Early morning, at a high-end inn somewhere in the Nolan District.
Lucian had long since sent Leo off to rest in the next room, instructing him not to be alarmed if he heard any disturbances from this side tonight.
After arranging to meet with Natasha, Lucian believed that with her status as the Violet Countess and her strength as a Sky Knight, as long as he didn't deliberately hide, she would have no trouble locating him within Altor City.
A glass of red wine in hand, Lucian sat casually on the sofa, though he didn't drink from it—merely swirling it gently, letting the crimson ripples stir memories of the past.
This was "Bern" wine, produced at the Phyllis family estate. It was normally only available at their banquets and galas, but this inn had deep connections to the Hain family, so he'd managed to obtain a few bottles as a lure for certain wealthy merchants.
Knock, knock, knock—crisp, rhythmic tapping sounded against the window. Lucian smiled and turned, and sure enough saw Natasha on the balcony in a light purple court dress, with the elegant and solemn Camille in her black gown following behind as always.
So this is what a Sky Knight is like, Lucian thought with a touch of emotion. Even though I'd been waiting for her the entire time, watching the window and the door, I only noticed her after she'd already landed on the balcony. He set down the glass of "Bern" wine, walked to the window, and pulled open the French doors.
"Good evening, Lucian," Natasha greeted him with easy warmth, then chuckled. "The silver moon is gorgeous tonight—would you care for a stroll and some moon-gazing?"
Lucian laughed despite himself. "You really are..."
That single line—a joke from the past—instantly dissolved the slight distance that years apart had created.
Perhaps it was because she'd advanced to Sky Knight, but Natasha's appearance had barely changed. She still looked like the most radiant and beautiful version of her early twenties, combining mature poise with vibrant energy. Her bearing, however, was considerably more composed than before—more than ever, she looked like a great noble who wielded true authority.
"You haven't changed much..."
"You've matured a lot. You look more like a proper gentleman now..."
Lucian and Natasha spoke simultaneously, then exchanged a smile. The tacit understanding between old friends said everything.
"Good evening, Your Highness. Good evening, Lady Camille." After their smile, Lucian greeted Camille, who trailed behind Natasha like a shadow.
Having witnessed the power of Viscount Wight, the "Withering Shadow," Lucian now had a far keener appreciation for the terror of the "Deep Blue Tide."
Camille gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and continued following quietly behind Natasha.
Natasha, meanwhile, strode forward on her long legs—legs of astonishing beauty and power—and settled onto the sofa as freely and without restraint as she had in the "War Gallery" of Ratasha Palace. Then she arched one purple eyebrow and studied Lucian carefully. "Although you look perfectly fine like this, Lucian, I still prefer your old appearance—black hair, black eyes, handsome and pretty."
"Why do I feel like you're describing a woman?" Lucian joked just as casually. In truth, when he'd first transmigrated, his looks could only be called passably decent. But as he'd studied music, endured all manner of dangerous experiences, and his temperament had grown quiet, composed, and elegant, his appearance had become more refined. After awakening the Moonlight bloodline—and being still underage at the time—he'd gradually grown more handsome. Still, compared to naturally stunning men like Rhein, there was quite a gap.
Natasha let out a couple of dry laughs, then said with considerable pride: "After I left the bottom levels of the convent, I figured you might have already returned to Altor. Even if not, you'd definitely be back within two or three months. I was worried you wouldn't find a way to run into me, so I estimated when travelers heading south from the northern Tiland Province would arrive at the city gates, and made a round trip to the estate each day at roughly that time. That way, even if we didn't happen to cross paths, you could ask around and then wait on my route during the right window. Ha—who would've thought that today, right at the city gate, I'd sense your familiar aura, Lucian?"
Her lips curved upward, her expression smug and entirely without embarrassment as she showed off her "foresight" and the thought she'd put into finding her old friend.
"Actually, I was worrying about how to find you, Natasha," Lucian admitted, sharing his own predicament from back then. "I was even thinking of gathering intelligence on you like an assassin and sneaking into your presence." He smiled warmly at her. "But you went and solved the whole problem yourself, Your Highness..."
From a distance, Natasha's eyes were still a dreamy purple, but this close, Lucian could see the faint shimmer of silver-violet beneath her irises—crystal-clear, deep, and mesmerizing, as though they could swallow a person's heart. It seemed that after three years of ascetic life, she had fully mastered her bloodline's power.
Pleased by his affirmation, Natasha grew even more animated and eagerly asked about Lucian's experiences in Arling, in the Holm Kingdom, and during his travels.
Because of the collapse of the Great Cross Star Labyrinth, Natasha certainly knew of the Necromantic World's existence, but she likely regarded it—as most who learned of it did—as a mere extra-dimensional space with necromantic properties. So Lucian concealed the parts of his experiences that touched on the Necromantic World's important secrets, the truth of the Miller Experiment, and the existence of the Library, instead recounting in vivid detail the things he had and hadn't shared in his letters.
It had to be said, Natasha was an excellent listener—she asked the right questions at the right moments, offered appropriate responses, and casually wove in her own experiences in turn. Lucian found himself talking with great enthusiasm, and it was only when the night had grown deep and silent that he finally finished.
As for Lucian's adventures, Natasha had already offered plenty of commentary while listening. Now she wore an odd expression and said: "Lucian, it seems you didn't mention any romantic experiences at all? Surely in Arling—a place where you could openly study Arcane Magic—you didn't manage to have even one sweet romance? That's a terrible deficiency in one's life!"
"Because as soon as I arrived in Arling, I had to fill the gaps in my Arcana foundation and improve my magical strength. Where would I have time to pursue women? I was far too busy—yes, far too busy. Perhaps someday in the future," Lucian answered with some embarrassment.
Natasha extended her right hand to stroke her fair, delicate chin, still wearing that peculiar expression. "That doesn't match normal expectations either! The girls in Arling—I recall their general quality is higher than in Londet or Altor. You're young and outstanding, your magical strength is formidable for your age, your Arcana level is even more terrifying, and you're the youngest recipient of the Holm Crown Award. Even if you were incredibly busy, girls should have been making advances on you. Could it be... could it be that you actually prefer men?"