Place: London – Greater London Street
Date: February 5, 2025
Weather: Heavy clouds, and the sky is on the verge of tears.
Faint lights shimmer on the wet asphalt of London's streets, where a crowd of people stands in front of a giant screen in the middle of the square. Eyes are fixed, breaths are held, and everyone stares at the live broadcast from the Palace of Versailles in France… This is no ordinary event, and the people on screen are far from ordinary.
The image on the screen:
A royal wedding hall, adorned with white flowers and silky curtains cascading from the ceiling like strands of light descending from the sky. Gentle classical music plays through the breath of violins.
In the center of the hall walks Duchess Bella Leclair, wearing a pure white wedding dress, meticulously designed for a woman about to become the Queen of France. She holds the arm of her father, Mr. France Leclair, who walks with her steadily and with silent pride.
The gown flows softly on the floor, adorned with a faint sparkle that reflects the hall's lights, and her silky veil trails behind like a shadow of glory.
Her face… calm like still waves. Her blue eyes shimmer under the light, hiding behind their charm a world of secrets, maturity, and difficult choices.
In a simple moment of passing before one of the cameras, Bella turns gently—not out of pretense, but as if the camera itself bowed to her beauty. The lens captures her clear gaze, the look of a woman who knows exactly who she is and where she's going.
In London, near the screen, three fashionable university girls gather next to a luxurious black car, whispering:
First girl (in awe):
"That's Bella Leclair… can you believe it?! From Duchess of France to Queen of France…"
Second girl (with suppressed envy):
"And beautiful! Did you see her eyes? Like she walked out of a fantasy novel!"
Third girl (turning back to the screen):
"It's not just the beauty… she has everything. Fame, power, and now… marriage to Adrian the Third, King of France. How many girls dreamed of being in her place?"
First girl (with a faint smile):
"But no one knows what she paid to get there…"
Second girl (in a whisper):
"Or what she lost along the way."
The camera follows the moment Bella approaches King Adrian III, a tall, handsome man with the features of royalty and the gaze of someone who knows his worth. He stands firmly, dressed in his formal suit, his eyes fixed on the woman who will share his throne… no, share his entire fate.
And in that moment, Bella was not just stepping into marriage, but into a new era… toward a crown that shines—not just with gold, but with decisions and sacrifices no one else knows.
And while people's eyes followed the ceremony on the massive screen in Greater London Square, not all of them were watching the same way…
Just a few meters away, by the curb, stood a sleek black car the color of night. It wasn't just its color that made it shine… but the presence of the one sitting inside, even if he wasn't fully visible.
(The same sleek black car beside which the three university girls were standing).
Inside the car:
The man in the back seat revealed nothing of his features… except for his golden strands of hair, reflecting the light of the outside screen, and his elegant suit hinting at a position of undeniable importance.
His arm rested gently on the window, as he gazed through the tinted glass at the screen showing Bella Leclair's wedding ceremony—Bella, who was about to become the Queen of France.
He didn't move. He didn't breathe audibly. He just… watched.
In the front seat, the assistant sat in the driver's chair, a man in his forties, his features calm but his eyes heavy with sorrow. He looked at his master through the car's mirror, then slowly lowered his gaze.
The blond-haired man spoke in a soft voice, without lifting his eyes from the screen:
"Bella has become even more beautiful… hasn't she?"
The assistant replied in a low voice filled with respect:
"Yes, sir."
A moment of silence…
Then the man added with pure green eyes that still carried the sparkle Bella once knew:
"Hmm… she has the right to live as she wants… doesn't she?"
The assistant didn't respond. His gaze just dropped back down to the steering wheel.
He knew there were no words that could comfort what remained unsaid.
The man chuckled faintly, as if mocking himself—or fate… but despite the chuckle, a single tear slid from the corner of his eye, silently running down his pale skin.
He said in a broken voice:
"I was too late… wasn't I?"
The assistant remained silent… this wasn't the time for answers.
A small sigh escaped the man's chest, then he smiled a sad smile—one of someone who had learned the truth… but too late.
And he said in a whisper, as if talking to himself:
"...If I had just listened to those dreams in the past…"
The camera pulls away from the car, slowly, amid the astonished voices of people watching the royal wedding.
While inside, the man is still looking at the screen—unmoving, unblinking.
