After having tea together, the consort invited Lucian for a short walk through the Palace of the Sun. It was interesting to see all the servants of the palace bow respectfully and remain bent until the consort is no longer seen. Very different from when they greeted Lucian earlier, where they just bowed their heads and kept walking.
"It's been so long since I've seen this place so lively" Commented the alpha.
"I thought it was quite busy here because of the nobles who seek an audience with the Emperor."
"That's because they are not allowed in this region of the Palace of the Sun. Of course the princes and princesses can, let it be clear."
Lucian only smiled lightly. Was he perhaps getting permission to wander the palace where the Emperor and his consort live? It was an unnecessary permission, considering that Lucian wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
"Oh, Your Majesty!"
The female voice sounded through the corridors interrupting their walk. Both turned back, noticing the presence of Raven accompanied by another woman with serious and closed expression.
"Hello Raven and Dahlia. I see that you are very well dressed, do you intend to go out for a walk?" The consort asked.
Dáhlia? Lucian evaluated her carefully, noting her dark blonde hair, a trait that most of the Emperor's children shared, and her dark eyes. A dominant alpha. He've heard of one person who matches those descriptions: the second princess of the Empire. It was just surprising that she was following Raven. Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly as he noticed the detail.
"We are going to see our dresses for the party. By the way..." Raven approached Lucian and held his hands as he pouted. "Little brother! How evil of you not to tell me that you were with the Grand Duke. I was so surprised when I heard it through gossip."
Ah, as he wished she would only find out after he had moved to the Grimwood mansion. Unfortunately, Raven was someone very well informed. Lucian uttered a low laugh and tilted his head.
"Forgive me. I believe that my relationship with the Grand Duke has always been very discreet to the point of having become accustomed."
"Has love made you foolish enough to walk away from your dear sister?"
"Love makes us foolish" Lucian replied promptly. "Surely you understand already that you are interested in the young lord Sageclaw, isn't it?"
"Hm? Isn't that the young knight who won your father's honors recently?" questioned the consort, appearing surprised. "I did not know that you was interested in someone, Raven."
The omega got a slight blush on her face, and she let go of Lucian's hands to cover her own hot cheeks.
"I just admire him very much."
"If you are interested in him, you should tell your father. I'm sure His Majesty will be happy to help."
"No!" she said quickly, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. "I mean..."
"Raven, we have to go." Dáhlia said suddenly.
What a cold and distant tone of voice, Lucian perceived. For all that time, she was silent just listening to the conversation as if she did not want to get involved with them. And Lucian also noticed that the consort did not seem to be bothered by it, on the contrary, he smiled amicably despite the two do not make formal obeisance to the imperial consort.
It was so different from how he acted with Lucian hours ago.
" Yes, yes. Ah, but before..." Raven approached Lucian and whispered in his ear. "Did Cadec invite him for a ride?"
Lucian frowned and whispered back.
"It's been a long time since I saw him, unfortunately I didn't hear anything from him. Why?"
"Nothing too much" Raven stepped away and smiled sweetly. "If you get something, let me know. I would love to spend more time with my lovely brothers. See you later."
And as they arrived, those two left silently. Lucian watched their backs, especially of Dahlia. She was supposed to be a year older than Lucian, and had a twin brother. In the original work she was mentioned as a princess desperate to get married, but who did not attract any knight or noble because she is a very rigid and cold alpha.
Of course he remembered her part in the story, since sometimes she starred in shameful scenes at dinners that Stephen and Maverick attended.
It's justs Lucian did not remember her being close to Raven.
Damn, Lucian's head was a mess whenever he thought about the original work.
"It seems that you get along with Raven."
"Well, I would not say that we are so close..." Lucian raised his head to the consort, and was frightened by the way he looked at him so gloomily. A shiver went up the spine and unconsciously he shrugged. "So far I had no problem with Raven."
"I see...". The consort sighed and turned around. "Come on."
Clenching his fists, Lucian took a deep breath feeling suffocated. Why did the people in that place have to be so strange and dangerous? His fists trembled slightly, as if it were a natural response of the eighth prince's body. Was he right to fear the consort too?
What a hell!
