Free Web NovelChapter 160: Lucian’s control over Lia
Seeing the shaky nod she gave, Lucian let out a faint sigh, mixed with both relief and frustration that he tried his best to suppress.
This girl…
He had been inwardly panicking just moments ago, thinking something truly tragic had happened while he had been away training.
Perhaps it was something Vivienne had said, or something else entirely…
Or maybe…
Maybe he had unintentionally said or done something that had completely shattered her emotionally.
Yes, he understood how much that title would’ve affected her, how those words—Killer of her Beloved—must have had a tremendous impact on her.
But…
That didn’t stop him from feeling just a little annoyed.
Still, none of that frustration showed on his face. Instead, he quietly raised his other hand.
Before Lia could even understand what he was about to do—
Flick.
He lightly flicked his finger over her forehead.
Lia stared blankly at him.
“You could’ve told me earlier, couldn’t you?” he said, his voice carrying the same warmth—with a flicker of exasperation.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips trembled before slowly parting.
“H-How are you so fine with that?
I-I… ki…”
Her voice broke apart before she could even finish the sentence, and the word killed simply refused to leave her mouth, almost as if something was choking her from within.
The horror she would’ve normally felt had been magnified a hundredfold because of her Scarlett Bloodline, along with her vampire nature.
The temperature around her flickered as her eyes darkened, and her breathing gradually grew uneven once again.
“Sigh…”
Lucian let out another sigh.
Without saying anything else, he gently resumed stroking her head. His fingers slowly brushed through her soft hair.
Her trembling gradually lessened beneath his touch, her breathing steadied ever so slightly.
“Lia…” he called out again, prompting her to raise her head and look at him.
“It wasn’t entirely your fault.”
His voice remained calm.
“You were under the control of your instincts—”
“NO!”
Lia suddenly shouted, cutting him off before he could finish.
“I did that!”
Tears once again continued rolling down her cheeks
“I did all of that myself!
It doesn’t matter if I was under the control of anything!
I was still the one who did it!
I was the one who—”
Her voice cracked violently.
“…who killed you.”
Silence followed.
Lucian’s lips pressed together quietly as he looked at her furious, guilt-ridden expression, burning with self-hatred.
Not anger toward him, but toward herself.
“Fine…”
He slowly exhaled.
This time… he lowered the hand that had been stroking her head.
The warmth disappeared, and his expression gradually lost its gentle smile.
His face became completely serious.
“You were the one who killed me.”
The words landed like a crushing boulder upon her.
Lia instantly froze. Her pupils shrank, and her heartbeat pounded violently in her chest.
Although she herself had been repeating those very words just moments ago, shouting them for him to accept, hearing them come from her brother’s own mouth was entirely different.
His tone wasn’t cold… but neither was it gentle, which somehow hurt even more.
Instinctively, Lia shifted backward, trying to create a little distance between them while still sitting on his lap.
It was as though she wanted to escape—not wanting to witness the anger, disappointment, or resentment she believed he had every right to feel.ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Lucian didn’t really know what she was thinking.
Still, seeing her retreat, he continued.
“But…”
His voice softened again.
“So what?
I’m not dead, right?”
His words completely stunned her.
Just a second ago, he had looked like he was truly angry, and the next, he was speaking with the same warmth as before, as though the previous atmosphere had never existed.
The contrast was almost… she didn’t even know how she was supposed to react anymore.
For several seconds, she simply stared at him. But as soon as his words finally sank in…
Her brows slowly drew together. A faint frown appeared on her tear-stained face.
“But… but… that doesn’t mean I didn’t… k-kill you, right?
You didn’t even deny that fact…
That means…
That means you clearly remember what I did…!”
The guilt that had been inside her violently surged to the surface once more.
She didn’t actually remember everything that had happened after she had drunk his blood for the first time.
The memories were fragmented, since both her body and her mind were in the process of evolving during that time.
The only reason she learned the truth… the only reason she knew she had killed her brother… was because of the title she had awakened with.
If not for that title… she might’ve remained unaware of that fact for her entire life, never knowing the person she cherished the most had once died by her own hands.
Tears blurred her vision, causing her to blink several times, trying to clear the moisture gathering in her eyes.
Only then did she finally manage to see her brother’s face properly.
Lucian, seeing his words weren’t reaching her at all, let out a heavy exhale.
