"Since when do you know how to brew alcohol?"
Hearing that, Tianna narrowed her eyes at Luke.
This kid seriously had a new skill popping out of nowhere every so often—always leaving her with a small surprise. Like some treasure-packed underground vault: you could keep digging forever and never hit the bottom.
"I know a little," Luke replied, still modest as ever.
Tianna didn't press him for details, but she really was interested in the beer.
She walked forward two steps, then grabbed Lux—who was sprawled across Luke's legs—by the back of her clothes and lifted her up like a chicken. Even so, Miss Crownguard slept like a rock and didn't wake at all.
She only let out a couple of uncomfortable little hums. Once Tianna shifted Lux onto her back and carried her properly, Lux settled down again.
"She drank a lot," Tianna said with a small laugh.
Looking at her niece resting against her shoulder, Tianna's eyes softened with clear affection. Then she looked at Luke. "I'm taking her back first."
Luke nodded quickly and stood to see her off. "Sure, Aunt Tianna. Take care on the way."
Seeing how eager he looked to usher her out the door, Tianna shot him an annoyed glance and didn't bother responding.
She headed outside.
In the courtyard, Fiora, Sona, and Kahina all looked over. At a glance, they spotted Lux asleep on Tianna's back.
Lux was sleeping sweetly, a silly smile on her lips like she was having the best dream.
Luke followed out behind them.
Before leaving, Tianna took a cup, poured herself a serving of beer, and tipped her head back—downing it in a few big swallows. When she exhaled a refreshed breath, her eyes lit up.
She turned back and looked at Luke. "This is good. Send me a few barrels later."
As someone who knew her drinks, she could tell immediately this was quality—exactly her kind of flavor.
Luke immediately looked pained. "There are only a few barrels total. If I give them all to you, what am I supposed to drink?"
"You don't have to send any," Tianna said with a casual smile, completely unconcerned. "It's just that when I can't get a drink, I tend to talk too much. And if I accidentally tell your mother you let this girl drink… that would be unfortunate."
Luke's mouth twitched. He sighed. "Fine. I'll send them over."
Tianna's "mother" was Lady Augatha—Lux's actual mom.
If Augatha found out Lux had been drinking, just imagining it made Luke's spine go cold.
Even though he could swear on his conscience he never forced the little blonde to drink—she'd snuck it herself.
But looking at Tianna's smile, Luke had zero doubt she would twist the story into something else entirely.
And if the "facts" got twisted, the consequences would be brutal.
"I don't need much," Tianna added, still smiling. "Half is fine. You can keep brewing the rest later."
Before she left, she even ruffled Luke's hair, looking thoroughly pleased.
Luke let out another sigh. Half was… acceptable.
The remaining half would still last him a while. And during that time, he could brew more—especially since he'd bought extra barrels when he went out today.
This time, it wasn't just beer—Luke's head was full of other types of alcohol, too.
After gaining medical knowledge, he'd also picked up plenty of methods for making all kinds of medicinal liquors. Honestly, it wasn't a bad bonus.
"Mmm…"
Lux, still on Tianna's back, made a small sound and slowly woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, still hazy with that drunk, unfocused look.
She clearly wasn't sober yet.
But the moment she saw Luke, she started squirming behind Tianna's back, making dissatisfied little noises.
At first, Tianna thought Lux was just uncomfortable, but she quickly realized that wasn't it. "Stop it. I'm taking you home."
"I don't want you…"
Lux struggled as she spoke, her pitiful little eyes looking over Tianna's shoulder at Luke.
It was obvious—she wanted him to carry her instead.
Tianna realized it immediately, and her expression turned stern. "You do want me."
Even drunk, Lux's instincts screamed danger. She instantly behaved, slumping her head onto Tianna's shoulder with a pout.
"I'm leaving." Tianna shot Luke one last look, then turned and walked away.
Luke stayed where he was and watched her go.
After Tianna helped Lux into the carriage and laid her down, she discovered Lux had fallen asleep again.
So Tianna let her lie flat. She quietly studied Lux's sleeping face, then gently stroked her cheek, her gaze full of fondness. After a long moment, she sighed.
"I don't know if that kid can really protect you."
Thinking back to how affectionate Lux had been toward him, Tianna had already noticed what was happening—truthfully, she'd sensed it even earlier.
And Augatha had noticed long ago as well.
Neither of them had said it aloud, and neither had stepped in.
Because Lux had never had a close male friend like Luke—never mind the fact that, before, they wouldn't have allowed it.
But time passed. Lux was growing up.
If she were an ordinary girl, that would be one thing. But she wasn't.
When she was very young, Lux had already shown something different—something no one else had.
It was her secret. And for her, that secret was dangerous.
Even Tianna and House Crownguard might not be able to protect her completely.
Then Luke appeared.
As a prince of this kingdom, he could stand like an umbrella—shielding Lux's secret from the worst of the storm.
