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Katerina Erdevel Lumière, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Erdevel in the Auriel Empire. Her Mother, Katrina Lumière, arrived one day out of nowhere in the Auriel Empire and from then on participated in the Empire's campaigns, achieving victories and obtaining the title of Duchess. Later, she met her future husband and married him. However, due to Katrina's special constitution that was related to darkness and a deal she made with a being of great power, only one of the two could survive. Katrina chose her daughter over herself, passing away during childbirth.
For this reason, the Duke ended up hating her, as he considered her his Mother's murderer. He confined her to an isolated place, and only a few low-ranking servants of little skill.
Katerina, unlike many Nobles, was not a rich child, nor was she pampered. Due to her Father's hatred and her punishment, she lived her life under the shadow of her older sister, daughter of the woman who was once the Duke's mistress, and who took power as soon as the previous Duchess passed away.
During her life at the Erdevel Mansion, she suffered from injustice, neglect, favoritism, even physical and verbal violence. Total her life was a silent suffering, with a single companion that was a small dark speck that floated around her, and that had belonged to Katrina.
The only happy time was at age 15, when the Crown Prince took notice of her and decided to make her his Fiancée, which quickly raised the position in the family, finally allowing her access to that which she never obtained in her previous years.
But, as was to be expected when someone is happy, soon life struck her again. Suddenly, when she was 17, a strange woman, of the same age as her, and without Noble Rank, appeared at the Headquarters of the Holy Church of Eleanne, proclaiming herself as a Saint.
Following this, and the legitimacy of the Church, the Crown Prince distanced himself from her and drew closer to the Saint, since she was a User of Divine Power, something rare in humans. It reached a point where Calix began to despise her and protect the other woman, which, added to the intrigues of Miriam, ended consolidated as a Villainess before the eyes of the rest of the Nobles.
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—So Miss, may I know?–
Katerina remains momentarily paralyzed upon hearing him. Not only because she doesn't know what to say, but also because his amber eyes, which she looked at without turning away for even a second, seemed to read her completely.
—Miss? –The man asks again, his tone a mixture of innocence and amusement–
Slowly Katerina returns to reality. Her movements as if she had just woken up from a trance. She brings a hand to her eyes, to rub away the tears that had now dried, for about 30 seconds had passed since they had stopped.
—Don't do that –Suddenly the man pulls out from who knows where, a white, silk handkerchief, soft as cotton candy– You are going to hurt your eyes –He adds, while walking toward her, climbing about five steps of the 10 in total– Better use this. The silk comes from the Country of Xuán, known for having magnificent fabrics–
Katerina does not respond or react. She simply stares at the man, who, even though he is one step below, is still taller than her. A few seconds later, she slowly lowers her gaze toward the white handkerchief with dark yellow borders at the corners, which give it a touch of being very valuable.
—There is nothing dangerous about it, if that is what you are thinking –When the man sees that the girl is going to refuse, he quickly, knowing what she is thinking, immediately speaks– It is just an ordinary handkerchief–
The girl continues to hesitate for a few more seconds, her gaze not moving from the man's hand and the handkerchief itself, until the discomfort in her eyes, a product of her dried tears, finally stings her. Only then does she decide to take it, and use it to finally remove the discomfort affecting her at that moment.
________________ >> 15 segundos >> ________________
—Thank you very much –Katerina says, after finishing wiping away the dried tears. To her surprise, what the man said was true. The fabric was soft, and although fine, it was not thin, but a bit thick, allowing for use without any pain–
—It is nothing, Miss –The man responds, before diverting his gaze toward her hand, which she had extended to return it– You can keep it. It would be strange to receive a used handkerchief from a woman. I could do wicked things with it –He jokes, with a gentle smile on his lips, even making gestures with his hands–
—Oh… –Katerina withdraws the handkerchief with clear eye-crust and liquid traces, while an involuntary blush, a product of the embarrassment of not thinking of it before, lights up her cheeks– I am sorry… –Upon saying this, her body cannot help but tremble with fear, and even shrink. For a long time, her conditioned body forces her to do this every time she makes a mistake–
—Why the apology? –The young black-haired man, tilting his head to the right, looks at her with bewilderment–
—For making this mistake –Katerina bowing her head, with shyness, with fear, waiting for the scolding and probably the blow–
—Anyone can make a mistake –However, instead of that, she receives from the man a warm tone with a hint of amusement, but without a shred of anger or disdain– There is no reason to ask for forgiveness in these matters –She raises her head shyly, and his smile leaves her momentarily in shock– In fact, if it were up to me, I would like you to make more mistakes. You should see how pretty you look when you are embarrassed–
Upon hearing him, the blush that had previously faded due to anxiety returns to her, but this time with more strength, like a tidal wave hitting a place where only a calm coast remained.
—Pre-pretty? –Katerina gulps. Her previous blush transforms into a new one. Not of judgment, not of shame for having made a mistake, but of something else that she cannot explain–
—Yes. Exactly as you are now –The young man nods, without stopping his smile– I wish I had a mirror to show you how cute you look in these moments–
—Cute?! –The girl repeats, which increases the blush on her cheeks–
—Indeed. Very adorable –He responds, nodding his head several times, without stopping his gaze on her–
—Ad-adorable? –Katerina startles even more. In her mind, she cannot believe those words–
—Definitely very charming–
—Enough! –The black-haired girl finally exclaims, involuntarily bringing her hands toward his lips to stop his words, because at this point she even felt strange beats in her heart, improper for someone she just met– Ah! –She screams, realizing what she did, quickly withdrawing her hands– I'm sorry, I'm sorry! –She quickly bows several times, with her eyes closed, unable to look him in the eye–
Seeing her like that, the man cannot help but let out a light laugh. The adorably embarrassed woman he saw now was definitely much better than the broken woman from just a few seconds ago.
