But two minutes later—
Luke came to the front yard, rolled his shoulders a little, and let his gaze settle on the rocking chair.
Lux was lying there lazily, moonlight spilling over her spotless, fair face and giving her an even purer look.
On the little table beside her sat an empty bowl of ice cream and a half-finished glass of ice-cold cola.
Off to the side, the water-powered fan spun with a steady whir, sending out a cool breeze that gently stirred her slightly damp golden hair.
That comfortable wind drew a sweet smile onto her face.
The temperature had stayed high all day, and even at night, there was still heat in the air.
Luke lay down in the chair beside her and looked up at the sky. The heavens were full of brilliant stars, like a river of silver stretching overhead.
Sensing someone lie down beside her, Lux opened her eyes. She had not been asleep—she had simply been enjoying the stillness of the moment.
She turned her head and glanced at Luke's profile as he stared at the stars.
Then she looked up at the sky too. The galaxy reflected in her eyes as she searched around for a moment before raising a hand and pointing in one direction.
"Is that Libra over there?"
Luke followed where she was pointing.
Sure enough, a few unusually bright stars vaguely formed the shape of a scale.
He smiled. "Yeah."
In truth, this kind of thing depended a lot on imagination. Stars hanging in the sky did not naturally look like much of anything unless you were good at connecting the dots in your head.
Still, this world probably really did have constellations. He just did not know whether they matched the zodiac exactly.
The so-called twelve zodiac constellations were something Luke had picked out himself using stargazing techniques from physiognomy whenever he got bored watching the night sky.
And the place Miss Crownguard was pointing to matched exactly what he had once told her.
Clearly, she had remembered it seriously.
Lux stared at it, starlight shining in her eyes as she broke into a bright, delighted smile.
"Do you think there are people living beyond the stars too?"
"Probably."
"Then that must be where the gods live."
For a moment, Lux suddenly felt just how vast the world was.
That brilliant river of stars seemed endless, stretching farther than the eye could see.
She was curious about what lay beyond the stars, and curious about the world itself.
"How big do you think this world is?"
Luke leaned back in his chair and replied casually, "Big enough that it might as well have no end."
Lux spoke dreamily, "The books say Demacia is just one corner of the world. Real Runeterra is so vast that a person could spend a whole lifetime walking and still never cross it. I wonder what the world outside is like."
She was curious about the lands beyond Demacia. She wanted to see what Runeterra really looked like.
Luke smiled. "There are a lot of interesting places out there too."
At that, Lux curled her lip. "Tch. You say that like you've actually been outside Demacia."
Luke replied casually, "I haven't, obviously. But one day, I'm definitely going out to see it for myself."
This time Lux turned onto her side, her bright eyes shining as she looked at him.
"Then when that day comes, can you take me with you?"
Luke answered instantly, "No."
Lux froze for a second, then puffed out her cheeks. "Why not?"
Luke grinned and glanced at her. "Because you eat so much. If I brought you along, I'd scare people."
Lux immediately shot back in annoyance, "What's wrong with eating a lot? My mother says a good appetite is a blessing. You're just jealous that I have such a great appetite!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
Luke kept looking at the sky.
Unlike Lux, he longed for the outside world even more precisely because he knew so much about it.
He wanted to experience the sights and cultures of other parts of Runeterra for himself.
Just not yet.
Lux also looked back at the night sky and huffed inwardly.
If this guy ever went on a long trip, she was just going to plant herself in his carriage.
He could try not to take her, but she would make sure he did.
Twenty minutes later, Luke went back to the massage room.
He removed the silver needles from Fiora's and Sona's backs one by one.
The treatment had been so comfortable that the two of them had nearly fallen asleep lying there.
When Luke pushed the door open, they had been so relaxed that they had not even had their guard up.
But the moment they heard the door, they both woke up.
Once he had removed all the needles, Luke left the room.
Not long after, Fiora and Sona changed back into their clothes and stepped out.
