That night, he dreamed, and it was a very strange dream.
It felt real.
In the dream, the blazing sun hung high overhead, the earth was split with cracks, and everyone was drenched in sweat.
He and his companions were holding a snow-white long blade aloft as they walked toward a raised platform, then they respectfully presented it to the towering figure seated proudly above.
That figure was immensely imposing, the kind of presence that naturally crushed down on others and inspired fear.
The man reached out, slowly wrapped his hand around the sword, and revealed a look of satisfaction.
But in the very next second, something went wrong. The hand gripping the sword suddenly tensed, and he threw his head back with a roar as a violent surge of energy burst from his body.
It was wildly unstable, violently turbulent.
Several mages in white robes abruptly stepped forward, raising their staffs and chanting spells. A magic circle flared with dazzling light and swallowed him whole.
High in the sky, a creature looked down upon all living things.
In the end, that fearsome figure was sealed inside a shield, while the snow-white sword fell to the ground, untouched, with no one daring to pick it up.
The dream had just reached the point where it was about to continue when Luke suddenly felt someone poking his face. He opened his eyes.
Squatting in front of him was Lux, her face full of grievance. "I'm starving."
"Then go eat," Luke replied speechlessly, rolling over to go back to sleep.
"You're still sleeping?" Lux poked him again with a finger. "It's already two in the afternoon."
"What time?"
Luke turned back around and asked in confusion.
"Two."
"That's still early. I'm sleeping a little more." Luke rolled back over again, yawned, and shut his eyes.
"Stop sleeping. Panis is leaving, she's waiting downstairs."
Lux poked him twice again, annoyed.
This time Luke gave up on sleeping. He sat up, ran a hand through his hair, stared blankly for a few seconds, and then followed Lux downstairs.
By the time he reached the first floor, he was much more awake.
Panis was sitting on the sofa, drinking tea. When she saw Luke come down, she immediately showed a lovely smile and greeted him. "Good afternoon, Your Highness~!"
"Good afternoon."
Luke answered, feeling that nap had honestly been pretty comfortable. Then he asked, "You're leaving already? That soon?"
"Yes."
Panis looked at Luke, her blue eyes flickering slightly, then said, "May I have a moment alone with Your Highness?"
So the girls all withdrew to the courtyard outside.
But as they looked at the house with only Panis and Luke left inside, their minds inevitably started moving.
"Something's off. Very off."
Sitting there, Lux wore a suspicious look on her face. "What could they possibly be talking about that they can't say in front of us?"
For some reason, when she remembered the look in Panis's eyes just now, she couldn't quite suppress the discomfort in her heart.
Right then, she really wanted to know what those two were talking about inside.
But eavesdropping didn't seem very proper.
So Lux began struggling internally. After wrestling with herself for a while, the devil won in the end. She got to her feet.
Kahina immediately asked, "What are you doing?"
Lux replied, "I'm going to scout the enemy situation."
"That's not a good idea."
"It's fine as long as we don't get caught."
Lux answered in a hushed voice as she slowly crept toward the house.
Before long, she realized several figures had quietly followed behind her.
Inside the living room, Luke sat on the sofa. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I don't know if my father's condition has gotten worse. If not for that, I would have liked to stay in Demacia a little longer."
Panis spoke slowly as she looked at Luke. "But I have to go back."
More importantly, the salvation she had come to Demacia seeking had already been used up. She no longer had a reason to stay.
She missed her father and wanted to go back and spend more time with him.
Luke said, "You can leave a little later today. I'll give you a gift before you go."
Panis nodded, then added, "Before I leave, there's actually one more thing I want to say."
Her gaze never left Luke for even a moment.
Luke asked, "What is it?"
"Would Your Highness be willing to marry me?"
Panis spoke softly.
That single sentence stunned Luke on the spot.
Outside the door, several pairs of eavesdropping ears froze too.
"Marriage... we've only known each other for a few days."
Luke came back to himself, his expression a little stiff.
"Does liking someone really have anything to do with time?"
Panis's eyes were full of him, bright and shimmering as she looked at him directly. Her sincere gaze was so earnest it felt as though Luke could almost hear how hard her heart was pounding.
