Luke took a lap around the inside of the workshop. Everything was running normally.
Navis said the improved printing press would be finished in three days at most.
Which meant the day the newspaper officially went on sale was already very close—just a few more days, tops.
Luke needed to start preparing.
He didn't stay at the workshop long. After confirming everything was on track, he said goodbye to Navis and left.
On the way to the market district, Lux suddenly remembered something and looked at Luke.
"You said you had a really important task to assign me. What is it, exactly?"
Back then, when there were four of them, Luke had given everyone a job—except her.
And now the newspaper was about to launch, and she still had nothing to do.
It made Lux feel like she wasn't part of it.
So far, it was like the only thing she'd done was invest on behalf of House Crownguard… and nothing else.
Hearing that, Luke smiled at her. "Don't worry. It'll be in the next day or two."
He'd been thinking about how to talk his way through it anyway—he hadn't expected Miss Crownguard to bring it up herself.
Perfect. Saved him a lot of trouble.
Lux nodded, looking genuinely excited.
Not long after, the carriage arrived at the market district.
Shopping began. Since there was so much to buy, Luke split the list up between the three of them.
The four of them immediately scattered—each buying their own items.
Then, once they were done, they regrouped back at the carriage.
By six in the afternoon, when the sunlight overhead turned slightly golden, they finally finished buying everything.
There were simply too many things for one carriage to hold, so they rented four more cargo wagons.
Only then did it all fit, and they headed home.
When they arrived, it was still light out.
But the sunset was already visible—soft, mellow light spilling down after the rain.
Before anyone realized it, summer was already more than halfway gone.
They got down from the carriage. In the courtyard, Sona and Fiora sat across from each other playing five-in-a-row.
Both of them were focused, serious.
When it came to the game, Sona was the closest to Fiora in skill—Fiora still had the edge, but it was close enough that the wins traded back and forth.
So Fiora liked playing Sona the most. Their relationship had gone from simply knowing each other to being pretty good friends.
Seeing Luke and the others return, both women looked up.
When they saw the four big cargo wagons behind them, they paused the game and stood to help.
Everyone worked for a while before things were finally put away.
Fiora asked, confused, "Why did you buy so much stuff?"
She'd already seen plenty of jars and bottles, and there were the same barrels from last time—plus a whole new stack of them.
They'd bought coal too.
And then there were medicinal herbs—so many that the herbs alone took up an entire wagon.
Food ingredients took up another wagon, which at least made sense.
Luke just smiled. "Because it'll be useful."
Everything would be used—just not all at once.
Fiora didn't press further. Then she remembered something and added, "Oh—when I was practicing in the back yard, I noticed water bubbling up back there."
"Huh?"
Luke frowned in confusion.
Curiosity got the better of everyone, and they all headed toward the back.
The back yard was actually much larger than the front. It connected to a back garden, where a stone path ran through it, and at the far end there was a decent-sized fish pond.
Luke wasn't interested in keeping fish, so it had been left unused.
The spot Fiora meant was by the fish pond.
Luke's current home had once been Tiana's main residence. More than a decade ago, she and her husband lived here—until a war took him. He was killed by the enemy and died on the battlefield.
After returning to the capital, Tiana never came back to this house. She moved into the Crownguard Estate instead.
So the place had sat empty for years.
Originally, the fish pond had been connected to a water source with a circulation system—but after being abandoned, that system fell apart too.
Looking over, even though it had rained, the pond held no water.
It had clearly drained out through the outlet.
Outside the pond, several cracks had opened in the ground, and even now water was still seeping out.
Lux stared, baffled. "That can't be right. The water source connected to this pond should be gone."
The pond used to draw from upstream and flush out through a downstream outlet to circulate.
But that upstream supply had long since been redirected elsewhere—now it fed the main courtyard's water instead.
Luke stepped closer and crouched to look. "This doesn't feel like it's coming from upstream."
He reached out and touched the water that kept seeping out, and immediately felt warmth.
He froze—then his surprise turned into delight.
"Did I seriously luck out like this?!"
He stood up grinning, thinking that today really was his lucky day.