As if time itself had stopped for him… while it moved forward with Bella.
•••
The Present
Date: 2019/09/25
Location: Paris – Lucien's Family House, Quiet Neighborhood, 6:35 AM
(Static shot of Lucien's room)
Morning light slips through the curtain, gently embracing the dancing dust in the air.
A simple room, filled with books on the shelves, a desk with an open sketchbook, and a bed still warm with sleep.
The sound of slow breathing, then a soft sigh.
Lucien slowly opens his eyes.
He looks at the ceiling, his eyebrows slightly furrowed with worry.
Then he silently surveys his room, as if trying to remember something.
Lucien (whispering to himself):
"It was... a strange nightmare."
(He goes quiet for a moment, as if trying to recall its details)
"I was... running after something, or maybe running away from it? I don't know..."
He looks at his hands, as if they're trying to tell him something he can't understand.
A light knock on the door, then it suddenly opens.
A cheerful girl's voice:
"Luce! Come on, get up! Don't tell me you stayed up late watching those dumb animes again?!"
A girl enters in her school uniform, her hair tied back, her face glowing with energy.
Lucien (smiling sleepily):
"Good morning, Lina... No, I didn't watch anything last night... I just had a dream."
He rubs his head gently, his voice still drowsy.
Lina (raising her eyebrows):
"Dreams? So you're in a philosophical mood today? Mom says breakfast is ready. And if you're late, I'm eating your share, got it?"
She winks and leaves before he can reply.
Lucien (with a soft laugh as he gets up):
"Her daily threat... as if anything would change."
He slowly gets out of bed. He opens the window. He takes a deep breath, letting the morning air fill the room. Then he runs his hand through his blond hair absentmindedly.
A quick shot of him standing in front of the mirror, washing his face, brushing his teeth, putting on simple yet stylish casual clothes.
Then he picks up his sketchbook from the desk...
And his eyes fall on two old drawings — of Ellen (Bella in her fake identity at the café) and his boss Bella, both wearing long dresses, each standing in a field of flowers.
He never finished drawing them.
(Lucien murmurs):
"Why did I start drawing their faces when I've never drawn a face before in my life... And why can't I finish them?"
Then he smiles to himself, quietly grabs his bag, and leaves the room.
•••
Date: 2019/09/25 – Time: 8:15 AM
Location: Paris – French University of Arts, Fashion Design Department
Panoramic shot of the campus: calm autumn colors, students moving between modern buildings, and tree leaves dancing with the morning breeze. The sound of laughter and quiet conversations fills the place.
The camera moves closer to an open classroom, with long tables filled with fabrics, sketchbooks, and scattered watercolors. By the window, Lucien sits quietly, his head slightly tilted toward the paper he's drawing on.
A voice from behind, sarcastic and familiar:
"Here's Lucien, in love with his sketchbook again!"
Lucien smiles without lifting his head, his eyes focused on the drawing.
Lucien (calmly and playfully):
"Louis, if you'd stop talking and focus on your work, you might actually have a shot at becoming a designer and not just a fashionista."
Louis sits next to him, laughing and looking at the drawing.
Louis (muttering as he looks at the paper):
"What fascinates me is that mysterious face you keep drawing, the one we know nothing about... But today? You drew one of their eyes?"
Lucien lifts his head slightly, looking at the drawing with mild surprise, as if discovering something strange.
Lucien (in a low voice, as if talking to himself):
"...I didn't mean to draw it, but my hand moved on its own."
Louis raises an eyebrow with sarcastic challenge.
Louis:
"Have you become a sorcerer, or is there a girl living in your head?"
Louis chuckles softly.
Louis:
"I think I need to find you a doctor!"
Lucien laughs quietly, then lowers his voice and speaks seriously.
Lucien:
"I've seen them before... I don't remember when or where, but they always appear in my dreams. Same eyes, same expression."
He pauses for a moment, looking toward the window as if something far away is pulling him in.
Louis (in a softer, curious voice):
"Maybe you'll run into them one day... maybe they're closer than you think."
The professor calls out from afar, and everyone turns their heads. Lucien slowly closes his sketchbook, looks at it for a moment, then grabs his bag and heads toward the door.
