"Ah!" The young man extended his hand. "Lucien Ardent. Her betrothed."
Kai just stood there, frozen.
Silent.
Staring.
He wasn't able to—didn't want to—process what was happening in front of him.
Noticing his blank look, Lucien tilted his head.
"You, okay?"
His voice brought Kai out of his thoughts.
"O-Oh, yeah... I'm Kai," Kai shook his hand, forcing a smile.
Lucien raised a brow at his behavior but didn't press further, as if judging what it was all about.
Instead, he smirked and turned his head to Lira, "We're getting late, darling."
As the realization hit her, she covered her face, stifling a giggle.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot."
Before walking away, Lucien turned to Kai, smiling.
"We were just going to have lunch. My family's nearby… Why don't you join us? It would be better to know each other."
Kai remained silent, letting his words sink in.
Then he looked to Lira.
She met his eyes, her gaze filled with soft encouragement.
