...
The medical team invested by Lucian included many geniuses and leading authorities in the medical field. Their arrival undoubtedly fueled the flames of hope in the hearts of the horse girls.
The leader of the team was acquainted with the hospital director, and after a brief exchange, the handover was completed.
As for Lucian, after stepping out once, he never returned, only leaving a message for the horse girls in his phone.
...
The doctors entered the ward and looked at Silence Suzuka, who was still unconscious.
"This... it's a comminuted fracture. There's no way we can get her back on the track."
"Just follow Mr. Lucian's instructions. Don't worry about anything else."
Not only was their current field of research unrelated to orthopedics, but even if it were, it would still be impossible to fully heal Silence Suzuka's condition.
But Lucian had told them to simply stay in the ward and monitor Silence Suzuka's condition at all times.
...
In her unconscious state, Silence Suzuka found herself in a dreamlike scenario.
"Is this a dream?" she wondered, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar figure ahead. "Lucian-kun!?"
She never expected that even in her dreams, Lucian would appear.
But Lucian didn't respond to her. Instead, he was looking up, as if staring at something.
Silence Suzuka approached and called out again, "Lucian-kun?"
Now she was certain that Lucian couldn't see her, and even more certain that this was just a dream.
Then, she heard a gentle, melodious voice from the sky.
"You're clever. So, what is your choice?"
"I'll trade my legs for hers." Lucian didn't hesitate at all.
On the day he left the illusion, he had already understood the meaning behind the Three Goddesses' words.
They were subtly reminding Lucian: trading eyes for legs naturally didn't fit the rules, but trading legs for legs—that was permissible.
That was why Lucian had said "thank you" at the end—not to thank them for answering his question, but for giving him a chance to make this choice.
"Very well. As the chosen one, you are qualified to make this deal with us... Then, as you wish."
"That's all I ask..."
Silence Suzuka, witnessing this, seemed to realize what was happening. Her expression turned to shock as she screamed, "No!"
But the illusion shattered, and her cry was drowned out like a speck of dust in the wind. Lucian couldn't hear her.
...
Late at night, a half-moon hung high in the sky.
The world became a giant cradle, with the wind whispering lullabies.
But in the hospital ward, Silence Suzuka jolted awake, her reddened eyes still streaked with tears.
"Miss Suzuka? Please lie down and rest," the attending medical staff urged.
"Where is Lucian-kun? Where is he?" Silence Suzuka had never been so direct before, but now all she wanted was to see Lucian.
"Mr. Lucian is temporarily—"
"I want to see him!" She threw off the covers and tried to get out of bed.
Even though her left leg was bandaged, she felt no pain at all.
The medical staff was stunned but quickly reacted. "Miss Suzuka, please don't rush. I'll call Mr. Lucian right now."
Hearing this, Silence Suzuka finally calmed down slightly.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Lucian, Miss Suzuka has woken up."
Lucian's voice came through the phone, and Silence Suzuka's pale face finally regained some color. She sat up excitedly.
The medical staff had no choice but to hand the phone to her.
"Lucian-kun... where are you?" Silence Suzuka choked out.
"Suzuka, you're awake? Are you feeling better? I've hired the best medical team to treat you. Don't worry, they'll definitely get you back on the track."
"Where are you right now?"
"At home. It's too late now. I'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"
The Three Goddesses were, after all, kind. After fulfilling the deal, they granted Lucian one more blessing.
They lessened the burden of the consequences he had to bear and spared him from pain, but he would never be able to run again.
Lucian just needed some time to adjust. By tomorrow, he might barely be able to visit Silence Suzuka.
Once he fully adapted and could walk normally again, he would tell her everything.
Lucian knew he wasn't some selfless, noble person who silently sacrificed without recognition. If he wanted her to know, he had to tell her himself.
But if he told her a little later, perhaps the guilt in Silence Suzuka's heart would be much lighter.
"Stop lying to me!" Two streams of tears glistened under the light as Silence Suzuka rasped out these words. "I already know everything. I want to see you—right now. You're at home, aren't you? I'm coming to you."
On the other end of the line, Lucian, lying in bed, fell silent for a long time. "...I'll wait for you."
...
Silence Suzuka removed her bandages and didn't even change out of her hospital gown before sprinting all the way to Lucian's home.
She had never felt so frantic before. Even though she knew the passcode to Lucian's door by heart, her trembling hands caused her to mistype it multiple times.
In the end, Lucian was the one who opened the door. "Did you forget the code?"
The moment she saw him, tears welled up in Silence Suzuka's eyes again. She lunged at him, knocking him to the ground.
"Oof." Lucian winced slightly in pain.
The next moment, his eyes met Silence Suzuka's.
"How did you find out...?" Lucian asked softly, his heart aching at the bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face before him.
"The Three Goddesses." Her lips were dry and cracked from dehydration, yet her eyes still shimmered with tears. "Why did you make that decision? Why...?"
