The Crest of Ruin

"Young master," the servant bowed.

"Young master, the Duke calls for you. There are guests...lady Aria is also there — in the Garden."

Lucien froze.

"Guests?" He glanced at other confusingly

"Don't keep him waiting Darius suddenly spoke and try not to look like you got dragged through a mana storm."

Lucien wiped his face, muttering, "Like I fucking care."

Walking to the Hall...

His footsteps echoed in the corridor.

No one came to visit at this time in his previous life so frequent, so he didn't who was it and it was frustating.

Haash...Who can it be..???

He straightened his collar, wore and adjusted the outer robe. His heart wasn't racing—but his mind was.

Something felt... off

The sunlight slanted softly over the wide garden, dappling the stone path with golden light. Lucien walked in, dressed in a fresh black robe embroidered with silver accents — the mark of Velentis. His violet eyes were calm, expression unreadable.

At a white garden table beneath the wisteria canopy, Aria sat, legs swinging as she poked at her cakes. Duke Kael stood nearby, speaking quietly to a Ellis, expression as cold and noble as ever.

Lucien walked up and gave a light bow.

"Father, Aria."

Aria beamed.

"Brother! I saved you the cherry tart!"

He sat beside her and ruffled her hair, eliciting a whine from the girl as she fixed her hair ribbon.

Kael turned, his arms crossed behind him.

"You did well today."

Lucien only gave a slight nod.

"I could've done better."

Kael smirked faintly, then gestured toward the other end of the garden.

Lucien turned… and froze.

Walking down the path was a girl — no, a presence. The kind that forced the air to bend. She was clad in a soft imperial-blue dress, gold embroidery blooming at her collar. Long golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, cascading like a waterfall, and those eyes—piercing gold, the kind you didn't forget.

"Tch..." Lucien narrowed his eyes. "...Imperial blood."

Lucien walked down the stone corridor, freshly washed and dressed, his thoughts heavy after training. As his boots echoed softly on the marble floor, his eyes drifted to the tall windows lining the hallway, sunlight streaming in golden beams.

The Empire of Arkenia... a land of power, politics, and bloodlines. 

There are four pillars beneath the Emperor Cassian Aurelius Valerius . Four ducal houses that hold the Empire together.

He listed them silently.

House Velentis — Magic runs through their veins..The house of mages. Once hailed as the heart of arcane power in the Empire.

House Caelthorn — Swordsmanship. Warriors born and bred for war, led by battle maniacs with terrifying physical prowess.

House Solmere — Alchemy. Masters of creation, the Solmeres held secrets in potions, poisons, and gold alike.

House Virellen — Beast Taming. Riders of mythical creatures, they were wild and proud, their magic linked to nature itself.

Together, they upheld the Empire and above them was… the Imperial Family.

He frowned.

The golden-haired, golden-eyed bloodline blessed by the gods. 

It was believed only those born with golden eyes and hair could inherit the throne—blessed descendants of the first Emperor, chosen by the divine.

And yet, not every child born to the Imperial Palace bore those traits. The others… the unblessed… fought behind the scenes like crows in a dying tree.

Lucien's steps slowed.

In my past life, they all tore each other apart, succession war, black mages, civil unrest. And most important the reason of our demise that power hungry emperor. He is bastard who could kill, threaten, and do anything in his power to grow stronger and achieve the one which was never achieved by anyone....Immortality. I always thought that he was directly connected to the betrayal and demise of my family but never got a proof.

But this time… he's gonna find the connection trail and kill that damn bastard a death worse than an insect..haaah even thinking about it makes him furious

And now, the third Imperial Princess—the very one I never heard of in my past life—is standing in our gardens, smiling like fate had been rewritten.

There were only two people in the Imperial Family born with those eyes in this generation• Crown Prince Azrael Alaric Valerius, the eldest and Princess Seraphina Elionora Valerius, the third royal child.Everyone else was ruled out for succession long ago.

But Seraphina?

In Lucien's past life, he never met her, not even once. He heard rumors — that she died during the Black Mage Rebellion, or maybe fled before the war ever began. But she was like a ghost, a footnote in the chaos that no one knew about.

So why the hell was she here now?

Kael spoke, voice clear and heavy with meaning:

"Lucien. This is Her Imperial Highness, Princess Seraphina Elionora Valerius."

