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The night grew deep. Finally, I’ve managed to send those nuisance-makers packing. What a total drag.
Ever since his true identity was revealed, more and more people came to Lucas seeking information. That in itself wasn't so bad; the real trouble was—Athy also felt he should encourage and help those "idiots" more often.
Fine, fine.
Since it was the Princess’s request, he would reluctantly "encourage" them. It was rare for him to speak so gently; he only hoped those mages studying in the Tower had enough self-awareness to grow a few more eyes and stop bothering him for every little thing.
As he was calculating this, he suddenly felt Athanasia calling him. His mood brightened instantly, and the lingering irritation from before vanished. He took out the gift he had prepared in advance and snapped his fingers sharply.
"A bit late. It’s the middle of the night—I didn't expect the Princess to miss me this much~ Look what I’ve prepared—"
Before he could finish, Lucas saw the terror on Athanasia’s face. He immediately retracted his playful smile, his brow furrowing deep.
"What happened?"
"Lu...cas...?"
Athanasia sat frozen on the bed like a startled small animal. Her eyes, usually as brilliant as sapphires, were clouded with a dark haze. She simply stared fixedly at his face, her expression dazed.
Looking at her like this, Lucas felt a surge of restless irritation. He set the gift aside, suppressed a strange flicker of anger, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"What’s going on?"
As he spoke, he placed his hand on top of her head, releasing mana to check her condition.
Hmm, it was exactly as it looked—no traces of hostile mana, nor anything "unclean."
Then what was it?
Don't tell me it was that Claude fellow again...
Before he could clear his thoughts, Athanasia’s tears fell without warning, pitter-pattering down like broken strings of pearls. This time, he was truly startled.
Athanasia seemed to snap back to her senses only then. She reached out, fumbling over his face and body as if trying to confirm he truly existed.
"Hey, don't cry... what is it? Hey, why are you touching me like that?"
"Lucas... Lucas, you're okay, thank goodness... you're still alive..."
She suddenly pulled him into a fierce embrace. It was the first time Lucas had ever been held so tightly by her.
...Is she crazy? What kind of nonsense is this?
But on second thought, Athanasia was this terrified because she was worried he would die—her reaction was even more intense than when Claude was in trouble.
A subtle flicker of joy rose in the depths of his heart.
"What stupid things are you saying?" Lucas’s tone was light. "I am the greatest mage. Even if something happened to the World Tree, I would be fine."
"But it was so real... bone-chillingly cold... I couldn't find you anywhere, and when I finally did, I saw..."
Athanasia suddenly covered her mouth. The moment she recalled that image, her stomach cramped uncontrollably.
"It was just a dream."
"The person capable of killing me hasn't been born yet. Am I not standing right here, perfectly fine?"
"But what if it's a prophetic dream? What if something really happens to you!"
Her voice was nearly spiraling out of control. "I have no clues, no way to respond... I don't even have a single lead to grasp..."
Lucas raised his hand, using magic to slowly raise the room's temperature. Athanasia’s trembling body soon warmed up. He lightly stroked her back, soothing her.
"Have you forgotten how strong I am?" he said, "Though, I didn't realize I was this important in your heart? Your reaction is even more exaggerated than when your father was in trouble~ As I thought, the one you care about most is—"
Athanasia didn't get angry at his teasing as she usually did; she only held him tighter.
...Alright, now is indeed not the time for teasing.
Lucas slowly pushed her back, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and helped her lie back down. He carefully tucked in the corners of the blanket, then took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
"I’ll stay here tonight. I’m not going anywhere. Sleep peacefully."
He had never seen Athanasia so frantic. Even when Claude’s life was hanging by a thread, she could manage to stay calm. This time, she had lost control to this extent over a dream about him.
...To be honest, he was happy.
A sense of satisfaction nearly overflowed his chest.
Looking at it this way, dying once in a while in her dreams didn't seem so bad.
Of course, it might be because Claude's situation was a known variable with a Great Mage like himself present—it was within control. But if something happened to him, it would be utterly beyond redemption.
Ultimately, it was a fear of the unknown.