As they came through the door, both of them looked refreshed, their whole bodies carrying a kind of indescribable lightness.
The effect of the acupuncture really was immediate.
In the front yard, Luke lay back down in his chair and looked at Lux, who was still enjoying the beauty of the night.
"Did you finish your homework tonight?"
At that, Lux put on a smug expression. "I finished it all back at the academy!"
This time, Luke looked genuinely impressed.
If Miss Crownguard had been motivated enough to finish her homework that proactively, then last night's and this morning's punishment had clearly left a deep impression.
Lux, meanwhile, suddenly remembered something. She hesitated for a while, then said, "How about... I sleep here tonight?"
"?" Luke gave her a question-mark look, then shook his head twice. "Your mother would kill me."
Lux's little face instantly turned bitter. "Then what am I supposed to do..."
If nothing unexpected had happened, the fact that she had fallen asleep in Mors's class that morning had probably already reached her mother's ears.
That was exactly why she did not dare go home.
But spending the night outside seemed like it might actually be an even bigger problem.
That left Miss Crownguard completely miserable.
That night.
Lux dragged things out until midnight before finally returning to the Crownguard estate.
After pushing open the front doors, she tiptoed toward the living room. When she saw that the lights were off, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Even so, she did not dare make a sound.
By the time she made it safely to the living room, it was pitch-black inside, and she could not see a thing.
Then, with a sudden flick, a flame flared to life.
Along with it lit up Augatha's gloomy face. She was sitting on the living room sofa, holding a feather duster in one hand.
Lux jumped in fright, so startled she nearly leapt into the air.
Then she hurriedly squeezed out a cute little smile. "Good evening, Mother."
"So you do know it's evening."
A cold smile appeared on Augatha's face. "Coming home at midnight, Lux. Have you decided the Crownguard family curfew doesn't exist anymore?"
She knew perfectly well that Lux had stayed that late because she had been over at Luke's place.
But Luke was still a boy.
How could a mother possibly feel at ease when her underage daughter was coming home later and later?
Even if she trusted Luke, she could not trust Lux not to do something foolish.
"I-I-I accidentally fell asleep."
The instant she saw that smile, Lux trembled all over.
Augatha let out a cold snort. "Then why didn't you just sleep there? Why bother coming back at all?"
Lux shivered and did not dare say a word.
Augatha approached with the feather duster in hand. Lux squeezed her eyes shut in fear, already preparing herself for death.
But to her surprise, Augatha only tapped her lightly on the head.
Then she said helplessly, "So you do know how to be scared."
Lux carefully opened her eyes. Seeing that the coldness had faded from her mother's face, she nodded timidly.
Augatha gave her another light tap, annoyed. "If you know that, then why are you always fighting me at every turn? Can't you give me a little less to worry about? I know you stayed up late finishing homework last night. I already explained that to Mors. Just don't keep making mistakes like this. You're growing up now, Lux."
Seeing her mother abandon her usual severity for such a heartfelt tone, Lux was almost overwhelmed.
"Sit down. I want to talk to you honestly."
Augatha sat down on the sofa.
Lux sat beside her.
Then the two of them talked for a long time, mother and daughter opening their hearts to one another.
Half an hour later—
"All right, it's late. Go get some rest. Just don't come home this late again next time."
Augatha smiled gently and stroked Lux's head.
"Yes, Mother."
Lux nodded obediently, then got up and returned to her room.
Tonight's Augatha had moved her so much she almost wanted to cry.
So all this time, had her stubbornness and mischief really made her mother worry this much?
Thinking about her mother's gentleness and everything she had quietly done behind the scenes, Lux suddenly felt guilty.
She realized she could not keep going on like this.
Starting today, she was going to be a good daughter. She was never going to make her mother angry again.
And seeing how obedient Lux was being, Augatha was touched too.
Maybe this really was the correct way to educate a child.
In the past, she had been too harsh on Lux. As a mother, how could she not understand her own daughter?
Lux had clearly only come home so late because she had been frightened.