Seeing his expression, Fiora frowned slightly, looking at the seepage and guessing, "Hot spring water?"
"If nothing weird happens, yeah—probably." Luke nodded hard, almost certain.
In Demacia, hot springs weren't exactly unheard of.
A lot of cities—including the capital—were built near mountains, so it wasn't unusual to find natural hot springs in plenty of places.
Some cities were even famous for them.
With warm water bubbling up here, it was obvious Luke's property had the conditions underground for a hot spring.
Generally, for underground water to form a hot spring, there are three requirements:
There must be a heat source underground.
There must be a pressure difference that forces heated water upward (cracks in rock layers allow it to surge out).
There must be long, deep fractures in the rock that connect the heated water to the surface (space in the strata to store hot water).
The surface has a natural water cycle. Because it had poured earlier in the day, rainwater would seep down into the ground.
At that point, the water would sink into fissures in the rock layers.
Heated by geothermal warmth, the water temperature would slowly rise. Once it rose enough, pressure would build—and it would push back up, spilling out at the surface.
Maybe there had been a hot spring under this place for a long time, and nobody noticed because the house had been abandoned.
Then today's heavy rain hit—and Fiora happened to be practicing with her sword in the back yard, so she caught it.
Otherwise, with Luke being a lazy bastard, he probably would've lived here his whole life without realizing there was a hot spring in the back yard.
No question about it—Luke had just picked up a massive freebie.
Even he got a little excited thinking about it.
He was sick to death of bathing every day in that cramped little bathtub!
"A hot spring…" Lux looked openly jealous.
She actually loved soaking in hot springs.
But she could only go once in a while. Most of the time she was stuck soaking in the bath at home, and compared to a real hot spring, it didn't even feel close.
So yeah—watching Luke get a hot spring for free was painful.
Sona and Kahina didn't seem as impressed—maybe because their homes already had a natural hot spring.
No matter what, for Luke it was huge.
He wanted to soak tonight.
But he forced himself to calm down. You couldn't rush it—having the hot spring was one thing, but the pool still needed to be built first.
You couldn't have everything instantly.
Back in the front courtyard, Luke kept smiling, clearly in a great mood.
"I was going to wait a couple more days… but now? I'm not waiting."
He muttered the decision to himself, and the women looked at him strangely.
Lux gave him a curious look. "Wait for what?"
Luke glanced at her. "Probably doesn't have anything to do with you."
That tone immediately annoyed Miss Crownguard. She shot him a sharp little glare.
But not long after, she'd find out he was right—it really didn't have anything to do with her.
The shopping was done, everything they bought was put away, and everyone quickly had nothing to do again.
So they did whatever they felt like.
Sona and Fiora went back to finish the five-in-a-row game they'd left unfinished.
Lux and Kahina invited Luke to play a game of cards, but Luke—surprisingly—refused.
Because he had something to do next.
With no choice, the two of them dragged Yurna into a card game instead…
…while also keeping an eye on Luke's strange behavior in the yard.
He hauled out a bunch of metal racks he'd bought last time, then started hammering here and there, sawing and grinding with a hacksaw, making a constant racket.
It was so loud the girls couldn't concentrate, and they all retreated inside.
Seeing how rarely Luke focused this hard on one thing, none of them went over to bother him—if anything, they were even more curious.
When the yard finally quieted down, they noticed Luke had washed up and then disappeared into the kitchen.
Seeing him apparently preparing dinner, they started looking forward to what they'd be eating.
By the time it got dark—around eight at night—
"Alright, that's about it!"
Chef Luke, who'd been busy the entire afternoon, exhaled in the yard and called into the house, "Get ready to eat!"
A moment later, the girls filed out one by one.
They gathered in the yard, confused. Even though it was night, the firelight made everything bright.
In front of Luke was an iron frame about four feet long, filled with charcoal that glowed with a red-orange heat.
Beside it were several tables covered with all kinds of ingredients—many of them skewered on iron sticks already.
Tender beef, marbled pork, distinct chunks of lamb—plus more vegetables than anyone could count: corn, mushrooms, green beans…
And on top of that, plenty of seafood they'd bought today: scallops, lobster, crab.
