Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra - Chapter 544

Chapter 544: A ride and confession
Lucavion guided Aether smoothly through the quiet streets, the gentle rhythm of her steps filling the night air. Stormhaven, still alive with late-night murmurs, stretched out before them—lanterns flickering, the sea breeze carrying the scent of salt and spice.

Aeliana remained pressed against his back, her arms wrapped around his waist, though her mind wasn’t on their surroundings.

Her golden eyes flickered toward Aether again, curiosity still tugging at her thoughts.

This horse—this legendary warhorse, untamed and full of pride—had once been a reward.

But rewards were given.

This horse had the presence of something earned.

She shifted slightly, tilting her head against his shoulder. “So?”

Lucavion hummed, as if he had been expecting her question.

“You said she was a prize,” Aeliana murmured. “But that doesn’t explain why her. Why was Aether the one they gave you?”

Lucavion’s fingers grazed Aether’s mane absentmindedly, his dark eyes flickering with something distant.

“It starts with her mother,” he said.

Aeliana blinked. “Her mother?”

Lucavion nodded. His voice was steady, but there was something else beneath it. Something heavier.

“Aether wasn’t supposed to be given away,” he murmured. “She was meant to stay in the Ventor family, to continue their legacy. And a large part of that… was because of Solace.”

Aeliana remained quiet, listening.

“Solace,” Lucavion continued, “was the most extraordinary horse in the Ventor stables. A golden-coated beauty, with a presence that made even seasoned knights pause in reverence. She wasn’t just strong—she was the embodiment of grace and power. Aether gets her wild spirit from her, but her mother… her mother had the kind of presence that made people believe in destiny.”

He exhaled lightly, his tone shifting. “The Ventor family had a tradition. Solace was reserved only for those who proved themselves worthy in their succession battles. Whoever claimed leadership of the family would also claim her as their mount.”

Aeliana frowned. “So, she was meant for the heir?”

Lucavion’s lips curled slightly. “That was the plan.”

Something about his tone made Aeliana’s fingers twitch slightly against his waist.

“But things didn’t go according to plan, did they?” she guessed.

Lucavion chuckled lowly, but the sound was hollow.

“No,” he murmured. “Not at all.”

Aeliana remained silent, waiting.

Lucavion’s grip on the reins tightened slightly.

“The succession battle in the Ventor family wasn’t just a test of skill or leadership,” he explained. “It was… a battlefield of deception. The Marquis’s sister—his own blood—wasn’t content to let things play out fairly. She schemed. Plotted. And in the end…”

His voice dropped slightly.

“The one who suffered most wasn’t her brother.”

Aeliana inhaled sharply.

“…Solace,” she murmured.

Lucavion nodded. “She was caught in the crossfire. The sister’s plans spiraled, and Solace was injured—badly. They tried everything to save her, but…”

Aeliana’s throat tightened.

Aether’s mother—the legendary Solace—had died because of a petty, internal struggle for power.

And Aether…

She had seen it.

Lucavion continued, “Aether was still young, barely more than a foal, but she understood. She witnessed everything.”

Aeliana clenched her jaw.

That explained everything.

Aether’s distrust. Her rage. Her refusal to accept anyone near her.

She wasn’t just wild.

She was mourning.

Aeliana exhaled slowly.

“…And you met her after that,” she murmured.

Lucavion’s smirk returned, though it was softer now. “I did.”

His gaze flickered ahead, as if he could see the past playing out before him.

“When I arrived at the Ventor estate after the tournament,” he said, “I was supposed to pick from their best Ventorian Chargers. Strong, obedient, bred for war.”

He chuckled. “But when I walked through their stables, I noticed her.”

Aeliana could picture it clearly.

Lucavion, young and victorious, stepping into the grand stables lined with warhorses—only to be drawn to one stall in particular.

The wrong one.

Her lips curled slightly. “Tch. You immediately wanted her, didn’t you?”

Lucavion chuckled, tilting his head slightly in amusement.

