Isolde's muscles tensed as Lucian entered the room, a steaming bowl of soup in hand. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had been watching her, even in her vulnerable state. "How are you feeling now?" he inquired, his voice smooth and practiced, as if he were accustomed to playing the caring host.
Isolde's jaw clenched at the sight of him, her gaze narrowing with suspicion. "How many days has it been since I was unconscious?" she demanded, her tone sharp and accusatory.
"Almost a week," Lucian replied casually, his smile warm and disarming. "You look pretty when sleeping."
Isolde recoiled at his words, a shiver of revulsion running down her spine. "Creepy, did you watch me sleeping?" she retorted, her voice laced with thinly veiled disgust.
"What do you mean?" Lucian feigned innocence, his expression carefully neutral. "Who do you think changed your clothes and took care of you?"
Isolde's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the realization dawned on her. She had been completely at his mercy while unconscious, her very dignity stripped away by his intrusive presence. "Where are the maids?" she asked, her voice trembling with anger.
"Didn't you kill them last time?" Lucian's smile widened, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes as he reveled in her discomfort. "You could have hired new ones!" Isolde's voice rose with frustration, her indignation palpable as she confronted Lucian.
But he remained unfazed, his smile never faltering as he sat beside her, his presence looming over her like a dark cloud. As she attempted to move away, he seized her cheek with a sudden forcefulness that took her by surprise, his grip tight and unyielding. "Unfortunately, I was busy searching for my runaway bride," he remarked casually, his tone dripping with mock concern.
"I am not your bride!!!" Isolde protested vehemently, her fists clenching with anger as she lashed out, landing a solid punch to his face. Blood trickled from his nose, staining his lips crimson, but he merely laughed in response. "Weak," he taunted, his laughter ringing in her ears like a cruel echo. "Recover, before trying to show your strength."
Isolde bristled at his words, her chest heaving with exertion as she struggled to regain her composure. "I…I know your secrets," she admitted hesitantly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
To her surprise, Lucian's expression softened slightly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Ah, I thought your stupid brain would take centuries before understanding," he remarked sarcastically, his tone dripping with condescension. "After all, the Sable family is quite idiotic and superstitious.
Isolde's heart raced as she processed Lucian's revelation. The implications of his words sent a shiver down her spine, her mind struggling to comprehend the truth behind his enigmatic façade.
"Aren't you afraid that I will inform my father and the emperor that you are the offspring of the infamous black dragon?" she hesitated, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.
Lucian's laughter was soft, almost melodic, as he responded to her words with a calm demeanor. "I didn't know that I had children, after all I never got married in the first place. Though there have been numerous women who tried to marry me," he said, rising to his feet and moving toward the window.
Isolde's confusion only deepened at his cryptic words. "What… what do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
As Lucian stood bathed in the sunlight, a transformation began to unfold before Isolde's eyes. His pupils shifted, taking on a distinctively draconic appearance, while his form seemed to ripple and contort with an otherworldly energy.
Even as Isolde struggled to comprehend the truth of his words, the evidence before her eyes left little room for doubt. "Y-You… d-don't tell m-me…" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
With a flick of his hand, Lucian's features shifted once more, his form elongating and twisting as a pair of wings unfurled from his back. His eyes gleamed with an ancient wisdom, his voice resonating with a power that seemed to shake the very foundations of reality.
"Yeah, I am the 'Black Dragon'," he declared, his voice low and commanding. "Or rather, I prefer being called the first emperor."
As the weight of his revelation settled over her, Isolde found herself grappling with a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. Her world had been turned upside down in an instant, and she was left to navigate the treacherous waters of truth and deception that lay before her.
Isolde's eyes widen in shock and disbelief as Lucian reveals his true identity as the infamous Black Dragon, the first emperor. Her mind races with a flurry of emotions, ranging from fear to confusion to a sense of betrayal. She struggles to process the revelation, her thoughts spinning as she grapples with the implications of his words.
As Lucian's appearance begins to shift, his features taking on a more draconic aspect, Isolde can only watch in stunned silence. His eyes, once human, now gleam with an otherworldly light, while his body seems to morph and contort, revealing the true nature of his heritage.
The realization hits Isolde like a physical blow, leaving her breathless and reeling. She had never imagined that the man she had come to know could be anything other than human, let alone the legendary Black Dragon himself. It was as if her entire world had been turned upside down in an instant, leaving her feeling adrift and uncertain.
As Lucian stands before her, his dragon-like form shimmering in the sunlight, Isolde struggles to find her voice, her mind racing with a thousand questions. How had she been so blind to his true identity? And what did this revelation mean for their future?
But before she can voice her concerns, Lucian speaks again, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "Yes, it's true," he confirms, his voice carrying an air of finality. "I am the Black Dragon, the first emperor."
Isolde can only stare at him in disbelief, her mind reeling with the implications of his words. The man she had come to know and trust was not who he appeared to be, and the truth of his identity threatened to shatter the fragile illusion of safety and security she had built around herself.
As she struggles to come to terms with this shocking revelation, Isolde finds herself facing a choice. Will she accept Lucian for who he truly is, despite the secrets he has kept from her? Or will she turn away from him, unable to reconcile the truth of his identity with the image she had constructed in her mind?
For now, the answers elude her, lost in the swirling maelstrom of emotions that threaten to engulf her. But one thing is certain: the revelation of Lucian's true identity marks a turning point in their relationship, one that will irrevocably alter the course of their lives forever.
To be continued....