But so what? In the end, Athanasia was worried about him.
However, if it really was a prophetic dream, there was indeed a need to investigate.
"Lucas... I don't want to sleep."
Athanasia stubbornly sat up, clutching his hand tightly as if he would vanish the next second.
True—after a dream like that, who would dare sleep?
"Then do you want to confirm?" Lucas smiled. "Touch all you want. I'm alive and well."
Saying this, he lay face-up on her lap, signaling her to do as she pleased.
Under his comfort, Athanasia gradually calmed down. She placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady, rhythmic heartbeat. Only then did the terror slowly dissipate.
"I’m sorry, Lucas... for making you worry."
"Then, since I’ve behaved so well today, isn't there a reward?"
"...Smug as always."
Despite her words, she leaned down and lightly pressed a kiss to his lips.
Lucas naturally enjoyed it and wanted to continue, but taking advantage of someone in distress was beneath him after all. Moreover—there was something more important now.
"In the dream, besides me, were there any other sights?"
"I... I only noticed you. I don't remember clearly."
She paused, then looked up at him with resolve. "Can you use magic to see my dream? I can... sleep one more time."
"...Theoretically, yes." Lucas frowned.
"But I don't want you to have that kind of dream again."
"But I don't want to lose you."
"……"
Lucas stared at her blankly for a long time before sitting up from the bed and nodding mutely.
"Fine."
Athanasia lay down again. Lucas sat by her side, playing with a strand of her hair, fine mana shimmering between the threads. Only when she gradually drifted into the dream did his face turn cold as he stood up.
"As if I’d let you see that kind of thing a second time..."
While the dream was still in its formative stage, Lucas began to intervene. After gathering enough information, he quickly guided her into a beautiful dream.
However—
In those blood-red eyes, a rare flash of such intense murderous intent flickered.
It was actually that persistent, lingering pest.
Why would she have a prophetic dream about that world? A world scarce in magic is indeed a pain to deal with... though it wouldn't matter if that guy died. It would be quieter, anyway.
Lucas bit his nail irritably, yet instinctively began calculating the coordinates of that world.
...He was still concerned.
Why did it have to be that guy?
It was a mistake not to have completely finished him off back then. Coveting his things wasn't enough; he actually dared to appear in her dreams.
"Trash should stay properly in the trash can."
With a snap of his fingers, his figure vanished from the spot.
In the night, neon lights illuminated a city that never sleeps.
Lucas stood on the rooftop of an abandoned building, overlooking the streets below.
"Seoul? The new civilization developed by humans without magic seems somewhat interesting." Lucas looked at the surrounding structures. "The building materials seem to overlap with certain aspects of alchemy..."
Although he had traversed many timelines during his last journey through various worlds, this was indeed his first time here.
But none of that mattered. Right now, he needed to find that nuisance. Yet, rather than saying Lucas didn't feel a mana signature identical to his own, it was more like there was no mana signature at all. Unless the coordinates were wrong—but the sights before him suggested the location was correct.
Having prepared beforehand, he had retained only a tiny spark of mana, similar to when he had just woken up. That guy's current state was likely even more pathetic than his own; after all, he hadn't given the other any leisure to prepare back then.
No wonder he would die. This time, he would make sure he died a hideous death.
...Wait, it couldn't be that he would die because I came here, right? ...Whatever, it doesn't matter. Once he’s dead, Athanasia won't have nightmares anymore.
With the experience from last time, Lucas knew that time wouldn't flow much back in their original world. So while searching for the person, he also observed this world among the crowds.
He saw a place called "Lotte World" where many families and couples gathered. It was a noisy place, a collection of cheers, laughter, and screams. Men and women seemed particularly fond of that slowly rotating giant circle, and something like a car that spun around on a track in the sky before coming back down.
Do the humans here like this kind of thing?
The snack markets didn't seem much different from those on the Obelian continent, except the surroundings were a bit brighter.
After observing for a long time, Lucas's curiosity about the new civilization quickly faded. He had looked at crowded places and empty ones, yet found nothing. Just as he was about to leave this bustling city for the surrounding areas, he suddenly felt a faint trace of mana.
