The pure look of devastation and horror displayed on the prince's face as he tried to process the situation. He was panicking and almost not breathing. Of course, Avy was privy as to why he reacted so much to such a simple physical contact. She felt him tremble as he hysterically pulled away his hand. 

Avy's eyelids started to feel heavy as the mana that came from Lucifer tried to lull her to rest. Even so, she was able to see how this move made the prince visibly worse. His body began to shake uncontrollably, the mix of fear and frustration could be seen in his demeanor as he completely lost his composure—his surroundings now a sure blur of varying colors and swimming images of the garden. 

A subtle pang of guilt crept into the lady's mind, knowing she was partly at fault for touching the white-haired mage without permission. Well, in her defense, he could have suffered a serious injury had she pnot pulled him out of the way. However, whether she had a good reason or not, it still evidently made an impact on the prince. She felt the need to make it up for him. 

With the little strength she could muster as her legs became rather weak, she crawled her way next to her fiancé in hopes of calming him down, not minding the itchy grass beneath her hands in favor of focusing all of her attention to the prince. She did not know exactly why he seemed to be traumatized, but she could guess that a similar incident had happened to him in the past. There is a big possibility that he also accidentally sent someone to their grave and thought, this time, it will be her who will fall into the same fate. 

"Your Highness, calm down. No one died," she tried to reassure him, but it fell on deaf ears. Lucifer kept trembling, eyes dazed into nothingness. Her brows furrowed in vexation when she got no response whatsoever.

"Hey. Are you even breathing?" She tried tapping the prince's shoulder but that also did not work. She could not hear him breathe or say anything as he continued to shake incessantly. It was as if he could no longer command his own body to function normally. 

"Breathe, Your Highness!" Avy commanded sharply as she held the taut shoulders of the rigid man before her. Even in the novel, Lucifer was never shown having a panic attack. He was never vulnerable. It was always Zach who would break down and receive the care of the female lead while the prince's role was to support the girl whenever she was hurt. He would find solace in her presence even though he would always get abandoned once she becomes better. 

Not once did he show his weakness to the main protagonist as he found it too personal, something that he could not do to a person he did not even swear his life to. If anything, it has to be Avy, his fiancé, who he should be displaying any and all of his weaknesses to. However, he also could not bring himself to burden the lady with his problems. He always kept it to himself. He was always alone during those sleepless nights. 

"I said, breathe! Damn it!" She violently shook the prince's shoulders, trying to catch his terrified eyes with her own. At last, it worked. 

The fearful eyes slowly regained its life once more. A pair of shaky, lustrous yellow pools stared into firm, luminous crimson ones with a mix of confusion and surprise. 

"Everything is fine. See? Nothing happened, so get a hold of yourself." Avy's grip on Lucifer's shoulders weakened as her body protested to succumb to sleep. 

The sensation was different from when she was tired. It felt too comfortable and warm, as if she was being cradled gently. 

"How..." she heard Lucifer's voice, his tone sounded uncertain. He must have been wondering how she escaped his touch of death, or more specifically, how she managed to nullify his spiteful ability. Avy felt the blowing wind of the frigid night, yet paid it no mind in favor of answering him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied with no hesitation. She did not plan on revealing anything to anyone yet. Not even Lucifer who deserves a proper explanation. She could just pretend that she also has no idea.

"Ah... I was rude, apologies," she then added, realizing that she has been speaking too crudely to the crown prince, although her tone did not indicate any hint of her being remorseful of her behavior. 

Silence engulfed the air as the first prince dared not to move from where he was sitting. He did not show any signs of making contact with her again, uncertain of the possibility that he might hurt her. However, the sudden pumping of blood in Avy's body made her want to just lie down. She wanted to rest, but she had no strength in her legs to carry herself back inside so that she could force her younger brother to escort her to the palace. 

She put her palms on the ground, trying to push her weight up so that she could stand and walk. It was, however, to no avail as she simply fell backward, letting out an irritated groan. Her fiancé has no words to give, of course, but he did look like he was contemplating whether he should lend a hand or not. 

Annoyance rose to the lady's head and eyed him with a disgruntled expression. "What? You're gonna watch me crawl back?" she snapped at him, unable to contain her temper and abandoning her plan to be as polite as she could. At that moment, being herself was all she could do. After all, she was helpless. 

"I shall call His Grace—"

"They will hate you more than they already do. If ever you could call a servant, they will ridicule me and think worse of my behavior," Avy cut his statement off, her tone sharp and unforgiving. She was not wrong in any way. If the prince called one of her family to pick her up, the first thought that would enter their mind is that something bad happened between her and the prince for the latter to leave her on her own. They will despise him more which, to be honest, would not affect her as much. Nevertheless, it would not be better for her if Lucifer was too much of an antagonist in her family's eyes. 

On the other hand, if the prince called a servant to tend to her, rumors will start circulating inside the palace that she was not even worth Lucifer's time and that he would rather have another person take her back to where she was staying than do it himself. With other royals and envoys from other countries present, there is also a big possibility that some of them would hear about it and mock the Arkwrights for being the origin of her upbringing. 