•••
Location: Paris Café – Afternoon
Time: Around 4 PM
The camera slowly moves through the small, quiet café. Golden light from the glass window seeps across the tables, and the aroma of fresh coffee fills the air. Gentle sounds of whispering customers, waiters' footsteps, and the clink of glass cups on wooden tables.
Lucien stands behind the counter, taking customer orders with a faint smile, but something is different today. His eyes look deeper, his movements slower, as if there's a weight on his heart.
The old chef (looking at him with curiosity):
"Lucien, you look like you didn't sleep well today. What's wrong?"
Lucien smiles shyly, but doesn't reply. He closes his eyes briefly, then quickly opens them, pulling himself together.
Ellen A (Bella in disguise), wearing the usual waitress uniform, walks between the tables with her usual energy and bright smile. She notices Lucien's calm, distant expression and approaches him during a short break.
Ellen (with a cheerful voice and slight concern):
"Lucien, are you okay? You're very quiet today. I haven't seen you shine with your usual calm... What happened?"
Lucien looks at her for a moment but avoids a direct answer. He smiles gently and shakes his head.
Lucien:
"Nothing to worry about. Just a slightly long day."
Ellen steps closer and lightly touches his shoulder, speaking with a friendly tone.
Ellen:
"If you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."
Ellen smiles and returns to her work. She then walks over to Louis, who is filling coffee cups at the next table.
Ellen:
"Louis, what's going on with Lucien? I noticed he's not himself today."
Louis (with a frown and thoughtful face):
"I don't really know. I asked him and he didn't answer. Even I'm surprised—he's usually full of life and laughter."
Ellen:
"Maybe he's carrying something in his heart that he's not ready to share yet."
Louis (with a sad tone):
"That's Lucien. He doesn't like to burden anyone with his problems."
The camera returns to Lucien, who picks up a coffee cup and looks out the café window where people rush by. He then closes his eyes for a moment, as if reorganizing his thoughts.
Ellen watches him from a distance, worry clearly in her eyes, but she decides to give him space, waiting for him to open up on his own.
A comfortable silence fills the café for a while. Gentle background noises rise from the back of the café, as if time slows for a moment in the heart of this small place.
•••
The camera moves closer to Lucien as he pours coffee into a customer's cup, but he suddenly stops, as if lost in thought. He looks toward Ellen, who is smiling while serving customers at the nearby tables.
The old chef looks at him from the kitchen window, observing him with a keen gaze.
Old Chef (in a low voice):
"My goodness, Lucien seems distracted today… I haven't seen him like this in days."
Louis, who is arranging coffee cups, notices his friend's distraction.
Louis (whispering):
"Lucien is really preoccupied… but today he seems completely absent."
Elin approaches with her usual sweet smile, unaware that she has become the center of Lucien's attention.
She looks at Lucien, and he quickly lifts his eyes, trying to hide his distraction, but then returns to staring at her. Louis approaches him.
Louis (laughing with a sarcastic tone):
"Is something on your mind, Lucien? Or has someone stolen your heart?"
Lucien (smiling, trying to pretend):
"Nothing, just a lot of thoughts running through my head."
Louis moves closer and gently places a hand on Lucien's shoulder.
Louis:
"I know you well. When you're this distracted, it's never just passing thoughts."
Lucien exhales quietly, looks at Elin as she walks away smiling, then speaks calmly.
Lucien:
"Elin… I see her everywhere these days."
Louis (whispering):
"That's how stories begin, my friend."
The old chef bursts out laughing as he prepares a new order.
Old Chef:
"Beautiful illusions can sometimes be the cause of misery."
Ellen returns carrying a tray of orders, approaching Lucien with a warm smile.
Ellen:
"There, I'm done. Do you need anything else?"
Lucien tries to act composed and speaks in a natural tone.
Lucien:
"No, thank you. Everything's just fine."
Ellen smiles and heads toward other customers, and Lucien remains for a moment, watching her before returning to his work, trying to regain his focus.
Lucian – POV
(his inner voice, calm, observant tone)
> "I see her laugh, talk, move lightly… as if she doesn't belong to this place. How can someone feel both familiar and strange at the same time?"
He walks past a table and places coffee in front of an elderly man with a quick smile.
> "She's been working here for five consecutive months, but this month in particular, after two weeks passed… I started feeling something different towards her… Ellen. No, no, I don't think that's her real name. The way she speaks… her posture… even when she's silent, she feels familiar."