"At first, I was drawn to Your Highness by your appearance. But what truly made me feel your charm was that revised painting. Then, as we spent time together, I came to like you as a person. I like the gentleness in your bones. I like the way your smile blooms."
"Maybe Your Highness thinks we haven't known each other long enough. But from the moment you appeared last night, I knew that even if we spent the next month or year getting to know each other, what I feel would not change."
Even Luke had never heard a confession this direct.
The girl boldly poured out her feelings. A blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and her beautiful eyes looked as though they might melt.
"After I return home, if my father's condition still doesn't improve, then I will become the next ruler. From that moment on, I will bear the duty of continuing the royal bloodline."
"I don't know who the person that marries me will be. But if there is even one chance, I hope that person is you."
She looked deeply into Luke's eyes and asked the same question again. "Your Highness, would you be willing to marry me?"
"You're beautiful, and you're exceptional." Luke thought about it seriously before replying, "But like I said, I care more about time. For me to tell a girl I've only known for three days that I'm willing, there's only one kind of situation where that would happen."
Panis asked, "What kind?"
"Lust at first sight."
A smile appeared on Luke's face as he answered honestly. "For me, only the most primal human instinct would make me impulsively say something like that."
Panis couldn't help laughing. She liked this side of Luke too. Batting her eyes at him, she asked, "Then have I stirred that most primal impulse in Your Highness?"
The living room instantly fell silent.
Those several pairs of eavesdropping ears wished they could glue themselves right between the two of them.
Inside the room, Panis simply held Luke's gaze. After a long moment, she suddenly smiled brightly. "I know the answer now."
She didn't dwell on the topic any further and instead said, "There are many outstanding girls around Your Highness, but from my perspective, the only difference is that they've known you a little longer than I have. If I had been the one to meet you first, I'm confident I could have made you say those three words to me."
As she said that, she stood up.
"I'll go back now. I'll come by one more time before I leave this afternoon. I'll look forward to Your Highness's gift."
Then she headed outside.
When she reached the courtyard, she glanced at the girls and saw each of them wearing a perfectly calm expression. She smiled. "Thank you all for giving me some time alone with His Highness. Being able to meet all of you these past few days has been the best stroke of luck in my life. I was very happy."
After saying that, she gave a graceful little bow, then got into the carriage and left for the time being.
The courtyard remained quiet.
No one knew what the girls were thinking.
As for Luke, he began preparing Panis's farewell gift.
Time passed bit by bit.
By the time the sky had begun to darken, a carriage stopped in front of Luke's courtyard gate. Panis, now dressed in a different outfit, stepped down from it.
"Your Highness, we'll be setting out very soon."
Looking at Luke in the courtyard, she spoke.
Luke stood and brought out the gift he had prepared long ago, handing it to her. "Based on the symptoms you described, I wrote out a prescription and also made some pills. Just follow the prescription directions for the medicine, and take one pill a day."
A few of the ingredients on the prescription would be hard to find, but with the power of the Granlott royal family, gathering them should not be difficult.
As for the pills, they were much simpler.
Two peerless miracle medicines, plus a pile of rare treasures and a variety of precious supporting herbs.
With medicine this potent, as long as a person wasn't completely dead, even if there was only one breath left, it could drag them back from death's door.
Panis accepted it and nodded seriously. "I understand."
After a moment's thought, Luke added, "Also, maybe what your father has isn't an illness. Looking at it from another angle might lead to a different discovery."
Panis nodded seriously again.
In truth, she had her own suspicions about that too, and the family she suspected most was Marta's.
Now that she had two thousand elite soldiers supported by Demacia, once she returned home, she would be able to take direct action.
Luke smiled. "Then let me wish you a safe journey, and may your father recover soon."
Panis smiled as well. "I'll gratefully accept Your Highness's blessing."
In the courtyard, Lux, Kahina, Fiora, Sona, Poppy, Quinn, Vayne, and Frey also said their goodbyes to Panis.
After the farewells were over, Panis stood in front of Luke and said, "Before I leave, let me give Your Highness an unforgettable gift too."
Luke asked, "What gift?"
"A parting gift." Panis raised her hands and cupped Luke's face. Then she suddenly leaned in, and her lips landed fast and true on his.
In an instant, the entire courtyard went silent.