That meant the image she had built up as a parent was wrong.
After Mors left earlier that day, Augatha had actually spent a long time thinking.
She felt that maybe she should not have been so harsh with Lux. Thinking back to how scared the girl had looked just now, Augatha felt a little guilty.
And at that moment, she made a silent decision.
From now on, she would be a gentle mother.
No matter what mistake Lux made, she would not hit her again. She would patiently guide her.
She would let her feel a mother's love.
That night, both mother and daughter thought about many things.
And over the next five days, the way they interacted changed too.
On the afternoon of August 13, the weather was bright and sunny.
At the Crownguard estate—
"Mother, this is an apple I peeled for you myself. Please have it."
Lux walked respectfully over to Augatha, holding out an apple that had been peeled so carefully she had shaved off half the fruit along with the skin.
Looking at the scene before her, Augatha was so touched that she gently pushed it back.
"No, my daughter. You should eat it."
Lux pushed it back toward her. "Mother, you eat it."
"No, you should eat it."
"You eat it."
After going back and forth like that a couple of times, Augatha finally accepted the apple, took a small bite, and praised her warmly.
"This apple is so sweet. My daughter, you've gone to such trouble."
Lux immediately replied, "It's only right that I do this for Mother."
Augatha was deeply moved.
Off to one side, Tianna was sitting there reading a newspaper. She finally could not help lowering it to glance at the mother-daughter pair acting all tender and loving.
The whole thing made her feel uncomfortable all over.
She had no idea what had happened to those two over the past few days, but it was like they had both become entirely different people, and it was honestly scaring her.
She felt completely unable to fit into this new atmosphere, and worse, the situation between them seemed to be getting more intense by the day.
Tianna could not help saying, "Can the two of you please act normal?"
Lux looked at her, blinked her innocent eyes, and leaned against Augatha. "Auntie, what are you talking about? Haven't we always been perfectly normal?"
Augatha wrapped an affectionate arm around Lux and also looked at Tianna. "Exactly, little sister. Isn't this what a normal mother and daughter look like?"
Watching the two of them act so close and harmonious, Tianna felt like something was deeply wrong.
She silently set the newspaper down and stood up. "It's getting late. I should go to work."
She really could not stay in this house a second longer.
Maybe the abnormal one was her.
Even as she walked down the street, Tianna found herself seriously thinking about that question.
Tianna's departure did not affect the loving mother-daughter atmosphere at all.
But after checking the time, Augatha turned to Lux and said, "My daughter, I'm going shopping with a friend this morning. You can go have fun afterward."
"No!"
To that, Lux refused with complete firmness.
Then she said seriously, "I'm going to study hard."
Augatha was so moved that tears nearly welled up in her eyes. She gazed at Lux emotionally and patted her hair.
"You've grown up, my daughter. I'm so happy. I'm proud of you."
With that, and with cheerful thoughts of the shopping trip ahead as well as her increasingly sensible daughter, Augatha left in a happy mood.
Once Augatha was gone, Lux suddenly let out a long breath. Her whole body relaxed a little, and she rubbed her stiff cheeks, feeling oddly tired.
Sitting down on the sofa, she really did pull out her homework and start working on it.
But after only a little while, she got bored.
Her eyes wandered all around until they finally landed on an elegant vase that seemed to have gathered some dust.
"That's Mother's favorite vase. She's been so good to me. I should wipe it clean for her."
Thinking that, Lux nodded to herself, got up, and walked over to the vase.
Half an hour later.
At Luke's estate—
Luke was currently lounging comfortably in his rocking chair, basking in the sunlight.
The yard was unusually quiet today. Little Blondie had come over for lunch, but she had not come back yet.
Lately she kept going on about how she was going to study hard.
Luke called that "temporary I'm-going-to-study-hard syndrome."
In simple terms, it was a disease.
Kahina had gone to class at the combat academy and had not come over yet either.