He returns to the counter and starts arranging the cups silently.
> "I'm not used to this. I don't give much face to emotions. I know how to empty my head onto paper, not how to explain what's happening inside me when I'm not drawing."
He looks toward her from afar as she bends to pick up a napkin that fell for a small child, and she smiles at him. The child laughs.
> "How can someone be this simple… and yet not be ordinary?"
He returns to work, washing some cups.
> "Distraction… that's what they call it, right? Louis noticed, even the kind chef noticed, and me? I try not to notice. But I fail every time."
He looks up again, finds her close, passing by him with a full tray. She thanks him with a small smile as he opens a path for her.
> "Her eyes… there's nothing unusual in them, yet everything in them feels different. I don't know if this is madness, or just an attempt to escape the emptiness inside me."
A moment of silence. The sound of the café around him is normal, but all he hears is his inner voice.
> "What's your real name? Who are you? And why do I feel like I've seen you before… without knowing where?"
He places the last cup in its place, exhales, and quietly goes to take the next order.
> "Maybe it doesn't matter. And maybe… all of this will disappear once I stop thinking. But I don't want to stop. Why…?"
•••
Location: The break room behind the café
Time: Late afternoon, the sun breaking through the glass window
Ellen was standing by the window, lost in thought.
Ellen
(whispering softly to herself)
"The weather today... it's beautiful. Hmm… I think I'll leave this café next year. Only five months left now."
She sighs as she holds the edge of the window, getting ready to close it... but the door opens quietly, and Lucian enters.
Ellen
(turns toward the door while closing the window)
"Oh, Lucian?… You're here?"
Lucian walks in slowly, not speaking. His face is a bit pale, his eyes tired, his steps not heavy, but unfocused.
Ellen
(with a gentle smile, trying to ease the tension)
"I thought you took the day off… You look tired, is something wrong?"
Lucian looks at her, doesn't reply right away. He glances at the couch, then back at her… takes two steps toward her.
Ellen
(whispering, surprised by his gaze)
"Is... is something bothering you?"
He doesn't answer. He stands in front of her, suddenly opens his arms—silently. A quiet, clear gesture.
Ellen
(blinks, looks around, trying to understand)
"Do you... want a hug?"
Lucian
(very softly)
"Would you... allow it? Just for a moment. Nothing more… just... a moment."
Ellen hesitates a little, then looks into his eyes. She sees something painful there. Something she doesn't understand, and doesn't need explained. She smiles gently and opens her arms.
Ellen
"Come here…"
Immediately, as if all his weight collapsed, he enters her embrace quietly. Not forcefully, not weakly. Just... with need.
Ellen holds his head, gently runs her fingers through his hair. She doesn't ask him. Doesn't speak much. She feels it's not the right time for words.
Lucian – POV (inner voice):
> "I don't understand what this is. I don't understand why I'm doing this. But this hug... it feels like something I know… someone I know hugged me like this. The shape is a little different, but the comfort and peace… it's the same.
The scent? No, it's not the same. And yet… I feel safe."
He presses his cheek to her shoulder, holds her waist tightly, closes his eyes. He doesn't cry. Doesn't sigh. Just stays there. Quiet.
Ellen – softly whispering
"It's okay, Lucian… It's okay. You don't need to explain."
She doesn't know if he's sad, lost, or just exhausted… but she knows that some people, when they get close to breaking, don't need questions. They just need a hug that doesn't ask why.
The room is filled with silence. Only faint voices can be heard from outside. Lucian is still in her arms, his face tilted against her shoulder.
Ellen
(softly whispering)
"You know… I thought you didn't need anyone."
Lucian
(voice muffled from her shoulder)
"I thought so too."
Long seconds pass. His body relaxes more, but his expression begins to shift. He didn't plan to, but he feels it… He's not a child. His heart doesn't stay silent.
Lucian – POV (inner voice):
> "I wish I didn't notice how soft her shoulder is. Or how warm her chest feels. Or the calm scent of her perfume. These are things I shouldn't be noticing right now. Not in this context…"
"But why is my heart beating like this?"
"She… Ellen. She works with us. She always looks strong. She laughs. Talks confidently. And now… she's stroking my hair like I'm a child.