There was so much food it made their eyes spin.
But there was a problem.
It was all raw.
Lux frowned. "Are you planning to roast it?"
Luke nodded, smiling. "Exactly. Tonight I'm letting you try barbecue."
He'd been craving it for ages—and he'd even brewed beer for it.
Barbecue with a cold beer. That was the life he'd always wanted.
Originally, because brewing took time, he'd planned to wait a few more days—sell the newspaper first, then crack open the beer to celebrate.
But now that he'd found a hot spring?
He was doing it early.
"Isn't it just roasting stuff?" Lux leaned in, felt the hot wave of charcoal on her face, and quickly leaned back.
Everyone here had eaten roasted meat before. You put it over fire and sprinkle some seasoning—done.
"You don't get it." Luke's smile turned mysterious. "The best ingredients often use the simplest cooking method."
Then he added, "But my 'roast it' isn't the same as your 'roast it.'"
Not one of them doubted him.
Usually, Luke could say whatever he wanted and they might not believe a word.
But when it came to food?
If Luke said it, they believed it.
They also noticed a barrel on another table—inside was the drink Luke had been brewing in the basement this whole time.
Fiora, who'd been curious about it for a while, stepped closer to inspect it. "Is that the beer you were talking about?"
"Yep." Luke checked the heat with his hand over the grill and said, "Perfect. Grab whatever you want and bring it over."
The moment he said it, they rushed to the ingredient tables and picked what they wanted.
When they came back, Luke took one look at what they'd chosen and went silent for a second.
"Could you at least bring some vegetables?"
He scanned the skewers. Good grief—nothing but meat.
They were really planning to eat zero greens tonight.
"Stop whining and grill!" Lux lifted her chin proudly and shoved her skewers at him.
She'd brought the most meat by far, in every variety.
Chef Luke sighed and began his "high-end" barbecue.
He brushed a layer of golden oil over the tender skewers and laid them on the grill. Almost immediately, the charcoal crackled.
As time passed, the color of the meat changed, and soon the natural aroma of roasting meat rose up.
Then came the important part.
Luke took out a sauce he'd mixed himself, dipped a brush into it, and painted it onto the skewers in steady strokes.
Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle!
The meat hissed as some of the sauce evaporated, while the rest soaked into the tightening fibers.
The fragrance of meat, mixed with the rich aroma of the sauce, spread through the entire yard—instantly locking all the girls' eyes onto the grill.
Lux even dragged over a small stool and sat beside him, staring with a pathetic, hopeful look. Right now she didn't want to think about anything else—she just wanted to eat.
"Done!"
Luke scooped up a whole handful of skewers. Juices dripped onto the charcoal, making that perfect sound.
Then he grabbed a handful of seasoning and sprinkled it over them casually.
Lux was already waiting with a small plate.
Luke set the skewers down and started working on the next batch.
Before long, several plates were piled high with all kinds of skewers, steaming with mouthwatering heat—like gorgeous dancers waiting for someone to come and give them attention.
Then Luke picked up the wooden tankards he'd bought, walked to the beer barrel, and opened the tap.
Pale golden beer surged out.
He caught it in a cup. The girls watched with curiosity, noticing it looked a lot like ale.
As it poured, they could already smell a distinctive aroma spreading through the air—like a wheat field, with a faint fruity fragrance and even a hint of sweetness.
As the beer rose in the cup, white foam bloomed like snow. When it was about to spill over, Luke shut the tap.
He handed the first cup to Fiora, who had been waiting.
Then he poured and distributed cup after cup.
Halfway through, he caught Lux trying to slip one past him—she walked over holding a wooden cup, pretending she didn't know anything as she offered it to Luke.
Luke looked at her, then pointed behind the beer barrel, grinning. "You drink that."
Lux followed his gaze and saw a small chilled cola keg sitting behind it—like it had been prepared specifically for her.
Miss Crownguard's face immediately scrunched up in protest. "I'm almost an adult!"
Alcohol wasn't exactly a luxury in Demacia, but it wasn't cheap either—and the law said minors weren't allowed to drink.
And poor Miss Crownguard was still, in fact, a minor.
"Almost isn't adult." Luke smiled, looking at her like she was a little kid, with all the smug superiority of a grown-up.
That look made Lux even more irritated, but she had no way around it. She trudged over, sulking, and poured herself a cup of cola.
She did like cola—but everyone else was drinking beer, and she was stuck holding a cola like some kind of joke.
Unfair.
"To celebrating the discovery of a hot spring—cheers!"
Luke raised his mug, beaming.
Then he tilted his head back and chugged loudly.
"Cheers!"
The girls responded together, laughing.
Fiora was just as bold, draining her cup in one go.
The moment the beer hit her mouth, she felt the crisp freshness unique to fermented drinks—followed by a subtle fruity sweetness. The texture was velvety smooth, and then the rich body of the beer bloomed, wrapped in hop aroma with that unmistakable sparkling bite.
Almost instantly, Fiora decided Luke's beer was top-tier.
Her family ran a winery, so she knew a little about alcohol.
She didn't drink often, but she could tell this wasn't ordinary.
Seeing the two of them chug like that, Kahina lifted her cup, wanting to copy them.
But halfway up, she lost her nerve.
She'd only just become an adult not long ago, and with strict upbringing, this was her first drink.
After thinking, she gave up on chugging and took a small sip instead.
She tasted it, feeling the fizz—almost like cola in that sense. The flavor was fresh, and since it was her first time, she couldn't tell if it was "good" or not.
But her first impression was that she didn't dislike it.
Sona wore a gentle smile and drank in small sips, nodding thoughtfully as if to say this beer was anything but simple.
And it wasn't. Luke had brewed it carefully, adding several rare fruits—so it was far better than standard beer.
Yurna also drank in small sips. Her face didn't show much, but her eyes stayed fixed on the beer in her cup, clearly satisfied.
"Ha…"
After finishing a cup in a few swallows, Luke felt cool refreshment spread through his whole body, his mind instantly brightening.
He let out a satisfied breath and immediately poured himself a second cup.
That first beer really did taste best chugged—the hops hit just right. Perfect.
Fiora wasn't slower than him. After finishing her first cup, she felt the same crisp rush, wiped the foam from her lips without caring, and held her cup out at Luke, silently demanding a refill.
Luke chuckled and filled her second cup too.
After that, there was no need for more "cheers." They were going to eat and drink at the same time.
By now, the skewers had cooled to the perfect temperature. Each of them grabbed one and bit down eagerly.
Lux was the fastest. Since she had cola anyway, chugging or not didn't matter.
While Luke and Fiora were drinking, Lux had been stationed beside the skewers like a guard dog, waiting for them to cool just enough.
The moment they weren't scorching hot, she snatched one and took an impatient bite.
With one chew, juices burst across her mouth. First came a touch of salt, then the smoky roasted flavor, and finally the fragrant punch of the sauce.
Three flavors fused together, and Lux felt a thick wave of happiness.
The roasted meat she'd had before didn't deserve to be compared to this.
As a hardcore foodie, she realized immediately: that second brushing of sauce was the soul of it.
That sauce alone doubled the flavor of the skewers.
And the most insane part was that while the sauce aroma dominated, Luke still preserved the natural fragrance of roasted meat.
That was what made it perfect.
She kept eating, bite after bite. And just as she was thinking life was beautiful, Lux noticed Luke and the others chatting while drinking beer.
She stared at the mugs in their hands.
Suddenly, the skewer in her hand didn't smell so amazing anymore.
Luke said barbecue with beer was the ultimate pairing. If she only got the barbecue but not the beer…
Didn't that mean she was only experiencing half the happiness?
She looked down at her cola and sighed, took a sip, and somehow—cola, which usually tasted incredible—felt less satisfying now.
Even though she could see Luke and the others just a short distance away, Lux felt like she was separated from them by two different worlds.
So she sighed again and took another sip, forced to drown her sorrow in cola.
Luke didn't notice Miss Crownguard's gloomy tragedy at all.
He and the duelist just kept drinking, cup after cup, as if time had disappeared.
Neither of them had had alcohol in a long time, and after a few cups, both Luke and Fiora were lightly buzzed.
Yurna took over at the grill, roasting food in Luke's place. With the sauce already made, barbecuing itself wasn't hard.
At this point, Luke had lost track of how many cups he'd had. He only knew the buzz felt great. Smiling faintly, he leaned back and looked up at the sky, enjoying the night.
Beside him, Fiora's cheeks had flushed. Her deep blue eyes, usually so cold, looked softened now, as if thawed—carrying a tenderness you rarely ever saw.
That cool, sharp aura around her had brightened, gaining a faint, alluring warmth. With her stunning features under the night sky, she looked breathtaking.
She'd kept pace with Luke. Not as competition—just because their drinking rhythm happened to match.
Fiora rarely drank like this.
Normally she avoided alcohol, because feeling tipsy could affect her judgment. She didn't hate it, but she didn't like it either.
Yet right now, the only thought in her head was: one more cup.
She glanced toward the sky. Without noticing, the stars had already filled the night, and a bright band of the Milky Way stretched across it—dreamlike.
Then she turned her gaze to the side.
Luke was leaning against the table too, also looking at the sky. His face was clean and handsome, his eyes clear, his expression lazy in a comfortable way—relaxed, almost carefree.
The more she looked, the more Fiora's lips curled upward. She'd never imagined she'd one day sit and drink like this with a man.
Leaning against the table together, mirroring each other, watching the night—she smiled and said, "In all of Demacia, you're the person I've seen who knows how to enjoy life the most."
Luke smiled back. "I've never had some lofty, heroic dream. I've always wanted a life like this—drink, laugh, and enjoy the moment. So I spend my time figuring out how to live comfortably."
In life, the first thing you should learn is how to enjoy it.
Because life is long, and there's so much packed into it—joy and anger, sorrow and laughter, sweetness and bitterness, birth and death.
It's complicated enough already.
If you can't even learn to enjoy it, then you came into this world like some suffering monk, trudging through misery for no reason.
Luke didn't want that.
So whether tomorrow was cloudy or clear…
What mattered most was always the present.
One second of happiness right now was one second of happiness.
Why pile up worries for yourself all day long?
Fiora listened and laughed softly. She lifted her eyes to the sky. "If only I could be like you."
Drink, laugh, enjoy the moment.
What an incredible eight words.
Luke glanced at her, puzzled. "Aren't you doing exactly that right now?"
Fiora froze, then laughed helplessly—realizing she'd forgotten she was already living that moment.
Yeah.
Right now, she really was happy.
If only it could stay like this forever.
Luke looked at the duelist beside him. She didn't speak, but a faint trace of sadness flashed through her eyes—so quick it almost didn't exist.
He looked away and went back to watching the sky.
He knew that even for him, if he wanted this kind of life to last, he'd have to do something to protect it.
Fiora stood to refill her cup. Maybe the alcohol had caught up to her, because her first two steps wobbled a little.
Without meaning to, she bumped lightly into Luke. The brief contact cleared her head a bit.
She steadied herself and instinctively glanced at him.
He was watching her with a faint, amused smile.
Her heart skipped in a way she didn't expect. Fiora pretended not to care, turned the tap, and poured another cup of beer.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
Luke raised his mug, and the two of them finished one last cup together.
After that, Luke felt his stomach grow hungry, so he went over to the grill, picked out a few skewers he liked, and handed them to Yurna.
Then he realized something felt strangely quiet.
He frowned. It felt like something was missing.
The feeling grew stronger.
He looked around and found Kahina sitting back-to-back with her "sisters," a little drunk. Kahina was talking nonstop, clearly one-sided.
Sona listened quietly.
Everything seemed normal.
Except—
Where did the blonde go?
"Where's Lux?" he asked Yurna.
Normally, while they were refilling cups, Lux would be refilling skewers like her life depended on it.
She was usually the loudest and the one who ate the most. Why wasn't she here?
"Miss Crownguard went inside a little while ago," Yurna answered.
Luke blinked. Lux went inside… for what?
That wasn't right. Not right at all.
He stood up and headed into the house.
He searched the living room—nothing. Went to the kitchen—still nothing.
Then he felt it.
He looked toward the basement stairs.
After a brief pause, he walked over, went downstairs, and saw the basement lit by a single torch.
And sure enough—Lux was there.
Miss Crownguard was sitting in front of a stack of barrels, her back to him, acting suspicious as hell. A few skewers sat beside her too.
Luke's eyebrow twitched.
He didn't let Lux drink, and she'd actually snuck off to the basement to drink alone while he wasn't paying attention.
He looked at the side—so she could pair barbecue with beer, she'd even brought a few skewers down.
But she hadn't started eating yet.
Luke walked up, planning to catch her red-handed.
Before he could even speak, Lux lifted her head and looked up at him.
Her face was bright red, absurdly cute.
Her big eyes stared straight at him without blinking, glittering like a starry sky—foggy at the edges, with a dazed softness.
"Heh…"
Recognizing it was Luke, she giggled stupidly.
Luke looked down at the cup in front of her. There was about half a cup of beer left.
So she was definitely drunk.
Lux lowered her head, lifted the cup, and tried to drink again.
Luke snatched it away.
Lux immediately puffed her cheeks, glaring up at him. "Give it!"
"No."
"Give it!"
"No."
"…"
After that back-and-forth, Luke expected her to lunge at him.
Instead, Lux just looked unhappy, lowered her head, and sat there quietly.
Like a little kid sulking.
Luke tested her by moving the beer cup toward her.
Lux instantly brightened, lifting her hands to take it—
Luke pulled it back again.
Lux shot him an offended look, lowered her head again, and then suddenly hiccuped—her whole body bouncing. Her face turned even redder.
Not embarrassed red—drunk red.
More drunk than before.
Luke stared at the cup in his hand, suddenly unsure how much she'd actually had.
Was it only half a cup?
Or had she already drunk a lot and there was only half left?
Either way, one thing was certain: Lux was drunk.
After thinking, Luke asked, "Can you stand up?"
Lux looked up at him, nodded…
Then shook her head.
Luke blanked. "So can you or can't you?"
Her reply was a dumb grin.
"Whatever. I'll carry you upstairs."
Luke sighed. Turning his back and crouching, he immediately felt weight settle onto him—two slender arms draping over his shoulders.
He stood up with her on his back.
Lux wriggled a little, adjusting until she found a position she liked, then shouted, "Hyah!"
Luke's face went flat as he carried her upstairs.
On his back, Lux happily swung her legs, surprisingly obedient.
Drunk Lux was basically a different person from sober Lux.
Before getting drunk, she was bright, energetic, playful, and mischievous.
After getting drunk, she got quiet and docile—more the type to just sit and stare into space.
She didn't cause a scene. Luke told her to do something, and she did it.
So he carried her to the living room and set her on the couch.
Lux just sat there.
There was hot water in the house, so Luke poured her a cup of Smoky Earl Grey Tea, hoping it might help.
When it cooled a little, he handed it to her and said, "Careful. Drink slowly."
Lux took it obediently and sipped carefully.
"I finished!" When the cup was empty, she held it up to Luke like she was asking for praise.
Luke smiled. "Want more?"
"More!"
So Luke poured her another cup.
After she finished that one, he asked again, "More?"
"No." Lux shook her head this time.
Two cups in, and she didn't look any less drunk.
Luke sighed. "Alright. Wait here."
Then he walked to the kitchen to make a hangover soup.
"Mhm." Lux nodded obediently.
Sitting on the couch, she swayed lightly, her legs swinging too. After a bit, she seemed uncomfortable and started taking off her shoes.
A few quick motions later, her shoes went flying somewhere across Luke's living room.
Then her thin socks followed.
Not long after, Lux's pale bare feet were out in the open—slender and small, white as snow, toes delicate like little flower buds.
She looked more comfortable, and went back to gently swaying.
She waited and waited, but Luke still hadn't come back.
So Lux stood up and decided to find him herself.
She didn't put her shoes back on—she ran barefoot through the house, feet thudding against the floorboards.
Luke was simmering soup in the kitchen when he heard the noise. He turned and saw Lux standing prettily at the doorway.
He glanced down at her bare feet and frowned. "Where are your shoes?"
Lux giggled. "I threw them."
Her cheeks were still red, her eyes dreamy. She didn't look any less drunk at all.
She probably just felt better without shoes. Sometimes when Luke drank, he thought it felt better to strip down completely too.
Thankfully, Miss Crownguard hadn't done that—she'd only taken off her shoes.
Luke said, "Go wait in the living room."
"No." Lux refused this time.
She padded into the kitchen on little bare feet, walked up next to Luke, and spread her arms.
Luke looked at her weird behavior—then sighed like he already knew what she wanted.
He turned, crouched slightly, and felt her hop onto his back again.
"Hyah!" Lux's voice rang out, bright and delighted.
Being carried up from the basement must have felt fun to her, because she'd run here just to make him do it again.
So Luke carried her back to the living room and put her on the couch again, putting on a stern face. "No more being stubborn."
"Mhm!" Lux nodded like she was completely satisfied.
Women who drank too much were a pain.
Luke silently vowed that from now on, he would never let this brat touch alcohol again.
With that thought, he turned back toward the kitchen.
A bit later, he came out holding a bowl of hangover soup—something he was absolutely sure worked.
He handed it to Lux, who was watching him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Drink this and you'll feel better."
Lux took it without doubt, trusting him completely.
But after one sip, she immediately spat it back into the bowl, frowned, stuck her tongue out, and looked up at Luke with watery, pitiful eyes.
"So bitter."
Luke chuckled. "Bitter is the point. Drink it all and you'll see what you look like right now. When you sober up, I'm going to laugh at you so hard."
Lux puffed her cheeks like she hadn't understood a word. This time, no matter what he said, she refused to drink.
Luke thought for a moment, then said, "Finish it and I'll give you a candy apple."
Lux hesitated.
She stared at the hangover soup, wrestled with herself, and finally lifted the bowl again, trying to bring it to her mouth.
Halfway there, she set it back down.
Between the candy apple and not drinking bitter soup, she chose not drinking.
Luke tried again. "It's only the first sip that's bitter. After that it's super sweet."
Hearing that, Lux picked up the bowl, held it out to Luke, and said, "Then you drink first."
So she was this sharp when she was drunk, huh.
Luke was absolutely not drinking it. As the person who made it, he knew exactly how bitter it was.
When he brewed it, he gave up entirely on flavor—he only cared about the effect.
It was made purely to sober someone up.
Realizing he couldn't talk her into it, he didn't have a good solution.
Lux set the bowl aside, leaned over, and flopped down onto Luke's lap. After wriggling into a comfortable position, she closed her eyes happily, clearly intending to sleep.
Letting her sleep was also a solution.
So Luke didn't move. He quietly watched her sleeping face, watched her breathing even out… and soon she started making soft, adorable little snores.
Then Luke looked up—
And saw Tiana standing at the living room doorway, her expression dark as a storm as she stared at him.
Luke went silent for a second. "Aunt Tiana, let me explain. This is absolutely not what you think."
Tiana smiled without any warmth. "And what exactly do you think I'm thinking?"
As she spoke, she walked over.
She quickly smelled the alcohol on Lux and frowned. "You gave this girl alcohol?"
Luke sighed. "She stole it herself."
With that expression, Tiana judged he was probably telling the truth.
Lux stealing alcohol did sound exactly like something she'd do.
Tiana stared at Luke. "What kind of alcohol?"
On her way back, she'd caught a delicious smell, so she came down to look. The moment she stepped into the yard, she saw a few girls lightly buzzed.
Then she walked inside and found her precious darling sprawled on this boy's lap.
For a second, she'd honestly wanted to erase him from existence.
She only restrained herself because it was Luke.
Luke felt like his aunt's gaze was a little too dangerous and gave an awkward smile. "Home-brewed beer."
Inside, he made the same vow again:
Next time—no matter what—he was not letting Lux touch alcohol ever again.
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