Swire said, "Admitting defeat without even knowing what your rival looks like—that isn't my style at all. So at least tell me this: just how amazing is the woman you like? Am I really that inferior?"
Lucian froze, completely speechless. For once, he didn't even know how to respond.
Honestly, the fact that Swire was so sure he already liked someone was a huge misunderstanding.
To clear that up first, Lucian let out a long sigh.
"I won't deny there's someone I like. But it's nowhere near as dramatic as you think. I'm not some tragic hero dying of unspoken love."
Lucian didn't deny he liked Mostima.
She was his Childhood Friend, just like Exusiai—and also the person who'd taken care of him the most closely.
For Lucian, who had been treated as the Holy Son since birth and who'd never even been told who his real parents were, Exusiai was his first friend. Mostima was the closest thing he had to family.
Because of that connection, once Mostima grew into a beauty, it was perfectly normal for a mentally and physically healthy man like him to fall for her. But he never intended to act on it.
Because Lucian still had his pride as a man.
As the Holy Son, the moment he showed even the slightest desire, whether it was Mostima or Exusiai or any other Sankta, they would've satisfied him without question.
And he hated that.
As long as he carried the title of Holy Son, he could never have a normal, equal relationship with a woman from the Sankta.
But when Mostima tore that fragile balance apart—when she became a Fallen Sankta, when she "tainted" him—that's when Lucian finally understood.
He wasn't the only one suffering.
Mostima, who always seemed so put-together and loved teasing him, was still a woman in her emotional prime.
Sankta lived stiff, rule-bound lives, but their hearts weren't any different. Their emotions existed the same as anyone else's—they'd just been suppressed by Indoctrination since childhood.
Tear away that cage, and even the purest Sankta could fall, even the highest-ranking one… even force herself on her own Childhood Friend.
…Though obviously, that kind of behavior is wrong and should never be encouraged. Everything should be consensual.
But objectively speaking, Mostima had awakened something in him—and she was the catalyst for his decision to leave Laterano.
A lot of Lucian's current "be honest and straightforward" way of living came from that moment. To him, Mostima was undeniably special.
But he needed to hammer something in again: he wasn't acting in some tragic romance.
He faced Swire seriously. "Yes. There's a Childhood Friend I care about. I came to Lungmen because of her. Finding her is my biggest goal right now. But that doesn't make our relationship sacred or whatever. If she showed up today and told me everything back then was just impulsive, and that after cooling off she thinks we should stay apart… I'd accept that. What I hate is her avoiding me. I'm the one who got hurt, so why is she acting like I'm some creep?"
Just talking about it made Lucian irritated all over again. That woman Mostima was the type who had the guts to cross the line but not the guts to face the consequences. If she had the courage to do what she did, she should also have the courage to talk to him!
Lucian exhaled sharply and continued. "And I never planned to hang myself on one tree. Call me a flirt if you want—I like plenty of women."
He began counting on his fingers like he was listing cherished collectibles. "First off, I like my Texas. I like Ch'en and Lin Yuxia. And if I ignore my respect for the boss lady, I could add Hoshiguma. And if Croissant hit her head and lost her memory, I'd like her too. Obviously, I like you as well. Swire, you're so beautiful and cute and thoughtful—how could I not like you? You don't need to compare yourself to her. You're way less trouble, and I like the you standing in front of me a lot."
"…"
Swire blinked rapidly, stunned silent for over ten seconds.
Then she tugged on his arm. "Hey, Lucian. That line—where you called me a beautiful woman. Say it again?"
"Swire, you're so beautiful and cute and thoughtful. How could I not like you?"
Lucian repeated it perfectly, dead serious.
And then he added a whole bouquet of extras, absolutely free of charge. "I like you. A lot. The only reason I avoid you is because of our difference in status. I don't want you getting dragged into trouble because of me—or worse, having conflict with your family. If you were just the girl-next-door office lady instead of the wealthy heiress, I'd have chased you like crazy. I'd bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner to your door every day until you developed trauma from it."
It was exaggerated, sure—but it was also exactly what he truly thought.
What normal man wouldn't like a gorgeous, sharp, gentle woman like Swire?
At this point Lucian couldn't even tear his eyes away from her. In her pure white dress, she was both elegant and heartbreakingly lovely—and she was lethal to a man with even a shred of purity left in his heart.
Swire's lashes fluttered as if her brain had short-circuited.
After a moment of "reconnecting," she took a deep breath.
"Mm—!"
She threw her arms around Lucian's neck and kissed his cheek with explosive enthusiasm.
The onlookers—keeping a safe distance out of pure survival instinct—erupted into noisy excitement. Several even risked death by pulling out their phones to take photos. The tabloids were going to feast tonight.
But Swire didn't care in the slightest. She only had eyes for him.
She said breathlessly, "You're talking like a total scumbag, but I love it! I can't believe how pathetic this makes me feel! Why do such blunt, trashy, corny lines get me this worked up?! Ugh, it's awful—! I take everything back, Lucian! Who cares if you already like someone— even if you were married, I'd still make you cheat with me! I'll throw money at you until you land on my bed!"
Lucian slapped a hand over her mouth. "Stop, Swire! Calm down!"
Kissing him in public was one thing—but Lungmen's number-one heiress loudly declaring she'd drag a married man into her bed was way too explosive.
And technically speaking, he wasn't married, so going to her bed wouldn't even count as cheating!
Lucian leaned close to her ear. "There are too many people here. Please, Miss Swire, let's go somewhere else."
Swire nodded obediently while still muffled under his hand—but one hand was already twisting his waist.
You're not allowed to call me that.
That was definitely the message.