The morning after the mourning ceremony felt strangely quiet.
Seraphina sat at the kitchen table, staring at the cup of tea in front of her.
She hadn’t touched it.
Across from her, Lucien sat with his usual calm expression, scrolling through his phone as though yesterday’s embarrassment had never happened.
Seraphina glanced at him.
He didn’t look up.
She looked away.
A few seconds passed.
Then Lucien said, “You know, for someone who proposed to me yesterday, you’re unusually quiet this morning.”
Seraphina’s head snapped up.
“Can you please not mention that?”
Lucien finally looked at her.
“Why? You seemed very confident when you said it.”
“I was not thinking properly.”
“You asked me to marry you in front of half your family.”
“I know!”
She dropped her head into her hands.
“I can’t believe I actually did that.”
Lucien’s lips curved slightly.
“You should have at least waited until we were alone.”
Seraphina glared at him.
“Would you have said yes?”
“No.”
Her expression fell.
Lucien took a sip of his coffee.
“But you wouldn’t have been embarrassed.”
She stared at him.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“A little.”
Seraphina rolled her eyes and stood.
“I have work.”
She turned to leave.
“Seraphina.”
She stopped.
Lucien’s voice had become more serious.
“About yesterday…”
She looked back.
“You don’t have to marry anyone because of that condition in your grandfather’s will.”
Seraphina’s expression hardened.
“Easy for you to say. You don’t have eighty percent of a corporation sitting there waiting for you.”
“You don’t need it.”
“Maybe I don’t. But it’s what my grandfather left me.”
She looked away.
“And I don’t want my family’s hard work falling into the wrong hands.”
Before Lucien could respond, the doorbell rang.
Seraphina frowned.
“Who could that be?”
She walked toward the door.
When she opened it, Nathaniel was standing outside.
He was dressed simply, without the formal clothes he’d worn during the mourning ceremony.
“Hi,” he said quietly.
Seraphina looked surprised.
“Nathaniel? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
Her eyes moved briefly toward Lucien.
Lucien had already stood up.
Nathaniel noticed him.
“Can we talk privately?”
Seraphina hesitated.
Then she stepped outside with him.
They walked a short distance from the house.
Nathaniel remained silent for several seconds.
Seraphina looked at him.
“What is it?”
“I heard what happened yesterday.”
Her cheeks immediately warmed.
“I’m not.”
Nathaniel looked at her seriously.
“I’m here because I want to tell you something I’ve been trying to say for a long time.”
Seraphina’s expression changed.
“What?”
Nathaniel took a breath.
“I like you, Seraphina.”
She froze.
“I’ve liked you for years.”
She stared at him.
He continued before she could respond.
“I know you probably never noticed. I tried to tell you so many times, but I always lost the courage.”
Seraphina didn’t know what to say.
Nathaniel stepped closer.
“Yesterday, when you proposed to Lucien…”
His jaw tightened.
“It hurt.”
Seraphina looked at him carefully.
“I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
He gave a small, sad smile.
“That’s why I’m telling you now.”
There was a long silence.
Then Nathaniel said the one thing she never expected.
“If the problem is the condition in your grandfather’s will…”
He swallowed.
“I’ll marry you.”
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“I mean it.”
“Nathaniel, you don’t have to—”
“I want to.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“And unlike your proposal yesterday, I’m not asking because of the inheritance.”
Seraphina was speechless.
Nathaniel had always been kind to her.
She had simply never imagined that his feelings went this deep.
Inside the house, Lucien stood near the window.
He could see the two of them talking.
He couldn’t hear everything.
But he saw Nathaniel’s expression.
And he didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
Lucien frowned.
He turned away from the window.
Why do I care?
He didn’t have an answer.
A few minutes later, Seraphina returned to the house.
She found Lucien sitting on the sofa.
He didn’t look at her.
“So?” he asked.
Seraphina stopped.
“So what?”
“What did he want?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you asking?”
Lucien shrugged.
“I’m your bodyguard.”
“That has nothing to do with Nathaniel.”
“He was standing outside your house.”
“He’s family.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Seraphina stared at him.
Then she smiled slightly.
“Are you jealous?”
Lucien immediately looked at her.
“No.” Get faster updates on g.com.
“You’re sure?”
“Completely.”
“You looked angry.”
“I wasn’t angry.”
“You were.”
“I wasn’t.”
Seraphina laughed for the first time since Alexander’s death.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Lucien looked away.
She walked closer.
“Nathaniel proposed to me.”
Lucien’s expression barely changed.
But his fingers tightened around the phone in his hand.
“And?”
“I haven’t given him an answer.”
Lucien finally looked at her.
“Why?”
Seraphina’s smile disappeared.
“I don’t know.”
She looked down.
“Everything is happening too quickly.”
Lucien nodded.
“Then don’t decide yet.”
She looked at him.
“What if I wanted to marry you?”
Lucien went completely still.
Seraphina held his gaze.
“What would you say?”
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Lucien’s expression was unreadable.
Finally, he said quietly,
“I don’t know.”
Seraphina blinked.
That wasn’t the answer she expected.
She turned and walked away.
Lucien remained on the sofa, staring after her.
For someone who had lived for centuries, he had never understood humans.
But lately, one human in particular had become a problem he couldn’t ignore.
That evening, Lucien’s phone rang.
He answered immediately.
“Darius.”
“Sir.”
Lucien’s expression changed when he heard the seriousness in Darius’s voice.
“What happened?”
“We found something concerning about Alexander Vale’s death.”
Lucien stood.
“Go on.”
“The medication was definitely replaced.”
“I know.”
“There is more.”
Lucien waited.
Darius lowered his voice.
“The person who accessed the medication wasn’t working alone.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“Who was helping them?”
There was a pause.
Then Darius said,
“We traced the second person’s access.”
Lucien’s face became cold.
“Who?”
Darius hesitated.
“The records lead back to someone connected to the Vale family.”
Lucien’s grip tightened around the phone.
“Give me the name.”
Darius took a breath.
Then he said,
“One of Alexander’s children.”