“Of course.”

Aeliana sighed, shaking her head. “You’re an idiot.”

“I prefer the term ‘stubborn’,” Lucavion mused.

Aeliana huffed, but she couldn’t deny—

Something about it fit.

Lucavion, reckless and untamed.

Aether, proud and unyielding.

A bond that had been forged not through ownership, but through understanding.

Aeliana exhaled softly, her fingers brushing over the hairpin in her hair.

“…So how did you get her to accept you?” she asked, her voice quieter.

Lucavion’s smirk deepened, his dark eyes gleaming under the lantern light.

“Well,” he murmured

Lucavion exhaled lightly, his smirk widening into something playful, something purely him.

“Well,” he murmured, tilting his head as if the answer were obvious, “it’s my charm, isn’t it?”

Aeliana rolled her eyes.

“I mean,” he continued smoothly, “how can anyone resist me? When I stand before them—magnificent, brilliant, a force of nature—how can those in mourning not be drawn to me?”

Aeliana scoffed. “Yeah, yeah…” She waved a dismissive hand. “You’re irresistible, I get it.”

Lucavion chuckled, clearly satisfied with himself.

But—

Aeliana’s smirk wavered.

Her golden eyes flickered downward, her fingers unconsciously brushing over the hairpin in her hair.

Because—

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

She hated to admit it, but she had seen it herself—felt it herself.

Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, back to when she first met him.

Back to the Vortex.

Back when she was still wearing her veil, when she still kept herself hidden, when she refused to let the world see her face—when she had all but decided to rot away in the dark.

And yet—

He hadn’t let her.

He had peeled away the layers of isolation she had wrapped around herself with such ease, never pushing, never forcing—just existing in a way that made it impossible to ignore him.

Somehow, without even trying—

He had made her open up.

He had made her live again.

And now—

Now he was stealing her heart just like this.

Her grip around his waist tightened slightly.

Lucavion suddenly shifted, straightening.

Then—

His voice rang out, sharp and carefree.

“Get ready,” he called over his shoulder. “We’re about to go wild.”

Aeliana blinked—then realized.

They had already left Stormhaven.

The city lights had faded behind them, and now they were on the open road, heading toward the Thaddeus estate.

And Lucavion—

He was about to speed up.

Aeliana barely had time to inhale before—

WHOOSH.

Aether bolted.

The wind howled past them as they surged forward, the powerful force of the horse’s gallop sending a sharp thrill through Aeliana’s veins.

She gasped, instinctively tightening her arms around Lucavion’s waist.

And still—

Her thoughts wouldn’t stop.

She remembered—

The first time he had made her laugh.

The first time she had felt warmth in her chest after so long.

The first time she had let herself hope for something more.

And now, riding behind him, holding onto him as the world blurred past them—

Aeliana knew.

The world rushed past them in a blur of night and wind. The rhythmic pounding of Aether’s hooves echoed in the open air, steady, powerful, untamed—just like him.

Aeliana could feel the warmth of Lucavion’s body beneath her fingers, the steady rise and fall of his breath, the effortless way he guided Aether through the open road.

She exhaled slowly, her grip around him never loosening.

Her fingers drifted upward, brushing against the delicate hairpin in her hair.

The one he had given her.

Her heart clenched.

‘Far too late.’

Her heart had been his for so long, stolen in quiet moments and reckless grins, in teasing words and unwavering presence. He had taken it without asking, without knowing—piece by piece, until there was nothing left for her to deny.

She knew it now.

And right here, right now, holding onto him as the world raced past them—

She wouldn’t pretend otherwise.

She couldn’t pretend otherwise.

So—

She leaned in, her voice barely more than a breath, but clear enough to cut through the rushing wind.

“I love you.”

She felt it immediately.

The way his back stiffened. The way his entire body shivered under her touch, as if those three words had struck him harder than any blade ever could.

Lucavion—who always had a response, who always had control—

Froze.