She bowed politely.

"It's a pleasure, Lord Velentis."

Lucien's expression didn't change… until Kael dropped the bomb.

"She is also… your betrothed. A union arranged between the Empire and Velentis twelve years ago, under His Majesty's decree."

Lucien's calm cracked.

He blinked once, twice… then scoffed.

"...Fiancée?" he muttered.

And then—

"What the fuck?!"

Aria dropped her fork.

The maid gasped.

Even Kael raised an eyebrow.

Lucien cleared his throat and lowered his head slightly.

"Apologies. That was... unexpected."

Inside, his thoughts were chaos.

A fiancée? In my last life, I never had a damn clue. Why the hell now? Why was it kept secret? Why her?Like the damn...fuck

What else did I miss? What else was kept from me?

His mind was in chaos

He glanced at Seraphina again. She was calm, sipping tea like nothing had happened.

Of course she was unfazed, she was Imperial and maybe she had known all along.

Lucien's jaw tightened.

"This time," he thought, "I'm not letting anyone move pieces behind my back. I'll play your game... but I'll be the one flipping the board. Just do the fuck you guys can do"

Kael stood, placing his teacup down.

"Aria, come. Let's leave the two of you to talk."

"Eh? Why? I wanna—"

Kael cut her off with a look. She pouted but stood anyway.

"Don't break anything," she muttered toward Lucien before skipping off behind their father.

Lucien gave a small sigh.

Now it was just him and her.

Seraphina.....The Imperial Princess.

The one he'd never met in his past life.

The one who apparently had been betrothed to him since childhood which he discovered just a while ago.

She stepped forward, eyes golden and steady. She didn't seem nervous—not one damn bit. Her dress fluttered gently in the garden breeze, and she smiled like they'd known each other forever.

"You look great, my lord," she said softly. "Have you come straight from training?"

Lucien blinked.

Huh?He gave a small laugh. It wasn't real, but it was polite enough to pass.

"Yeah… something like that. Ahem, Let me introduce myself again. I'm Lucien Velentis… heir of the Velentis Duchy. And I guess, your fiancé."

She chuckled at his awkward tone.

"Seraphina Elionora Valerius ," she said, giving a playful curtsy. "Third Imperial child, and apparently… your future wife."

Lucien just stared.

What the fuck is happening. Who the hell is this girl? Why is she smiling like that? Is she genuinely this sweet or just hiding fangs? Calm down. Let's test her first. If she's useless… I'll break it off myself.

"Your Highness," he said slowly, "were you aware of this arrangement?"

"Of course," she answered with ease. "It was decided long ago to maintain the alliance between our families."

Lucien internally cursed.

Damn it. So she's known all along? And I'm the idiot left in the dark?

He gave a forced smile.

"Ah… that explains it."

The silence was stiff.

Until she tilted her head slightly.

"My lord," she said boldly, "why are you so shy?"

Lucien blinked.

"Shy?"

"Yes," she said, leaning closer, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Do you… like someone else?"

Lucien coughed.

"What? No. Nothing like that."

"Hmm…" she made a fake 'thinking' face. "Then… is it that you don't like me? Do I look bad?"

Lucien opened his mouth, then shut it.

This girl was bold as hell. What the hell.

"You're… fine," he muttered.

She's beautiful. Anyone with eyes would agree, it doesn't mean I have fallen for her. I've got every women beautiful around me. But why the hell is she this relaxed?Why is she looking at me like I'm a rabbit ready to be cooked?

Seraphina grinned and leaned back.

"Sorry for pressuring you, my lord. But as your future wife, shouldn't I at least know where we stand?"

Lucien exhaled sharply, gaze growing serious.

"If I hadn't won the tournament battle, would you have even come here?"

Her smile faded for a moment.

"You know… that wasn't in my hands," she said honestly. "But the day I learned your name, I wanted to meet you."

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

She smiled again. This time, it wasn't teasing. It was gentle.

"Because you were interesting."

"What?"

"And… handsome."

Lucien nearly choked.

"H-Huh?"

"My lord's flustered face is adorable," she giggled.

Lucien looked away.

This girl's dangerous.

Chapter- END

Seraphina...picture for visuality:-

https://i.postimg.cc/brxyntsC/Seraphina-in-a-Sunlit-Garden.png