Four Steps Apart

“Shasha, wouldn’t it be nice if we stayed stuck together like this for the rest of our lives?”

His voice had none of its usual cool composure.

It was sweet and hazy, like spun sugar.

The loose, dopey smile plastered on his face didn’t help.

“No.”

Shana answered without a second of hesitation.

This was hardly a situation where one could look for romance, and if it were meant to be romantic, then at the very least, that thing threatening to tear through his underwear shouldn’t be making such a bold appearance.

Lucian paid no attention to her cold reply and simply swayed in place.

“That’s only natural.”

“It’s because Shasha is too beautiful.”

Shana dropped her gaze to his pants, then slowly lifted it back to his face.

It felt like that thing might make eye contact with her at any moment.

“…Are you sure?”

“Your consciousness hasn’t been conquered by your lower half instead of your brain?”

“Yes.”

“And even the face you’re making when you ask that is adorable.”

As if he couldn’t help himself, Lucian slowly rubbed his lower lip with his thumb.

The blatantly suggestive gesture made Shana sigh in disbelief.

“So.”

“How’s your body?”

“It doesn’t hurt like earlier, right?”

“…I’m fine right now.”

“Because Shasha is next to me.”

“But earlier, it really hurt.”

As if he hadn’t been smiling just a moment ago, Lucian’s expression instantly turned into that of a sulky puppy.

It was unfamiliar to Shana, who had only ever seen him laugh brightly or harden into cold composure.

“So, Shasha.”

“You can’t ever leave me again, okay?”

“I might really lose my mind and lock you up…….”

‘What is he saying?’

‘Lock me up?’

Lucian suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

The moment his solid chest—and the presence below that felt even more pronounced than before—pressed against her lower abdomen, Shana gasped and shoved him away in shock.

‘What is this, a dog in heat?’

Where had the childhood friend she’d known for the past ten years gone?

The one who possessed at least a basic sense of reason and common sense.

“Back off, Lucian.”

At her sharp warning, Lucian’s face crumpled immediately.

“It hurts, Shasha.”

“Because you pushed me away……”

Shana scrutinized his complexion coldly as he clutched his chest in pain.

It was painfully obvious overacting.

“You’re not in pain.”

“…Shasha.”

“Anyone in the world would get heartache if they had to separate from you.”

Lucian’s eyes sparkled, drunk on rapture, as he said it.

“You’re the greatest work of art in this world.”

“A living masterpiece.”

“And my one and only goddess…….”

“Lucian.”

“What’s hurting right now isn’t your heart.”

“It’s your mind.”

‘Something went seriously wrong with that potion.’

Shana tapped the desk in the examination room with a troubled expression.

In all her life, across medical texts and magic tomes alike, she had never once heard of a side effect like this.

“Excessive idealization of a target.”

“Physical pain resembling withdrawal symptoms.”

“I can’t exactly crack open his brain and check, either.”

“Tch.”

“Shasha, what did you say?”

“You don’t need to open my brain to prove that I’m sincere.”

At this point, conversation itself was meaningless.

Watching his sea-blue eyes crinkle into a dopey smile, Shana made a decision.

‘If the cause is that the drug’s effects are still active… then there’s only one way to confirm it.’

If she deliberately walked out and left Lucian behind like this—

What would happen to him?

She was just thinking that when—

“Shasha.”

“What kind of naughty thoughts are you having right now?”

Lucian asked, suddenly close, holding her chin.

‘You scared me!’

‘And who said I was having naughty thoughts!’

“Lucian.”

“We need to run an experiment.”

“An experiment?”

He asked, eyes shining with anticipation.

Shana sighed.

“We try separating again.”

“It makes no sense that your heart hurts just because you’re a few steps away.”

“It might just be your imagination.”

At her words, Lucian’s gaze sharpened instantly.

“Shasha.”

“Are you doubting me?”

“I’m not doubting you.”

“I’m verifying.”

With a soft sigh, Lucian pulled her into his arms again.

