Things He Never Let Go

“My feelings aren’t mine?”

Lucian slowly lifted an eyebrow.

It was the posture of someone who clearly recognized the line she had drawn.

“Of course I’d feel angry and sick to my stomach when I see a bug trying to hurt you.

How could that not be my own emotion?”

At that, Shana smiled faintly.

“No. You’ve always been more rational than anyone else.

Back in the Academy days… you just let things be. No matter what happened.”

Lucian’s pupils shook violently.

There was no way he didn’t know what that ‘no matter what’ referred to.

It was a memory like an old thorn, deeply embedded in the relationship between them.

The Academy’s official rules prohibited discrimination based on status.

But as if such outdated rules would ever work among immature children.

This was an Empire where even adults checked family crests first when meeting someone new.

Naturally, among the children of countless prestigious noble houses, Shana ranked near the bottom in status.

A fallen baron’s daughter. Mana-less.

And—worst of all—someone known to be close to Lucian Rithardt, the Empire’s most eligible bachelor.

That combination alone was more than enough to paint a target on her back.

It started small. She wasn’t invited to parties.

Sometimes she found dead rats stuffed into her locker or desk drawer. Her textbooks were defaced with scribbles.

But the crowning blow came at the tea party.

When she was first invited to a tea party hosted by noble girls her age, Shana attended with quiet excitement and hope.

Instead, she was locked inside a dusty, foul-smelling storage room and forced to listen to the laughter of the other girls outside.

Looking back, it was childish. Not something worth dwelling on now.

But perhaps because hope had turned into betrayal, that memory lingered longer than the rest.

‘Yes. Betrayal.’

Though it was hosted by noble ladies, noble young men had also attended.

Lucian was there too.

And yet—

He said nothing.

‘Not a single word.’

If Erilot hadn’t happened to pass by, found her, and fiercely protested to the Academy professors, the harassment would likely have continued.

Though the blatant bullying stopped after that incident, the memory never faded.

“…You didn’t say anything, Lucian. Even though all of that happened.”

Shana murmured, turning her head away.

“If you’d just asked once if I was okay…No, even if you’d only pretended to be on my side, I would’ve felt less lonely.

Less afraid.”

Lucian’s eyes wavered.

He opened his mouth, as if to explain.

“Shasha, I—”

“Ah, I’m hungry. I should eat.”

Shana wasn’t ready to hear his explanation.

She turned quickly and fled toward the kitchen.

***

‘Was I too harsh?’

After all, Lucian had just saved her from a nuisance, and she’d snapped at him for it.

To the heir of a grand ducal house, no less.

If he’d accused her of being insolent, a fallen noble had no right to object.

And yet Lucian simply hovered beside her in the kitchen like a chastened dog, watching her carefully.

Normally, Lucian cooked.

But this time, Shana was the one at the stove.

The longer it cooked, the darker and redder the contents of the pot became, losing any recognizable shape.

It looked like molten lava.

She placed the “stew” on the table.

“Lucian, eat.”

She saw his smile stiffen slightly—then relax as he broke into a bright grin again.

‘…Is his head okay?’

She wondered if the medicine had yet another side effect.

Still irritated, she scooped up a spoonful and held it up to his mouth.

“Shasha? You’re feeding me?”

“Yeah. Open up.”

Lucian smiled like sunlight and accepted the food.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because Shasha’s feeding me. It’s the best thing in the world.”

“…Isn’t it bad?”

“It’s spicy, creative, and excellent.”

To Shana, it tasted like charred tree bark ground into paste.

She was a genius with medicine, but her cooking had always been like this.

She’d meant to vent her frustration by forcing him to eat it.

Lucian, however, accepted every bite without hesitation.

“Why are you eating everything?”

“Anything Shasha gives me, I can eat sweetly. Even poison.”

‘…What am I even doing right now?’

Shana sighed.

The one doing the tormenting felt more deflated than the victim.