As for Quinn, Vayne, and Frey, the three of them had gone to the personal guard camp to train the guards there.
As the captains of the three teams, they had quite a lot to do.
Recently, the guard camp had finally been cleaned up, and the guards' regular daily training had officially begun.
Luke had passed Swift Thunder Swordsmanship on to those personal guards, since these people would be part of his reputation in the future as well.
Of course, the ones actually teaching it were Quinn, Vayne, and Frey.
Luke taught the three of them at home, and then the three of them went and taught the guards.
As a practical, straightforward sword style, Swift Thunder Swordsmanship was quite suitable for large-scale training.
Luke did not have the energy to run back and forth constantly, so he only went over occasionally to take a look.
At the moment, there were only four people at home.
Himself, Yurna sitting over there reading a book, Sona inside practicing the etwahl, and Fiora in the backyard practicing swordsmanship.
His surroundings were quiet for once.
And just as Luke was thinking that, a bicycle rode into the courtyard.
It was none other than Miss Crownguard.
After parking the bicycle, she walked over with a heavy look on her face, then sat down in the chair beside Luke and forced out a smile.
"I want to ask you something."
Luke lounged there casually and glanced sideways at her. "Hm?"
"Hypothetically. I'm saying hypothetically. If you accidentally broke a vase that was really important to someone and that person loved a lot, what would you do?"
As she said that, Lux swallowed nervously and looked at Luke.
After hearing her out, Luke thought seriously for exactly one second and said, "I'd probably do what you're doing—go around asking everyone."
Lux: (⊙⊙)
Miss Crownguard went silent at once.
A smile appeared on Luke's face. "Personally, I think if you confess now, maybe it still won't be that bad."
The moment he said that, Lux immediately shook her head like a maraca. "No, no, no. I'd die if I did that. You have no idea how much my mother loves that vase."
Luke looked at her in surprise. "So you really did break a vase?"
Lux could not keep pretending anymore. She nodded and looked at him pleadingly.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Her eyes were glistening with tears now, and that panicked little expression on her face was enough to make anyone pity her.
Luke thought about it seriously. "I suggest you find a comfortable position and lie down."
Lux froze. "What kind of solution is that?"
Luke said, "That way you can die peacefully."
Lux: "????"
I'm still young. I don't want to die yet!
At that moment, she was both terrified and frantic. Her heart was still pounding so hard it had not calmed down at all.
Seeing her expression, Luke sighed. "Fine. Since it's this bad, I'll help you think of something."
Lux immediately looked at him. "Really?"
"Of course. You're facing a crisis like this—how could I just stand by and do nothing?"
Luke sat up, wearing a thoroughly righteous expression as he looked at Lux.
"Let's go inside first."
For some reason, Lux felt a sudden wave of reassurance. She nodded and followed Luke into the house.
Once they were seated on the sofa, Luke asked, "Tell me everything from the beginning."
Lux sat down and began.
"My mom went shopping, right? And I saw that her favorite vase was a little dusty, so I thought I'd wipe it clean for her. But then I slipped, and it fell right to the floor. Who would've thought it was that fragile? It landed on the carpet, but it still shattered immediately."
There was even a hint of grievance in her voice as she continued.
"My mom spent a lot of money on that vase a few years ago, and she absolutely loves it. Even now she still takes it out to admire it and sketch it from time to time."
Luke listened with a serious expression, then nodded. "If that's the case, then this vase really is important to your mother. But honestly, it sounds like you just meant well and things went wrong. I don't think the fault is entirely yours."
"Exactly, exactly!"
Lux looked at him with a deeply understood expression and said pitifully, "I really was just trying to clean it. Then my hand slipped, and it fell."
Luke thought for a moment. "You said your mother went shopping. Where did she go?"
Lux looked puzzled. "Why are you asking that?"
Luke replied immediately, "Aren't we trying to come up with a solution? First we need to know the enemy's movements. The more we understand the enemy, the easier it is to plan our response. Shouldn't we at least know when she'll be back?"