The fresh, forest-like scent of him washed over her.

“So you’re saying we should stay stuck together forever?”

“Of course.”

The answer came without hesitation.

“…You’re completely insane.”

“Absolutely insane.”

Shana made up her mind.

She slipped out of Lucian’s arms and, deliberately, turned her back to him and began to walk away.

“Shasha.”

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

And then, the fateful fourth step.

The sound that rang out behind her crushed her last shred of hope.

“…Ngh—ugh.”

A groan of pain, claws digging into a chest.

When she turned around, Lucian was truly collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.

“…Lucian?”

Cold sweat poured off him like rain.

He was genuinely in pain.

Shana rushed to his side and quickly slapped both palms onto his solid chest.

“S-sorry!”

“Are you okay?”

“Breathe.”

“Follow me.”

“Inhale—exhale.”

She repeated it several times.

Gradually, Lucian’s ragged breathing evened out.

Shana let out a sigh of relief.

“…Ah.”

“It stopped.”

No.

There was nothing reassuring about this at all.

It had been proven.

If Lucian was more than four steps away from Shana, he experienced severe, unexplained pain.

“…What did I even make?”

“Why is this happening?”

“Shasha…….”

As Shana clutched her head in distress, Lucian—now recovered—sat up and gently patted her back.

But something was off.

The hand patting her back slowly slid down toward her waist,

and before she realized it, it was touching her in a familiar, all-too-pleasant way.

“Hm?”

Come to think of it, Shana herself had been keeping her hands on Lucian’s chest this whole time.

It had started with the innocent intention of easing his pain,

but at some point, her fingers had begun tracing his firm muscles unconsciously.

That was when Lucian, his face flushed, covered the back of her hand with his own and murmured lazily.

“Shasha, I’m hurting.”

“I think I’ll get better if you touch me…….”

‘W-what?’

It was a shameless lie.

She’d just watched him recover completely.

But his gaze was so desperate and sticky that Shana lost her words for a moment.

“Stop saying things like that!”

The moment she lightly thumped his chest—

“Shasha…….”

A peachy flush spread across both of Lucian’s cheeks.

He had definitely taken that as a signal.

‘Ah, damn it.’

When she came to her senses, Shana was already off the ground.

Lucian had scooped her up effortlessly and was striding toward the bedroom.

“Lucian, no!”

“Are you crazy?”

“Put me down!”

Shana flailed and pounded his back.

They couldn’t do this again.

The past few days had been under the influence of drugs, but now she was sober.

“Why, Shasha?”

“We’re going to get married anyway.”

“Think of it as practice.”

“That’s already wrong to begin with!”

“And my back hurts because I’ve been worked to death for days!”

“…I’m sorry, Shasha.”

“I went too far.”

“Then I’ll give you a massage.”

Lucian obediently set her down on the bed.

He made her lie on her stomach and pressed firmly along her spine.

Shockingly, his control was perfect.

As the knotted muscles loosened, a dizzyingly pleasant sensation bloomed.

‘Something… strange.’

‘This ticklish, creeping feeling climbing up my spine—’

Shana narrowed her eyes.

“You’re doing this on purpose.”

Lucian didn’t answer.

He just pressed his face against her back, smiling innocently like a puppy.

‘What was I even expecting from someone not in their right mind?’

“But still.”

“What are we going to do about your pain?”

“Having a seizure just because we’re four steps apart is ridiculous.”

Shana muttered.

Lucian grinned.

“This isn’t a side effect.”

“It’s proof of love binding us by fate.”

“There’s no need to cure it.”

“No.”

“This is a brain issue.”

‘Talking normally with him is impossible right now.’

The real problem wasn’t the heart pain.

It was Lucian’s mental state.

Why had he turned into someone who looked like he’d drunk a love potion?

And why was Shana, who had taken the same drug, completely fine?

“How am I supposed to make an antidote…….”

“Shasha.”

“Why cure a side effect at all?”

“…So you’re saying you’ll just live like this?”

