Lying and continuing to act like a fool would not fool Seraphina. After all, she was a smart character in the novel. But admitting that he had just remembered a few things? Didn't that contradict his earlier act?
Behind that blinking, innocent, confused expression, Lucian was under intense stress. Even the veins beneath his white patient's gown, loosely tied at the back, were bulging as he tried to think of a way out.
"Ugh." He suddenly lowered his head, groaning and pressing his fingers to his temple. "T-this... my brain feels like it hurts," he continued, and from the small gaps of his squinted eyes, he sneaked a glance at her.
Move! Why are you staying still? Isn't this more than enough? He saw that she held still , yes, held still , as if she had forgotten her earlier show of concern. At this point, if she were really a "caring" fiancée, she should have said something to stop him from straining to recall his memories.
"I-I think, we just chatted for a few moments?" This time Lucian raised his head, his gaze still squinted and blinking, speaking in an unsure tone. He looked at her, and she wore the same gentle smile as before, as if simply waiting for him to finish his sentence.
Then there was silence.
Fine, if you want to play this game! He gritted his teeth inwardly. Then Lucian added, "Then I think after that I suddenly collapsed." He was no longer massaging his head. He straightened his neck, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry. Your sickly fiancé can't even hear properly and listen to you."
Pulling his hands out from under the blanket, he rested one palm on her shoulder and brushed away the lone strand of pale silver-gold hair hanging between her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, my love," he said with a faint smile.
This time, it was Seraphina's turn to be stunned. Her expression wavered, and her smile froze for a brief moment as she looked at him , the man before her, his ash-gray eyes half-lidded even though he was fully conscious.
"You," she said, but she swallowed the words back. That brief moment passed, and her usual look returned. "It's okay, my dear," she said, gripping his hands. Her skin was smooth, her palm warm, and her scent reached him.
Then, holding his gaze from just a short distance away, she continued, "We just discussed something small. It's not that important."
She let their fingers go.
Lucian's eyes followed her every movement, still on edge. Then one eyebrow lifted and his eyes narrowed as his attention landed on a strange-looking stone beside the tray , a rough, unpolished mineral with a translucent, glowing warm orange-red light from within.
Is that an ember core? So that's what it looks like, in reality.
A Raw Ember Core. In the novel Dawn of the Sword that he had read, it worked somewhat like a mana crystal , a low-tier power source for equipment, rune-lights, and tools, basically like electricity. It could even be refined into mana pills.
Yet just as Lucian was still taking in how the details from the novel were now his reality, he noticed Seraphina's hand reach for the fork again , the one still stabbed into a large, glossy fruit the size of a small orange, its skin a deep violet-black like old wine.
Just looking at it, he felt no appetite whatsoever. Yet she lifted it carefully, as if it were something precious, and brought it close to him.
Her pale blue eyes met his, soft and direct. "Let's..." She paused. Her smile deepened, and she leaned in closer.
"Let's not make this complicated, my dear. You've been asleep for three days. Your body needs nourishment. And I peeled this fruit myself. I chose the ripest one from our southern groves, just for you."
She tilted the fork slightly. Juice beaded and dripped slowly onto the white sheet between them, but as if catching herself, she slipped a white glove onto one hand and caught the drip before it could spread.
Then, noticing Lucian's silence, those gentle eyes suddenly narrowed, a dangerous edge appearing in them. Lucian caught it immediately and hurried to speak.
"Ah... hahah, is it bitter? It's--" He laughed it off and leaned back slightly, but she cut him off.
"It would break my heart if you refused. A tiny bite. For me, hm?"
Devil! Demon! Doesn't this look like a poisoned fruit?! You failed to stab me to death and now you're trying to poison me??
As much as he didn't want to eat it, if he refused now, what would happen?
Probably nothing right away, but after this I'll get tortured by her plans, pressured from all sides by her faction. Basically bullied to death!
Tsk!
With no other choice, Lucian opened his mouth and kept his eyes wide open, watching as she smiled and pushed the fruit between his lips. It smelled like overripe honey.
Once it was in his mouth, she waited for him to bite down. Only after he did did she pull back, watching him with close attention, as if afraid he would spit it out.
Lucian chewed and swallowed. The flesh was juicy and mildly sweet, with a faint bitterness underneath that caught him off guard.
It's not a poison?
For a fleeting moment he was confused. It's sweet? And tasty? He looked at her again, searching her face, but it was useless. She had that same warm smile, as if her lips never grew stiff from wearing it all day.
It was then, in the middle of that confusion, that something strange happened. Something materialized before his eyes.
[THE GLUTTON'S CRUCIBLE - SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE!]
Host: Lucian Croft
Vessel: Rank 1 (Ember)
[Toxic Substance, Gloom-Pear Fruit detected!]
A tasteless fruit with a water-soluble toxin that attacks the nervous system slowly, inducing gradual heart failure over a few hours.
His expression froze. Even from the corner of his eye, Lucian noticed Seraphina catch the change, a flicker crossing her usually steady face.
But she had no way of knowing that Lucian, staring at the screen hovering before him, was completely absorbed by it.
A transparent screen, bluish, a kind of text box floating in his vision. Even when he turned his head slightly, it stayed fixed to his view.
Suppressing his excitement, he glanced at his wicked fiancée, and only after confirming she hadn't noticed anything did he finally feel relieved.
Ohhh! A system!
Heat rose through his body. Even the heart rate monitor was beeping , his heart rate had climbed to a steady 110 bpm.
You are my savior! And damn! It really is poison! Lucian's eyes narrowed at the name of the fruit, then shifted back to the name of the system.
The Glutton's Crucible? As if answering his confusion, another screen flashed before him.
[Digesting Function is triggered!]
[New Trait Engraved: Toxic Immunity (Tier 1)]
Oh! Ohhh! A passive skill system?? So it digests everything I eat and turns it into a passive skill?
Just as Lucian was still processing this, another screen appeared:
[TOXIC IMMUNITY (TIER 1)]
TYPE: PASSIVE / PERMANENT
EFFECT:
-Neutralizes and purifies all ingested poisons and biological toxins within the host's digestive tract.
-Converts up to 1 lethal dose per hour into raw vitality to speed up bodily healing.
-Low-grade irritants (alcohol, venoms, spoiled food) produce zero discomfort and minimal nutritional loss.
-If a poison exceeds the current tier's limit, the host experiences mild nausea but the residue is safely excreted.
VISUAL/PHYSICAL EFFECT:
The host's tongue develops a faint, silvery-blue sheen after ingestion. Otherwise, no visible change.
Ohh, shit! It can even speed up my body healing!
Just as Lucian was still riding that wave of joy.
BANG!
The door of the private room suddenly flew open.