Chapter 137 - 64: The Nonexistent Future

Chapter 137: Chapter 64: The Nonexistent Future

"Princess Lilia, welcome to Ovis. My name is Leander, the Third Prince of Ovis."

"Princess Lilia, you must be exhausted from your journey. Would you like to rest at my estate for a while? I’ve prepared the finest tea and pastries, which I hope will suit your tastes."

"Princess Lilia..."

Several princes eagerly crowded forward to curry favor with her. Lilia wore a faint smile but gave them no response. Instead, she gazed silently at the figure standing in the distance.

Under her watchful eyes, Lucian slowly walked toward her.

"Princess Lilia."

Even though it was the exact same title, it carried an inexplicable hint of familiarity coming from him—a touch of alluring intimacy. Lucian didn’t rush to show off. Instead, he offered a rather non-standard noble bow. "It has been a long time. Welcome to Ovis."

Compared to the increasingly passionate welcomes from the others, his greeting was almost plain. If someone who didn’t know him were standing here, they might think he was too proud to lower himself, not knowing how to properly please the Princess. But to anyone aware that the two had crossed paths back in Light and shared a relationship that was far from ordinary... one only needed to look at Lucian’s eyes right now to easily catch the indescribable delight and aggressiveness hidden within.

Colin, for instance, noticed it immediately.

Their interaction made it seem as if... as if Lilia had come here specifically for him. But... how could that be possible? Even if the two knew each other, and even if they had once been comrades-in-arms, what kind of trump card could Lucian possibly pull out to convince Lilia to cooperate with him?

It couldn’t be...

It couldn’t possibly be based on his looks!

At the mere thought of this possibility, Colin felt like he was going to grind his teeth to dust. His other brothers, however, lacked his perceptive eyes. Like Colin, they looked down on this "brother" who had suddenly popped out of nowhere, and they had never considered him a serious rival.

Seeing that he couldn’t even manage the simple task of currying favor, they were just about to throw out some sarcastic remarks when Princess Lilia, whom they had completely surrounded, nodded at him. "It’s been a while, Lucian."

Lucian asked, "You must be tired from the journey. Do you want to grab a bite to eat first, or head straight to my place to rest?"

"I’ll go to your place to eat first, then rest."

"...Alright." Lucian chuckled. "Then follow me. Everything is already arranged."

Lilia nodded and left with him.

Off to the side, the other princes had yet to process this incredibly fluid exchange. Watching the retreating back of the girl who had just been snatched away, the prince named Leander was about to step forward when Colin stopped him.

Lilia was not one of those noble ladies who would obey their every command because they needed to rely on them. Since she had made up her mind and set her sights on a goal, she would never change course just because of a few words from others.

This time... Colin had to admit that he had underestimated Lucian.

However, the ultimate victor was still undecided. So what if Lucian had hooked Lilia’s line first? Colin was superior to that bastard in every single way. He was fully confident that he could steal everything away from him.

Lilia and Lucian neither knew nor cared about the grand ambitions brewing in Colin’s mind.

The port was quite far from Lucian’s Viscount Mansion, but neither of them had any intention of taking a carriage. The voyage from Light to Ovis took a full month. Although Lilia had stayed in a top-tier cabin, she still lacked the freedom she enjoyed on land. Now that she had finally stepped off the ship, she naturally wanted to take a nice, long walk.

Lucian walked by her side, keeping her company.

"How does this place feel compared to Light?" he asked, casually starting a conversation. "Is it very different?"

Lilia thought about it.

In truth, she was no stranger to Adrian. In her previous playthrough, she had even studied Magic at Adrian Public School for a few years. By comparison, Hillflan was actually the place she was less familiar with. After all, in this current playthrough, she had stayed entirely within the Royal Court. Before becoming the Crown Prince, she hadn’t possessed the means to go out; after becoming the Crown Prince, she hadn’t had the time. On the rare occasions she passed through the streets, she was always in a rush, lacking any leisure to admire the scenery.

However, she obviously couldn’t tell Lucian about this. It wasn’t that she needed to hide anything from him; it was just too difficult to explain. Therefore, Lilia simply shook her head.

"No difference at all?" Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"I don’t know." Lilia was exceptionally honest. "I rarely pay attention to these things."

Lucian immediately understood why. "Being the Crown Prince is exhausting, isn’t it? Endless affairs to handle every day."

Lilia nodded slightly. "Yet countless people still clamor for the position."

"After all," Lucian said, "while it is demanding, it also represents the future power to rule a nation. Those people have been steeped in power since childhood, enjoying all the benefits that authority brings. Naturally, they want to maintain it forever, and even desire more."

Lilia turned to look at him. "What about you? You’ve also grown up steeped in power." The girl asked with a serious expression, "You’ve been racking your brains to climb higher. Do you simply want revenge, or do you, like them, want to claim that seat of absolute power?"

Lilia hadn’t asked him this question in her previous playthrough. At that time, they were still in the midst of their struggle. Every day, they were either figuring out how to earn the trust of more nobles or planning how to guard against the open and hidden attacks of their enemies. They certainly hadn’t had the luxury to stroll leisurely through the streets of Adrian like they were doing now, discussing what their future selves truly desired.

Hearing her question, Lucian fell silent.

"Is it inconvenient to tell me?" Lilia wasn’t surprised. She smiled gently. "It’s fine. We can talk about something else."

Lucian was just that kind of person. During the time they had spent together in Light, Lilia had already relied on her understanding of him to grind his Favorability above the passing mark, successfully unlocking the "Avenger" main storyline. Yet even so, even with Lucian holding a very high Favorability toward her, there were still some things he preferred to keep buried in his heart.

It wasn’t a lack of trust in her. He just... didn’t know how to voice them. Lilia understood and recognized all of this. Regardless, she had plenty of time. She could patiently wait for the day he was willing to tell her.

Looking at her gentle smile, Lucian felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

"No..." he spoke instinctively, his voice somewhat hoarse. "It’s not that I don’t want to tell you."

Lilia tilted her head, not pressing the issue. She could see his inner conflict, so she gave him ample time to sort through his thoughts.

"It’s just..." Lucian lowered his eyes, then raised them again. Not daring to look at Lilia, he cast his gaze into the distance. "I just never thought I would have a future."