Silence Suzuka cupped Lucian's face, her fingers gently caressing his cheeks as if polishing a priceless treasure covered in dust.
"Because I promised to save you. Because you're worth it."
Silence Suzuka could hold back no longer. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his.
Like a traveler who had trekked through a scorching desert for days, she drank from him as if he were an oasis, desperately seeking the source of life.
Though utterly inexperienced herself, she mimicked the descriptions from storybooks, clumsily tracing letters like "A," "B," "C," and "D" with her tongue.
Lucian's lung capacity was nowhere near as good as a horse girl's. The moment he pushed her away to catch his breath, she immediately kissed him again.
"Su-Suzuka..." Lucian gasped, thinking she might finally let him go.
But instead, Silence Suzuka suddenly sat up, looking down at him with a gaze that sent a shiver down his spine.
From Lucian's perspective, her reddened eyes from crying made her look almost terrifying.
He gulped. "Suzuka, it's getting late. Don't you think—"
"I know it's late."
Silence Suzuka leaned down again, pinning both of Lucian's wrists above his head with one hand.
With her other hand, she slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Su... Suzuka?"
Lucian was strong by human standards, but he couldn't compare to a horse girl.
They only looked petite.
"Lucian-kun, you're worth it too." Silence Suzuka captured his lips once more, her hands never stopping.
...
Silence Suzuka's fingers trembled as she undid the last button of Lucian's shirt, her lips still locked onto his in a feverish kiss. The taste of him—warm, slightly salty from exertion—drove her wild. She moaned into his mouth, her tongue sliding against his in slow, teasing strokes.
"Mmmph… Lucian-kun…"
Her free hand roamed down his chest, tracing the hard planes of his abdomen before slipping beneath the waistband of his pants. Lucian gasped against her lips, his hips jerking instinctively as her fingers brushed against his already hardening length.
"Su-Suzuka!"
She pulled back just enough to watch his face, her violet eyes dark with need. "I want to hear you," she whispered, her breath hot against his skin. "Every sound… every moan… I want all of it."
Her fingers wrapped around him, stroking slowly, teasingly, her thumb swiping over the slick tip. Lucian's back arched off the floor, a ragged groan tearing from his throat.
"F-Fuck!"
She reveled in his reaction, her own body throbbing with desire. Without warning, she ducked her head down, her lips wrapping around him in one swift motion.
"Slurp~"
The sound was obscenely loud in the quiet room. Lucian's hands fisted in her hair, his hips bucking helplessly as her tongue swirled around him, her cheeks hollowing with each deep suck.
"Suzuka! Y-You don't have to—!"
But she did. She needed to. Every lick, every flick of her tongue was a silent thank you, a desperate I love you, a promise that she would worship him just as fiercely as he had sacrificed for her.
Her free hand cupped his balls, massaging gently as she took him deeper, her throat fluttering around him. Lucian's moans grew louder, his thighs trembling.
"I-I'm close!"
She didn't pull away. Instead, she looked up at him through her lashes, her lips stretched obscenely around him as she swallowed every last drop.
"Mmm…" She licked her lips, her voice husky. "You taste so good, Lucian-kun."
His chest heaved, his gaze burning into hers. Before she could react, he flipped them over, pinning her beneath him.
"Now it's my turn"
His lips trailed down her neck, her collarbone, lower—until his tongue flicked over one peaked nipple. She cried out, her back arching as he sucked hard, his fingers pinching and rolling the other.
"Ahh~ Lucian-kun…"
"Mmmph~ More… please…"
He didn't make her wait. His hand slid between her thighs, his fingers gliding through her slick folds before plunging inside.
"Ahn~! Yes—!"
Her legs wrapped around his waist, her hips rocking against his hand as he curled his fingers, stroking that perfect spot inside her.
"You're so wet," he murmured against her skin, his breath hot.
"Ahhhn~!"
Her climax hit her hard, her body convulsing around his fingers as she screamed his name. But before she could catch her breath, Lucian was already positioning himself at her entrance.
"Look at me," he commanded, his voice rough with need.
She obeyed, her eyes locking onto his as he pushed inside in one slow, deep thrust.
"Mmmph~! So… so full…"
He groaned, his forehead dropping to hers as he began to move slow at first, then faster, harder, each thrust driving her closer to the edge again.
"Lucian-kun~! I-I'm—!"
Her second orgasm ripped through her, her walls clenching around him as he spilled inside her with a guttural moan.
"Ahhhn~! Lu… Lucian-kun…!"
They collapsed together, their bodies still joined, their breaths mingling in the aftermath.
Silence Suzuka traced lazy circles on his back, her voice soft but firm.
"This isn't the end," she whispered. "I'll make sure you never regret your choice."
And as their lips met again in a slow, tender kiss, Lucian knew—she already had.