Does that mean something? Or am I just… tired?"
He raises his head slightly, as if he wants to look into her eyes, but hesitates. His face is close, closer than usual. His lashes almost touch her cheek.
Ellen
(noticing his unease, whispers gently)
"Lucian? Is everything alright?"
He suddenly pulls back a little. Sits on the edge of the couch, distances himself. Places his hand on his forehead, not looking directly at her.
Lucian
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to stay like that."
Ellen
(calmly)
"No need to apologize, nothing wrong happened."
A moment of silence… then she looks at him kindly.
Ellen
"You know, sometimes, we don't need to understand everything we feel… It's enough to be honest with it."
Lucian – POV (inner voice):
> "But I'm afraid to be honest… because if she knew… if she found out I've started seeing her differently… she'll pull away, won't she?"
"No, no… she sees me as a little brother. And I don't want to be more than that, or less. But… my heart doesn't think that way."
He lifts his eyes to her, hesitant. Gives a faint, incomplete smile.
Lucian
"I just… need some time. That's all."
Ellen
(softly, as if giving him space to escape)
"Take all the time you need. And I'll be here… if you need me again."
Lucian was looking at her, as she turned back toward the window again.
She smiled, unaware of the storm inside him.
While he… folded his arms and lowered his eyes, as if a new inner conflict had just begun.
•••
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Fifth Floor – Marketing Department at Bella Leclair Company
A faint buzzing sound in the offices. Computers are running, some papers are being flipped, and quiet conversations between employees. Lucien sits at his desk, silently reviewing data from the latest digital campaign.
A colleague at the next table whispers to another with a small smile:
"See? Lucien hasn't laughed at all since he arrived."
The other, lightly smiling:
"Maybe… he's entering his mature man phase. You know, at this age they start realizing the world isn't what they imagined."
(short chuckle)
"Or maybe… he fell in love."
A few muffled laughs from coworkers. But no one says more than that. No one dares to ask directly.
Lucien appears on screen from a side angle, sitting, his head tilted slightly, slowly typing on the keyboard. His features are calm… too calm.
Lucien – POV (Internal voice):
> "Just three hours here… but enough to feel like time is slowing down."
"I feel like a stranger here. I can't pretend to be cheerful like usual… even smiling feels heavy."
"Ever since… ever since I hugged her. Since I breathed in that scent. Since I felt the warmth of her shoulder… things have changed inside me."
At that moment, the main department doors open. Bella enters with her usual confident stride, carrying files in her hand, a bright smile on her face.
Bella
"Good evening, champions! How's the campaign going?"
(Some employees smile and stand up.)
"Much better now, thanks to your constant support, Miss Bella."
Bella, with a kind smile:
"You're the ones who deserve the thanks. I just make sure I'm part of the team. Let's review the remaining weekly data and finish the night strong, okay?"
Bella moves between the desks, looking here and there, greeting some, reviewing a paper from an employee, adjusting a file on another employee's screen.
And when she passes by Lucien's table… he subtly lifts his head, seeing her from the corner of his eye. He doesn't speak. He just watches.
Lucien – POV (Internal voice):
> "Same smile… same energy… just like Ellen at the café."
"But… she doesn't know. She doesn't know who Ellen is, right… or did I misunderstand?"
"Is it normal to miss her while seeing a more mature version that resembles her a little, right? To feel confused just because I don't understand myself?"
"Miss Bella is strong… and she only sees me as… an employee, a trainee… or maybe a little brother, like Ellen sees me."
Bella passes near him, gives him a short, soft glance, then continues without saying anything. But she sighs silently as she walks away.
Bella – POV (short, internal):
> "What's wrong, Lucien? Did I upset you somehow? You're no longer yourself… and I don't want to intrude on your thoughts."
Lucien looks at the screen again, but his fingers don't move. His eyes don't follow the words. He's just thinking.
Lucien – POV (final):
> "I just want to know… is all this normal? Or am I starting to lose control?"
The shot slowly pulls away, revealing the entire department… Bella standing with the employees, smiling, encouraging them… while in the corner of the office, a nineteen-year-old boy is struggling with a feeling that was never part of his plans.
•••
Fifth Floor Hallway – 7:35 PM
Cold ceiling lights reflect off the glossy marble floor. The place was almost empty… except for the footsteps of a young man walking with his head down and a busy mind, as if shadows were walking beside him.
