Carrying the cake box, Luke wandered along while looking for the direction to the Crownguard estate.
On the way, unable to resist his curiosity, he finished his own portion first.
Before long, noon had already passed. The sun overhead began to give off an unpleasant heat, and there were far fewer people on the streets.
Luke finally found where the Crownguard family's manor was. He stopped in front of a small estate—though even "small" still looked imposing and grand.
It was only "small" because there weren't many direct members in the Crownguard line. There was no need for a massive residence.
Behind the iron gate blocking the road, a guard in a small booth noticed Luke.
He opened the door and stepped out, asking, "What business do you have here?"
"My name is Luke. I'm here to see Lux. I hope you can pass the message along."
"Please wait a moment."
The guard looked Luke up and down, said nothing more, and turned to head toward the manor.
Luke yawned as he waited. A short while later, the guard returned—this time with someone behind him: a woman.
She had golden curls. Her features resembled Tianna's a little, but she seemed older—though it was easy to tell she must have been a beauty in her younger years.
She wore simple clothes meant for relaxing at home, but even in something that plain, she still radiated the unmistakable presence of a noblewoman. It wasn't something she was deliberately projecting; it was an aura formed over many years.
"Come in."
The noblewoman opened the door and welcomed Luke inside, smiling warmly. "I was planning to go see you this evening. I didn't expect you to come to me first."
"Lady Augatha, it's our first meeting. I'm sorry I only prepared a gift for Lux."
Luke spoke with perfect courtesy. Even though he had never met her, he still knew exactly who she was.
Augatha Crownguard—Tianna's sister, Lux's mother.
A true Crownguard by blood, with a status as high as it got.
"No need to be so formal. In the future, don't bring gifts when you visit," Augatha said with a relaxed smile. "You've only just arrived in the capital. Once you've been here longer, you'll understand the relationship between the Crownguards and the royal family."
She wasn't wrong. Since Demacia's founding, the Crownguards had been loyal to the crown. From ancient times to the present, there was no blood tie between them, and there had never been a marriage alliance.
Yet their relationship was closer than brothers.
Luke nodded and followed Augatha into the main house, taking a seat on the sofa in the living room.
A servant soon brought tea and set it down.
During that time, Augatha watched Luke with quiet curiosity.
This new prince who had suddenly appeared in the kingdom—she truly had planned to meet him at dinner. And now he had come directly to her.
He was a fine-looking young man, clean and neat, and it was clear from his face that he'd suffered quite a lot in the past.
When she thought about it, he really was a pitiful child.
"Don't be so stiff. Treat this like your own home. When your brother visits, he's never once acted like a guest—he just does whatever he wants."
Augatha looked at Luke sitting across from her. She knew that since this was their first meeting, some awkwardness was inevitable.
So she took the initiative and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I should thank you. You didn't let Lux lose face completely—getting scammed like a fool and not even realizing it."
"Ahem. With Lux's intelligence, I'm sure she would've spotted the flaw soon enough."
Luke spoke up in Lux's defense, even if, deep down, he wasn't entirely convinced.
"Hah."
Augatha seemed to let out a dismissive little snort.
But when Luke looked up, he still saw the same gentle, kind face. Augatha smiled and said, "Don't polish it for her. Still… I didn't expect fate to line things up so neatly."
If Lux had done one good thing yesterday, it was probably running into Luke on the street.
"Yeah." Luke glanced around and asked curiously, "By the way… where is Lux?"
"Just call her Lux. Your brother calls her 'little sister' and calls me 'Aunt.' You can do the same." Augatha waved a hand, telling Luke not to be so formal, and then a smile surfaced on her face. "As for Lux—she's atoning."
"Atoning?"
Luke froze for a second.
Then he heard Lux's voice.
"I've had enough!"
An angry shout came down from the second floor.
Lux burst out of her room in delicate pajamas. The bright, cheerful hair from yesterday was a bit messy now, and she vented her outrage toward downstairs.
"Don't you think restricting someone's freedom is exploitation—something people in power do to people without it?! My life should be blooming out in the world, not locked inside this stupid house, copying homework over and over again!"
At that moment, Lux looked nothing like a refined young lady. She looked like she was being driven insane.
And Augatha—who had just been warm and gentle—tilted her head up and sneered.
"There's no 'people in power' and 'people without it' here. There's a mother, and a disobedient daughter. Why you're locked in your room—don't you have any idea?
"Oh, and Miss Crownguard, one more thing: we have a guest."
Lux paused, then shifted her gaze to the right.
Sure enough, she saw a familiar figure sitting on the sofa, calmly drinking hot tea as if he'd seen absolutely nothing.
A single tuft of blond hair on Lux's head suddenly shot straight up. Her expression changed, and in the blink of an eye she sprinted back into her room.
After a while, she emerged again—now wearing a lovely outfit. Her blond hair had been neatly tidied, and she seemed like a completely different person, her posture poised and elegant.
She walked down the stairs as if nothing had happened at all, smiling like a perfect young lady.
"Your Highness, welcome to the Crownguard home."
"Heh…" Augatha laughed at the worst possible time and took a sip of tea.
Lux shot her a glare, ignored it, and looked back at Luke. "So—why are you here?"
Luke smiled back. "I came specifically to thank you. This is a small token of appreciation."
He picked up a strawberry cake and handed it to her.
Lux's eyes lit up, and she accepted it happily. "Thank you!"
It was obvious she really did like the gift. Looks like Luke hadn't guessed wrong.
"Congratulations," Augatha said, finishing her tea until only a little remained. She set the cup down on the table and looked at Lux. "Since he's here to see you, I won't interrupt. Take care of the guest, Lux. Don't let me hear later that you were a poor host."
In her view, people their age had more to talk about. There was no point in her staying.
As she spoke, she stood up and looked at Luke again. "Since you're here, stay for dinner tonight. I'll have someone take you back afterward."
An invitation from an elder couldn't be refused.
Luke hadn't planned on eating here, but it seemed he couldn't avoid it in the end. He nodded. "Alright."
"Take care, Mother."
Lux sat down, beaming, and waved to see Augatha off, watching her leave.