"That makes sense." Lux nodded after hearing that, then thought for a second. "The shopping street she usually goes to should be over by Starlight Road."
Luke considered that. "Starlight Road isn't too far from here. So she could come back at any time, then? Is it still possible to glue the vase back together? Or buy another identical one?"
Lux shook her head. "She'd absolutely notice... and there isn't a second one like it anywhere in the capital."
Luke relaxed inwardly, then put on a troubled look. "If that's the case, then yeah... this really won't be easy."
"Ugh..."
Lux sighed heavily in worry.
At that moment, she saw Luke stand up and immediately asked, "Where are you going?"
Luke looked at her and smiled gently. "I'm going to pick some tea leaves."
"Oh."
Lux nodded. Her head was completely full of worries about the vase right now, so she did not think much of it.
A little while later, Luke returned with some tea leaves, then went into the kitchen and brought out a pot of hot water.
He poured himself a cup, then poured one for Lux.
"Have some tea first. Calm yourself down."
"Mm."
Lux picked up the teacup. She knew this tea helped settle the nerves, so she took a careful sip.
As the tea went down, she immediately felt much better.
Then Luke looked at her and said, "Actually, I just thought of a solution."
Lux set down the cup at once. "What solution?"
Luke said, "The solution is that I'm the one who broke the vase."
Lux instantly understood what he meant, but she looked at him in disbelief. "Why would you suddenly—"
Then she saw his gaze soften, and she did not finish the sentence.
Luke looked at her and smiled gently. "Do you remember that teacup I had you smash back at your house?"
Lux immediately recalled it and nodded.
That had been the day he taught her what true painful enlightenment looked like.
"To be honest, I've felt guilty ever since then. Because I lied to you. That thing was never called sixth sense in the first place."
Luke sighed and showed a guilty smile. "At the time, I just thought it was funny."
Seeing that expression on his face, Lux thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. I already forgave you."
"No. I still haven't forgiven myself."
Luke shook his head, then looked at her with sincere eyes.
"I still remember my first day in the capital. I was lost, helpless, worried about the future, afraid of what was coming. But then you appeared. Meeting you was what changed my fate. In other words, you're my benefactor, and yet I treated you like that."
Looking at his earnest gaze, Lux felt as if she could truly sense his feelings.
Thinking back to the day they had first met, something in her heart shifted.
She scratched her head. "That day I just happened to help you a little. It wasn't really some huge favor..."
"To you, maybe it was just a small thing you did on the way. But to me, it was the day my fate changed."
Luke looked at her, his expression turning serious.
"So this time, let it be my way of repaying you for everything, and making up for it."
Looking into his clear eyes, Lux saw naked sincerity in them.
Warmth welled up in her heart, and she could not help feeling touched.
"But even if you say you broke it, Mother probably still won't let you off."
Luke shook his head. "At the very least, I'm royalty. She won't come down on me as hard. Miss Crownguard, this time, let me shoulder it."
Lux's eyes grew damp as she looked at him guiltily.
"All this time... I really misunderstood you. And last time, it was wrong of me to tell Aunt Tianna you were badmouthing her. I'm sorry."
Seeing her apologize, Luke smiled. "Forget about that. I never minded."
Then he stood up and said, "I'll go make preparations. You stay here and drink your tea. From here on, just leave everything to me."
Lux nodded, deeply moved. "Mm!"
Very soon, Luke left the living room.
Lux picked up the teacup on the table, but her feelings were a mess.
Was it really right to just let Luke take the blame for this?
So this was how he had really felt all along.
Thinking about how she had tattled to Aunt Tianna last time, Lux felt unbearably guilty.
Sure, this guy was annoying most of the time and always making her mad.
But when things really mattered, he was actually someone you could rely on.
As she sat there in the living room thinking about all this, Lux felt her conscience constantly tormenting her.
But after sitting there for quite a while without seeing Luke come back, she began to feel uneasy.
She stood up, intending to go look for him.