A normal Lucian might’ve reacted differently, but why had she picked on someone suffering under her own medicine?

She should’ve known better.

“Shasha, if you’re still upset and want to bully me more, this kind of cooking won’t be enough.

Should I go pick some real poison herbs from the yard and eat those?”

“…Enough. Stop eating. I’ll just reheat what you made earlier.”

Shana finally waved the white flag and reheated the delicious stew Lucian had cooked.

Even though she said it was fine, Lucian kept hovering nearby, watching her mood.

To prove she really was fine, Shana spent the entire day rereading research materials.

Until she collapsed onto the bed from exhaustion.

***

Perhaps because she’d fallen asleep after dredging up the past, Shana felt as though she was dreaming of those days.

“Shasha, are you asleep?”

She thought she heard Lucian’s voice.

Her thoughts tangled around it, and she murmured with a frown.

“Ma…na rejection… treatment… money… gold…”

“Ah, she’s asleep.”

Hearing his voice again, she replied without realizing it.

“Lucian… why… did you do that?”

The bed creaked softly.

But her body felt heavy, and she sank back into sleep.

“I’m sorry. I lied too often.”

A careful hand brushed her hair aside.

When a thick blanket was pulled over her, the tension in her body eased.

“…There’s no way I just let it go, Shasha.”

It felt as though her subconscious was showing her exactly what she wanted to hear.

Wanting more, Shana burrowed deeper into the blanket.

She bumped into something solid beside her.

Thankfully, whatever she leaned against merely flinched and didn’t pull away.

It simply shared its warmth.

“Shana has a soft heart.”

After confirming she was deeply asleep, Lucian rose.

[Sleep.]

To ensure she wouldn’t wake midway, he layered an additional spell to deepen her rest.

“Sleep well, Shasha.”

Lucian pressed a kiss to her moonlit pink hair and disappeared into the shadows.

***

The most luxurious house in the village.

Inside the home his father—the village chief and local power holder—had bought him, Max Brown spent the entire day trapped in his room.

Thanks to the horrifying potion Shana had forced him to drink, he had to stay close to the bathroom at all times.

“How dare they…Because of that lowly woman…I end up like this!”

Today was the first time he’d truly encountered the world’s injustice—and real violence.

Worse still, his stomach had turned into a battlefield from the strange poison.

“I’ll get revenge. I swear I will!”

No matter what it took, he’d pay them back.

Especially that woman who had trampled his pride and everything else.

As Max lay in the corner of his room, swearing revenge—

“Ah. I knew this would happen.”

What? I’m alone.

Why do I hear someone else’s voice—

The mana lamp flickered off with a click, then flared back on in a flash.

The moment Lucian’s face appeared before him, Max froze, forgetting how to breathe.

“Shasha’s too much of an angel. Bugs like you don’t learn from being stepped on once.”

Lucian smiled brilliantly, eyes filled with hatred and contempt.

“W-what—how—?!”

The moment Max met his eyes, he knew.

Lucian hadn’t come to hit him a few more times.

“F-f*ck.”

Seized by instinctive terror, Max tried to crawl toward the door on all fours.

Lucian walked over and casually pressed his boot down on Max’s back.

“Aaaagh!”

Max trembled like a fish skewered on a harpoon.

He struggled to escape the crushing pain in his ribs, but couldn’t break free of the pressure.

“You shouldn’t run. We’re not done talking.”

“Why—why—why are you doing this?!”

“Why?”

Lucian pulled something from his coat and tossed it in front of Max.

When Max saw what lay on the floor, his face went deathly pale.

A small syringe filled with an unknown liquid.

His hands began to shake uncontrollably.

“Why did you bring something like this to Shana?”

“…I-it’s just a personal supplement! No—it is!”

“Really? Then should I inject it into your arm? It’ll clear your fatigue instantly.”

“……”

Max couldn’t even form an excuse.

“What’s inside is an anesthetic. You were planning to use it on Shana, weren’t you?”