The fire crackled, its warm glow flickering against the cavern walls. The scent of rich, seasoned meat, fragrant herbs, and perfectly steamed rice filled the air, blending into something warm and comforting.
Aeliana had worked effortlessly, moving between the different dishes, adjusting flames, stirring pots, tasting seasonings—as if she had been doing this forever.
Lucavion had watched the entire thing unfold, seated comfortably with his arms crossed, only helping when necessary.
Now, they sat side by side, their plates piled high with food.
The meal was impressive—even Lucavion had to admit.
Aeliana had made a massive portion of fluffy, fragrant rice, roasted Stormfang Beast legs, crispy Firecrest Bird wings and thighs, and a hearty, herb-infused stew filled with vegetables and slow-cooked meat.
Lucavion took a bite of the Stormfang leg, chewing thoughtfully before finally speaking.
"Wow…" He glanced at her, black eyes glinting with amusement. "You really look like a chef."
She lifted a finger and tapped it against her nose, smugly.
"You may not know it, but I am talented at everything."
Lucavion snorted. "Oh?"
"Well, not that talented at being humble."
Aeliana shot him a glare. "You're one to talk."
Lucavion blinked. Then—
He laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly.
And then, nodding in agreement—
The fire crackled softly, filling the cavern with its low, rhythmic warmth.
They sat together, eating in silence—a silence that, under normal circumstances, Aeliana wouldn't have minded.
Most of her meals had always been .
A simple necessity, something to get through rather than something to enjoy.
She should be used to it.
Right now, she minded.
The silence bothered her.
She didn't understand why.
Her fingers clenched around her spoon, her amber eyes flickering toward Lucavion—watching him, studying him, trying to piece him together.
And before she could stop herself—
"You… who the hell are you?"
Lucavion's hand paused mid-motion, his black eyes lifting toward her, dark and unreadable.
For a second, his expression was blank, as if he were trying to figure out what she meant.
His lips curled, just slightly. "What?"
Aeliana didn't hesitate.
"Your strength, your aptitude—everything about you is not normal. You defeated that Kraken, a monster that even my father would have struggled against, and you—"
Lucavion's voice was quiet, but firm.
Aeliana frowned. "What?"
Lucavion exhaled slowly, setting his plate down.
"If not for you, I would have died there."
"You may not notice it clearly, but it was thanks to your connection that the Kraken was that strong."
His black eyes locked onto hers, steady, unwavering.
"And it was also thanks to your appearance in the expedition that the Kraken attacked."
Aeliana's breath hitched.
Had targeted them because of her?
Lucavion continued. "The Kraken was after you, yes. But more than that—"
"It was also after me."
Aeliana's hands curled into fists.
Lucavion nodded. "Yes."
"It was because you fought that thing inside your body that the Kraken weakened."
His voice was calm, unshaken, as if he were merely stating a fact.
"If not for that… I would have lost. And you—"
His golden earring glinted as he tilted his head slightly.
Lucavion's black eyes didn't waver.
"You would have become one with the monster."
Aeliana's breath stilled.
"And you would have brought calamity onto your own people inside the dukedom."
Her fingers curled tighter around her spoon, her entire body going rigid.
She wanted to refute it.
Wanted to say it wasn't possible—wanted to deny that she could have ever become something like that.
The way the pain had surged through her, like something alive, like something trying to consume her from the inside.
The moment where she had wanted to give in.
To just stop fighting.
Lucavion kept speaking, undeterred.
"Therefore… it was not only due to me, but it was also due to you that the Kraken was able to be defeated."
Aeliana looked at him.
Really looked at him.
At the way he sat there, arms resting lazily against his knees, his usual relaxed posture giving the illusion that he wasn't someone who had just faced death.
Her mind flashed back—
To that moment—when she had wanted to die, over and over again.
His bones shattered. His body torn apart. His eye—
And yet—he still stood.
Still threw himself at death like it was nothing.
Her voice came out low, quiet. Almost unsure.
Lucavion tilted his head slightly. "I really?"
His lips curled slightly, but it wasn't mockery.
As if he found her disbelief more interesting than the fact that he had survived.
And somehow—that only made her more confused.
'What the hell is this guy?'
Aeliana narrowed her eyes.
"You really aren't good at changing the subject."
Lucavion's smirk twitched slightly, as if amused by the accusation.
Knew that he was trying to divert the conversation.
She had grown up among nobles.
Even as a child—**before her illness took everything from her—**she had been trained to see through deception.
Business meetings, aristocratic gatherings, political discussions—she had been a part of them all.
This ridiculous, arrogant, infuriating man—
Was trying to divert.
"I had no such intention," Lucavion said smoothly, tilting his head. "I just wanted to correct something."
Aeliana scoffed. "Don't take me for a fool."
"Regardless of who the Kraken was beaten thanks to, your prowess was there. I could see it. Someone young like you, with that kind of strength…"
She paused, her amber eyes searching him.
"Even the most talented people in our Empire would have a hard time reaching that level. Yet—"
Her voice dropped slightly.
"I have never heard of someone named Luca in the Empire."
It was a single silence.