Lucien came out of the bathroom, dragging his feet quietly, as if walking through a tunnel of thoughts with no clear end.
> "Why can't I just… go back to how I was?"
"I'm normal… right? I'm just overreacting. These feelings… they shouldn't be real."
From the other side, Bella appeared with light steps, holding her phone and smiling at a joke she heard moments ago. There was something soft surrounding her… not the light, but the aura.
Everyone who saw her today felt her mood was beautiful… except for one person.
And in a moment no one planned for,
they met in the middle of the hallway.
Bella lifted her eyes, meeting Lucien's gaze… or what was left of it.
He turned his face away immediately, as if seeing her burned.
She paused for a moment, surprised, but her smile remained.
Bella:
"Oh, good evening Lucien."
He didn't answer. He just veered to continue walking, eyes on the floor, hands in his pockets, as if her voice didn't even touch the air.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She recognized this kind of avoidance… and that quiet? It wasn't normal quiet, but the kind that comes before the storm inside tired souls.
She stepped toward him, just two steps, and reached out her hand…
and held his wrist.
Bella (calmly and seriously):
"Wait… why are you avoiding me? Did something happen?"
Lucien stopped. Bit his lip. He didn't turn around, but he didn't move either.
He closed his eyes, as if his voice was lost in the crowd inside his chest. Then he whispered, barely audible:
Lucien:
"...Can you… just hug me?"
Bella went silent. The surprise didn't stop her from understanding.
She stepped closer to him, without questions… without words.
And opened her arms.
And he lunged forward… like a lost little puppy, as if everything he went through today collapsed into that one step.
He threw himself into her embrace, buried his face in her shoulder, his arms around her waist… not looking for answers, just warmth.
Bella (soft whisper):
"...I was worried about you."
She ran her hand slowly through his hair.
"You're not alone, Lucien."
He was trembling slightly… not from crying, but from the confusion of emotions tangled inside him.
> "How many times did I breathe in this scent today? How many times did I wish I could just stay in this place…?"
Then… suddenly.
"Boom… boom…"
Two loud beats. Not from outside… but inside him.
His heart… screamed.
Lucien's eyes widened,
and quickly, he pulled away, stepping half a step back, his breath shaky, and his eyes trembling.
Bella:
"...Huh? Lucien?"
His face was red… he didn't know why.
But he suddenly mumbled:
Lucien:
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry… I just… I'm sorry!"
Then he ran.
He fled.
His footsteps faded between the corners, while Bella stood still, raising her hand in the direction Lucien ran, staring into the void,
her eyes full of questions.
> "What… happened to him?"
And on the other side, where no one could hear him…
Lucien ran, his face red, his pulse pounding in his ears as if his heart had turned against him.
> "This isn't… what I think it is, right?"
"I'm just… confused. I just miss her. I'm just… not falling in love… right?"
But he didn't answer.
Because the answer… was faster than him.
•••
Time: 2:00 AM
Place: Lucian's Family House – His Small Room
The window was half-open, allowing the cold breeze to sneak in and play with the curtain's edge.
The neighborhood was asleep, the city drowsy…
But he was fully awake, as if something was keeping him from sinking into sleep.
Sitting at his wooden desk, with half-open, half-distracted eyes,
Lucian held the pencil lightly, gliding it over the paper like someone sketching a memory… not just features.
In front of him… two sheets of paper.
On the first one, a soft-featured face,
Straight black hair tied in a thin ponytail,
Faint green lenses, and a mask covering half the face…
Yet he managed to capture that "energy" around her, that calm, mysterious feeling she radiates even though she's just a simple coworker at the café.
Ellen.
> "She's so quiet… kind of strange… and yet, she makes me laugh sometimes in unexpected ways."
"But her green eyes… I feel like I've seen them before."
On the second page,
The features were sharper,
Her black hair wavy and freely cascading,
Her eyes as blue as the sky after a storm,
Her lips closed with confidence, and her face… resembled a warrior queen.
Bella.
> "She's like fire… illuminating and burning at the same time."
"It's like she knows things I don't… always two steps ahead of me."
But between the two drawings… there was a hidden turmoil in his heart.
Why is he drawing them now?
