Chapter 126 - 53: The Long-Unseen "Lover

Chapter 126: Chapter 53: The Long-Unseen "Lover

"Welcome, Viscount Williams."

Veronica led Lilia to sit opposite Lucian.

Lilia hadn’t expected to run into him here. Her reason for wanting to meet with the people from Ovis was indeed to gather information about Lucian. After all, according to the timeline of her previous life, Lucian should have long since left the Lien Kingdom and established a firm foothold in Ovis by now.

In this timeline, the character "Lilia" no longer existed in the Lien Kingdom, but she hadn’t made any crucial moves to change the flow of the story in her previous life anyway. Therefore, she deduced that even without her presence, the trajectories of Lucian and the others wouldn’t change much. Caius usurping the throne and starting a war was clear proof of this assumption. It was a sort of historical inevitability.

However, Lilia never imagined things would turn out to be such a coincidence—the person leading the troops to support Light was none other than Lucian himself! Was this what they meant by searching high and low, only for the answer to drop right into her lap?

Lilia’s gaze remained fixed on Lucian. The young girl’s stare was direct and candid, completely undisguised. Yet this action sparked entirely different thoughts in the eyes of the other two people present.

Lucian found it somewhat strange. Not that he found it strange for Lilia to be looking at him like that. As the future Duke Williams, he had single-handedly earned a noble title in Ovis and fought for the opportunity to lead the troops. This was widely acknowledged as a dangerous assignment in Ovis, but as long as he could achieve some merit, his reputation among the nobles would vastly improve. He would be able to gain more support and... earn more trust from his brothers. It was safe to say that as long as he returned alive, his future prospects would be limitless.

Whether in Lien or Ovis, Lucian never lacked admirers, so he was no stranger to such straightforward stares. What he found strange was that... from the very first moment he laid eyes on Princess Lilia, his heart—which had long felt as stagnant as a pool of dead water—began to beat uncontrollably.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP...

Every single beat was distinctly audible. Even though he was facing a completely unfamiliar face, his violently racing heart seemed to be telling him... that she was his long-lost lover.

Their eyes met in midair, and neither Lilia nor Lucian looked away for a long time.

Watching from the side, Veronica grew displeased. This guy... He was just a lowly Viscount, yet the moment he walked in, he had set his sights on her younger sister? He definitely had some ulterior motive!

Veronica leaned forward. "Mr. Williams."

The young woman’s sharp voice broke the thick atmosphere in the room. Lucian lowered his eyes, forcefully tearing his attention away from Lilia. He looked at Veronica, offering a gentle smile. "Princess Veronica."

There was no need for unnecessary pleasantries; after witnessing that scene just now, Veronica was in no mood for them anyway. Right now, she only wanted to quickly wrap up this business and kick out the guy who dared to covet her sister.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Williams?"

"We won a sweeping victory in today’s battle, so I just thought I’d come by to offer my congratulations." Lucian’s smile didn’t waver. "Aside from that, I’ve also heard quite a few things about Princess Lilia..."

Just as she thought!

Veronica was no longer just on high alert—she directly clenched her fists. This guy really was here for Lilia!

"...I’m very interested in the special magic items used by the Navia Knights. I was wondering if..."

"Those items are indeed Lilia’s invention." Not waiting for him to finish, Veronica interrupted. "They are a closely guarded secret of the Light Kingdom. Unfortunately, we cannot share them with you, Viscount."

"I understand." Lucian remained as magnanimous as ever. "Regardless, humanity has finally found an effective means to deal with the demons. In the upcoming battles, we won’t be as passive as before."

The two of them exchanged a few more words. Veronica didn’t hide her hostility in the slightest, yet Lucian acted as if he hadn’t noticed at all. His smile remained gentle, like an ordinary, oblivious guest.

As for Lilia... she was sitting obediently next to Veronica, playing the role of a dutiful little sister, while also casually enjoying watching Lucian get shot down.

It was quite funny, actually. In the previous timeline, Lucian wanted to get close to her, but she had Caius by her side. This time, he had finally managed to meet her before Caius did, only to run into the fiercely protective Veronica.

As if noticing her gaze, Lucian glanced at her. He smiled and turned back to Veronica. "I also have some matters I wish to discuss with Princess Lilia in private."

He placed heavy emphasis on the phrase "in private."

Veronica frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to refuse, but before she could speak, Lilia nodded. "Sure."

"Lilia?" Veronica looked at her.

"It’s fine, Sister." The girl replied with a smile. "It just so happens I’m very interested in matters regarding Ovis."

"...Alright then."

That single "Sister" instantly extinguished all of Veronica’s dissatisfaction. She rose from the sofa, but not before shooting Lucian a sharp glare before leaving. "Lilia is the most favored Little Princess of the Seville Royal Family. We have no intention of using her as a bargaining chip, and we absolutely never will. I hope you don’t harbor any unrealistic notions."

With that, she stepped out.

SLAM.

The reception room doors were shut tight.

After a moment of silence, Lilia couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

With Veronica gone, Lucian seemed to finally be in the presence of someone familiar, his posture turning somewhat relaxed. Leaning back against the sofa, he looked helplessly at the brightly smiling girl. "What’s so funny?" His voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling her.

"Nothing." The girl gently wiped away a tear at the corner of her eye. "I just feel like you’re always being targeted, no matter where you are."

Personality-wise, he was obviously the most gentle and easygoing person she had ever met. At least on the surface, he was. Even Victor showed obvious aloofness in this timeline, never interacting with others unless absolutely necessary. Only Lucian remained so courteous, gentle, and approachable... and yet, he always ended up being relentlessly chewed out by someone.

"No matter where?" Lucian looked at her, his eyes deep. "It sounds like you know me."

"Of course. I’ve known you for a long time." Lilia was speaking the absolute truth. "But that’s beside the point." She looked at him. "More importantly, what did you want to discuss with me?"

Since she didn’t want to say more, Lucian didn’t pry.

"Regarding that special ore." He didn’t beat around the bush or drop hints, getting straight to the point instead. "If possible, I hope you can give me the formula.

"In exchange, I will provide whatever compensation you require."

Lilia nodded, unsurprised by this. "So, you want to collaborate with me?"

"You could understand it that way," Lucian said. "So, what is your answer?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"I’m very sorry." Lilia smiled. "For the time being, I have no intention of sharing this secret with anyone."