Chapter 274: Chapter 274: Ice Cream

Monk Anaro slowly approached Lana, their footsteps soft against the marble floor, and with gentle smiles, they handed her a small bag.

The moment Lana saw it, her brow arched slightly.

“On my behalf,” Monka Anaro smiled, pushing the bag toward her, “it’s just a small gift. You should accept it.”

Lana hesitated, her fingers brushing the fabric of the bag as if weighing more than its physical weight. ’Is it really fine?’ After a brief pause, she accepted it and lifted her gaze toward Monka Anaro.

“How are you now?” she asked quietly.

Monka Anaro’s smile widened, warm and oddly serene.

“I have an angel protecting me,” he said lightly. “How could I possibly be in trouble?”

Hearing those words, Lana couldn’t help but smile softly.

A sense of calm washed over her chest, and before she could say anything more, Monka Anaro turned and left, his figure disappearing down the dimly lit corridor.

Soon, Lana found herself alone in the vast mansion with Lucian.

As time passed, the silence grew heavier, stretching uncomfortably between them. Feeling sleepy, she closed her eyes before waking up realizing a lot of time had passed.

The rustling of curtains and the distant creak of the manor only made her more aware of his presence.

After covering the leaves of the pendant, doubts crept into her heart. ’Does he really feel anything for me?’

Otherwise Lucian wouldn’t have done so much for her, right?

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and looked at Lucian.

“Do you like me?” she asked in a calm voice.

Outwardly, she appeared composed, but only she knew how violently her heart was pounding, echoing in her ears.

Lucian stared at her for a long moment before replying evenly, “What do you think?”

This time, Lana didn’t fall for his evasive words. She met his gaze directly, her voice firm despite the tremor in her chest.

“If you truly like me, then say it. Otherwise… I’ll have to find someone else.”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you like someone else?” he asked.

Lana didn’t bother answering that. “You should be the one to reply first,” she said instead.

Left with no choice, Lucian fell silent. “I do. I like you.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Lana’s heart almost stumbled out of her chest.

’Is this real?’ Moonlight spilled through the windows, pale and cold, reminding her of another life, another time. The same moonlight now bore witness to his confession.

The more she thought about it, the more unreal it felt, like a fragile dream that might shatter at any moment.

Lucian stood up and slowly walked toward her, taking her hand. His grip was firm, almost too firm.

“But there’s something you don’t know,” he said quietly.

Lana looked at him in confusion and then she realized it. There was almost no emotion in his eyes.

Instead, they looked strange, unsettling. A shiver ran down her spine.

Before she could speak, his face began to change. Beneath his skin, black veins slowly surfaced, crawling like living shadows. Lana’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Then she looked into his eyes and her heart nearly stopped. They had turned completely black.

When he spoke again, it wasn’t his voice. It was deep, distorted, and demonic. With a creepy smile, he said,

“We can never be together. Once we do… ”

He didn’t finish. The rest of his words blurred, as if erased from reality itself. Lana narrowed her eyes, desperately trying to read his lips.

’This is important. I need to know.’ But before she could, a crushing pressure wrapped around her neck.

She gasped and struggled. Air was ripped from her lungs as his hand clenched tighter. She stared at him in disbelief as Lucian chuckled softly.

“You shouldn’t have contacted her,” he said mockingly.

Lana’s eyes widened. Before she could speak, darkness swallowed everything around her.

The surroundings blackened completely, leaving only Lucian’s distorted figure in front of her, laughing creepily.

’Is this a dream… or a vision?’ Panic flooded her mind. Either way, it was dangerous. She had to escape.

She struggled harder, but her strength faded with each passing second. His laughter echoed in her ears.

“You’re going to die, Lana,” he whispered. “Finally… this will end.”

Her body trembled as the last of the air left her lungs. Just before she lost consciousness, she saw a blurry figure rushing toward her.

When Lana opened her eyes again, she sucked in a sharp breath. Something was wrong.

She looked around and froze. Lucian, Mr. Crow, along with maids and servants, surrounded her, their faces filled with worry.

She turned toward Lucian, who stood beside her, and immediately distanced herself, startling everyone. Lucian froze slightly.

“It was just a bad dream,” Lana said softly.

She stayed silent afterward, her gaze fixed on his face, searching for any sign of change.

But his expression remained normal, nothing like the horror she had seen.

She clenched her fist, then slowly calmed her nerves.

“It was only a nightmare,” she said. “That’s all. You can all leave now. You must be tired after the birthday banquet.”

The room fell into an uneasy silence. Lana sensed the strange looks directed at her, but Mr. Crow quickly spoke up,

“You’ve been unconscious for almost a month.”

Hearing that, Lana’s eyes widened.

“A month? How is that possible? How could I… ”

Her words died midway as realization struck her. She froze.

Lucian gestured for the servants to leave, then looked at her calmly.

“What kind of nightmare did you have?”

Lana remained silent. For the first time, an instinctive fear rose within her toward Lucian. Even if it had been a dream… her instincts screamed otherwise.

’That wasn’t just a dream,’ she thought, her heart tightening. ’It was a half-truth.’

Lucian seemed to sense the subtle shift in her emotions. He remained silent for a moment before looking at Lana with a soft, almost casual smile.

“If you’re not in the mood to talk,” he said gently, “how about having some ice cream?”

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