinner, almost human.

"I know enough," it said. "And I know what happens when someone starts falling for him."

Silence settled between us. I stared at the hovering hologram, its faint blue glow casting soft light across the table. The edges pulsed once, steady and quiet, like a heartbeat out of rhythm.

My voice came out low. "What are you talking about?"

The light at the corners flickered faintly before it spoke again, firmer this time, too firm and almost strained.

"You shouldn’t do that, Miss Vale," Maya said. "You’re supposed to make him fall in love with you... not be the one falling in love."

I froze.

Something about the way it said falling in love didn’t sound mechanical at all. It sounded like a warning, one pulled from experience, not protocol.

I forced a weak laugh, though it didn’t quite reach my voice. "You make it sound like catching feelings is a crime."

"It might as well be," Maya replied sharply. "Love complicates the mission. It makes you forget what you’re here for."

I looked away, my gaze drifting toward the far corner of the room where the faint glow from the fireplace met the shadows. "And what if I forgot?" I said quietly, though my tone wasn’t uncertain. It was a challenge.

For a moment, the hologram didn’t respond. The blue light at its edges pulsed once, then steadied, almost like it was thinking.

"You wouldn’t," Maya said finally, but her voice wavered. "You know the cost if you do."

I turned back toward the projection, narrowing my eyes. "You talk about the cost like you’ve paid it before."

The light flickered again, faint static buzzing through the air. "Don’t twist my words, Miss Vale," it said, trying to regain its usual calm tone. "I’m here to help you. You wouldn’t even be alive in this world without me."

"Right," I murmured, leaning back. "A system that just appeared out of nowhere the same day I transmigrated here. That doesn’t sound suspicious at all."

The hologram’s glow dimmed, its corners flickering sharply as if reacting to my tone. For some reason, I could almost feel its anger through the shifting light, like the machine was struggling to contain something human.

"I said..." Maya’s voice dropped low, distorted, almost breaking through static. "You will cease to ex—"

"I won’t!" I snapped, cutting her off. "I’ll create my own life here, and I don’t need you to tell me what to do!"

The air around me buzzed faintly as the hologram flickered, its light flaring once before vanishing completely.

"My lady?"

I turned sharply. The maid stood near the end of the living room, holding a tray with a glass of hot chocolate. Her hands trembled slightly, probably from seeing me talking to no one.

"I—uh..." I cleared my throat and forced a small smile. "Just... thinking out loud."