So if things could develop naturally between them, that would be ideal.
Tianna and Augatha had made a tacit decision: they wouldn't interfere with the business of kids.
Looking at Lux's sweet sleeping face, Tianna smiled softly.
Though with Lux's personality… by the time she realized what she felt, who knew how long it would take.
Grow up soon, Lux.
That kid… your aunt might not be able to keep him in line for you.
As the Crownguard carriage rolled away, Kahina asked curiously, "How much did Lux even drink?"
Just looking at her, it was obvious Lux had gotten completely wasted.
Luke shook his head. "No idea. When I found her, she was already plastered."
Thinking of Miss Crownguard sneaking off alone to drink—and getting herself that drunk—everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Lying back in a rocking chair, Fiora casually picked up a cup from the table, a faint smile on her lips, and took small sips.
Her pale face had a rare flush to it now. The light buzz from earlier had grown stronger—she wasn't to the point of confusion, but the world felt like it had a thin veil over it, a strange, dreamy sensation.
But she didn't hate it. She felt more relaxed than she had in a long time.
The night had only just begun. It wasn't time to break things up yet.
Luke walked over to the table, mildly puzzled. "Did I leave my cup here?"
Hearing him mutter that, Fiora looked over—then the hand holding her cup froze slightly.
She lowered her gaze to the cup in her hand, like she'd just remembered something.
The cup sitting by the barrel… that one might have been hers.
So then whose cup was this?
She glanced around. Everyone else still had their own cup nearby.
Only Luke—who'd been up and moving around—didn't.
She remembered the earlier moment.
After Luke got up and left, she'd set her cup down too and wandered over to the food area to grab a few skewers she wanted. While waiting, she'd stretched out in the rocking chair Luke had been using before.
Looking at the night view, she'd absentmindedly treated the cup left on the table as her own.
And now… her eyes drifted to the rim. She couldn't even remember how many sips she'd taken.
Meanwhile, Luke didn't think much of it. He honestly didn't remember where he'd left his cup. Now everyone else had theirs, and he didn't.
So the cup in front of him had to be his.
Fiora watched as Luke picked it up and took a few big gulps of beer. Her heartbeat stuttered twice, almost against her will.
Those cool, sharp eyes of hers flickered.
She couldn't help thinking—
Was she the one who got the advantage… or was he?
After a moment, Fiora arrived at a conclusion.
At the very least, she didn't lose out.
She laughed softly and shook her head. She really was a bit drunk—why was her mind full of thoughts like this?
Then she stopped caring. She lifted her cup and kept drinking as if nothing had happened.
The barbecue went on until late into the night.
Eating, drinking, playing, and chatting all at once—it ended up being a great experience for the girls.
The only pity was that Miss Crownguard hadn't made it through the second half.
When it was finally time to leave, Fiora planned to take Sona's carriage home, since it was on the way.
She actually wasn't that drunk. After realizing a certain something later, her head gradually cleared—almost like she'd sobered up.
Sona had only had a few cups too, but she didn't look tipsy at all. Clearly, she could hold her drink.
As for Kahina, she'd only had one cup. With her low tolerance—barely better than Lux's—she'd felt a little dizzy after that and switched to cola instead.
But even sitting in the carriage, still heading to her sister's place to sleep for the night, Kahina only belatedly realized something—and immediately regretted it.
She sat there and let out a long, gloomy sigh.
Kahina thought… she should've been like Lux and drank more.
If you drank more, you had the courage to do things you'd never dare to do normally.
But thinking of it now was too late.
The next day.
June 26. Clear skies.
Because it had rained yesterday, there was a thin layer of mist across the world this morning, giving everything a soft, dreamy haze.
Luke yawned as he came downstairs from the second floor. A maid who'd already been cleaning early thoughtfully poured him a cup of hot tea.
Sitting on the sofa, he drank his Smoky Earl Grey Tea quietly, feeling it was still early.
Most people slept longer after drinking, but Luke was the opposite—he slept less. Last night, he'd only managed about six hours.
Science said people should get at least eight hours a day.
But if he couldn't sleep, there wasn't much he could do. Lying in bed might've been nice, but he decided to find something to keep himself busy.
Like brewing alcohol.
Early in the morning, he was already moving around in the kitchen.
After a while…
Miss Crownguard trudged into the living room like her soul had been drained. One look, and Luke already knew why.
Lux dropped onto the sofa and sighed. "My head feels all swimmy."
Yurna walked over with a cup of Smoky Earl Grey Tea and set it down on the table in front of her.
Lux picked it up and took a careful sip. Feeling the warmth settle in her stomach, she finally felt a little better.
She couldn't remember a single thing from last night.
All she remembered was feeling stubbornly unwilling to lose—so she'd snuck down to the basement and drank a few cups of beer.
After that… total blank.
A blackout.
But that was fine.
