"…Huh?" Texas made a confused noise.
Lucian was perfectly serious. "I'm asking if the person chasing you is a beauty. From the way you talk, she's a girl, right? And her handwriting was really pretty. People say handwriting reflects the person—if a girl writes that well, she's definitely good-looking."
Texas hurried to clarify, a bit flustered. "N-No, it's just… Siracusa's education… She's not bad-looking, I won't deny that. She's about my age too. But the whole talkative, friendly, always-smiling thing is just a façade. She can smile while cutting someone down."
"So she's chatty, friendly, and loves to smile? That just makes her even better!"
Lucian's excitement skyrocketed.
He grabbed Texas by the waist and pulled her fully onto his lap, the two of them suddenly way too close.
Their noses were almost touching when he smiled and said, "No matter what you turn into, I'll look at you anyway. Don't underestimate me. Even if you were scarred or got old, I'd still like you all the same. No matter how yandere your Childhood Friend is, I'll help you deal with her."
"…I never said she was my Childhood Friend."
Texas let out a long, helpless sigh. Her tense body slowly relaxed.
She didn't resist his overly intimate gesture—she just let herself rest against him.
And she didn't let his earlier line go, either.
Her face warmed as she locked her gaze on his. "You said you like me. Was that a confession?"
Lucian blinked. "If I say I meant it as the normal 'friends-like-each-other' kind, would you believe me?"
"I'd believe it. And then I'd go tell Exusiai."
"W-Wait—have mercy!" The shameless man folded instantly.
Still, Lucian had to keep arguing. "Look, as a perfectly healthy adult man, liking a woman who's gorgeous, has a great figure, and also happens to be my long-term roommate is completely normal, okay? I don't buy that whole 'pure friendship between men and women' thing. That's something scumbags made up."
Texas snorted. "Then what about Exusiai? By your logic, the two of you should already have a kid calling me godmother."
"…She's a little special."
Lucian turned his head away like he'd been caught doing something wrong.
…Special, huh.
Texas mulled over that single word—heavy with meaning—and felt a tightness in her chest.
This man really didn't get it.
It was exactly his constant exceptions for Exusiai that exposed how important she was to him. More than just someone he could easily say "I like you" to. Exusiai was the one he treasured so much he didn't even dare accept her feelings.
That was cheating… Texas let out a quiet sigh.
She raised a brow. "I'm asking: what's Laterano's marriage law like?"
"…What?"
Lucian thought for a second. "Pretty normal, I guess? If you wanna get married, you go to the Notarial Hall, pay nine Lungmen Dollars, and get the marriage certificate. The only special part is that technically every certificate is stamped and authorized by the Holy Son. Marriage is supposed to be a sacred bond granted by the Holy Son. Which means I've gotta stamp papers every week. I'm getting carpal tunnel."
Texas looked suspicious. "Why are you the one stamping them?"
"Nope. Didn't say anything. Absolutely nothing."
Lucian shook his head like a rattle drum.
Here was the context he didn't explain: before he was born as the true Holy Son, the Priests of the Grand Temple acted in the Holy Son's stead, exercising all those powers under his name.
Technically, all Sankta in Laterano got their Citizenship Rights from Lucian, and Laterano's laws were authored by him.
Which leads to the hilarious loophole:
Since all legal documents—from IDs to driver's licenses—required his authorization, and he obviously couldn't issue them to himself, Lucian Sinclair was technically the one and only undocumented resident of Laterano.
No ID. No Citizenship Rights. No driver's license. None of the bureaucratic rules applied to him.
This wasn't some "the emperor is judged like a commoner" situation.
Lucian wasn't claiming to be divine—Laterano literally considered him divine.
Which meant the sacred, Holy Son–blessed monogamous marriage system had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Texas didn't know, and he wasn't going to explain.
Seeing he'd wriggled out of trouble, she stopped pressing. She murmured to herself, "Siracusa is theoretically monogamous too. But all the Mafia families ignore it. The alpha always has multiple partners. It's to ensure strong bloodlines, but it also leads to a lot of siblings killing each other later."
"So realistic." The least realistic Holy Son deadpanned.
And well, Texas bringing this up…
This cool beauty's face flushed red. After wrestling with herself for a long moment, she muttered, "If you wanted to start your own family, I wouldn't be against… No, wait, that'd make Exusiai too pitiful. I can't hurt her."
"What? Who? Who's hurting El? Where are they?" Lucian darted his eyes around in alarm.
Texas was torn between exasperation and laughter… until she suddenly snorted.
She sighed and cupped his face. "Let's leave it like this for now. I like Exusiai, and I like the life we have. Thank you, Lucian… for picking me up."
"You're welcome." Lucian smiled. "I like our life too. We have plenty of time—no need to change anything yet."
Texas's lips curled. "You say that… yet you're still holding me. Normal friends don't get this close."
"That's someone else's rules. Our relationship doesn't need anyone's approval."
Lucian said it confidently—almost coolly even.
And Texas didn't mind at all.
She might get called rough around the edges and not feminine enough, but Texas was still a woman—and no woman hated being praised and valued.
Even this always-composed Texas couldn't help it—her fluffy tail started wagging happily behind her, giving away everything.
She cupped Lucian's face again, leaning in close enough that their breaths mixed. "Don't get the wrong idea. This isn't anything special. It's just… right, hush money. Everything we said stays secret. Especially… from Exusiai."
Her voice dropped on those last words. Then she kissed him.
It started careful—almost cautious. But Texas's hands were still on his face, and when he didn't pull away, something in her seemed to settle. The kiss deepened. His arms found her waist without him really deciding to move them.
Meanwhile, Exusiai was still sprawled inside the room, while outside, Texas and Lucian stood tangled together under the night sky, their shadows overlapping.
With a touch of guilt toward her best friend—and a whole lot of bliss—Texas sank into her first love.
Maybe that was why she didn't notice anything else.
Angelina: "M-Mr. Lucian! And Miss Texas…! You're in that kind of relationship?!" she asked with wide, flustered eyes.
Croissant: "Ooooh! Texas is bold! She finally made a move! Gotta record this! Lungmen Dollars, here I come!" she cheered excitedly.
In the near future, a certain bread-loving girl would learn exactly how stupid it was to blackmail a former Mafia heiress.