[Third Person’s PoV]

Lucian stood backstage alongside the rest of his classmates, all of whom were clad in elaborate costumes provided by their ever-enthusiastic drama teacher, Mr. Matthews.

In front of Lucian, hanging neatly on a polished steel rack, was a striking black and crimson three-piece suit. Beside it dangled a red-and-gold masquerade mask, glimmering under the backstage lights. The outfit radiated elegance and mystery, perfect for the role he was meant to embody.

Lucian, currently shirtless and unbothered, reached for the crimson button-down shirt. However, he paused, sensing something. Slowly, he turned his head and blinked. A dozen pairs of eyes were locked on him.

His sculpted, powerful physique, honed through intense training and grit, stood out like a statue carved from marble. The lighting only accentuated the defined muscles along his arms, chest, and torso. The room had fallen unnaturally silent.

“…What?” Lucian asked, raising a brow at the unexpected attention.

“You’re just… unfair,” one of his classmates finally muttered, sounding both impressed and disheartened.

“Seriously? What the hell are those muscles?” another chimed in, throwing their hands up in exasperation. “Just what the hell did you eat?”

“I’m starting to wonder what kind of life you’ve lived to look like that…” someone else added, eyes still wide with disbelief.

Lucian smirked as he slowly began buttoning up his crimson shirt. “I was an ex-convict,” he said matter-of-factly. “Got sent to juvie at a young age. Had to train every day just to survive. The weak didn’t last long where I came from.”

A heavy silence swept through the room. Jaws dropped. Even the quieter students, previously focused on their own costumes, stopped mid-task and stared in stunned disbelief.

Then Lucian chuckled, his tone lightening. “I’m messing with you guys,” he said with a playful roll of his eyes. “The fact that you actually believed that is… kinda worrying. Don’t be so gullible.”

A chorus of irritated groans followed, mixed with reluctant laughter.

“Honestly? With the way you are, I completely believed it,” one student said, still trying to recover from the shock.

“Same here.”

“Yeah, I had zero doubt.”

“Honestly, I still believe that more than I believe you saying it was a joke,” someone else added, earning a few nods of agreement.

Lucian chuckled again and slipped on the tailored black coat. The way he adjusted the lapels with practiced ease spoke volumes—it was clear he had worn suits like this many times before. In fact, there had been a phase in his life when formal wear was all he ever wore.

“Believe what you want,” he said casually, slipping the masquerade mask into place, “Just know that if I had committed a crime, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to get caught and end up in juvie.”

“That… might actually be the scariest thing you’ve ever said,” one whispered.

With a confident stride and a dramatic flourish, Lucian pushed open the backstage curtain. His coat billowed behind him like the cape of a theatrical antihero, and the light gleamed off the red and gold mask that now hid the top half of his face.

“The star of the show has arrived!” he declared boldly, voice echoing.

Mr. Matthews, who had been making checks near the stage, looked up and grinned. “Whoa! Looking sharp!” he exclaimed, clapping. “Honestly, that looks even better than I imagined!”

Almost immediately, Lucian found himself swarmed by several of his female classmates, already dressed in flowing masquerade gowns and their own glittering masks. They surrounded him like moths to a flame.

“You look amazing!”

“That suit suits you too well.”

“Romeo, oh, Romeo~” one of them sang, dramatically fanning herself.

Lucian gave them a dazzling grin, clearly enjoying the attention. “Ladies, one at a time~” he teased, his voice smooth like velvet.

A pointed ahem suddenly pierced through the chatter.

The girls quickly parted, revealing a vision of golden splendor. Annabeth stood before him, regal and radiant in a gown that sparkled like sunlit sand. Her golden dress clung elegantly to her form and flowed to the floor in shimmering waves. Long silk gloves hugged her arms, and a silver mask framed her eyes with an air of mystery and grace.

With practiced elegance, she flicked open a fan to cover the lower half of her face, her silver gaze sharp as she glared at the surrounding girls, her posture regal and commanding.

Lucian’s smirk deepened. With perfect timing and flair, he stepped forward and extended a hand toward her. “Mademoiselle,” he said with a bow, kissing her glove hand that landed softly in his palm, “you are as stunning now as the day I first fell under your spell.”

Annabeth’s eyes softened behind the mask, and she allowed a small smirk to curl her lips. “You really think so?” she asked coyly, lowering the fan.

Without missing a beat, Lucian spun her in a graceful turn. Her dress flared out beautifully before he pulled her into him. Annabeth closed her fan and placed both her hands on his shoulders, their faces close—breaths mingling.

