Chapter 2: The Royal Banquet and the Assault of Memories
Her breathing was still uneven, her chest burning as if flames had been poured inside her.
Ji-yun, or rather now Aria, staggered slightly before forcing herself to stand upright. She tightly clasped her trembling hands together.
That was… horrible.
The horrifying scenes still lingered in her mind.
What exactly had Lucius gone through as a child?
She glanced at him cautiously.
Lucius had also stood up by now, though his heavy breathing made it clear he had gone through the same storm.
For a few moments, silence hung thick between them.
"What was that?" he asked quietly.
For the first time, there was something unfamiliar in his voice.
Conflict.
Aria raised a brow, steadying herself as she replied, "I don't know what you saw."
Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"This curse…" His voice lowered further, a faint crack slipping through. "Do you have it too?"
Aria frowned slightly, feigning ignorance.
"What curse?"
But Ji-yun knew exactly what he meant.
Lucius studied her face carefully, as if measuring every flicker of expression, trying to decide whether she was lying or not.
A few seconds later, his face returned to its usual cold mask.
"Deal accepted," he said flatly. "But remember, I can test you anytime. Even the slightest betrayal, and your end is guaranteed."
A faint smile touched Aria's lips.
"Fair enough."
Lucius took a slow step closer.
"And one more thing," he added. "We should avoid physical contact as much as possible."
Aria sighed softly.
"That's impossible at the banquet."
His expression hardened.
"You're right."
Then, in a formal gesture, he extended his arm.
"Take it."
Aria froze for a second.
Great. The curse just triggered, and now this public display?
But with no other choice, she slowly took his arm.
Survival mode. Smile and suffer.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"My Lady!"
A young girl rushed inside, her eyes filled with concern.
"Are you alright? You were with the Prince for so long."
Aria looked at her.
Ah. My maid. Mira.
Keeping her composure, she said casually, "Relax, Mira. Just some business talk."
Mira scanned her from head to toe, suspicion clear in her gaze.
"You seem different today."
Aria smiled faintly.
"Version upgrade."
Lucius had already taken a seat on a nearby sofa.
Soon, Aria was fully prepared.
A stunning red gown. Delicate, expensive jewelry.
In the mirror stood a dangerously beautiful woman.
Aria had always been beautiful. The problem had only ever been her attitude.
Ji-yun stared at her reflection, still haunted by the flashes she had seen.
Lucius's memories.
His pain.
The original novel had never properly revealed his past.
Or maybe she had simply never read that far.
A while later, they walked through the long palace corridors.
Aria held onto Lucius's arm as they moved forward.
With every step, she felt a faint tingle.
She understood how the curse worked now.
If either of them lost control of their emotions, especially while touching…
The visions would return.
Stay calm. Keep your emotions steady.
They stopped before massive doors.
The guards opened them at once.
The royal banquet unfolded before them.
Glittering chandeliers.
Soft music.
Hundreds of eyes turning toward them instantly.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"The villainess? With the Prince?"
"Doesn't she look… different today?"
Lucius leaned slightly toward her.
"Smile, Aria."
She glanced at him, confused.
"Act engaged," he said firmly.
She forced a faint smile.
I should have been an actress.
People began approaching them, offering shallow compliments.
Aria knew exactly how much those words were worth.
Nothing.
"Lady Aria, you seem very calm today. Is everything alright?"
A man approached.
She gave him a perfect fake smile.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Inside, she was panicking.
Outside, she was elegance itself
Then a gentle voice called out,
"Lady Aria, congratulations."
Both Aria and Lucius turned.
A girl dressed in white.
Soft features.
An innocent face.
Elara.
The heroine…
Her smile was sweet.
But her eyes held a faint trace of jealousy.
"Thank you," Aria replied calmly.
"My Lady."
A tall man in a knight's uniform approached.
Sir Rowan.
He bowed.
"If you need anything, I will always be at your service."
For a brief second, Aria felt Lucius's grip on her arm tighten.
She knew there was tension between the two men.
But she didn't dwell on it.
Right now, survival was her only priority.
The music changed.
The royal dance was announced.
Elara stepped forward, hopeful—
But Lucius turned to Aria.
"Come."
And just like that, they moved toward the dance floor.
Behind them, Elara's expression darkened with jealousy.
On the dance floor, Lucius's hand rested on her waist.
Her hand lay on his shoulder.
Only inches separated them.
Trying to ease the tension, Aria said softly,
"Relax. I'm not poisoning you right now."
Lucius's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting choice of words."
Slowly, the tension between them eased.
They moved with the rhythm of the music
And then suddenly
Everything shattered.
A vision.
Blood everywhere.
A throne.
And Lucius, sitting alone upon it.
The scene vanished instantly.
Both of them froze for a moment.
"What was that?" Lucius whispered sharply.
The future.
Aria kept that thought to herself.
"I don't know," she said instead.
Still holding her, Lucius guided her toward the balcony.
In the silence, he pressed her lightly against the wall.
"Whatever you know," he said coldly, "tell me now."
Aria took a deep breath.
She decided to tell him half the truth.
"I only know that I have a curse. If I come into contact with someone…"
"With me?" he cut in.
She hesitated.
"…Then our memories start to overlap."
He frowned.
"But it doesn't happen every time. Sometimes it triggers. Sometimes it doesn't."
Lucius stared at her.
As if trying to see straight through her soul.
Friends, tell me in the comments how you liked this story.Should I write this because this is my first time trying a romance novel?
Encourage me with Power Stones and comments so I can stay motivated to write stories.