Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra-Chapter 537: Pushing limits

Aeliana couldn't stop herself.

She just looked at him.

Elbows resting on the table, hands cupping her face, eyes locked onto his with a warmth she wasn't even trying to hide anymore.

Soft. Unrestrained. Unmistakable.

Lucavion blinked.

His smirk wavered—just slightly—as if something in him had not expected this.

Aeliana, for once, didn't smirk, didn't throw a sharp remark to cover up what she was feeling.

Because right now—

She didn't want to.

Lucavion had given her a gift. A reminder of the past, yes—but also of now. Of him. Of the fact that, whether she liked it or not, he had carved his place in her life so deeply that she couldn't imagine it without him.

And she was done pretending otherwise.

Her fingers brushed against the hairpin in her hair.

She exhaled softly, a faint smile curling on her lips.

"Lucavion."

Her voice was smooth, quiet.

Lucavion, still watching her carefully, lifted a brow. "Hmm?"

Aeliana tilted her head slightly, golden eyes gleaming with something new.

Something certain.

"...Nothing," she murmured.

But her smile said everything.

Aeliana didn't move.

Didn't shift her gaze. Didn't hide behind her usual wit or deflections.

She just looked at him.

Chin resting on her hands, elbows propped against the table, golden eyes tracing every feature of his face as if she was committing it to memory.

And maybe—just maybe—she was.

Lucavion's smirk had long since faded into something quieter, something unreadable. His dark eyes studied her, unreadable yet watchful, as if he, too, was noticing the way she was not looking away.

And right now, she didn't care about saving face.

Didn't care about anything except making sure she had every part of him etched into her mind.

Because for some reason—

His face looked… handsome.

Aeliana blinked slowly.

'Weird.'

Her gaze traveled over him with a new kind of awareness.

The sharp angles of his jaw, defined but not harsh. The faint scar over his right cheek—a thin, pale line just under his eye—which, instead of making him look dangerous, gave him an oddly endearing charm.

His black eyes—deep, dark, holding that perpetual glint of mischief, yet softened in this moment, watching her with something else entirely.

And his hair—longer than it should be for someone who fights so often, thick and wavy, falling just past his shoulders, always looking like he had just run a hand through it carelessly.

He was…

Aeliana exhaled.

'Really weird.'

Her fingers brushed against her cheek absentmindedly.

Why had she never noticed before? Had he always looked like this?

Or had she just been refusing to see it?

Her heart gave another thump.

But she didn't look away.

Lucavion's brow lifted slightly, amusement flickering in his gaze. "…You're…"

Aeliana saw it.

That flicker of hesitation in his expression.

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Lucavion never hesitated when he was the one teasing. He was quick, sharp-tongued, always in control of the conversation. But the moment she turned it around—

The moment she became the one leaning in, watching him with that unwavering gaze—

He always faltered first.

'Hehe…'

She couldn't help it.

It was cute.

Lucavion's smirk wavered just slightly before he cleared his throat. "You're…"

Aeliana tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'm what?"

Lucavion blinked.

And then—

He exhaled, feigning nonchalance as he leaned back against his chair. "Ahem… You're staring a bit too hard, don't you think?"

Aeliana grinned.

"Am I?" she mused, resting her chin more comfortably against her hands. "I don't think so."

Lucavion narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh?"

Aeliana hummed. "Maybe you're just too aware of it."

Lucavion narrowed his eyes at her, though the amused glint never left his gaze. "And what exactly do you mean by too aware of it?"

Aeliana smirked. "I'm just staring at you. That's all."

Lucavion scoffed. "So?"

Aeliana tilted her head, her amber eyes positively glowing with mischief. "So what? Does it bother you?"

Lucavion hesitated for half a second. "…No."

Aeliana hummed. "Shouldn't you feel grateful, then?"

Lucavion blinked. "Grateful?"

Aeliana leaned forward slightly, her smirk widening. "That a beautiful girl like me is looking at you?"