Their lips touched only briefly before parting again, and then Panis released the hands she had used to keep Luke from dodging.
She took a step back and looked at him with a bright, delighted smile. "That was my first kiss."
"?"
For a moment, Luke had no idea whether he had come out ahead or behind.
Damn it, that had been his first kiss too!
Still, fair was fair, the gift was definitely unforgettable.
Looking at Luke, who was still a bit dazed, Panis asked, "Won't Your Highness return the favor?"
"No need..."
"All right then." Panis didn't press him. She turned and climbed into the carriage, then waved before entering. "Then I'm off. And one more thing, if I have the chance next year, I'll come back."
After saying that, she glanced at the girls in the courtyard, who were all still somewhat stunned, and stepped into the carriage.
Very quickly, it started moving and gradually disappeared into the distance.
For some reason, the girls all thought they saw a hint of provocation in that last look.
Fiora's brows rose slightly. She realized her hand had clenched without her noticing, and her already cool eyes turned even colder.
That woman really should never have been taken lightly.
Lux blinked blankly, still processing what had just happened. There was a strange feeling in her chest.
Kahina was lost in thought too.
Only Sona was secretly relieved that she had already stolen His Highness's first kiss.
From a certain angle, she felt pretty smug right now.
At that moment, Lux looked at Luke standing at the courtyard gate and suddenly felt a burst of irritation. "Still admiring yourself? Her carriage isn't even visible anymore."
"Do you not know what seeing someone off is?" Luke turned and replied.
Lux gave a sharp little laugh. "Not just seeing her off, you sent her off with your mouth too. Really, you can never judge a book by its cover. Some people are probably blooming inside right now."
That familiar, biting sarcasm made Luke raise a brow, but he couldn't argue with it.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Anyway, the one who didn't lose out in this kind of situation definitely wasn't him.
With nothing to say, Luke quietly slipped back into the house.
As for what the girls were feeling right now, it wasn't exactly that they were terribly unhappy.
They just kind of wanted to hit somebody.
Especially that woman who had provoked them and then run off.
A foreign woman came to their turf, declared her claim, and then left.
So infuriating.
At dinner, Lux ate like a storm, turning all the discomfort in her heart into appetite, then even had an extra bowl of rice.
Once she was full, she quickly forgot all about it.
Then she happily took a bath and stayed at Luke's place until curfew, leaving right at the deadline.
Now, on the way home, several electric streetlamps had already been installed along the road, steadily lighting the way, so no one had to worry about not seeing clearly at night anymore.
Riding her bicycle alone, Lux suddenly thought again of the kiss Panis had given before leaving.
The more she thought about it, the faster her heart started beating.
She couldn't help imagining, what if it had been her instead of Panis...
Lux was so lost in thought that she completely failed to notice a figure standing in front of her gate and rode straight into him.
By the time she realized she was about to hit someone, it was already too late to brake.
But once she saw who she had run into, she relaxed. "Oh, it's Garen. You scared me to death."
Garen: "..."
So you're not even trying to hide your desire to assassinate me anymore?
At the same time, elsewhere, at House Laurent.
Fiora walked into the living room and found that even at this hour the lights were still on. Quite a few family members were seated inside, as if they had all been waiting for her to come back.
The moment they saw her, the three family elders stood with beaming smiles. "Fiora, twenty nobles came by today in total. We've already listed them all here. Why don't you take a look and see if any of them suit you?"
Looking at the materials laid out on the table, Fiora frowned slightly. "Didn't I already say yesterday that I will not marry anyone?"
She wanted to get angry, but faced with a room full of relatives, she still held back her temper.
Even though she had already performed so brilliantly that no one could possibly ask for more, it still could not change the old, deeply buried belief in their minds that once a woman came of age, she should be married.
In their eyes, a marriage alliance was a way for one family and another family to join hands and become stronger.
And the strength she had displayed was merely a more valuable bargaining chip at the negotiating table.
"Don't say that so soon. Maybe your opinion will change after you look. There are many outstanding young men among them."
One of the elders spoke up.
"No matter how outstanding he is, I will not choose him."
Fiora's attitude was firm.
One of the elders was just about to speak again when Sébastien stood up, drawing everyone's attention in the living room.
He looked at Fiora. "Since you're back, there's something I would also like to tell everyone."
