But the burn was getting unbearable. Vayne took the cup, cautiously sniffed it first.
No alcohol scent at all. Only then did she finally dare bring it to her lips.
The moment the cool water soothed her tongue and slid down her throat, a wave of relief hit so hard she almost wanted to cry.
She tipped her head back and chugged the whole thing in one go.
When she lowered the cup, she still wasn't satisfied. "More?"
Luke chuckled and pointed behind her. "Sure. There's plenty over there."
Vayne turned around—and her expression froze.
Where he was pointing was a small pond. The water looked clear enough, but who knew how many days it had been sitting there.
A bad feeling surged up instantly. She snapped back, grinding her teeth as she glared at Luke. "Where did you get that water?"
Seeing the way she looked like she might gag, the smile on Luke's face only widened. "From the faucet, obviously. You didn't seriously think I scooped it out of the pond, did you?"
That teasing look in his eyes made Vayne furious all over again.
She realized—again—he'd done it on purpose.
Two years of hardship had forged her into something like ice, and in a single day, this man had set her on fire with rage more times than she could count.
For the first time in her life, she had the urge to bite someone.
"After eating something that spicy, try not to get angry. You'll give yourself heartburn."
Luke picked up a pitcher of cold water and refilled her cup while speaking in that gentle, comforting tone.
It felt painfully familiar.
The person making her angry was him.
What was he even pretending for?
She had a powerful impulse to fling the water in his face, but she forced it down.
In her head, it felt like a tiny voice kept chanting: Don't get mad. Don't get mad. There's no point getting mad at someone like this.
After repeating it a dozen times, she finally smoothed her mood a little—though the fire in her chest still smoldered.
Once the cup was full, she chugged again.
By the time the second cup of cool water hit her stomach, the burn in her mouth finally eased, and her expression loosened without her noticing.
Luke grinned. "So? How is it?"
Vayne immediately snorted. "It's fine."
Luke gave her a thumbs-up, still amused instead of annoyed. "You're the first person who's ever rated my cooking like that."
At this point, he could tell.
Vayne's personality was basically the classic tsundere type.
During the rest of the meal, she kept sampling all kinds of rabbit dishes. Since she'd practically never tasted food this good, her face would occasionally slip into a dreamy, blissful expression when she wasn't paying attention.
Luke watched with a smile, and this time he didn't provoke her again.
Saying one thing, doing another—her body was a lot more honest than her mouth.
A while later, dinner finally ended.
Truly full for the first time in who knew how long, Vayne couldn't help letting a satisfied look spread across her face.
Living on the road, sleeping rough—when had she ever gotten a full meal, much less something this unbelievably delicious?
This dinner was incredible.
Frey felt the same.
For Luke, it was just an easy meal.
For teacher and student, it was a rare feast.
And the one who ate the most was Vayne. After the venom, her body was drained and needed energy, so she kept eating—despite everything she said.
Her pile of bones was the biggest, picked clean until they were spotless.
When she noticed Luke looking at her, even Vayne couldn't stop her cheeks from flushing. She quickly cooled her expression and stared back. "What are you looking at?"
Luke said, "Have you noticed your stomach's bigger?"
Vayne instinctively looked down—and froze.
Her lower abdomen really was rounder than usual.
She instantly understood what he was implying.
She felt embarrassed and annoyed, but—strangely—she didn't argue.
Because she honestly had nothing to say.
There was nothing to criticize about his cooking.
Frey, aside from that initial outburst, had spent the rest of the meal watching the two of them with a soft smile.
On the road, she'd already sensed something was off with Vayne's mental state.
In the Freljord, she'd been fine—but the moment they crossed into Demacia, something shifted.
Maybe it was the closeness of her enemy that made her sensitive.
As Vayne's teacher, Frey knew exactly what she'd been through.
But she hadn't found a good way to help Vayne regulate herself.
Luke's sudden appearance, though, had been a pleasant surprise.
All afternoon, Vayne seemed like she'd been angry nonstop.
Yet Frey, who knew her better than anyone, could see it—Vayne's tightly wound nerves had loosened a little without her realizing. Her expression had softened, too.
Watching Luke smile there, Frey couldn't tell whether he was doing it intentionally or not.
When everyone was basically done eating, Frey stood. "I'll wash the dishes."
Vayne stood up immediately. "I'll help you, teacher."
"No. You just got the venom out. Rest." Frey smiled at her, then looked at Yurna Doer. "Miss Yurna, you should rest too. For the next few days, I'll handle the cleaning."
She felt that besides protecting Luke, it was only right to do a little more.
She'd thought so even before dinner. After eating that meal, she was even more certain.
Yurna Doer looked to Luke.
Luke yawned casually. "Works for me."
