CHAPTER 16: JOY...

Elara was jealous.

So very jealous.

She would never admit it to anyone else, but the fire had been gnawing at her chest since morning, ever since she had caught sight of her young master on one of the broadcasts.

She had tuned in anxiously, her hands trembling while holding her new phone, because she had been worried about him.

But right now?

Lucius was a celebrity since he had awakened both space and wood, both of which he showed her yesterday.

And there, in front of the whole world, he stood side by side with a woman.

A woman who was not her.

The woman was a commoner, just like her, so she couldn’t claim noble blood or prestige.

That wasn’t what bothered her.

What drove Elara’s heart into knots was how Lucius looked at her.

How he spoke.

The easy way he had smiled.

And then — then he asked her on a date.

A date?

A fucking date?!

For what?

Why couldn’t he stay home?

Why couldn’t he stay with her?

Why couldn’t she be the one he wanted to take out, to laugh with, to eat with, to... be seen with?

The jealousy nearly drove her mad.

She had paced around the apartment, restless, her nails digging into her palms until they left little crescent marks.

She imagined what they would talk about tomorrow, imagined that girl laughing too sweetly, imagined Lucius holding her hand like he had once held hers when they were children — back when it meant nothing.

But she had stopped herself from spiraling further.

Why bother torturing herself with possibilities, when she could just ask him directly?

That thought was what had given her courage.

Now, here in the steamy bathroom, after stealing his lips in a kiss that nearly made her collapse from the thrill of it, she wanted to speak.

Elara drew back, her lips tingling and her cheeks as red as ripe tomatoes.

Inside, she was screaming at herself — what had she done?

What if he rejected her, pushed her away, thought of her as shameless?

But she forced herself to stand tall.

She had been his maid for years.

She had loved him for even longer.

She could not let some random woman steal him away without even trying.

Her voice trembled.

"Why...?"

Lucius blinked. "Huh, Elara?"

Her eyes glistened.

She buried her face into his chest, clinging tightly to him as though afraid he would vanish if she loosened her hold.

"Why... am I not enough for you?"

"Elara..." His voice was soft, uncertain.

"Young master," she whispered, the words spilling out like water from a broken dam, "I’ve been in love with you for a very long time now... since we were children. Back then, I was just your maid. You were always so kind to me. I couldn’t help but fall for you. But as the years went on... as we spent more time together... my feelings only grew."

Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to continue.

"Young master, I watched you fawning over Miss Lily all the time. I told myself it was fine, that you deserved someone like her. But when you were hospitalized — when your life was hanging by a thread, she didn’t even come to visit once. I was there. I stayed by your side. Day and night. Because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. So please... please... why don’t you want me?"

Her confession hung in the air, trembling and raw.

Lucius sighed softly.

He placed a hand on Elara’s head, gently stroking her hair the way one might calm a frightened animal.

"Who said that?" he asked quietly.

She froze. "Huh?"

"Who said I didn’t want you?"

Her lips parted in shock, her eyes wide and wet.

"Did you really think," Lucius continued, his smile faint but genuine, "that I was chasing after Luna because I liked her?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "...Yes. I did."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No. She’s a good streamer. That’s all. I want to make her my personal streamer, someone bound to me so I can get some benefits. She’s been working hard for her fame. I simply gave her an opportunity."

Elara’s eyes blinked rapidly, her expression shifting from disbelief to cautious hope.

"I see... so the date is...?"

"Just a way to increase her relevance. To make her indebted to me," Lucius finished.

The redness that had fled her cheeks returned all at once, burning brighter than before.

Embarrassment mixed with relief, then something softer bloomed inside her chest.

"Young master... please... forget what I just said—"

She was silenced by his arms wrapping around her.

A firm, warm embrace that made her heart skip.

"Forget a beautiful girl’s confession?" Lucius whispered, leaning close to her ear.

His breath was hot against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. "Wouldn’t that make me a bad person?"

Her body trembled. "N-No master..."

"From now on, you belong to me," he said, his tone low, commanding. "No man will ever lay their hands on you."

Elara’s smile burst forth like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. "Young master, I never allowed anyone to do so."

Her eyes sparkled, lips puckering invitingly.

Lucius didn’t hesitate.

Their mouths met again, and this time the kiss was deeper than the first one.

He was a little clumsy at first, but muscle memory from the original Lucius’s fumbling kisses with Lily guided him.

Elara didn’t seem to care either way — she melted against him, sighing softly into the kiss as though she had waited her whole life for this moment.

When they parted, both were breathless.

"I’ll lay in the tub now," Lucius murmured, pulling away with feigned nonchalance, "go get my food ready."

"Yes, Master~" Elara’s voice rang with delight, the playful lilt of a woman whose heart had just been mended.

She practically skipped out of the room, her steps light and hurried.

The door shut behind her.

Lucius leaned back in the tub after taking off his clothes and covered his face with one hand.

The warmth of her lips still lingered.

His chest felt oddly tight, strangely light.

And then he muttered under his breath —

"...Cringe."

The lines he had just uttered, the possessive declarations, the low whisper in her ear — it all felt like something ripped straight from a third-rate romance novel.

For someone like him, an old man in a young body, the words tasted awkward in his mouth.

But he couldn’t deny the truth either.

He enjoyed the kiss.

He enjoyed holding her.

He enjoyed seeing her smile.

And he couldn’t bear the thought of losing such a woman, she memorized everything about him including his favorite food and his favorite water temperature.

Besides the Protagonists were known womanizers, what would happen if Elara fell into their hands?

He nearly shivered at the thought.

"The strongest sacrifices require the strongest will... or something like that," he muttered, sliding deeper into the warm water.

He let out a long sigh as the heat soaked into his bones.

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Oh well... she’s not like those 2030 girls. She’s actually... cute."

[Author’s Note]

I was on an outing so I couldn’t write the 3 Chapters since, but since I’m home, I’ll do the remaining two.

Thanks for getting us to 100 Power stones.