Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra-Chapter 534: Gourmet (5)

Aeliana smirked, lifting her chin slightly, pride flickering in her amber eyes. "I wasn't just some ordinary child, Lucavion," she declared. "A mere candy bribe wouldn't have worked on me."

Lucavion exhaled in amusement. "Ah, of course. Too refined even as a child, were you?"

"Obviously." Aeliana set her teacup down with a graceful clink. "My mother knew exactly how to get my attention. She promised me a jewel—something worthy of my presence."

Lucavion tilted his head, his smirk deepening. "And that worked?"

Aeliana exhaled, leaning back slightly. "You have to understand—I was attending banquets at a young age. Surrounded by noble families, daughters flaunting their expensive accessories—rings, necklaces, even hairpins adorned with the finest gemstones."

Lucavion hummed, swirling his tea. "And you had your own collection, I assume?"

Aeliana smirked. "Of course. My father never spared expense when it came to our image. As the Duke of Stormhaven, he ensured that I always looked the part—dressed in fine silks, adorned with elegant jewelry."

Lucavion studied her carefully. "But?"

Aeliana's lips curled slightly. "But he was strict. Even though he allowed me to wear them, I wasn't freely allowed to indulge. I couldn't just buy whatever I wanted. Excessive spending? Wasteful indulgence? That was not the image of House Thaddeus."

Lucavion smirked. "So, let me guess. Your mother—being the woman she was—saw an opportunity."

Aeliana exhaled, shaking her head with fond amusement. "She did. She bribed me with accessories—small, carefully chosen pieces. A sapphire ring. A pair of earrings with opal inlays. Every time she wanted to take me somewhere, she'd promise me something new."

Lucavion let out a short chuckle. "So, your grand introduction to the world beyond your estate was entirely built on bribery?"

Aeliana scoffed, lifting her chin. "I prefer to call it strategic persuasion."

Lucavion laughed. "Oh, that is rich."

Aeliana smirked. "It worked, didn't it?"

Lucavion chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, thanks to them, maybe those bribes actually worked out in your favor."

Aeliana smirked, about to fire back a remark—when something in her expression shifted.

A pause. A flicker of something quieter.

She lowered her gaze slightly, fingers tracing the rim of her teacup.

"…I lost the most important one," she murmured.

Lucavion's smirk barely wavered—but his sharp eyes caught the movement of her lips.

He heard it.

Unlike Aeliana, his hearing wasn't that of an ordinary human. He was Awakened. His senses were sharper, attuned to even the faintest of whispers. And right now—

He had heard exactly what she said.

Lucavion tilted his head, his voice smooth, casual. "Lost what?"

Aeliana blinked, as if realizing she had spoken aloud. She quickly waved a hand, shaking her head. "Nothing. It's not important."

Lucavion exhaled lightly. "Mmm. No, I think it is."

Aeliana clicked her tongue, avoiding his gaze. "Drop it, Lucavion."

Lucavion's smirk widened slightly. "You do realize you're just making me more curious, right?"

"So what?"

"…What have you lost?"

Aeliana huffed, folding her arms. Then, after a beat, she lifted her gaze—sharp, knowing. And with a smirk of her own, she threw his own words back at him.

"That," she said smoothly, "is for you to figure out."

Lucavion blinked.

For a long moment, he just stared at her.

Then—

A laugh.

A real, hearty laugh.

Not a chuckle. Not his usual amused exhale.

An actual laugh.

It rumbled from deep in his chest, rich, unrestrained, the kind that slipped out before he could even stop it.

Aeliana narrowed her eyes, watching him with suspicion. "What?"

Lucavion shook his head, still grinning. "I can't believe it." He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin against his hand. "You really just threw that back at me."

Lucavion was still laughing, the sound rich and easy, when suddenly—

Grrr!

A sharp growl cut through the air.

Lucavion's laughter halted immediately. His smirk faded as his sharp gaze flicked toward the source—

Vitaliara.

The white-furred familiar had leaped down from the windowsill, her golden eyes narrowed, her body tensed, ears pricked forward.