The head elder asked, "What is it?"
Sébastien said calmly, "My leg injury has now fully healed."
The instant the words fell, the whole room froze. Then multiple people stood up in disbelief.
"Really?"
"Your injury is healed?"
"How did that happen?"
It wasn't that they hadn't hoped Sébastien's leg would recover. It was that the injury had been there for far too long, so long they simply could not believe it.
After all, it had already been over a decade since Sébastien had suffered that severe wound on the battlefield.
Back then, the physicians had already concluded that it would be very difficult for him ever to return to his peak condition.
Because of that, his strength had fallen drastically, and in a sense it was one of the reasons House Laurent had declined to such a position.
And now, after all these years, it was healed?
Who would believe that, just hearing it?
"I would not joke about something like this."
As he spoke, a surging sword intent suddenly burst from Sébastien's body, unmistakably his Peerless Sword Intent.
For that one instant, it was as though all the relatives present saw again the man he had once been, overwhelming and sharp-edged.
Looking at his father, Ammdar could not hide the excitement in his eyes.
After withdrawing his sword intent, Sébastien swept his gaze across the room and said, "The reason I waited until now to tell you is because, while everyone is here, there is one more thing I want to make clear."
"That is, stop trying to interfere in my daughter's life."
Sébastien's calm words fell into the room.
A number of relatives immediately laughed awkwardly.
"Well, since you've put it that way..."
"We were only thinking of what's best for House Laurent."
"From now on, we'll follow the head of the family's wishes."
As the relatives softened, the three elders also fell silent.
There was no denying that after Sébastien had been severely wounded in war, a good portion of his authority as head of the family had gradually been taken from him.
A few years later, he and his wife had also left the main house in High Silvermere and moved to the capital.
Although it was true that they had all contributed over the years and genuinely meant well for House Laurent, they still owed a debt to Sébastien, and even more to Elma, who had given so much.
Now that Sébastien's leg had healed, it was only a matter of time before he fully recovered his original strength.
They truly no longer had much right to point fingers.
At that moment, everyone present realized this.
Then the head elder said, "Your leg recovering is wonderful news. Perhaps tomorrow we should hold a banquet and invite the nobles of the capital."
Sébastien gave a noncommittal nod. "We can discuss that in a few days. It's late tonight, everyone should head home and rest."
Naturally, he could tell that the family's intentions were not malicious.
The old tradition of marrying off the daughters of House Laurent had existed for a very long time, and it wasn't something targeted at them specifically.
Back then, he had intended to abolish that unspoken rule, but a sudden war had interrupted everything.
Now, he had regained his strength.
And his daughter, the daughter who made him proud, had displayed talent even greater than his own.
It was time for House Laurent's ancient, outdated rules to change.
And he also knew that all of this now was thanks to one person.
He silently engraved that person's kindness in his heart.
Before long, everyone, including the three elders, had left the main residence.
Their steps, however, carried a note of excitement.
With Sébastien recovering his strength and Fiora proving herself a peerless genius, this was a sign that House Laurent was about to rise again.
Inside the living room now, Elma looked at Fiora with mild reproach. "You come home this late every day, you child."
Fiora sat on the sofa, but the old heaviness she used to carry was gone. Now she could actually smile. "Is Mother still not used to it?"
"So you do know how not to wear that cold expression all the time." Elma finally smiled too, then sighed with emotion. "I am used to it. I just still have to get used to a lot of new things, like the fact that you'll never have to secretly practice swordsmanship again."
Fiora opened her mouth, but in the end, all the words she had wanted to say turned into an embrace as she hugged Elma.
So all these years, her mother had known she was secretly practicing the sword.
After they separated, Elma's expression turned serious again. "Back to that marriage business from earlier, tell me honestly. Have you ever had that thought? Your father and His Majesty Jarvan III are old friends. If you really want it, tomorrow I'll send him into the palace, and he's not allowed to come back unless it's done."
At that, Sébastien smiled helplessly.
And Elma's words immediately made Fiora understand what she meant.
That man's face flashed through her mind.
With Sébastien's relationship to Jarvan III, and with the talent Fiora had displayed that day in the arena, if they really went to ask for this marriage, there was probably a real chance it would happen.