For him, it didn't matter who washed dishes—because it definitely wasn't going to be him.
Back in the capital, this job had always been handled by that duelist girl.
He stood up, didn't bother with what was happening behind him, and walked over to the rocking chair near the small tree, then stretched out on it.
The chair swayed gently. A full stomach, a quiet night, and the luxury of lying down—no matter how many times he lived like this, he never got tired of it.
The bright moon hung overhead. Only a few stars dotted the sky. Switching cities to admire the night didn't really feel different.
The only difference was that the person he used to watch it with wasn't here.
In the capital.
House Laurent.
After dinner, Fiora went to the mansion's back garden. It was quiet, with only the sound of wind brushing through flowers.
The flowerbeds swayed, and fragrance drifted across the garden.
She sat casually on a stone bench and looked up at the night sky.
For some reason, she suddenly thought—at this hour, she should probably be washing dishes.
Fiora hated that chore.
Yet remembering it now, a small smile tugged at her lips.
After the dishes, she would lie in the courtyard rocking chair, and the two of them would quietly share the night view for a while.
It was an easy life—so easy that the old her had felt strangely unaccustomed to it.
But now that he'd been gone for days, she found herself unaccustomed again.
Even now, she still hadn't adjusted.
People really were strange.
Without knowing why, she found herself wishing the days would pass faster.
With that thought, she stood and decided to go soak in the hot tub again.
At the Crownguard estate.
"Sigh…"
Lux stared at the lavish dinner spread on the table, yet she let out a troubled sigh.
Augatha looked up at her while eating. "What's wrong with you, kid? You've practically turned into a sighing machine these past few days. What is it—something you want to buy again?"
Every mealtime, Lux kept sighing, and lately her appetite had dropped too.
It was baffling.
"Life is just losing things… or walking toward the next thing you'll lose."
Lux sighed again. Her usually bright, sparkling eyes looked dimmer now.
Even with a feast right in front of her, she had no appetite.
Augatha couldn't take it anymore. With an annoyed huff, she grabbed a dinner roll and shoved it straight into Lux's mouth. "Enough with the gloomy mood. Keep it up and I'm getting the wooden spoon!"
Lux's mouth was covered. She mumbled twice, then opened up, bit down, and devoured the roll in two quick bites.
After that, she didn't dare be dramatic anymore and obediently started eating.
Still, she ate without much enthusiasm.
In her heart, she sighed again.
When was that guy coming back?
Across the table, Tianna smiled at Lux, seeing right through her—and choosing not to say a word.
Truth be told, even she kind of missed that brat after only a few days.
After dinner, Lux hurried out of the estate, calling out, "I'm heading out!"
Elsewhere, at the Buvelle family home.
At the dinner table, Barrett and Lady Lestara noticed both of their daughters were distracted, eating without focus, clearly thinking about something.
Lady Lestara's eyes turned thoughtful.
She had heard that lately, both girls loved running off to see the prince.
Don't tell her they were thinking about him.
A mother knew.
Barrett cleared his throat in a stern, authoritative way, snapping them out of it. "When you eat, you eat. When you do something, you do it properly."
He was a serious man. Outside, he wore a kindly face, but with his daughters, he was strict.
"Yes, Father."
Kahina answered immediately and started eating with focus.
But after two bites, her mind drifted again.
Sona, the older one, didn't take her father's strictness seriously at all. Her thoughts stayed far away, her gaze fixed on the etwahl she held.
Right now, all she wanted was to speak with His Highness for a while.
Barrett saw neither girl was taking him seriously. He cleared his throat again, about to scold them—
And then Sona lifted those water-clear eyes and looked over, her mood visibly poor.
Barrett's expression instantly softened into a smile. "If you don't feel like eating, then eat less. If you're in a bad mood… why don't you go get some air?"
Sona nodded. She set down her barely touched meal, stood up, hugged the etwahl close, and walked out.
Barrett looked at Kahina. "Go keep your sister company."
"On it!"
Kahina had wanted to get away from the table too. The moment she heard it, she sprang up and followed.
Both adorable daughters vanished at once, leaving Barrett feeling strangely empty—yet he still didn't realize why.
Lady Lestara watched her slow-witted husband with a look that said everything without saying anything, adding silently:
You'd better start praying now that your two daughters don't get swept off by the same man.
Not long after.
Four women gathered in the same courtyard, and in the back yard, just as Luke had instructed before leaving, they took out the day's share of herbal bath liquor and poured it into the water.
Then they slipped out of their clothes piece by piece, pale and graceful figures catching the lamplight.
They sank into the water, letting out soft, relieved sighs.
After a while, they raised their heads together and looked up at the night sky.
