Lara told Nian that she would share her past if he shared his in return. Indeed, she fulfilled her words.... she did by sharing a tale with him, but it wasn't her own.
As they lay on the bed in each other's embrace, she picked up the book she had taken from the chamber, 'Glimpse of the Vast Universe', and snuggled closer to his arm that was securely holding her waist.
"It's nothing special... my life."
Lara spoke in a hushed tone, flipping through the pages of the book until she paused on a passage about an ordinary farmer's daughter. This young girl had a fleeting encounter with the female lead of the book and assisted her due to her genuinely kind heart.
A flicker of guilt crossed Lara's eyes, concealed from Nian due to their positions, as she pointed at a line that illustrated the kindness of the farmer's daughter.
"Look... this is my me."
A blatant lie—that was all that escaped from her lips, yet her voice remained steady as she traced her fingers along the passage she wanted Nian to read.
She had already read the entire book, which began with the death of Bella Morningstar and concluded with a happy ending in which the main female lead married the man Bella loved. The couple lived happily ever after—until their world began to crumble when the Hell's Spire descended upon their planet.
Therefore, it was easy for Lara to hide the truth that she was Bella Morningstar, not just an ordinary farmer's daughter.
Nian hummed with a soft expression, nuzzling his nose into her hair.
"These lines aren't enough. I want to know more.... just a bit more about you. Would you be willing to share more?"
Lara nodded silently and bit her lower lip. However, after the first lie, telling another felt surprisingly easy, as if it no longer carried the weight it once did.
"I lived a wonderful life before I arrived here. My parents loved and cared for me deeply."
A mocking glint flickered in her eyes, directed entirely at herself. Her parents loved and cared for her? No, that was the biggest lie she had ever told. If they truly did, they wouldn't have abandoned her to die for the sake of a stranger.
She closed the book and surprised Nian by suddenly tilting her head to bite his chin. Then she whispered softly.
"You know, I also had a brother. He was quite mischievous, but he always protected me like a knight..."
Oh, how desperately she wanted to laugh. She had spent so many years in this hellish place and had forgotten everyone's faces, yet everything came rushing back as soon as she read the book.
Bella's brother, the one she thought would always stand by her side like a knight. While reading the book, Lara discovered that he didn't even spare a glance at Bella's corpse when it was dragged out of the punishment chamber where she had been thrown.
'Ah... I hated them so much. I felt it so profoundly, but now I find myself devoid of any feeling. The only thing that remains for them is a hollow emptiness. They have long since disappeared from my life, and even if they were to come back, there's nothing left within me to feel for them. Remembering them has become pointless.'
She blinked in surprise when Nian placed his palm over her eyes and whispered softly close to her ear in a distressed tone.
"I understand now. So please, stop crying. I never meant to bring back any old pain; I just wanted to learn more about you."
Lara's voice was caught in her throat. She wanted to speak, to argue with him, but found herself unable to say a word.
Crying...?
Who? Her?
No, she would never... since she had long forgotten how to cry.
Then, at last, she felt the warmth of tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She chuckled softly to herself.
How ironic.
"They loved me... yes, they truly did. But who could have imagined that one day I would wake up and find myself in this hellish place, never to see them again?"
She slowly removed Nian's hand from her eyes and let out a smile; her eyes crinkled with mirth when she saw how dazed he became at the sight of her smile.
Well, perhaps it's because she rarely showed him a genuine smile.
But why was she smiling?
No, it was not because she remembered some good moments from her past life or felt emotional since she could no longer see her so cold loved ones.
It was because she realized she cried because she was happy—truly happy that she was no longer Bella Morningstar. Now, she was Lara, who would no longer see those who never loved her.
Lara suddenly shifted and climbed onto Nian's waist, causing his eyes to widen.
Due her sudden movement, the blanket draped over them cascaded down to pool over her hips as she locked eyes with the beautiful sea-blue gaze fixed on her.
"What about you? What type of life did you live? I told you mine. Now tell me yours."
Nian let out an 'Oh' as his intense gaze traveled down to her naked body. His pupils momentarily glazed over, almost narrowing into slits, but he quickly averted his eyes.
Knowing he could never respond to her appropriately while entranced by such a provocative sight, he swiftly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her.
Lara's eyes flickered with mischief as she saw the crimson hue creeping up his ears. But just as her hands were about to wander, Nian quickly pulled her closer into his arms to stop her from attempting anything. She laughed and raised her gaze to meet his.
"Why are you being shy when we have already seen everything there is to see-!"
Her words were interrupted when Nian pressed his lips against hers to silence her. He pulled away after a moment, watching as Lara stifled a laugh before letting out a sigh that was both content and wistful. He was glad to see her so happy, but still...
"Hey, cut it out with the teasing. Don't you want to learn more about me anymore?"
Lara fell silent, her expression intense as she stared at him with eager anticipation.
"Of course I want to know everything about you. After all, you're mine now!"
Nian raised an eyebrow at her sudden declaration, a look of incredulity crossing his face before he burst into a rare fit of laughter. It was astonishing how easily she claimed him as her own. However, rather than feeling overwhelmed, he found an unexpected sense of contentment.
Perhaps... Lara was finally beginning to truly fall in love with him...?