“What about your job?”

“Your duties as captain of the guard?”

Instead of answering, Lucian looked at her steadily.

It was the expression he wore when making an important decision.

“Shasha.”

“If I don’t leave you,”

“then I don’t hurt.”

‘Wow.’

‘What a solution.’

“…No, that’s not a solution.”

“That’s just running away from reality!”

“And don’t forget, you’re supposed to go back to the Imperial Palace tomorrow!”

“Go to work?”

“Why would I?”

He genuinely didn’t understand.

“…What?”

“I’m never going back to work.”

Lucian was undeniably insane.

“I came all this way to spend the rest of my life with you, Shasha.”

***

[He developed separation anxiety.]

***

‘I’m never going back to work.’

The dream of every working adult.

Who would have thought he meant it literally?

Lucian truly sent a letter to his aide stating, that he was “undertaking a critical matter for the future of his house and the Empire,” and that all duties would henceforth be handled via correspondence.

Then he actually stopped going to work.

And barricaded himself in this narrow apothecary with Shana.

Three weeks passed.

Shana’s life turned into a blissful hell.

Lucian created an environment where Shana didn’t need to take a single step outside the bedroom.

He served top-tier meals three times a day.

Whenever she tried to read research materials, he would appear behind her, wrap her in his arms, and read aloud for her instead.

Naturally, none of the content registered.

His whispering voice and warm breath at her neck made that impossible.

She tried to escape several times,

but before she could even take a few steps, his “heart attack” would begin, and she would fail every time.

He had even mastered crying on command.

‘So Shasha really doesn’t care about my body at all.’

‘I’m dying in pain like this, but your research matters more, doesn’t it…….’

‘I thought sneaking out while he was asleep would be different this time.’

It wasn’t.

She was caught instantly.

“Shasha.”

At the low voice behind her, Shana froze.

“Where are you going?”

“Why are you leaving without saying anything?”

“…I-I’m going out to get some bread.”

“Bread?”

As Lucian sat up, his half-naked body was revealed.

Then he dragged Shana back onto the bed—using magic.

Not strength.

Magic.

That wasn’t a skill.

It was a curse.

Lucian hugged her tightly, hard enough to squeeze the breath out of her.

As he stroked her hair, he spoke in a sorrowful voice.

“I can get bread anytime.”

“Don’t leave over something like that.”

“It hurts too much when you go.”

“Did you forget the side effects?”

As he spoke, he pressed kisses along her neck.

“Hey, stop that!”

“It tickles!”

Shana struggled, but resistance was useless against a knight’s strength.

Only after thoroughly messing up her hair and biting and sucking at the back of her neck did Lucian finally let her go.

He looked utterly satisfied.

“Sorry, Shasha.”

“You said bread, right?”

Lucian snapped his fingers once.

Golden toast appeared on a pretty plate, topped with a soft-cooked egg just the way Shana liked it.

She sighed and picked up her fork.

“Lucian.”

“If things keep going like this, we can’t continue our relationship.”

“I’ll hold back, Shasha.”

He answered quickly.

Too quickly.

His eyes were red, and his lips trembled as if expecting something.

Shana narrowed her eyes.

She had noticed it for a while now—

that massive thing standing at full attention.

Hold back what, exactly?

“Then put that thing down first.”

“Ugh.”

“That’s not easy……”

Lucian smiled awkwardly and tried to push it down with his hands.

After struggling for a bit, he looked up at Shana and begged.

“Just one more time.”

“Then I’ll hold back after that, okay……?”

“No.”

Shana sighed.

At this point, Lucian would bark if told to bark, beg if told to beg, cry if told to cry.

The moment he was separated from Shana, he shook with inexplicable separation anxiety.

He would claim his heart hurt, or come up with any excuse just to stay beside her.

“…When am I supposed to work?”

“If one potion does this, how am I supposed to live?”

Three weeks had passed since she’d received a proposal capable of turning her life upside down.

Shana was now on the brink of complete unemployment.