My stomach churned.
Even through the dizzying fog clouding my mind, those specific words lingered stubbornly in my head.
“Rest assured. Until that moment arrives, I will move precisely as the Master desires.”
……This definitely didn’t sound like something that should bring me peace of mind.
Just as a chill threatened to crawl down my spine, a memory suddenly flashed across my mind.
I parted my lips on impulse.
“When you first met me here, you said that exact same thing.”
“Pardon?”
“……That you’d finally found me.”
His smile deepened ever so slightly.
Swallowing dryly, I pressed further.
“Your coming here—it wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”
At that, Lucian laughed even more darkly.
Damn it, why did he have to look so blindingly handsome even in a situation like this?
“The Master never once let me starve. Not even right up until the moment the game terminated.”
Thud—
As he spoke, he dropped the plastic grocery bags onto the floor and gently caressed my cheek.
Against my skin, which still retained a lingering warmth, his gloved fingertips brushed with a chilling, cool touch.
“Therefore, I trust that the Master will never abandon me this time, either.”
Unconsciously, I took a step back.
This bastard is dangerous.
He’s always been dangerous, but the Lucian right now was on a whole other level.
“……You’re standing way too close to me.”
Reflexively, I retreated one more step.
At that, Lucian tilted his head slowly and smiled.
“Do you wish to keep your distance?”
“Yeah.”
“I respect all of the Master’s choices.”
“…….”
“For I shall forever remain the Master’s humble servant, and the one who adores you above all else.”
My vision spun.
What on earth is this guy even talking about?
I felt like a complete idiot who couldn’t figure out the right answer, or like a helpless, crippled toddler who couldn’t function without a parent’s guiding hand.
Yet the very next second, as if to match the exact distance I had just put between us, he stepped forward and said,
“However, Master. Forgetting me, denying me, losing your own self—those things are strictly prohibited.”
It was a profound, incomprehensible statement.
……And yet, for some reason, an icy shiver raced down my spine.
I took another quiet breath as I edged backward.
“Meeting the wildcat tomorrow, I got it. I won’t tag along, so don’t worry.”
“……Do those guys even remember you?” I asked cautiously.
Lucian curved the corners of his lips and tilted his head.
“Who knows…… An error might occur in their data as well.”
“What?”
At his casual response, my brows furrowed of their own accord.
Yet he continued unbothered.
“Whether that outcome proves positive or negative, I cannot say.
Their memories might overlap, or they might simply lose their minds entirely…… Who is to say?”
After stroking his chin for a moment, Lucian broke into a gentle smile.
“Do not worry. Unless the Master commands it, I shall not cross paths with them.”
“……Wh—ah……”
How could he toss out a terrifying statement like that with such effortless nonchalance?
Left completely dumbfounded, I stared blankly at Lucian.
And right at that moment, his hand naturally reached out and caught mine.
Warm fingertips.
And then, his lips pressed softly against the back of my hand.
“Do not forget. As long as we do not lose ‘us’, I will obey whatever you command.”
……Fucking hell.
I yanked my hand back fiercely and stepped away.
My heart pounded wildly against my ribs.
It was weird.
No, calling it weird didn’t even cut it—it was genuinely terrifying.
Yet Lucian merely watched me quietly with a smile.
Wearing a face of boundless, gentle affection.
……It’s giving me the creeps.
Swallowing hard to calm my breathing, I opened my mouth.
“……Just what the hell are you?”
Lucian’s eyes curved softly.
As if genuinely delighted by the question, he slowly lifted the corners of his mouth and murmured under his breath.
“Are you finally beginning to grow curious about me?”
“Isn’t that a given?”
A character straight out of a video game had literally popped out into reality.
“Thanks to the Master, I never engaged in any useless actions. Because you respected my own will.”
What Lucian was referring to was undoubtedly the ‘Lucian’ from within the game.
Because I had always played while respecting his relative freedom of choice.
And since I’d had no intention of entangling him with the main shouzu from the start, our paths must have naturally aligned on certain points.
“However—”
He slowly reached his hand out toward me.
It was a gesture as though he meant to cup my face, though his fingers stopped short of making contact.
Halting midair, he whispered,
“It felt a little disappointing that you weren’t curious about me sooner.”
At that instant, a chilling wave swept over my entire body.
“You…… you did that earlier today, too.”
His brows ticked upward slightly.
“You always dodge my questions.”
Pressing both hands against my weary eyes, I spoke,
“You have never, not even once, given me a straight answer about your true identity.”
True to form, this time was no different.
Rubbing my arms to soothe the uncanny goosebumps crawling up my skin, I watched as Lucian stepped closer and murmured in a low, husky voice.
“Doubt.”
He stepped in another pace.
“Suspicion.”
Curving his red eyes sweetly, he whispered,
“Please, continue to stay curious about me, Master.”
A brief silence settled over us.
Unable to utter a single word in response, I instinctively took a step back.
Even so, Lucian gazed at me without a single flicker of hesitation.
The emotions buried deep within those crimson pupils were utterly unreadable.
As soon as we returned home, Lucian began humming cheerfully as he started prepping dinner in the kitchen.
With an atmosphere so tranquil it felt as though we were a pair of newlyweds, I headed straight for the bathroom without a word.
Locking the door behind me, I cast a quick glance at the mirror before settling down quietly onto the closed toilet lid and pulling out my phone.
The email I sent yesterday—had a reply come in yet?
My fingertips trembled lightly as I opened my inbox, and my heart dropped straight into my stomach.
……An email had arrived.
My fingertips were shaking with a subtle tremor. Hurriedly, I tapped it open.
[[Sender: □? Cr?□□ Ma□□]
Hello, Player Yoon Seohyun.
First, we apologize for any inconvenience caused while using the service. The contents of your email will be internally reviewed upon confirmation, and □□□ □□ker has indeed been officially terminated. Future schedules will be announced via the website.
□Cr? ??? Maker → [Link]]
Still a corrupted, garbled email.
Even so, it wasn’t a total dead end. Clenching my phone tight, I clicked the link directly.
As the browser loaded, a familiar color scheme unfurled across the screen.
An abruptly closed website, resurrected without any prior official announcement.
Carrying a lingering sense of unease, I scanned through the bulletin board.
The most recent posts appeared to have been written at the very final moment right before the termination date.
[Game Community – Crown Maker Gallery]
[[Chatter] Can’t believe Crown is officially ending T_T Guess I can’t see them anymore T.T]
└ F*ck, trash game or not, I loved the characters…….
└ Seriously, Lucian was ridiculously handsome lol
└ So what if he was, the game’s dead anyway ㅋㅋ
‘Lucian.’
I hesitated for a moment.
He was a character I was already far too entangled with, but right now, I needed to verify the facts.
Typing ‘Lucian’ into the search bar, I let out a sigh and hit enter.