He would definitely not have peace while he was in that damned palace. Now that the consort also approached him, and even gave him a gift and treated him with "kindness," Lucian felt the rope around his neck tightening more and more. This infuriated him, because it increased his desire to leave there as soon as possible.
Especially now that he was engaged to Magnus. As he imagined, the people of that palace did not waste time and approached him in some way.
Then he continued to walk with the consort through the corridors of the Palace of the Sun, both trapped in an annoying and uncomfortable silence. Only that Lucian would not dare to say a single word to break the silence. He still felt the shiver in his spine because of the way the consort looked at him, as well as was angry to find himself in that political web.
"Is there anything you wish for, Lucian?"
"No, Your Majesty" he replied, after some time thinking.
"Haa... you always answer the same thing, no matter how much I ask you."
Hm? By chance Lucian had already been approached by the consort too? Damn... when he returned to his true world, Luciano would send several messages to the author demanding an explanation of that story of the eighth prince and consort!
"I'm just being honest. There is nothing that I wish at the moment."
The two arrived at the end of the corridor overlooking the Emperor's garden. Standing at the door, they stared at the immense tree that swung its leaves because of the wind. It was a completely different feeling being with the consort and being with Magnus near that garden.
Oh, he miss his little villain.
"You know, Lucian... there are many things I wish for, but my regrets weigh much more."
Raising his diamond's eyes to the consort, Lucian perceived that his countenance had already returned "to normal". Only that there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.
"Regrets?"
"That's right. The more I live, the more regrets I accumulate on my shoulders, for not having acted in such a way, for having done that, for not having said something... But I feel that I had a chance to get rid of these regrets". The consort turned to Lucian and gently touched his face as he looked at him tenderly. "I will take this opportunity to do what I believe is right, even if it is a tortuous path."
The consort's hand was warm and fitted perfectly on his face, being an interesting contrast to the coldness he saw earlier. This made him more and more confused. Not knowing exactly how to react, his lips just let the question that has just passed through his mind, escape innocently and become audible.
"And may I know what Your Majesty so regrets to the point of needing another chance?"
The consort smiled sweetly and rubbed his thumb slowly on Lucian's cheek.
"I will just be more present and protect you, my son."
He could only be joking.
Why did they show so much affection and attention to Lucian, but let him live in that small palace that barely has servants and budgets? Why did they let Lucian live like a ghost, without anyone visiting him?
Since Luciano took the body of the eighth prince, he had been receiving attention from several characters. Raven has been more friendly, the Emperor took care of his marriage and now the Consort was giving him gifts and treating him with fatherly affection.
None of this existed in the original work!
It would be a lie to say that all this is happening only because Luciano took the eighth prince body. Also because when he woke up inside the story, Lucian did not talk to anyone. They were the ones who approached! Those characters were supposed to go on with their roles, but now they just... acted on their own!
Only that Lucian continues to live practically exiled. Being treated as a puppet who serves only to obey orders. Go to the ball. Dance with your sister. Behave like a prince! The claws were pointed at his neck, and they could only pretend to care about Lucian.
"Protect me? From whom? This comes to be a real joke" grumbled Lucian angrily, clenching his fists. "All of you can only have gone mad."
"Lucian?"
Turning his hand away from the consort's face, Lucian looked at him in anger. Until now he had endeavored to maintain the posture of a good prince, precisely to avoid trouble and not engage with anyone. It's okay that he was using Magnus to get back into his world, but it was essential for him to survive in that world.
And those people were stopping him from doing that.
"I have no idea what the intention of the people who live here, but it is annoying that after all this time comes with this conversation to protect me" Turning his back, Lucian looked over his shoulder one last time. "My greatest wish is to leave this palace, Stay away from every person who thinks can make a fool of me. I'm tired of this nonsense."
And so he went away from the Palace of the Sun.
Stepping hard and hurried, Lucian came out angry with himself and everyone there. His head was a real mess, had no idea what was causing so much change inside the original. Only that it increased his eagerness to leave that place.
Lucian... how did you live in such falsehood? Perhaps your reclusive life was your way of escaping all that? Have you tried to avoid those people despite wanting their affection and affection? Well... at least Luciano felt that it was.
Poor eighth prince, he really was pitiful.