"No matter who you call, one of us will suffer the consequences. I'd rather you just leave me here alone," she then added, not breaking eye contact. Her plan was to chase the prince away so that she could summon one of her curses to carry her somewhere she could sit and rest. 

There was a moment of hesitation, but Lucifer then stood up. Avy was expecting him to walk away and leave, but instead, he took off his coat and placed it on her shoulders. She lifted her head to look at his face, but the prince instead knelt down to her eye level. 

His face still mimicked that of a lifeless yet ethereal statue, failing to express any kind of emotion. However, his eyes reflected a hint of uncertainty in them, holding the fear of himself with much intensity. How strange.

"May I carry the lady instead?" he asked, voice as cold as the northern lands yet still exuding respect and politeness. He waited for her response as she processed his offer, not expecting him to attempt such a thing. A few seconds later, she finally snapped back to reality. 

"Are you sure?" she questioned; brows raised in silent wonder. 

Lucifer nodded his head in reply, his pair of golds still locked with her crimson reds. She could draw the sunrise with the hues in his eyes. The novel never lied about how breathtaking they were and even Avy could appreciate beauty every once in a while. The prince's eyes were one of the rarest masterpieces she could compliment with her rich vocabulary. 

"I won't refuse if you're okay with it." She then let the white-haired mage scoop her up, carrying her like a groom does his bride. He was quite awkward at first, but he eventually got the gist of it and held her properly. His left arm supported her back while the other one was curled under her bent knees. His hold was firm yet gentle as if she was a porcelain art piece that would break once dropped. 

They were both silent as the prince walked the brick pathway back to where they came from. Avy kept her arms to herself, refusing to hook them on her fiancé's neck for support. However, her own body betrayed her as she started to lean on the man's chest to rest. Although, before she could, Lucifer spoke. 

"Lady Avana is being honest." 

Avy was confused, not understanding the meaning behind the lightning mage's words. The silence she gave was taken by the prince as a sign to continue. 

"You have always forced yourself to be happy around me." Lucifer's voice was still as monotonous as ever, yet somehow, Avy was able to feel the slightest hint of hurt in it. She was stunned by his statement. He knew all along about what Avy felt about him every time they were together, yet he never once voiced it out. 

"What made you think that?" she asked, staring at nothing as she waited for him to reply. 

She felt the prince's grip weaken a little, "You never loved me, Lady Avana." 

Avy's eyes wavered faintly because of this; she was not able to answer right away. However, she decided to put herself together and looked up at the prince. 

"Do you love me then?" 

Lucifer's feet halted and stayed quiet for a moment. Avy did not see a slight change in his expression, but she already knew the answer before he could even give it. 

"I apologize..." were the only words he could muster to give as a reply.

"Why are you apologizing?" Avy looked at Lucifer with a strong gaze as the white-haired mage tried to hide his face by looking in another direction. 

"It is my responsibility to love you," he answered steadily as he stood still in his place. 

Avy breathed deeply before speaking again. "Love is not done out of responsibility. If you can't love someone, it's fine. Some people are not able to love romantically anyway. There's this thing called platonic affection, like with friends and family, and it's normal. You don't have to be sorry for not feeling something." 

Those words that she could never imagine telling another human being in her past life felt like it drained half of her remaining energy. Nevertheless, she felt like Lucifer needed to hear them the most as the novel often said that he hated himself for not being able to experience normal feelings like other people. He blamed himself all the time whenever he was alone, dreading his existence in itself.

She saw how Lucifer's eyes lit up after her statement. 

"Can we still be friends?" 

The prince's expression reminded Avy of a child.

"Can I still be your friend?" 

"Sure. Whatever." 

No. 

He reminded her of a certain child she met years ago. The girl who stayed by her side despite her rotten personality. The girl who held her hand when she pushed everyone away. 

"Sure, Your Highness." 

"Ridge..."  

Avy blinked in astonishment. That was his first name that he never let anyone address him with. Even Demi, who attempted to seize the chance of being the special someone who get to do so, was not given permission by the person himself. 

"Your Highness, Ridge Lucifer. Oh! Can I call you Prince Ridge, then?" Demi flashed a bright smile at the ever-so-inexpressive mage. 

"I prefer Lucifer..." 

"You are my first friend, Lady Avana."

For the first time, Avy was able to get a proper view of the Prince's genuine smile. Not the slight arch of his lips, but a real smile. It radiated with fondness and joy that Avy decided to yield and let him do whatever he wanted. 