Then, without warning—

She bolted.

"What?" Aeliana reacted instantly, her head snapping toward the direction Vitaliara had dashed off to.

Lucavion, however, had already shifted, his body on instinctive high alert.

"Vitaliara?" His voice was low, serious, the teasing edge completely gone. "What is going on?"

The familiar didn't answer.

Aeliana turned toward Lucavion, brows furrowed. "What?"

Lucavion didn't respond right away. His focus was razor-sharp, his eyes locked onto Vitaliara's disappearing form.

Then—

He stood up.

Abruptly, smoothly, with a suddenness that made Aeliana blink.

"Hey—what is going on?" she demanded, standing as well.

Lucavion barely glanced at her. His voice was quiet but firm. "I'll be back. Wait here."

Aeliana's brows snapped together. "Excuse me—"

But before she could finish—

Lucavion moved.

With an effortless motion, he pivoted, stepping toward the open window—

And then, in one fluid motion—

He jumped.

Aeliana barely caught the flicker of his coat vanishing into the night before he disappeared.

Silence.

She stood there, blinking, staring at the empty space where he had just been.

Then—

"…What the hell?"

Her voice was flat.

Because what the hell?

Aeliana stood there, staring at the open window, her mind scrambling to make sense of what had just happened.

Lucavion had jumped—without hesitation, without explanation—leaving her alone in the middle of a diner.

She exhaled sharply, crossing her arms.

'What the hell is even happening?'

Did something happen to the cat?

She glanced toward the direction Vitaliara had rushed off in, her sharp mind already cycling through possibilities. Maybe the familiar had seen something. Heard something. She had heard stories before—of animals sensing danger before humans did, reacting to things unseen.

'But what could have made her react like that?'

Aeliana pressed her lips together.

Then—

She sighed.

Because she felt it.

The attention.

The weight of people staring.

Whispers drifted through the air, murmurs between the other diners who had definitely noticed a fully grown man leap out of a window in the middle of a meal.

"…Did you see that?"

"What in the—?"

"Was that planned?"

"Is she just… standing there?"

Aeliana clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to rub her temples.

'Damn it, Lucavion.'

Her first instinct was to do something. To explain. To fix the situation. But then—

She exhaled again, letting her shoulders relax.

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No.

She wasn't going to make a scene.

Lucavion had told her to wait. And as much as it irritated her, as much as her pride wanted to storm out after him and demand answers—

She would trust his words.

For now.

So, with practiced ease, she schooled her expression into one of complete composure, ignoring the lingering stares, and returned to her seat.

She lifted her tea, took a slow sip, and waited.

Aeliana had just taken another slow sip of her tea, regaining some semblance of composure, when the waiter hesitantly approached.

He cleared his throat. "My lady… is everything alright?"

Aeliana glanced up, her expression smooth, unreadable. "Yes. Everything is fine."

The waiter hesitated—his eyes flickering briefly toward the open window, then back to her. But when Aeliana didn't offer any further explanation, he simply nodded. "Very well. Please let us know if you need anything."

With that, he excused himself, leaving her alone once more.

Aeliana exhaled softly, setting her teacup down.

And so, she waited.

The next ten minutes passed in a strange, quiet stretch of time.

The stares eventually faded. People returned to their meals, the murmurs died down, and the air of the diner slowly returned to its usual warmth and ease. Aeliana, despite herself, found a certain amusement in how quickly people moved on.

She took another sip of her tea, idly picking at the dessert that had been left untouched.

Then—

Footsteps.

A faint rustle of fabric. A shadow moving back toward her table.

And then, finally—

Lucavion returned.

He moved with his usual effortless grace, stepping back inside as if he hadn't just vanished out of a window ten minutes ago.

Aeliana didn't say anything. Not right away.

Lucavion glanced at her, then—

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, alright," he muttered. "I'll say it."

He met her gaze, his smirk a little weaker than usual.

"My bad. That was not how I intended to leave the table."

Aeliana narrowed her eyes.

Lucavion exhaled. "So… yeah." He gave her an easy, half-smirk.

"Apologies."