CHAPTER 71: MEET SOMEONE

"Come..."

Lucian reached for my hand again, fingers curling around mine with a calmness that did not match the emotional hurricane we just caused. He tugged gently, trying to lead me somewhere.

But I refused to move.

Planted my feet right into the floor and squinted my eyes at him like I was daring him to try harder.

He blinked at my stubborn stance, jaw flexing, "Seraphina."

"No." I pulled my hand back a little. "Where are you dragging me now? Another lecture? Another room to lock me in?"

His brows twitched, the bare minimum Lucian version of annoyance. "You said my explanation didn’t make sense," he said, voice tight but steady.

"Correct. Because it didn’t." I folded my arms. "Ten points for self-awareness."

He let out a slow breath, the kind that fogged faintly in the cold air around us. "Then let me show you."

I stared at him and he stared right back.

His hand remained outstretched between us, palm open, waiting.

"If you don’t come with me," he murmured, eyes burning into mine, "I will kiss you right here until you forget how to stand."

I froze.

My brain shut down.

"Y-you..." I stammered, "is that the only threat you could come up with?"

I tilted my chin up, acting brave or stupid even though my heart was thumping like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest.

Lucian didn’t even blink.

"Oh..." he breathed, and before I could prepare myself, he leaned in fast until he stopped just an inch from my face.

His breath ghosted across my lips, freezing and warm all at once.

My knees almost gave out.

"Do you prefer the other one?" he murmured, voice dropping into that low, lethal tone that could shut down my entire nervous system.

I swallowed.

Hard.

"What other one?" I whispered, instantly regretting the question.

His lips curved, the faintest, most dangerous smirk.

"The one where..." He leaned in, slow and teasing, his breath brushing against the shell of my ear. "You won’t be able to walk anywhere on your own for a while."

My soul exited my body.

My knees genuinely considered collapsing.

Every cell in my body short-circuited at once.

I jerked back so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet, my face burning hotter than any phoenix flame.

"W-Where to? Let’s go!" I squeaked, pointing stiffly at the door like a malfunctioning robot.

Obviously panicked.

Obviously defeated.

Obviously about to die from embarrassment.

Lucian didn’t even bother hiding how amused he was.

His eyebrow lifted a fraction. "So suddenly cooperative?"

"Nope. Not suddenly. I’ve always been cooperative. Very. Extremely. Let’s go—move—walk—run—anything!" I blurted, waving my hand like I was trying to shoo away a ghost.

He stepped closer, brushing past me as he took my wrist again, not forceful, just firm enough that I knew resistance was pointless.

"Good," he murmured, tugging me gently toward the far end of the room. "You’re going to meet someone."

I followed, stumbling a little as he led me straight to a massive painting that covered almost an entire section of the wall. I had seen it before, of course I had but I always thought it was just... decor. Gaudy, ancient décor.

Lucian didn’t stop.

He reached for the edge of the frame and gripped it with one hand.

Before I could ask what he was doing, he pulled.

To my absolute shock, the huge painting wasn’t heavy at all, it swung outward like a hollow cabinet door, revealing a real, hidden door behind it.

My jaw dropped. "That’s... fake?!"

"A cover," Lucian said simply, already twisting the handle. "Come."

He pushed the hidden door open.

A narrow staircase descended into dim light, spiraling downward like something straight out of an old forbidden-mansion mystery.

And he started leading me down.

In just a second, the extreme cold hit me like a wall, sharp, biting, sinking straight into my bones. I hissed and instantly wrapped my arms around myself.

"Lucian..." I stopped walking.

He paused mid-step, turning his head. The moment he saw me shaking, his expression shifted.

"Oh. I forgot..."

Before I could say a word, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me right against him.

Which... let’s be honest... didn’t help at all.

"Lucian," I muttered against his chest, "you’re literally the source of the cold."

"I know," he said, tightening his hold as if that somehow fixed anything. "Can you heat yourself?"

"I can..." I admitted through chattering teeth, "but I need a second!"

He loosened his hold just enough to look at me properly. "Then do it."

I glared. "Do you think I’m a microwave?!"

But still... I took a slow breath, focusing, searching for that flicker of warmth inside me. It wasn’t easy, not with his cold wrapped around me like a glacier.

But after a moment, a faint golden warmth pulsed under my skin, spilling slowly through my veins, spreading to every part of my body.

Lucian stared at me.

Proud.

Like he’d just taught a baby bird how to fly.

"I did it?" I asked, smiling up at him. "I think I am officially a phoenix. The cutest one in this world."

I flicked my hair dramatically, chin up, and strutted past him like the stairs were a runway.

Behind me, I heard him chuckle.

Then his arms slipped around my waist from behind, pulling me gently back against him.

"Hmm..." His lips brushed my ear as he murmured, voice rich with amusement. "The cutest creature I’ve ever seen."

My soul did a backflip.

"Excuse me, my lord—" I immediately slapped his hands off and spun around, glaring at him. "How can you sneakily hug me like that? I am trying to maintain my flame. Ice is not allowed near me at this moment."

I raised my arm straight out between us, fingers spread dramatically.

"One metre away, please."

Lucian blinked at me.

Once.

Twice.

Slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted.

"So dramatic," he muttered.

"I’m a phoenix," I sniffed, stepping backward with all the diva behaviour of someone who learned confidence five minutes ago. "Respect my boundaries. Respect my temperature. Thank you."

Lucian took one long stride forward, then turned, facing me as he walked backward down the stairs.

"Lucian!" I scolded.

He arched his brow. "I thought you said one metre?"

"I did," I hissed, "but you walking backward like that... is cheating the system!"

His smirk only deepened, cold air swirling lazily around him like even his frost found me entertaining.

"Then be honest," he said, still walking backward with infuriatingly perfect balance or just a show-off. "Do you want me in front of you... or behind you?"

I choked on air.

My brain did a full dive straight into the most inappropriate interpretation possible.

"E-excuse me?!" I squeaked, eyes widening. "Why are you asking questions like that?!"

Lucian blinked. "Like what?"

"You know like what," I hissed, flailing one hand in the air, "the behind part! You can’t just ask a woman if she wants you in the front or the back... do you hear yourself?!"

His brows drew together. "Seraphina. I meant walking."

"I ALSO meant walking!" I lied, loudly and unconvincingly.

He stared at me... then a slow, dangerous smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh?" he murmured. "Then why is your face red?"

"It’s the temperature!"

"You’re a phoenix."

"I’m overheating emotionally!"

Lucian chuckled under his breath, the soft frost around him shimmering as if it enjoyed mocking me too.

"Fine," he said, voice low with amusement. "I’ll stay in front."

"Good," I snapped.

"So you don’t start imagining things."

"I WASN’T—!"

My voice cracked, betrayed me, and echoed down the stairwell like a dying flute.

Lucian’s smirk widened just enough to make me want to shove him down the stairs.

Then our whole walk continued in silence.

I didn’t even know this manor had a basement. A massive one. The deeper we went, the colder the air became, clinging to my skin like thin sheets of frost. Lights glowed faintly along the stone wall, just bright enough for me to see him walking ahead, still keeping that one-meter distance I demanded.

Finally, we stopped.

In front of a steel door.

Lucian placed his hand over the center of it.

The surface lit up instantly, blue frost lines blooming under his palm like glowing cracks in ice.

Click.

A soft, heavy sound echoed in the hall as the locks released, one by one.

My breath hitched.

Lucian didn’t look back at me yet.

He just said quietly,

"From this point on... don’t panic."

Which, of course, made me panic.

"What do you mean don’t panic?! Lucian, what is inside?!"