He turned to look toward the spot where the mana vanished—a cluster of crowded buildings. Compared to the prosperous night market nearby, it was like two different worlds.
Lucas moved through the crowded, poorly-maintained alleys and apartment buildings, secretly mocking the other's situation. How could he be hiding in a place where only rats in a gutter would stay? Truly pathetic.
But when he actually found the spot where the mana vanished, there was no punchable rat waiting for him.
It was only a cramped little room, freezing cold. He saw a black-haired woman, about twenty years old, pressed under a quilt. She seemed to have already stopped breathing. A small bottle sat beside her.
"……" Lucas frowned, looking around. "What? What is this situation?"
He picked up the small bottle and observed the ingredients of the pills. They seemed to be sleep aids, but taking too many would be somewhat fatal for the humans of this world.
Whether this person committed suicide or not had nothing to do with him, but why did a trace of mana appear here? Now it had vanished without a trace, as if it had suddenly disappeared to another world...
Another world?
"……"
Lucas looked at the black-haired woman again, and only then did she feel somewhat familiar.
"Ah, speaking of which..." The soul within Athanasia could also be seen with black hair.
"……"
Even though his heart hadn't felt much of a ripple when meeting the Athanasias of all the other worlds before this, seeing this scene caused an indescribable, complex emotion to rise within Lucas's heart.
He stood before the corpse in silence for a long time. Finally, he let out a sigh.
"...If this world never accepted you in the end... then I will send you off in my own way."
Looking at the cold corpse before him, Lucas slowly raised his hand and gave a sharp snap of his fingers.
Before leaving, he looked around the cramped little room once more. He suppressed the urge to rummage through her things; he would much rather Athanasia herself tell him, rather than finding out this way.
But then again, how could he ever want Athanasia to relive this kind of thing? Better it vanished forever.
With another snap of his fingers, everything returned to silence.
Having resolved everything, Lucas returned to the place where he had torn the rift in space-time. He looked out over the land once more, his mood suddenly becoming very peaceful. He no longer cared about that "pest." Finally, looking toward the bustling, crowded direction, he sneered.
"Rotten place. As expected, a world with magic is better."
Without a hint of lingering attachment, he turned and entered the rift.
The youth-form Lucas returned to the Emerald Palace. He silently watched his lover’s sleeping face on the bed, his eyes narrowing slightly. Those blood-red pupils shimmered with a dark light, harboring unknown emotions.
He leaned down, brushing aside the golden hair that covered her face. Gazing at her tranquil sleeping face, he pressed a kiss onto her lips with near-devotion.
"Have a sweet dream."
Early the next morning, before the darkness had faded, Athanasia turned over in bed and nudged toward another heat source under the covers. The heat source obligingly pulled her into its embrace. She could even feel the sensation of steady breathing against her face.
...Wait, where was the breathing coming from?
The half-awake Athanasia snapped her eyes open. Less than three centimeters away was a face so beautiful it was otherworldly. And the owner of this face was none of other than her "prospective boyfriend" Lucas—who had seemingly confirmed their relationship on her eighteenth birthday. Why prospective? Because since that day, he had taken it upon himself to call her his girlfriend, yet not a single step of a formal confession had been taken...
Though he seemed to have confessed before? But this time was formal, it was different!
He’s asleep, right?
It had been a long time since she had looked at Lucas’s sleeping face from such a close distance.
Hmm... she had to admit, Lucas really was good-looking. If there could be a "morning kiss wake-up service," Lucas would definitely be her top choice.
However...
Why is this guy in my bed?!
Athanasia hurriedly checked under the covers. After confirming her clothes were intact, she breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear a voice laced with laughter—
"Do I look like a beast who takes advantage of people in distress?"
"Ah! Lucas! You're awake?" Athanasia put on a guilty "Ah, what are you saying, I don't understand" expression, blinking her eyes to play innocent.
"Fine, I won't hold it against you..." Lucas said, closing his eyes and tightening his hold on her. "I worked so hard last night and you won't even let me have a good sleep. Let me hold you and sleep a bit longer..."
