Melissa found her core being attacked; the black miasma was moving towards her. It hated her. She saw herself being devoured and overpowered by it, and the darkness was swirling her consciousness.

  ?

  Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind, and something powerful came to protect her. Her core was being supplied with mana, and the mana was so powerful that it started fighting back against the dark miasma. The mana was filled with hatred toward the dark miasma, and it pushed back the black miasma from her core. And, started filling her core.

  ?

  Melissa’s core was filled instantly, the mana started dripping out from her core, and the black miasma was completely pushed back.

  ?

  “Go, my daughter, you can do it.” She heard someone, from somewhere far, a pleasant voice. She did not understand everything, but suddenly she felt a surge in power, something that she did not know lay dormant in her, started waking up, and she found herself being radiated with energy.

  ?

  Every part of her body was filled with golden light, so powerful, so warm, that she felt as if she were being hugged by someone. Someone who cared and loved her. Someone who had always watched over her. The embrace was warm; she did not want to let go. She wanted to hold tight to it.

  ?

  "You cannot stay here for long," said the sweet voice, almost regretful, as if reluctant to let her go.

  ?

  Melissa felt herself being swept back to the present. She opened her eyes and realized she was floating in the air. Her hair, once black, had turned to golden yellow and now swirled around her, her jacket billowing in the unseen currents.

  ?

  And the room was bathed in golden light, her body radiating it. She looked down at the Duchess; the black miasma was being eaten away by the light. It tried to flee, but the golden light burnt it away. The Duchess’s sickly body began to heal; her swollen cheeks regained a lustrous youth, her skin, which had been previously porcelain white, returned, and the Duchess gained fat over her thin skin; she seemed to age back to her thirties, before she looked like she was in her sixties. Yet now she looked so beautiful, so charming. The duchess opened her eyes; her silver eyes held the sparkle that Lucien lacked, and she looked at her, gazing back with a smile on her lips.

  ?

  "Thank you for your help. I am deeply in your debt," said the Duchess, her voice full of gratitude.

  ?

  Slowly, the golden light began to fade, and Melissa felt herself sinking gently back to the ground. She longed to return to that warm embrace, to ask who the woman was who had held her so comfortingly. She was not entirely certain if it had been a woman, but the voice had been unmistakably feminine.

  ?

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  Melissa pushed those thoughts aside and looked back at Lucien, who stood behind her. His deathly aura was now tucked deep within his body, no longer radiating out. He was hiding it—no, he was controlling it, drawing it back inside.

  ?

  Lucien stood there, his eyes brimming with tears, though he desperately tried to hold them back. His fists were clenched, and he seemed perilously close to crying. The impassive mask he always wore was broken, a fragile smile trembling on his lips.

  ?

  Melissa felt something strange stir within her as she watched the usually unbreakable, irritable, and impassive Lucien show such emotion.

  ?

  "I must have caused you and your father a great deal of trouble over the years. Forgive me, my son," she said, attempting to lift herself up to a sitting position. Lucien hurried to help her, guiding her gently until her back rested against the headboard. Then he settled beside her on the bed.

  ?

  Melissa realized she was intruding on their moment and was about to leave the room when the Duchess reached out, took her hand, and gently pulled her toward the bed. Melissa could have pulled away, but instead, she allowed herself to be drawn in and sat beside Lucien.

  ?

  The Duchess gazed at her intently; she was analyzing her with her deep silver eyes.

  ?

  "Do you wish to marry my son? He is not engaged to anyone at the moment," the Duchess said, tenderly placing her hand on Melissa’s cheek. The Duchess’s silver eyes, which had once been so easy to meet, now felt almost daunting in their intensity.

  ?

  "W-What? I—I do not want—" she stammered, but before she could finish, the Duchess pressed a gentle finger to Melissa’s lips, silencing her.

  ?

  "You should not reject something so quickly. Who knows, you might come to regret your decision. I am in no hurry to see him married off, so think carefully," the Duchess said, her voice soothing, easy to listen to.

  ?

  Melissa turned to look at Lucien. He was silent, but she could tell he was shocked by something, his attention clearly elsewhere. Perhaps he was lost in thought, or maybe he was only pretending not to listen to their conversation.

  ?

  "Son, do you like her?" Lucien’s mother asked, turning her gaze to him.

  ?

  Melissa perked up, watching his face intently, but Lucien seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts.

  ?

  "Huh? Did you ask me something?" Lucien replied, his eyes still rimmed with tears—wide with shock and something else she could not quite name.

  ?

  "I asked if you like her," Lucien’s mother repeated, her gaze shifting to Melissa.

  ?

  Lucien froze, his eyes darting from Melissa to his mother. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, words failing him.

  ?

  "No, I do not have any romantic feelings for her," he said at last, his lips pressed tightly together.

  ?

  "Does that mean you are not against the idea of developing feelings?" his mother asked, raising a brow and a playful smile.

  ?

  Lucien immediately stood up from the bed and, before leaving the room, added, "I am going to let Father know that you are healed."

  ?

  Lucien was being overpowered by his mother; he was unable to shut her up or respond to her teasing, unlike how he always made Melissa shut up with just a glance.

  ?

  "Do not worry, he is a shy child. What is your name, girl?" the Duchess asked, turning to Melissa.

  ?

  What did she mean by saying Lucien was shy? Melissa stared into the Duchess’s sincere silver eyes; otherwise, she might have taken it for a joke. Yet she could tell the Duchess believed it wholeheartedly. How could the duchess think that the Northern Blade was shy?

  Melissa did not believe one bit of it. She had seen how much of a deathly aura he radiated out of his body.