Luke would help her "remember."
Luke came out of the kitchen and sat across from her, smiling. "You forgot what happened last night, didn't you?"
Lux nodded, curiosity flickering in her eyes. What did she even do when she got drunk?
"It wasn't much," Luke said lightly. "You just got all clingy, acted cute, begged for hugs… and then you went running around everywhere barefoot like a lunatic."
Begged for hugs.
Lux's face froze on the spot.
Just imagining it a little brought back a few blurry fragments.
She… begged this jerk for hugs?
A full-body shiver ran over her. Lux ducked her head and covered her face, completely unable to look at Luke.
She could practically guarantee he was wearing the most smug expression imaginable.
Drinking too much wasn't scary.
The scary part was having someone walk you through the replay afterward.
And right now, Lux was living that nightmare.
Even if the memories were fuzzy, those fuzzy pieces alone were already enough to ruin her.
How much more humiliating stuff had she done?
Lux didn't even want to think about it. She peeked up at Luke—and sure enough, he was looking at her with that teasing, amused gaze.
Damn it!
Cringe history—one of the few true black marks in her life!
And the one person she least wanted to witness it… had witnessed it!
Lux was silently screaming inside.
Luke calmly took a sip from his tea cup and smiled. "It's fine. You were really cute last night, Miss Crownguard."
He dragged out the word "cute" on purpose.
"Ah!!"
Lux shuddered. She was right on the edge of a breakdown. She clapped her hands over her ears and shouted, "Stop talking!"
Being praised was usually a good thing.
But right now, she wasn't happy in the slightest. If anything, she could clearly hear the mockery in Luke's tone.
She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
And making Luke shut up was obviously impossible. He wasn't going to miss an opportunity like this.
He'd remember this for the rest of his life.
Some time later, when Fiora and the others walked into the living room together, they saw Lux sprawled on the sofa with hollow eyes and a dead expression, like her soul had left her body.
Fiora asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with her?"
Luke, in an excellent mood, said happily, "Nothing. I just helped her unlock the password-protected memories."
Fiora immediately understood. She glanced at Lux on the sofa and laughed softly. "Miss Crownguard was really cute when she got drunk last night."
She meant it. Last night, the little blonde had looked so adorably different that even the coldest heart would've warmed up.
But hearing those words now was like getting shot by an arrow straight through the chest.
"Seriously—totally different from usual," Kahina agreed, nodding. She crouched down to look at Lux's pale face and said with a grin, "She looked so well-behaved."
Another arrow.
Drinking too much wasn't scary.
The scary part was everyone helping you remember at once.
Lux was finished.
Only Sona—who could sense what Lux was feeling—crouched down and gently patted her shoulder in comfort.
Unfortunately, it didn't help much.
By breakfast, Lux had recovered a little strength, but her eyes were still unfocused, like she'd been cut off from the world.
After breakfast, she returned to the sofa and continued brooding in silence.
Luke came out holding two sheets of paper and set them on the table in front of her. "Didn't you want something to do?"
Lux's dim eyes finally regained a tiny bit of light. She sat up and looked at the two pages, completely confused.
"What's this?"
"A speech for the newspaper," Luke said. "Your job is to memorize it."
He looked at her. "I stayed up late writing it for you."
That part was true. He'd spent a long time writing it last night.
Lux shook her head so hard she looked like a bobblehead. She stared at Luke with her whole face screaming resistance. "I'm not memorizing it. I want a different task!"
She was the classic type who was allergic to studying—over the years, she'd been tortured by too many texts and poems already.
Now she finally had a few days off, and he wanted her to memorize something?
That was basically trying to kill her.
So Luke said calmly, "Don't forget—your credit leave is already used up. These extra days off are something I got approved for you."
Lux only had enough credit for three days of leave. Today was already the fourth.
Because of the newspaper, he'd specifically asked Tianna for a few more days—otherwise, Lux would be trapped in a classroom right now.
Even so, Lux stayed stubborn. "I'm not memorizing it!"
She'd already decided—no matter what Luke said, she wasn't doing it.
After last night, her dignity was already in pieces. What did she have left to lose?
Normally, Luke might've tried to sweet-talk her or trick her into it.
But thinking of how Tianna had threatened him…
Luke looked at the delicate, cute little blonde in front of him and smiled. "Miss Crownguard, you wouldn't want other people to find out what happened after you got drunk last night, would you?"
Lux instantly shivered, staring at Luke with terrified little eyes.
He would do it.
This man would absolutely do it.
Lux could already imagine stepping outside tomorrow and discovering that the entire Great City of Demacia knew exactly what she was like when she got drunk.
It felt like the end of the world.
Lux clenched her fists, grinding her teeth. "I'll memorize it."
"Now that's more like it." Luke stood, looking down at her with a smug, superior gaze. "I expect you to be able to recite it before we leave this afternoon."
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