"What 'last night'...?" Although he had already stated he hadn't done anything bad, Athanasia admitted her mind had drifted the wrong way for an instant. But because "last night" was mentioned, she remembered what she had forgotten.
"Oh, right..." But seeing the person holding her looked exhausted and sleep-deprived, she closed her mouth.
If it was Lucas, everything should have been resolved.
Seeing her beloved sleeping exhausted by her side, she felt both happy and pained, even carrying a trace of lingering fear. Thank goodness he was okay. Thank goodness for Lucas.
"Thank you for protecting me all this time, Lucas."
At this thought, she wanted to reward this person who had always protected her and stayed by her side. So she looked up, leaned in, and lightly kissed Lucas.
However, just as she was about to end the kiss, the person who was supposed to be fast asleep flipped over and pinned her beneath him. In the shadows, Lucas’s eyes appeared even more bewitching. Right now, Lucas was gripping her wrists, pinning them to either side of her head, frowning as he looked at her with reddened eyes.
"Lu... Lucas?"
"You really are..." Lucas intentionally lowered his voice. "Kissing me in bed... I’ll take that as a default invitation..."
Euaaaah, when did this kid learn to use that 'airy' voice...
"...If you don't speak, I’ll take that as a 'yes'?"
To Lucas’s surprise, Athanasia was one step ahead. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, as if she had reached some sort of resolve—she even boldly stuck out her tongue! He blinked in shock for a moment before supporting the back of her neck to deepen the kiss.
When they pulled apart, Athanasia looked with satisfaction at his eyes, which were equally blurred with moisture. "Now we're even. I didn't want to be the only one so shaken."
"...So that's what you cared about?" Lucas took a heavy breath and said solemnly, "In front of you, I have never not been shaken."
"You're coaxing me again!"
"I’m not. I’m telling the truth."
"Then... prove it to me." Athanasia curled her lips into a cunning smile. "Now... prove that you are addicted to me."
"……You," Lucas was clearly stunned for a while before letting out a laugh. He took the back of Athanasia’s hand and pressed a light kiss to it. The deep affection in his garnet eyes made even the moon lose its luster.
"Very well. Then... Sun of the Obelian Empire, the only one in this life for Lucas, Mage of the Black Tower... My, and only mine, poppy-like Princess... May I ask if I might have the honor of becoming your Moon?"
Athanasia stared blankly into those eyes. That soul-stirring red shone into her heart, leaving her speechless and stunned.
Even if this guy is the moon, he’s a blood-red full moon... This is playing dirty! Even though she knew this guy was an "antique" who didn't care for formalities and was very inexperienced in such matters... to suddenly drop a line that sounded like a confession was...!
But Athanasia had to admit, she had played too far. She hadn't expected to trigger this sentence at such a time and in such a situation! Looking into Lucas’s eyes, she was certain that she would agree to anything he said today.
And before she could react, what fell first was a rain of kisses—scattering across her neck, shoulders, and collarbones, finally lingering softly on her lips, leaving behind tiny red marks like a pool filled with peach blossoms. She could only be completely submerged by them.
As dawn broke, she instinctively looked toward the distant sun peeking out, but because she was distracted, her habitually jealous lover stole her attention back with a kiss suffocating enough to take her breath away. She could only drown, intoxicated, in those cunning and brilliant crimson eyes.
Athanasia felt as if she were currently riding on a small skiff, able only to sway with the frequency of the waves, clutching tightly to her only reliance.
Once more, as she felt a familiar spasm somewhere in her body, white light flashed before her eyes again. When her consciousness returned, she saw Lucas gently wiping away the tears overflowing from the corners of her eyes with his hand.
"Sorry. The atmosphere was too good, I accidentally..."
"Mmm... it’s okay..." She wasn't in a position to say anything herself...
"Then, my answer?" Lucas looked at her tenderly. "Can I become your Moon?"
Athanasia took a deep breath. The sound of her heartbeat stole her senses, but she heard herself say:
"Of course you can."