His eyes closed briefly.
Silence settled between them once again.
He carefully sorted through his thoughts, trying to find a way to make her understand.
‘Reassurance won’t work with the current level of guilt she’s feeling.’
After a few seconds, his eyes opened once more.
“You are shattered by the fact that you killed me, right?” he asked quietly.
“No matter why you did that?”
Lia’s mist-covered eyes met his. Her brows knitted together as another wave of guilt washed over her.
She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, after a few long seconds, she gave him another slow, trembling nod.
Seeing that…
A smile crept across Lucian’s face—something that looked a bit more dangerous rather than a soft smile.
Without warning—
His arm tightened around her waist.
Lia let out a tiny gasp as he firmly pulled her closer until there was almost no distance between them.
She instinctively stiffened. Her heart skipped a beat as her breasts pressed against his chest.
Her mind went blank, but she didn’t even think about pulling away.
Lucian’s other hand rose. His fingers gently grabbed her chin with just enough force to make her shiver before lifting her face toward him.
And Lia…?
She could only stare as he briefly wiped the tears from her cheek before lowering his hand.
Her heartbeat became increasingly chaotic, so much so that Lucian could clearly hear it thumping loudly.
Before she could gather her thoughts…
Lucian extended his index finger, resting it lightly against the side of her chest, right where her heart beat rapidly beneath her skin.
She was only wearing a sports bra, so his finger pressed directly against her bare skin, making Lia’s body tremble.
Lucian watched her reaction before speaking.
“Can you feel the connection of the blood bond?” Lucian asked, finally drawing her attention back to him.
Seeing his face so close, seeing the seriousness in those eyes, she couldn’t help but feel her face growing warmer. But after hearing his words, she faintly tilted her head, ever so slightly, in puzzlement.
“Try to feel that bond; it should come naturally.
It’s easy.”
The moment those words reached her ears, Lia subconsciously felt it almost instantly.
A very strong connection, originating from the person directly before her.
From Lucian.
An invisible thread linking the two of them together, the sacred connection created when a vampire drank the blood of the one they were bound to.
Except…
In her case, it wasn’t merely the blood of another vampire.
It was the blood of the Progenitor himself, which meant the bond was a thousand times stronger.
For a moment, A torrent of emotions flooded her mind.
Guilt. Longing. Love. Servitude. Reverence. Craving. Obsessive Devotion.
Everything suddenly rushed through her mind together until her mind became a complete mess.
But before she could drown beneath those overwhelming emotions…
Lucian’s hand tightened around her waist, snapping her attention back.
“So… can you feel that connection now?”
Still somewhat dazed, Lia gave a small nod.
“Good.” Lucian’s lips curved upward.
“Then… my dear sister…” His voice lowered as he leaned closer, bringing his face just a few inches apart.
“If you’re afraid that you were the one who killed me… then don’t be.”
He pressed his finger firmly against her chest, pointing to the exact place above her heart.
“Just like how you have the power to end my life… I have that very same power over you.”
“Huh?”
Lia blinked.
For a long moment, she couldn’t understand what he meant by that, but then her eyes widened as she felt it almost instinctively.
The connection between them…
It wasn’t merely the connection shared between two vampires.
Because beneath it…ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Was another authority entirely.
The authority of the Progenitor, a command that every vampire born beneath him would instinctively obey.
A power so absolute… that if he wished for it…
He could command her to walk willingly toward her own death, and she would do it without hesitation, without any resistance.
That meant… should Lucian ever command her, her body would obey before her mind ever could.
The knowledge surfaced instinctively, as though it had always existed within her blood.
Lia’s golden eyes trembled violently, and her breath hitched.
For a brief moment… it looked as though she was horrified by the discovery.
Any normal person would’ve been.
Any normal… which she clearly wasn’t.
Lucian could see her expression clearly.
The initial shock lasted only for an instant.
Almost immediately afterward…
A deep blush flooded her cheeks, almost unnaturally.
But…
Instead of fear…
A strange, maniacal smile appeared on her face, as if she was unconsciously delighted to know about the power he held over her.
Her breathing grew uneven and ragged.
After sensing the emotions flowing through their blood bond…
Lucian could only let out a quiet chuckle, genuinely unsure how he was supposed to react to that expression.