"You can call me Avy in exchange." 

~~~

There was chaos. 

After the complete blackout that lasted for a couple of seconds, the visitors' panic never ceased. Because of this, Emperor Lucian decided that it would be better to stop the banquet and instigate an investigation to find the reason behind the sudden magical interruption. The envoys were escorted back to where they were staying, leaving only in the luxurious palace hall the trusted nobles of Kriseon Empire to handle the situation. 

"Brother. Sister has still yet to come back," Ciel whispered worriedly to his elder brother. They have been waiting for Avy to come back as they were tasked by the emperor to be the ones in charge of calming down the envoys and ensuring that no other incident will happen. Of course, the duke instructed their youngest to look for the lady, but Ciel came back empty-handed. 

"Prince Lucifer is with her. No matter how much he despised her presence, he would never leave her in danger all alone," the older Arkwright reassured although the tight line drawn on his lips gave away his unsettled state. 

Ciel, on the other hand, believed otherwise. He had respect for Prince Lucifer as he was one of the greatest mages of their generation, he excelled in academics just like Ashton and could fight with swords, being mentored by his uncle, Alistair. However, he did not like him as a person. The prince always sported that blank look around his sister who always tried to entertain him as much as she could. The little Arkwright would not be surprised if he suddenly dropped her off somewhere alone. 

"If it is not the main attraction." 

The attention of the two teens was called by a familiar voice and a couple of footsteps that interrupted the agitated silence that engulfed the hall. 

A woman with wild and fiery-red hair and beautiful tanned skin stood with confident elegance. She looked to be about the same age as their grandfather. Next to her was a boy with the same colored hair, perhaps the same age as Ashton. They were both clad in clothes with orange-gold and crimson colors, decorated with jewels and glittering expensive stones. The old woman smiled mischievously behind the elaborately-designed fox fur-covered fan she was holding, her silver-colored eyes glowing with amusement.

"Duchess Valentina," Lord Alcasser greeted, although he did not bow nor did he move to acknowledge the said duchess' presence. 

"Still as cheeky as ever, I see. You never failed to be an eyesore, Alcasser," Duchess Valentina sneered, earning a cold glare from the old lord. 

"What do you say? Old people cannot be as energetic as young ones, Valentina. Unless they are of your kind," another man of the same age joined the conversation. His hair was the color of weaved gold and his eyes mimicked the hues of the deep ocean. With him were who seemed to be his son and grandson given their uncanny similarities. 

"I suppose all of us are too old to be attending meetings regarding the empire, Lord Helion," an old man with hair the color of the clear skies and eyes like the daylight reflection of the sea replied. He was accompanied by the heir of the Harringtons and someone who seemed to be the duke. 

"I am afraid this Empire will not run if the old timers do not meddle." This time, it was an old man with hair the color of a warm forest. 

All of them stood facing each other, carrying themselves with pride and firmness. The atmosphere of the hall was filled with suffocating pressure as all of them did not dare back down and concede. 

"What a great night it is." The encounter was interrupted when the voice of the emperor was heard. All of his subjects looked at him and offered a respectful bow. 

"For all the great heroes to come together, I am grateful," Emperor Lucian smiled, his own presence keeping all the elders in check. 

Ciel could recognize all of them. 

Duchess Ruebia Shan Valentina. The only woman that stood amongst the heroes composed of men. She was well-known as the ruler of the Southern Lands. The boy next to her was the child she took under her wing to serve as her successor, having no husband and child. 

The House of Helion, led by Duke Octavio Helion, together with the old hero Zelgius Helion and their successor Casper Helion. They are the family that dominated the mines of the empire that was located in the West. It was composed of earth mages that have been going from countless generations.

The House of Harrington was, of course, the one Ciel knew the most. The hero, Verard Harrington is the current duke's uncle. He was the one who raised him and watched him grow. Of course, Duke Zarchias Harrington and his heir, Zach were there. A family full of outstanding water mages. 

The last one was the House of Arden, the house of the wind with Duke Graiard Arden, his father, the hero, Lord Garyous Arden and their heir Grey Arden had the same aura, standing straight with cunning smiles on their faces. 

They are the most powerful people that served as the empire's pillars along with their family, the Arkwrights. With them in the same place, Ciel was somewhat thankful that his sister was not present. 

"It seems like you are missing one particular person," Duchess Valentina pointed out, pertaining to the absence of their only lady. "It is quite a shame. I was looking forward to meeting the rumored princess," she added, her smile growing malicious. 

"Lady Avana has been the main event of the party. I wonder if she would like to enter our family through my grandson right here," Lord Garyous was the next one to comment, and it was enough for the Arkwright men to eye him with contempt. 

"I would suggest you find another lady for your grandson, Arden." Lord Alcasser sounded calm yet it was completely contrary to his tone. His eyes glowed a familiar red, emanating danger. 

Emperor Lucian laughed out loud. "Now, now, I would not want to see my distinguished guests throwing knives at each other," he interrupted, easing the tension even by a little. 

Their attention was called, however, by a servant who showed up, requesting a moment with the ruby-eyed family. Of course, as the elders continued their conversation, Ciel was the one who offered to grant an audience to the servant, who then whispered something in his ear. After hearing what the servant had to say, his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Ashton asked his younger brother, a tad curious. 

"The servants saw His Imperial Highness carrying Sister," Ciel explained, his expression worried. The people who were able to catch what he said also had intrigued expressions on their faces. 

"What?"