To Love, Once Again

Chapter 92

Wood creaks when the King leans back in his chair, setting down his glasses and rubbing the space between his brows.

Why was the sunset so slow today?

Tapping at the table and glancing at the now empty basket Sera brought, Lucien sighs, staring out the window in the direction of the gardens. 

"Pardon, Your Majesty?"

Lucien looks up to a large oval table surrounded by ministers who wait for his response. It seemed he'd accidentally muttered his thoughts aloud.

"No, carry on."

"Understood, Sire."

Again. The King was doing it again!

The ministers no longer bother glancing at each other each time he does this. Though Lucien would tell them he appreciated their bluntness in the meetings, if they pointed it out every time he got distracted thinking of his lady there would be no end.

The meeting continues, the ministers taking their turn and speaking the contents of the agenda. 

It was better for them to-

After a few seconds of rubbing his brows, Lucien sighs again and puts his glasses back on, nodding and begins giving his input here and there.

The King was different from the common man. He was just as sharp in these discussions as he was on the battlefield. Because his meeting style, much like his fighting style was blunt and efficient, they'd done away with the formalities that came with deciding governance and affairs. It took half the time to convene the meeting compared to the former King.

Thud. Thud. Thud-thud.

"Ergh."

THUD-THUD-THUD.

Groaning, Lucien clutches at his heart. The blood pumping through his body felt boiling hot, veins bulging in his neck while the pain galloped through his vessels.

This was a reaction that only came when he used too much of his magic..But normally using magic put more stress on his mental state than it did with his physical. Only with large magics, like the one imbued into the ring...

Lucien's eyes widen at the immediate realization.

Sera!

Something must have happened to her!

"Your Majesty!?"

Chairs clatter as the circle of ministers jump up from their seats.

"This meeting is convened."

Holding out a hand, Lucien ignores them, fingers digging into his shirt while he stumbles out of the room.

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"LUCY!!!!!!"

Long blades of grass rustles and slaps against her makeshift pants; urging Sera on. Before Lucy did what Sera knew what she was planning on doing. 

She'd only fallen from a tree! Kids fell from trees all the time. Tree-climbing had been a big part of her childhood growing up in the countryside. Why was this young maid reacting so badly!?

It was a stroke a bad luck that Sera's shout only serves to make Lucy's face turn towards her, while the pale maid's hand continued to slice down towards her other wrist-

Sera reaches a hand forward, eyes fixed upon the large shears within the maid's trembling hand.

Bang!

She'd made it in time!

Knocking the shears out from Lucy's hand, Sera tumbles to the ground, the momentum sending her forward, dry-heaving at the sudden exertion.