"…Did you burn your brain or something?"
Swire pressed her soft, cool palm to Lucian's forehead, checking for a fever.
Even though she'd grown up in Lungmen, the family name made it obvious—her family was from Victoria, and their holdings there were far larger than anything they owned in Lungmen.
Swire was the legitimate first heir of her family. The only reason she worked as a police officer in Lungmen was because she liked the city. If we're talking pure Capitalists' power, the Swire family buying all of Lungmen wouldn't be impossible.
And to a girl like that—one of the top heiresses in all of Terra—Lucian's condition for marrying into her family was: make all of Victoria the dowry.
Swire checked again and confirmed he wasn't sick. Her eyes narrowed. "My family does have money, sure. But if you want the whole of Victoria as a dowry, you'd have to marry the Queen. No, wait, even the Queen isn't enough. Victoria's political situation is unstable right now—if she married a foreigner, it'd split the country in half. If you really want all of Greater Victoria, you'd need to marry all three giants' princesses."
"Hahaha… yeah, that might be a little tough."
Lucian scratched his cheek awkwardly, hoping the topic would just fade away.
But Swire didn't let him off.
Even drowning in love, Swire's mind stayed razor sharp.
She watched Lucian's guilty expression deepen and let out a soft hum. "Lucian, you should already know. I'm the heiress of the Swire family. No matter how much I like you, I can't choose my future husband based on personal feelings alone. Political marriages are old-fashioned, but if it's something my family needs, then my so-called private life is expendable."
Lucian stayed silent.
Because this wasn't something he could casually comment on.
It's easy for ordinary people to say political marriages are stupid. They love gossiping about this kind of drama.
But Swire wasn't some naïve rich girl. Her intelligence and capability fully matched her privileged background.
On top of that, she had already accepted the obligations of the Aristocracy.
People say that if the price is high enough, Capitalists will even sell the rope used to hang themselves.
But the Swire he knew was not someone who'd yield so easily.
She lifted her chin proudly, tightening her hold on his arm. "But don't misunderstand. I'm telling you this to show my resolve. If my personal life ever clashes with my family's interests, I'll do whatever it takes to make both work. If reality doesn't match my ideal, then I'll change reality."
"How terrifying. So this is what a Swire woman is like?" Lucian laughed, impressed.
A mother tiger wasn't just a metaphor.
Swire wasn't the sort to bow under pressure. That was why she could ignore the rumor mill and focus wholeheartedly on making Lungmen better.
And because of that, once Swire truly fell for a man—once she decided she would only marry him—she prepared with every ounce of determination she had.
Her lashes fluttered as she stared straight into Lucian's eyes. "I investigated your background. A Sankta from Laterano drifting into Lungmen—that's rare. Whether you're a criminal on the run or some noble's illegitimate child, I've prepared for every possible political complication and thought through how to handle them."
"Laterano doesn't have the Aristocracy."
Lucian corrected her lightly, then asked, "So what did you find? What am I?"
Swire let out an annoyed exhale. "I didn't find anything. That's how I realized you're even more unfathomable than I imagined."
Lucian wasn't surprised.
Laterano had never denied that he was the Holy Son. He was only Running Away From Home, not deposed.
He wished they would depose him, honestly. If only the Sankta would realize he wasn't some Holy Son God sent down. They could just pick a different system and rebuild the country like normal people.
Sadly, Sankta were even more stubborn than he expected.
They respected his wish not to be bothered, so no one interfered—but they never gave up the idea that he'd return.
Laterano locked down the truth from top to bottom. And with how unique Sankta were, outsiders could never integrate into their society. Trying to investigate Lucian's identity was nearly impossible.
And Swire had hit that wall too.
She'd used every resource her family had in Lungmen and Victoria. In the end, she found absolutely nothing.
She sighed. "You Sankta are too weird. If I didn't have you and Exusiai as counterexamples, I'd think you were some kind of gestalt hive mind like ants, all controlled by a single consciousness. Are your Halos not receivers? Do they broadcast signals to control every one of you?"
Lucian's expression twisted. "…You're not entirely wrong. In some ways it's true. That's why Sankta follow the laws so strictly. Bribery almost doesn't exist. But like you said, there are exceptions—people like me and El, with different personalities."
"Always brushing me off. Never giving me real answers… hmph."
Swire puffed her cheeks in annoyance. There was no dealing with a man immune to both softness and threats.
If he had gotten mad when she admitted she'd secretly investigated him, she would've actually been happy. It would've meant she'd touched a nerve.
But Lucian didn't care at all. Which meant she still hadn't found a way to make him truly see her.
Swire's shoulders lowered a little as her gaze dimmed.
Still clutching his arm, she gently swung her legs under her dress. "Lucian, I like you."
The brave woman continued, "You're the first man in my entire life who made me feel that thing called 'liking someone'. I wanted to date you, go on outings with you, visit the places you like. I've even dreamed about our wedding—me in a wedding dress I never used to care about, holding your hand as you put a ring on me."
"…I'm not sure I deserve that."
Lucian was stunned by the emotional fastball thrown at 180 km/h. Embarrassed, he scratched his cheek. "So uh… does that mean you've dreamed about anything further than that?"
"If you want to know, I'll tell you." Swire stared right at him. "But if I say it and you still don't take me seriously, I'll really hate you."
"…I'm sorry."
Lucian flinched like he'd been punched and apologized at once.
When Swire got serious, she gave him nowhere to hide. It was downright suffocating.
His mouth went dry. Her warmth so close against him only made it worse.
He forced out a question. "Let me ask something shameless… Swire, why me? Forget Lungmen—men all over the world would kill to kneel at your feet, and yet you chose me?"
"Why 'kneel at my feet'? You masochist."
Swire rolled her eyes, but she seemed a little happier.
No woman disliked being praised—especially not when it came from the man she liked.
She twirled a strand of her long hair around a finger and shot him a sideways glance. "Go on, guess. How did I fall for you?"
"That's tough…"
Lucian thought for a long moment. "Your attitude toward me changed around half a year ago… Was it when I looked after that lost little girl in your mall, and played piano for her?"
Swire nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes! That was when I learned you could play the piano. You don't look like it, but you were clearly trained since childhood. That's when I started suspecting your background. But that's not quite it. Keep guessing."
Lucian: "Then… was it when you arrested me the first time and interrogated me at the station?"
Swire: "Nope. Keep going."
Lucian: "When I took that important mission and we worked together to take down the Ursus Spies?"
Swire: "Wrong."
Lucian: "When your family's business rival set up that terror attack, and I sent you after the perpetrators while I went after the handler?"
Swire: "Still wrong."
"…Don't tell me it was when your grandfather kidnapped me off the street and dragged me home because he heard we were close?"
Lucian raised both hands. "I seriously can't guess anymore. Please just tell me."
"Men really have no spine."
Swire's lips curled into the most beautiful smile of the entire day. "The answer is all of the above. If it were me listing them, I could fill three A4 pages. Every little thing that happened since you came to Lungmen—bit by bit—you turned from 'a smooth-tongued Sankta with a nice face' into the man I think about day and night."
Her smile was sweet, her cheeks glowing with a bashful blush. Even her tiger ears trembled slightly, betraying how far from calm she was inside.
Then she went on, softly but firmly, "Now you know everything. Beatrix Swire is a woman foolishly chasing after you even though she knows her chances aren't great. If you feel even a little something for this idiot—not hatred, at least—then I hope you'll answer her honestly."
The brave heiress leaned in close, light shimmering in her eyes.
"Do you like me? Do I have a chance? What would I have to change to surpass the woman in your heart?"