Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra-Chapter 536: Gift (2)

Aeliana's breath stilled.

Her gaze flickered toward the window beside them, and in the dim reflection, she saw it.

A hairpin.

Not just any hairpin—that hairpin.

Delicate gold, shaped into a blooming flower, with each petal intricately crafted, radiating outward in a regal, elegant design. At the very center, a deep red gemstone gleamed, striking against the soft golden metal. Tiny, dangling embellishments cascaded gently from one side, swaying slightly with her movements—giving the piece an ethereal, almost otherworldly grace.

She knew this hairpin.

Because she had seen it earlier.

When they had wandered through the marketplace after forcing Lucavion into proper clothing, she had noticed it—on display at one of the vendors' stalls. ((N1))

And for just a moment, it had reminded her of her mother.

She had buried that thought quickly, brushed it aside.

She hadn't brought any money with her at the time, so she told herself she would buy it later.

But now—

Now it was in her hair.

She lifted her fingers, brushing over the delicate metal, feeling the cool surface against her skin, the unmistakable weight of it securing itself against her strands.

Her amber eyes widened.

"You…" Her voice was quiet, slow, laced with something unreadable. "Did you…?"

Lucavion merely smiled.

Calm. Casual. Infuriatingly unreadable.

Aeliana turned toward him fully, her expression caught between disbelief and something else—something she hadn't quite put words to yet.

Lucavion exhaled, resting his chin lazily in his palm. "What?" he mused. "Don't tell me you dislike it."

Aeliana stared at him.

He had gotten it for her.

While she had been sitting here, waiting, confused, irritated at his disappearance—he had gone back and bought the damn hairpin.

She inhaled, steadying herself. "You—"

Aeliana stared at him.

He had gotten it for her.

Lucavion smirked slightly, watching her reaction with quiet amusement. "What? Surprised?"

Aeliana's fingers twitched against her lap.

Surprised?

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That wasn't exactly the right word for what she was feeling.

Her mind ran through a thousand possibilities—why? Why had he done this? Did he just happen to remember her glancing at it? Had he planned this?

Had he—

Aeliana's amber eyes flickered between Lucavion and the reflection of the hairpin in the window.

Her mind was still catching up, still trying to understand.

And then—

A thought struck her.

Her fingers tightened slightly against the hem of her sleeve as she met Lucavion's gaze again.

"…Did the cat?"

Lucavion raised a brow, clearly amused. "The cat?"

Aeliana's voice was measured, careful. "Did you make her do that?"

Lucavion blinked once, then smirked. "Do what?"

Aeliana narrowed her eyes, searching his expression.

The way Vitaliara had suddenly run off. The way he had immediately followed without hesitation. The way he had left her sitting here only to come back with this.

She knew Lucavion—he never did anything without a reason.

"That," she said, her voice quieter.

Lucavion exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't get what you mean," he said smoothly, his tone light. "She has her own free will, you know."

Aeliana clenched her hands on the hem of her shirt.

She wasn't sure if she believed that.

She turned her head slightly, looking at her reflection once more. The golden pin sat neatly in her hair, catching the lantern light with a soft, elegant glow.

'It suits you.'

She blinked.

Lucavion had said it so simply, so easily, as if it was a statement of fact rather than something meant to mean anything.

Her lips parted slightly. "…Why?"

Lucavion tilted his head.

Aeliana turned toward him fully, her voice firmer this time. "Why did you get it?"

Lucavion regarded her for a moment, as if deciding something.

Then—

He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearm against the table, his smirk shifting into something quieter.

"You said," he murmured, "that your mother used to bribe you with these."

Aeliana inhaled sharply.

Lucavion shrugged, leaning back in his chair as if the weight of the conversation wasn't settling between them. His smirk softened—not quite teasing, not quite serious. Something in between.

"I'm not trying to replace your mother, Aeliana," he said smoothly, his tone lighter than his words. "I don't have that kind of arrogance."

Aeliana's fingers twitched slightly, still resting against her lap.

Lucavion glanced toward the window, where the reflection of the hairpin still gleamed softly in her dark hair. Then he exhaled, shifting his gaze back to her. "I just figured… if you were going to look at something and remember the past, maybe it'd be better if it was something else."

Aeliana blinked.

Lucavion's smirk curled slightly. "Something that doesn't make you bury the thought the moment it comes."

Aeliana froze.

Because—he wasn't wrong.

She had buried it.

Back then, when she had first seen the hairpin on display, the memory had surfaced so suddenly—of her mother, of the jewels she used to offer, of those small, stolen moments of warmth.

And she had immediately pushed it down, ignored it, told herself she'd come back later.

But now—

Now it was here.

Now she had to look at it.

Lucavion rolled his shoulders, voice as easy as ever. "I'm leaving for the Academy soon," he reminded her. "So I thought, maybe…" His gaze flickered toward her, unreadable for a brief second. "I'd leave you with something that reminds you of a happy memory."

Aeliana's breath caught.

'What is this man doing?'

Her heart twisted—just slightly, just enough to be annoying.

Her fingers curled around the hem of her sleeve as she lowered her gaze, staring at the hairpin in her reflection once more.

Lucavion exhaled softly, his smirk fading into something lighter—something real.

"Someone left me with a gift like that once," he murmured. "And I know—even if it's something small, something simple—" His gaze flickered toward her, warm, knowing. "It can have more of an effect than you think."

Aeliana swallowed.

"This one is for you," Lucavion continued. "So that when you feel like you're down, when things feel too heavy…" His voice remained casual, yet there was an unmistakable weight beneath it. "You can take a look at it and remember all the things you've overcome."

And then—

He smiled.

A genuine, childish smile, bright and unguarded, his teeth showing slightly, his eyes glinting with something untouched by arrogance or calculation.

"Hehehe…"

Aeliana's world tilted.

THUMP. THUMP.

Her heart pounded so loudly she thought the entire diner could hear it.

What is this?

She clenched her hands against her lap, desperately trying to steady herself, but—

She couldn't.

She just couldn't.

This man…

After everything.

After all these little moments. After all this time—how was she supposed to stop this?

How was she supposed to not love him?

Because she did.

She did.

And it wasn't sudden. It wasn't some overwhelming revelation—it was something that had been building, something that had already rooted itself deep within her before she even had the sense to name it.

Her father's words came rushing back—

"I saw your gaze…"

"…Don't take too long figuring it out."

Right.

She was dragging this out for no reason at all.

Because Lucavion had already become an irreplaceable part of her life.

And she—

She could not let him go.