Somehow, they all felt certain of the same thing:
That guy was definitely looking at the same night view right now, too.
Outside Edessa.
In a barren, desolate place, a large group had gathered.
"Elder Dande, preparations are basically complete."
A hooded figure spoke respectfully to another hooded figure who was slightly shorter.
"Are you certain?" Dande's voice was hoarse. In the emptiness of the wilderness, it carried an eerie chill. "This concerns the Shadow God. If there's even the slightest mistake, it's not something you or I can afford."
Dozens of black-cloaked figures stood around them, faces grim beneath their hoods, with Dande at the center.
The speaker bowed even lower, voice solemn. "Confirmed. Everything is in order. The Fated One has also arrived in Edessa."
"Tch-tch-tch…"
Dande let out a strange laugh that made people's skin crawl. "Good. The Shadow God will not treat you poorly."
The surrounding followers all bent forward, making the same gesture in unison.
Dande lifted his head. Beneath the hood was a deeply wrinkled, aged face, eyes burning with fanatical faith.
He raised an arm. The cloak slid back, revealing a withered, ugly, shrunken limb.
Staring at the bright moon, his arm moved as if he were caressing the great Shadow God himself.
He murmured, "Just wait a few more days, my lord. Once the Blood Moon arrives, I will welcome your descent into this world."
At his words, the surrounding believers grew feverish with excitement.
Bright moonlight poured into Luke's courtyard.
The night was mild, with a soft breeze drifting through.
After taking a walk to help digestion, Vayne's belly had returned to its usual flatness. As the heavy meal turned into energy inside her, she could feel her strength—lost to the venom—had fully returned, even stronger than before.
That unmistakable change made her guess at the reason.
And like it or not, the image of that man surfaced in her mind.
Once she finally quieted down, she looked over at Luke.
He was stretched out on the rocking chair, his strikingly handsome face carrying a lazy, almost tempting ease. His long body lay there casually, and his loose formal clothes exposed a glimpse of skin without effort.
In his hand, he held a small cup. His eyes were relaxed as he gazed at the sky, taking occasional sips of clear liquor.
The scene looked like a painting.
Even Vayne's heart skipped once when she saw it.
A strange thought slipped into her mind.
If this guy didn't open his mouth… he was actually easy on the eyes.
The thought startled her. She quickly shook her head and threw it out of her mind.
She almost got fooled by his appearance.
The moment she remembered what he was like underneath, irritation surged again.
The view was nice.
So naturally, she had to ruin it.
She walked up and snorted. "You really know how to enjoy yourself."
Hearing her, Luke turned his head and saw Vayne's pretty face set in a cold scowl. He smiled. "Want to lie down too? Shame I only brought one chair. But we could… make it work."
As he spoke, he shifted a little on the already-small rocking chair, deliberately making room.
"No." Vayne shot him a sharp, offended glare.
Of course—of course—he could turn anything into something that made her angry.
But oddly enough, maybe she'd been provoked so many times today that she wasn't even as furious now.
Luke lay back properly, turned his attention to the night again, took a sip, and said, "People should learn to treat themselves well. If you don't know how to enjoy life, are you going to spend every day making things harder on yourself?"
"Heh." Vayne gave a cold laugh, looking down at him. "If you weren't a prince, you wouldn't have any of this."
Luke didn't care. "Setting aside whether that argument even holds, the world's uneven by nature."
"For me, whatever situation I'm in, that's how I'll live. Even if I weren't a prince—if I were just a farmer—after a day in the fields, I'd still find ways to steal a little peace."
Vayne listened without commenting.
She did envy that mindset a little.
If she could be as open and easy as him, maybe things would be different.
But she couldn't.
Luke glanced at her. "People are like a rope. If you keep it pulled tight all the time, problem after problem only makes it tighter and tighter until one day it snaps."
"So I think no matter what situation you're in, you have to loosen the rope sometimes."
"Like you. From the moment I met you, aside from those few seconds right after dinner, your body's been tense the entire time."
His gaze swept over her without apology as he continued, "And from what I can tell, you've been living like that for a long time."
Vayne didn't care about his eyes. Her face stayed cold. "You talk like you really understand. But it's just theory coming out of your mouth."
What could he possibly understand?
That night two years ago—who knew her despair?
All she had to do was close her eyes and she'd see it again: her parents' mutilated bodies, and the demon's smile.
For two years, she hadn't had a single good night's sleep. Nightmares attacked her constantly.
Like they were reminding her that the demon could come back at any time.
She hadn't dared relax for even a moment.
She wanted a reason to let herself breathe—but before vengeance was done, how could she?
Revenge.
For two years, it had been the only thing keeping Vayne alive.
Revenge—and nothing else.
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