Lucavion opened his mouth—then closed it. His smirk twitched. "That's—"

Aeliana didn't let him finish.

She placed one hand on her chest in a dramatic imitation of his usual bravado and dropped her voice into an overly smooth, terribly exaggerated version of his.

"I can't refuse a woman, blah blah blah…" She waved a hand vaguely, mimicking his careless charm. "What can I say? It is a sin to deny them my presence…"

Lucavion froze.

Aeliana's smirk turned wicked.

"Wasn't this you?" she asked, eyes glinting. "Just today?"

Lucavion blinked again. Then—

"…Ahaha… what?"

Aeliana shrugged, entirely unbothered. "Anyway." She propped her chin back onto her hands, still looking at him. "I will keep staring at you. Any problem?"

Lucavion opened his mouth—

Paused.

Slowly shut it.

Aeliana's smirk grew.

"See?" she mused. "You can't say anything."

Lucavion sighed, shaking his head. "Hey, you really…"

"I really?" Aeliana prompted, her smirk never fading. "I'm pushing hard?"

Lucavion exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Aren't you?"

Aeliana just leaned in slightly, unwavering. "So what?"

Lucavion chuckled, watching her with a mix of amusement and something else.

Aeliana smirked. "I do what I want."

Lucavion's smirk wavered, curiosity flickering behind his dark eyes. "Is this what you want, then?"

Aeliana lifted her head slightly, meeting his gaze without a shred of hesitation.

"That's right." Her voice was smooth, steady. "This is what I want."

Lucavion's lips parted slightly, watching her carefully. "Really? Why?"

Aeliana tilted her head, amusement dancing in her golden eyes. "You already know why."

Lucavion let out a light chuckle. "You like winning."

Aeliana smiled. "That's right. I like winning."

And then—

Without breaking eye contact, her hand moved.

Slowly, deliberately.

Her fingers slid over his where they rested on the table—warm, steady—before interlocking with his.

Lucavion froze.

His entire body went rigid, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at their joined hands.

"Heh??"

It wasn't often that Lucavion genuinely looked caught off guard.

But right now—

Right now, he was.

Aeliana smirked. "And most importantly…" Her fingers curled tighter around his. "I need to claim something that's mine."

Lucavion blinked.

"…Haha… w-what are you talking about?" His voice came out slightly less composed than usual, his usual easy charm fraying at the edges.

Aeliana's gaze didn't waver. "You know what I'm talking about."

Lucavion exhaled sharply, attempting to pull his hand back—

But Aeliana tightened her grip.

Firm. Unyielding.

Lucavion paused.

And then—

Aeliana leaned in slightly, her voice low, smooth.

"I still have yet to forgive you," she murmured.

Lucavion stiffened.

His breath hitched—just slightly.

And Aeliana felt it.

The shift. The weight of the moment settling between them like an unspoken truth neither of them could ignore any longer.

Lucavion didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Didn't even breathe for a moment.

Aeliana could feel it—the way he was processing, the way his mind was scrambling for a way out, for some witty retort to regain control of the conversation.

But she wasn't giving him the chance.

She had him.

And she knew it.

Her fingers remained interlocked with his, firm and unwavering.

Then—

She smirked.

Her voice was smooth, teasing, but laced with something deeper. Something unchangeable.

"For me to forgive you…" She tilted her head slightly, golden eyes gleaming.

"…You'll have to stay by my side."

Lucavion blinked.

Her smirk widened.

"Until you die."

Lucavion stared.

Just stared.

His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something—anything—

But no words came out.

Aeliana saw it.

The way his fingers instinctively twitched against hers. The way something unreadable flickered in his dark eyes. The way his breath came just a fraction slower than before.

And then—

"…Haha."

Lucavion let out a low, breathless laugh.

It wasn't his usual smirk.

It wasn't his usual arrogance.

It was something else entirely.

"…You really don't do things halfway, do you?" he murmured, his voice quiet—almost disbelieving.

Aeliana squeezed his hand just slightly, her smirk never fading.

"No," she murmured back.

"I don't."