At the thought, her heartbeat sped up.
But after seriously considering it, Fiora still said, "I will not change my current goal for anyone."
She had worked this hard for so many years precisely because she refused to become a pawn in a political marriage.
Now, even though she had escaped that fate, and even if the other person was someone she admired, she still did not want to bear the weight of marriage so soon.
Hearing her answer, Elma nodded. "Since it's your decision, I support you. Just... as long as you won't regret it in the future."
"Mhm." Fiora nodded seriously. "I won't regret it."
After talking with her parents, Fiora did not return to her room. Instead, she used taking a walk as an excuse and went outside.
Only, as she kept walking, that walk somehow carried her all the way to Luke's courtyard gate.
Looking at the familiar courtyard in front of her, Fiora stepped inside.
She truly would not regret it.
Because right now, she was going to cut off even the possibility of regret.
At this moment, even though he had slept until two in the afternoon, Luke, apparently in power-saving mode, still fell asleep quickly that night as soon as he lay down.
Sleeping soundly, he suddenly felt a gaze on him, somehow oddly familiar.
Then he slowly opened his eyes, and in his still-drowsy vision appeared the figure of the duelist sitting at his bedside.
He glanced at the sky outside and almost thought dawn had come, but it was pitch black beyond the window. It was clearly deep in the night.
Then he looked back at Fiora and instinctively, a little shyly, pulled a hand over the exposed skin at his chest.
He was wearing sleep clothes, but the robe had fallen open, leaving the glorious view of his chest on display.
Seeing this, Fiora's lips curved into a domineering little smile, and then she said, "Earlier, my mother said she wanted my father to go to the palace and ask for my hand."
That made Luke pause for a moment. He couldn't help asking, "What are you saying?"
"I refused."
After answering, Fiora kept her gaze on him.
Luke said speechlessly, "So you came here in the middle of the night just to stab me in the heart?"
"If there were going to be a marriage proposal, it should be the palace coming to us." Fiora smiled faintly, then added, "But even if it were a proposal from the palace, I would still refuse."
She looked out at the moonlight. The pale glow spilled over her cheek, and she looked breathtaking.
Then she smiled and said, "Getting engaged or married to a certain someone, then living a quiet, leisurely life, maybe that kind of life wouldn't be so bad. But you know that was never my goal."
Hearing her words, Luke nodded.
He understood. How could the proud, peerless duelist ever be content with an ordinary life?
She was destined to stand among those at the summit. Everything she saw along the way was only scenery to her.
Seeing the look on his face, Fiora chuckled. "Are you hurt?"
Luke nodded. "A little."
The moment the words left his mouth, a warm, soft touch landed on his lips, like a honey-glazed piece of candy that made a person reluctant to part from it.
Time itself seemed to stop in that instant.
Two inexperienced beginners clumsily put every ounce of skill they had into it.
Only after a long while did they finally separate.
"So this is what it tastes like."
Fiora's eyes shimmered as she looked straight into Luke's, a faint smile on her lips.
She had quietly watched those clear eyes countless times before.
But until now, she had never looked into those heart-stirring eyes from such a close distance.
Under the moonlight spilling in through the window, her lips seemed even more vivid, gleaming with a crystal sheen.
Then she reached out and pushed, knocking Luke flat onto the bed.
Her bare feet, shoes already removed, stepped onto the mattress. Then one thigh swung over his body and she sat astride him, looking down at him from above.
Those cool eyes of hers looked especially enchanting in the night, so beautiful they were almost unreal.
Then she bent down and slowly nestled against Luke's chest.
As the heat between them steadily rose, Luke couldn't help saying, "Your heart is beating so fast."
"Yours too."
"..."
"Why is this outfit so hard to pull open?"
"Wasn't it the one you gave me?"
For the first time, Luke felt that real silk was way too damn durable.
He practically used every ounce of strength he had and still couldn't tear it open.
In the end, they had no choice but to proceed the normal way.
Fiora's visit that night really did take him by surprise.
But in truth, the relationship between them had long since been only one step away from crossing that final line.
He had already come to see Fiora as someone important, and she felt the same.
That night, the moon was especially bright, time felt especially long, and the faint night breeze became the accompaniment to the beautiful melody of the dark.
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