Why did it feel like his heart was torn between them today?
How can a simple boy be drawn to two people… in the same way? With the same confusion?
He tossed the pencil onto the table and let out a deep sigh.
He rested his head on the edge and stared at the two sketches for a long time.
Lucian: (softly to himself)
"…Weird. Each of them… makes me feel okay, but in two different ways."
Silence.
Deep silence… then he blinked suddenly.
"But wait…"
He stared harder.
The drawings… slowly, no longer looked that different from each other.
The face shape? Similar.
The forehead? Also.
And that eyebrow… how many times have I drawn one like it before?
His eyes widened slightly.
His heart began to pound.
Then… he smirked with a soft sarcasm, as if his mind was trying to stop his heart from thinking.
Lucian:
"…No, impossible. You're imagining things, genius."
He got up from the chair and closed the sketchbook quickly.
But he stood there in front of it, his eyes still staring into nothing.
> "Ellen… and Bella… am I just… mixing them up?"
"Or is there something not being told to me?"
He slowly returned to his bed, lay down like someone fleeing from something—but his thoughts followed him.
In the darkness, he breathed quietly… but his mind kept replaying the image of two faces…
Maybe they weren't so different after all.
And maybe… his heart knew the truth before he could even realize it.
•••
At Another Place
Same Time – Midnight
Location: Rosamonde Palace, Bella Leclaire's Private Wing
There was nothing but the whispers of wind sneaking through the cracks of the old windows, playing a nighttime symphony along the refined palace walls.
While the city dozed off,
In the heart of the ancient palace,
Bella Leclaire sat alone in her royal bedroom with its violet velvet curtains,
On a white Italian leather couch, her feet tucked in, hugging a small pillow with the tips of her fingers.
With her hair draped over her shoulders, and her milky skin reflecting the soft light of the lamp…
She looked like a fairy tale princess.
But what was going on in her head was anything but fantastical.
> "That idiot…"
She whispered, gazing blankly into nothing.
The image of Lucien's face as he ran away from her just hours ago was still stuck in her memory…
The way he stared, the way he tensed… as if he'd seen a ghost, or something closer to the truth.
> "Is he starting to notice? The difference between me… and me?"
She smiled with quiet sarcasm, leaning her head back.
Bella (thinking):
"Of course… I was never good at lying.
Not with words, but with feelings."
"I'm… the same girl who hugs him like a caring manager,
And pours him coffee like a lively coworker."
"And sometimes, I look at him with the same gaze."
She closed her eyes, and sighed softly… as if her heart was scolding her.
But she opened her eyes quickly, and started to rise, heading to the mirror.
She stood in front of it, staring at her reflection…
But she didn't see Bella.
She saw the plan,
She saw the goal.
Bella (in a low voice like a genius gone mad):
"Let's think… calmly now."
She pointed her finger into the air as if sketching a map in the void:
> "First possibility: he's starting to connect Ellen and Bella."
"Second possibility: he's starting to feel something toward me… but doesn't want to admit it."
"Third possibility: he's in denial, and will run away even more."
She smiled, lifted her hair back lightly, then tilted her head to the side.
> "In all cases… I win."
"Because he has no idea that all roads lead to me."
"To me alone."
She chuckled softly, that small dangerous laugh that only comes from a woman who knows exactly what she's doing.
Then she sat again, pulled her phone, and began writing a note:
> "Emotional Testing Phase – Next Stage: Unexpected Shock."
"Mission Goal: Disturb emotions, trigger attraction."
And she locked her phone, whispering to herself as if speaking to a secret assistant in her mind:
> "Let him suffer a little…
Even if he doesn't know me,
His heart knows me better than he does."
She lifted her legs onto the couch, leaning back on the pillow again,
But this time… her eyes carried a different look.
Not sad, not romantic.
But the look of a chess player…
One move away from saying: Checkmate.
To be continued…
What do you think of this episode?
Do you believe Lucien is starting to wake up from his oblivion?
And what about Bella? What does she truly mean?
Well, I'll admit something... there's something going on behind Bella's actions.
Who really knows what she's thinking?
Even I don't know how to interpret her behavior.
And why is she going to marry the King of France, Adrian III?
Who was the mysterious man in that elegant black car?
And why did Bella sound like she was planning something at the end of her conversation?
Bye...