And then she heard Luke's voice.
"Lady Augatha! Right this way—she's in here. Please follow me!"
"???"
Lux's heart skipped violently.
In the next second, she saw Augatha's frost-covered face slowly appear from around the corner of the living room.
She looked at Luke in utter disbelief as he followed behind her.
And in the very next second, she saw contempt, disdain, mockery, and a cold sneer on his face.
That look seemed to say—
"Miss Crownguard, you're still far too naive."
It felt as if an arrow had shot straight through Lux's heart.
She staggered back two steps in a row, her face turning pale.
"Lady Augatha, she has already confessed her crime in full. I heard with my own ears how the culprit stretched out her sinful hand toward the vase. The evidence is conclusive."
As he reported this, Luke respectfully offered up a feather duster.
Augatha gave a cold hum and took it.
The chill radiating from her at that moment was not aimed at Luke at all.
It was aimed at the dumbstruck Lux standing in the living room.
Seeing that Luke had even prepared the feather duster in advance—and that the bastard had clearly embellished the story while he was at it—Lux finally understood just how naive she had been.
I'm such an idiot.
After spending so much time with this jerk, did I seriously still not understand him?
All it took was a little good acting and some emotional sincerity, and I actually believed him?
I'm such an idiot!
Hadn't I learned enough lessons from him already?
The first time he asked where Mother was, he was obviously trying to figure out her location so he could contact her immediately.
The first time he left the room, he was obviously giving Yurna instructions to go fetch Mother.
And then he came back and put on an Oscar-worthy performance here, playing with my feelings.
He trapped me in guilt and self-reproach over tattling on him before.
And on top of that, he got to hear me apologize sincerely from the bottom of my heart.
I'm such an idiot! I should have realized all of this sooner!
But now... was it already too late to regret it?
Looking at Augatha as she advanced step by step, saying nothing from beginning to end, yet radiating such coldness that the whole room seemed twenty degrees colder—
"Mother..."
Lux shrank back, trying to use that one word to awaken the maternal love deep inside her.
"Don't call me Mother. I have no daughter like you, and you have no mother like me."
With that single sentence, Augatha made it perfectly clear just how icy and merciless her mood was right now.
"You two, step outside for a moment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Luke obeyed at once and withdrew.
It was a little unfortunate that he would not get to witness what came next with his own eyes, but he was already satisfied enough.
At that moment, he felt like a great grudge had finally been avenged.
Did he not care about that trap dinner?
On the contrary—Luke cared very much.
You could say that he had never once forgotten that night over the past several days.
He had buried all the unwillingness and frustration from that evening deep in his heart.
And he had done it all for this day.
Little Blondie, I finally caught you slipping.
Laughing wildly in his heart, Luke's steps were even lighter as he walked out of the living room.
And Sona, who had witnessed the entire thing from beginning to end, could not help casting Lux a sympathetic glance before leaving as well.
Poor Miss Crownguard. The prince had played her like a fiddle.
Once the two of them stepped outside, Augatha's emotionless gaze settled on Lux.
And in the very next second, the Augatha who had seemed like an angel over these past few days transformed directly into a demon.
All that recent gentleness vanished without a trace.
Outside in the yard, Luke lay down in the rocking chair.
A mournful scream rang out from the house behind him, loud and piercing.
It was far too pleasant to the ears.
Accompanied by that scream, Luke leisurely took a sip of hot tea.
His mood could not have been better.
Back in the rear courtyard, even Fiora—who had been practicing swordsmanship—turned to glance toward the house when she heard that familiar scream, sympathy flickering in her eyes.
There was a kind of pain that hurt even just to listen to.
After a day like this, Miss Crownguard would surely grow a lot.
Ten minutes later, when Lady Augatha came out from the doorway, she looked much more refreshed.
After this, she understood one truth.
What gentleness? What motherly love?
When it came to this little troublemaker, if she needed a beating, then she needed a beating.
Her fist was motherly love.
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