________________ >> 10 segundos >> ________________
—Do you still want to know what I was laughing about? –After a few more seconds of resting from the previous events, Katerina directs her gaze to the man who looks at her attentively, making sure there are no side effects–
—Yes –He responds, nodding his head several times, almost as if he had a spring–
—In that case –The black-haired girl then points to the nearby bench, about five meters from them– Today I feel like venting my problems to a stranger. And since you are the only one here, then you will be the lucky one to listen to me–
—Great! –The young man makes a gesture, as if he had won the lottery– It was definitely worth the jump, heh, heh–
Katerina, seeing him so enthusiastic, cannot help but flash a genuine smile, a type of smile she is very rarely able to show, given the circumstances of her life. Even as she walks toward the place, she feels less heavy than before (even though, ironically, her dress is very heavy).
—Oh. It is still wet –After stopping in front of the wooden bench, she realizes that it contains several puddles of water– We won't be able to sit–
—This won't stop me from hearing some good gossip –The young man says, with a defiant smile, as if the bench were an enemy–
Snap. A snap is heard in the silent place. A snap coming from the man with black hair and amber eyes. One that causes all the water that was previously centered on the bench—from the legs, across the seat, to the decorative railing—to rise upward, becoming a sphere of water that floats as if waiting for orders. Then, with a slight movement of the black-haired boy's hand, it moves toward the front, about five meters from where both are, and finally, it lets itself fall to the ground upon arrival.
Thus, where there was once a wet bench, there was now a completely dry bench. Without any trace of water.
—Ho-how did you do that? –Katerina asks, impressed by the man's absolute control of the water, for few have the power to do something like that–
—Trade Secret, Miss –The young man flashes a mysterious, but also playful smile–
Both then, after solving the previous problem, take a seat. Katerina first, followed by the black-haired man, who sits by her side, at a safe distance where the girl feels comfortable.
—Oh. It is not cold –Says the black-haired girl, surprised after touching the bench with her bare hand– How strange–
—Ah, yes. While I was removing the water, I warmed the bench a bit with magic and then placed a heater on it. We are in Hivern, the cold season, so I was worried you would end up sick –The naturalness in the man's tone leaves Katerina pleasantly surprised. She never thought a stranger would show so much concern for her person–
—I see. Thank you… –Katerina lowers her head again, but this time no longer out of expectation of a scolding, but due to a strange warmth in her heart that had begun to emerge, and which was very different from what she thought she felt with Calix–
—It is nothing –The boy responds with joy at the comfort of the person next to him–
After a few seconds of a silence that was a mixture of awkward and peaceful, Katerina sighs.
—Before continuing, why don't we introduce ourselves? –Katerina raises her head and looks at him. Her gaze now less hesitant– Even if you are a stranger, at least I would like to call you by your name to thank you for listening to me–
—I am Lucien, no last names, as I do not need them –The black-haired young man, upon hearing her, flashes a smile while pointing to himself– I am 25 years old, and I am not originally from this country. In fact, it could be said that I do not have a fixed country. I was once an orphan born in a nameless territory, governed by no one as it was ravaged by war and demons, so I have no place I can call home. I go where the wind and the paths take me –His calm response, with a tone without a trace of any sadness, slightly surprises Katerina– And you, Miss?–
—Katerina Erdevel Lumière… –The black-haired girl pauses, and then shakes her head– No. Rather, Katerina Lumière. Erdevel is my Father's surname, but after what he did to me, where he accepted my punishment and did not advocate for me, I have decided to use only my mother's surname –Unlike Lucien, she does feel a pang of bitterness in her heart. However, it does not last long, as she had already suffered too much from people who did not love her, so she had been planning to cut ties with the Erdevels for a long time– My name is Katerina Lumière… –She looks at Lucien with a smile, her tone now one of relief– I am 20 years old, and the rest of my story I will tell you later–
—A pleasure to meet you –Lucien extends his hand toward her– Miss Lumière –He says. However, he pronounces the surname correctly; unlike those who speak Anglar, it is said as it is written–
—This time, unlike before where Katerina hesitated, she decides to take it without any hesitation, omitting the pronunciation for the moment– Much pleasure meeting you too, Lucien. The pleasure of meeting you is mine as well –A new smile of relief and joy forms on her lips– And by the way, you can use my name. Now I am no longer what I used to be. I am already a commoner. So it is no longer necessary for you to be formal –Contrary to what she thought, after saying it, her heart felt more relieved, as if the simple fact of carrying a title were a disease–
—Then… –Lucien hesitates– Can I call you Kat?–
—Katerina is surprised for a moment, given that it is a nickname, and they have known each other for less than an hour. However, after remembering her own words, she nods– In that case, I would like to call you Luc. So that there is symmetry–
—Very well! –Lucien exclaims with joy–
Both shake hands and smile at each other in unison. The silence that now surrounds them is no longer one of shame or discomfort, but of a growing comfort.
—So… –Katerina's smile slowly fades as she settles onto the bench– I hope you're prepared, because this is going to be a long one–