“I know so,” Lucian whispered. Then, with practiced poise, he dipped her low, one arm securely around her back while his other hand held her leg just above his waist, which had curled up beside him.

“You dangerous flirt~” Annabeth cooed, gently cupping Lucian’s cheek in her gloved hand.

They both smiled warmly before leaning in and sharing a kiss, completely unfazed by their audience. Around them, their female classmates immediately erupted in soft coos and playful squeals.

“Awww~” several of them chimed in adoration.

“Alright! No! Stop it, you two! Enough of that!” Mr. Matthews called out, clapping his hands as he walked over, clearly trying not to smile. “We will be having none of that during rehearsal!”

Annabeth groaned in protest and clicked her tongue. “Oi! You didn’t let me play Juliet, and now I have to watch my boyfriend kiss another girl on stage. Let me have my moment, will you?”

“By the gods, you guys are embarrassing…” came Bianca’s dry voice as she stepped forward. She wore a dark purple gown that shimmered subtly beneath the lights, her matching mask only enhancing her sarcastic stare.

Lucian chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up. “You look nice, Bianca.”

She gave his arm a playful slap, a rare smile curling her lips. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Must be because we’re related,” Lucian said with a puffed-out chest, clearly proud.

“Obviously,” Bianca replied, raising her chin in mock arrogance—an expression that was unmistakably Lucian-esque, much to her own dismay, having gained a couple of quirks from being around Lucian for so long.

Just then, a familiar voice called out, “So what do you think, hot shot?”

Lucian turned to see Lasis approaching, flanked by her two sisters, Chloe and Atropos.

Lasis wore a velvet-red dress, slightly deeper in hue than Lucian’s suit. Her mask was the same rich shade, and her short brown hair fell freely over her shoulder, framing her confident smirk.

To her right, Atropos was dressed in a gown of pure black. Her makeup was sharp and elegant, matching her midnight mask. Her straight hair framed her face neatly, with her bangs drifting just over the top of her mask.

Meanwhile, Chloe wore a royal blue dress that trailed gracefully behind her, its flow catching the light with every step. Her golden mask shimmered like stardust, contrasting beautifully with her bright blue eyes and matching her golden hair. .

Lucian’s eyes flicked to Atropos, a grin forming. “Whose funeral are we attending?” he teased.

“Yours in a few seconds if you keep talking,” Atropos replied without missing a beat, her voice cool as ice.

Chloe spun with a graceful twirl, her skirt fanning out like waves. “So?” she asked with a smile. “Do we look good?”

Lucian paused, then smiled genuinely. “You three look stunning.”

The compliment hit harder than expected. All three girls blinked, then blushed in unison—clearly caught off guard by the sincerity of his words and the warmth of his smile.

Mr. Matthews, observing all of this from the sidelines, pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. ‘This kid… He’s going to be a serious problem in the future. I can already feel it.’

Once all the boys had finished changing into their suits and costumes, Mr. Matthews clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention.

“Alright, everyone! Partner up!” he called out. “We’re going to run through the choreography for the dance scene at the midpoint of the play. It needs to be sharp, smooth, and flawless—we only have a week left to get this perfect.”

The stage buzzed with motion as the students began pairing off. Dresses swished as the girls hurried to their partners, holding up the hems so they wouldn’t trip. The music began to play from the overhead speakers—an elegant waltz that echoed through the auditorium.

Lucian found himself dancing with Atropos. One of his hands rested lightly on her hip, the other gently holding her hand. Her arms were comfortably draped over his shoulders, her expression calm but content.

“Enjoying yourself?” Lucian asked with a soft smile.

“Greatly…” Atropos answered with an equally soft expression. “I think the best decision my sisters ever made… was coming to this school.”

Lucian pouted slightly. “I thought creating me would’ve topped the list.”

She gave him a knowing look. “Your creation wasn’t a decision. It was a desire… a need. There was no discussion or plan—you simply had to exist.”

Lucian blinked, caught off guard by the weight of her words. “Okay… you can’t just say something like that. Even I get flustered,” he mumbled, a light blush rising on his cheeks.

Atropos giggled softly, clearly amused—and secretly delighted—by his reaction.

Meanwhile, Mr. Matthews watched them and sighed once more, clapping his hands loudly. “Alright—switch!” he called.

The students groaned and began shuffling around, exchanging partners after each round. With every clap of Mr. Matthews’ hands, new pairings were formed, each giving them time to rehearse and refine the steps.

This continued until the final bell rang, echoing through the auditorium and signaling the end of rehearsal.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep