Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.
That day, at the Crownguard estate, Augatha looked irritably at Lux, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze.
"Luxanna, what are you spacing out about now?"
She was starting to find her daughter's constant presence there annoying. Something had clearly been off with Lux these past few days. She rarely went out anymore and often just sat there staring into space.
As her mother, Augatha could tell immediately that something was wrong. Very wrong.
She knew her daughter too well.
Clearly, something had happened.
After thinking for a moment, Augatha sat down on the sofa beside her and spoke again.
"Is something bothering you lately? You can tell me about it. I've been around longer than you have, so maybe I can offer some advice."
Hearing that, Lux looked toward her mother. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"Then tell me about you and Father! How did you meet? And how did you end up getting married?"
"Why are you suddenly asking about that...?"
Talking about her younger days was somewhat embarrassing for Augatha, but seeing Lux's sparkling eyes, she still began reminiscing. A smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
"Your father and I were actually matched together by our families. Because of the relationship between our houses, it had been arranged from fairly early on, so there really isn't much of an exciting story."
Lux blinked.
"So you and Father didn't love each other?"
Augatha gave her an exasperated look.
"That's not true. I love him very much, and I believe he loves me just as much."
Among Demacia's nobility in those days, most arranged marriages had been made for political purposes.
That meant the two people entering the marriage often became little more than political tools, and something like genuine "love" was difficult to come by.
But House Crownguard had always been one of Demacia's most prominent families. There had been no need for them to rely on such measures simply to form political alliances. The same was true for Pieter's family and Augatha's own.
Both of them had been given some degree of choice.
Lux nodded and continued asking, "Then how did you fall in love with Father?"
For some reason, the subject made Augatha feel even more embarrassed. Still, after seeing her daughter's expression, she thought back and answered.
"How should I put it... It was because of something small. Since we already knew we were being considered for marriage, your father and I met each other fairly early. We knew each other, but at the time, I don't think either of us had reached the point of liking or loving the other. At most, we simply didn't dislike each other.
"At least, that was true for me. As for your father... I'm sure he was already completely infatuated with me."
Augatha lifted her chin proudly as she said this, looking exactly like Lux whenever she was feeling smug.
Lux listened intently, deeply interested in her parents' love story.
"You know what your father is like. Honest, stiff, and terrible at expressing himself. He's a lot like your brother, except without quite as much of Garen's cleverness. He was never good at hiding what he felt either. Whenever our eyes met, he would often turn red."
"To tell you the truth, I didn't like that kind of personality much at first. He wasn't good at conversation, and he certainly wasn't charming or funny."
After talking for a while, Augatha picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip.
Lux immediately pressed her.
"And then? What happened?"
"Like I said, it was something small." Augatha smiled unconsciously as she remembered. "There was a very important banquet at the time, and I was supposed to speak on behalf of my family. But shortly before I went onstage, I accidentally twisted my ankle. It hurt terribly, but because my role was important, I still had to go up there. So I put on a smile and thought I could simply endure it until I was finished."
"So I went onstage. My acting was good enough that nobody noticed anything was wrong. But then your father appeared. Without saying a word, he suddenly walked onto the stage, leaving everyone completely confused. Then he picked me up in his arms and carried me straight out of the hall."
"No one knew how much pressure he was under in that moment. Yet someone as quiet and straightforward as your father still managed to do something so shocking."
"After taking me away, he immediately found medicine and carefully treated my injury. Out of everyone there, he had been the only one who noticed I had hurt my ankle. That was when I realized how attentive he really was, and when I started falling for him."
After finishing, Augatha took another sip of tea.
"I never knew Father had done something that bold."
Lux looked genuinely surprised.
In her impression, Pieter had always been serious, reserved, poor with words, honest, and dependable.
Yet in the disciplined Demacia of those days, he had still dared to do something like that for her mother.
"So... is that what love is?"
Lux murmured softly before looking back toward Augatha.
"Then how did you know that you loved Father? What did it actually feel like?"
"What did it feel like?"
Augatha thought seriously for a moment, unsure how to explain it.
"I suppose there comes a moment when you suddenly realize that he's the one. That you don't want to imagine the rest of your life without him. When you picture your future with him, everything you imagine feels happy. Sometimes just thinking about him makes your heart feel warm and sweet. I suppose that's love."
Lux listened in a daze.
Without meaning to, Luke's face appeared in her mind.
That irritatingly smug face she saw every day somehow matched everything her mother had just described.
Or perhaps she had already felt this way for a very long time.
She simply had not known what those feelings meant back then.
She had only wanted to enjoy every day she spent with him.
They could lie around doing nothing on lounge chairs in the sun, soak in the hot spring in the backyard, have snowball fights, eat hot pot, and do countless other things together.
Every one of them made her happy.
Lux realized that she had become increasingly greedy.
And right now, the greedy part of her wanted more.
Much, much more.
Watching her daughter drift into thought, Augatha suddenly remembered something.
"Come to think of it, Family Remembrance Day is coming soon. Last time, you went with Luke, didn't you?"
"Family Remembrance... Right! Family Remembrance Day!"
Lux repeated the words, and her eyes suddenly lit up. She shot to her feet so quickly that even Augatha jumped.
"I'm going to visit Great-Grandfather! I miss him so much!"
As she spoke, she was already putting the idea into action and rushing excitedly toward the door.
Augatha watched her leave and smiled helplessly.
"That girl..."
"Family Remembrance Day is here again. No time to waste, we're leaving!"
Lux stood in front of Luke without even giving him a chance to respond, as though he had already agreed.
"I don't mind visiting your ancestor, but isn't leaving immediately a little sudden?"
Luke had barely seen the little blonde over the past couple of days and had assumed she was off somewhere having fun. At that moment, he was drinking tea as he spoke helplessly.
Even if they were going to pay their respects, they should at least make some preparations.
"Is it really that sudden? Do you have anything you need to do?"
"Not really."
"Then there's no problem. Let's go!"
Brimming with energy, Lux pulled Luke to his feet.
"This time, it'll just be the two of us visiting Great-Grandfather."
"Fine."
Luke could tell that something was seriously wrong with the little blonde today.
More than seriously wrong.
She looked as though she were secretly preparing some kind of plan, except every tiny thought in her head was plainly written across her straightforward face.
Fortunately, traveling there had become far easier thanks to the Hexgates.
Using a gate, they could reach High Silvermere almost instantly, and from there it was only another few days of travel to Fossbarrow.
After arriving in High Silvermere, Lux and Luke stopped by to see her father, Pieter. Garen happened to be in High Silvermere as well.
They chatted for a while, but Lux was not even willing to stay an extra day before dragging Luke onward.
Throughout the journey, she chattered like a songbird, telling Luke all the amusing things that had happened while he was away.
Luke naturally responded with a smile, sharing stories of his own travels with her.
Every so often, the same thought occurred to both of them.
It had been a very long time since they had last spent time completely alone like this.
The previous time they had finally gotten such an opportunity, they had unexpectedly encountered the newly awakened Fiddlesticks, so things had not exactly gone perfectly.
Fortunately, this time no unexpected disaster appeared to interrupt their pleasant journey.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Fossbarrow once again.
Once they reached the borderlands, the temperature was no longer quite so hot since the area lay close to the Freljord.
The last time they had come here, rain had been falling, and the land had looked almost like a barren wasteland.
Yet after only a year, the changes were surprisingly dramatic.
The wasteland they remembered had been planted with greenery, giving the landscape a lushness it had lacked before.
Even the town itself had changed enormously.
The opening of the Hexgates had greatly accelerated development throughout the border regions, since they could now connect far more easily with Demacia's broader economy.
Fossbarrow's walls had been rebuilt as well, making them look much taller and sturdier than before. That had also given the guards considerably more confidence when dealing with raiders from the frozen lands who sometimes appeared during winter.
Though with Demacia's current reputation, even among the northern tribes there were few reckless enough to come looking for trouble.
The town's mayor and magistrate, Giselle, quickly came out to greet them after receiving news of their arrival.
Before long, both sides of the streets were packed with townspeople.
There were thousands of them, perhaps close to ten thousand.
The last time Luke and the others had visited, they had ended the town's recurring nightmare involving the demon.
After the legendary hero Fossbarrow himself, Luke and Lux had become heroes who had protected the town as well.
Combined with their own considerable reputations, their arrival now brought practically the entire town out to welcome them.
Lux enthusiastically waved to the townspeople, her brilliant smile shining like the sun.
To keep the crowd from interfering with Luke and Lux's plans, Giselle soon dispersed everyone and arranged the best accommodations available in town for them.
"This year has been an exceptionally good harvest. Perhaps it has something to do with finally getting rid of that demon. In any case, to thank you both, we'd like to hold a celebration tonight. We only hope you won't refuse."
Giselle extended the invitation to them.
The moment Lux heard it, she immediately nodded.
"Of course! We'll definitely be there!"
She had always loved lively celebrations.
With anticipation in her heart, she headed up the mountain with Luke.
Because of their previous battle against Nocturne, Fossbarrow's grave had been damaged, so the villagers had relocated it to a quieter and better-situated place.
This time, they did not have to climb along the old rough mountain trail either.
They soon arrived at Fossbarrow's grave.
Lux spoke to her great-grandfather for a long time.
After she had solemnly paid her respects, it was Luke's turn.
Luke had far less to say than she did, but he still lit a memorial candle and offered three solemn bows.
Paying respects to one's ancestors was not especially complicated. It was essentially just a visit to honor departed family members. Demacia did not even have a custom of burning offerings for the dead, making the observance simpler still.
By the time they returned to town, evening had already arrived.
Practically everyone in Fossbarrow had joined in preparing the celebration.
Seeing that, Lux and Luke joined them and helped wherever they were needed.
By the time darkness fell, preparations were finally complete.
In the town's largest square, an enormous bonfire had been built.
As someone tossed in a torch, flames erupted with a roar.
The sky itself seemed to brighten.
And with that, the harvest celebration began.
Tables in the open air were filled with abundant food.
Meat, fruit, wine, soft drinks, everything displayed the prosperity of a successful harvest.
A band soon appeared, or rather, everyone in town who knew how to play an instrument had gathered together to form one.
Without needing anyone to organize them, they began playing cheerful rhythms on their various instruments.
The townspeople danced to the lively music.
People sang and danced everywhere, filling the square with warmth and laughter.
Luke was enthusiastically dragged into the festivities by the townspeople. Every now and then, he downed another refreshing beer before throwing himself back into the dancing and thoroughly enjoying himself.
At one point, he tried looking for Lux, only to discover that she had disappeared somewhere.
Still, he was not particularly worried.
With Lux's current strength, there were very few ordinary threats capable of doing anything to her.
The celebration continued.
After a while, Luke decided it was time to take a break.
He had probably drunk more beer today than he normally drank in an entire year. He had completely abandoned any thought of restraint.
Quietly slipping away from the crowd, he wandered off until he found an empty bench and sat down.
Watching the festivities from a distance, he finally let out a relieved breath.
"If I drink any more, I'm probably going to get drunk."
He rubbed his stomach and lazily leaned against the backrest.
"Come to think of it, where did Lux run off to?"
The girl had obviously been hiding something.
The moment the celebration started, she had vanished without a trace.
But Luke was too stuffed with food and drink to bother thinking about it now. He would rather sit there and stare into space.
"Ahem!"
At some point, the deliberately loud sound of someone clearing her throat rang out.
Luke lowered his gaze toward the front.
Miss Crownguard was standing beside a fountain not far away.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that exact moment, the townspeople began setting off fireworks.
One after another, they shot into the sky and burst overhead in brilliant colors.
The entire world seemed to light up.
The shifting colors illuminated the girl's radiant, flushed face. Against the darkness, she looked like a sudden blaze of dazzling color blooming across a black canvas, like an impossibly beautiful painting brought to life.
The sight was breathtaking.
"Next, I have something to announce!"
Lux's face was bright red.
Her eyes, however, were unusually serious as she stared at Luke and pointed a slender finger directly at him.
"For the rest of my life, I want you in my world, and I don't want you going anywhere!"
Her clear voice rang out with absolute conviction, carrying just a hint of her usual spoiled, domineering confidence.
But she received no response.
Lux puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and glared at him.
"Why aren't you reacting at all?"
Luke looked at her.
"How much did you drink?"
"I didn't drink anything!"
Lux snapped indignantly.
Luke chuckled.
"Your face is red enough to compete with an overheated boiler."
"I only had a little!"
Lux huffed, then suddenly jumped down from the steps and quickly walked toward him.
"Did you even hear what I just said?"
"Of course I heard you." Luke smiled. "But what does 'don't go anywhere' mean? You're not planning to tie me up, are you?"
"It means whenever I want to see you, you have to be there!"
Lux stopped about three feet in front of Luke and stared down at him.
"I want to be in every story you have, and you have to be in every one of mine!"
"I want to know about everything that makes you happy, and I want to tell you about everything that makes me happy!"
"I want to know everything about you!"
She spoke with complete seriousness.
Luke could not help saying, "Haven't we always been like that?"
"It's different!"
Lux immediately shook her head.
The flush from the alcohol concealed the blush that had already been there. Her shimmering eyes made her look like a flower on the verge of blooming, shy, vivid, and pure.
"I..."
Luke looked at her.
Then he rose to his feet, leaned down, and kissed her just as she was about to continue.
Lux's eyes immediately went wide.
Her entire body stiffened instinctively.
But very quickly, she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the moment.
Luke's kiss was gentle.
Lux had always been a dazzling ray of dawn in his life, occupying a place of immense importance in his heart.
Long ago, he had already made up his mind to protect everything precious to her.
To protect that pure and captivating smile.
For the sake of everything her existence had brought into his life, he had been willing to face danger again and again, shouldering responsibilities that had never originally been his.
Perhaps their hearts had already understood one another long ago.
Reaching this point now was simply the natural result of everything they had shared.
The girl who had grown up beside him had finally recognized the love hidden within her heart and boldly taken that step forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Fireworks once again soared into the sky, blossoming brilliantly against the darkness.
Beneath their dazzling colors, Luke pulled the girl into his arms and kissed her as though he were kissing the entirety of summer itself.
Bright, passionate, and beautiful.
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