Transmigrated Into a Cannon Fodder Phoenix, Stuck With the Ice Dragon-Chapter 68: The Strange Feeling

Lucian stood in front of the tall window, the moonlight spilling across his back and outlining the sharp edges of his form. Outside, the manor grounds were silent, no guards patrolling, no wind, not even the usual rustle of night air. Just stillness.

"My lord," Sebastian began cautiously, breaking the quiet. "It’s confirmed. The one who sent the rogue was your father. Lord Lysander and his men had no part in the incident."

Lucian didn’t turn. His reflection in the glass was faint, his eyes shadowed, unreadable. The only movement came from his hand, resting loosely at his side until a thin layer of frost spread beneath his fingertips across the marble floor.

Sebastian continued, his tone steady. "The incident at the garden, however... it’s still unverified. The mana traces disappeared faster than we could record them."

Lucian exhaled slowly, the faint mist of his breath fogging the glass before fading. "Of course," he murmured. "He wouldn’t leave proof."

Sebastian hesitated, studying his lord’s stillness. "My lord... if I may—should we inform the council?"

"No." The word cut through the quiet like ice cracking.

Sebastian bowed his head slightly, knowing better than to argue. "Understood."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was thick, almost tangible. Then, without turning from the window, Lucian’s voice came again, quieter this time.

"And her?"

Sebastian blinked, uncertain. "Lady Seraphina?"

Lucian nodded once. "Has she left her room?"

"No, my lord," Sebastian said carefully. "The maid informed, she has not stepped out since last night."

Lucian’s shoulders shifted slightly, though he didn’t turn. The frost on the window spread just a little more, crawling up toward the moonlight.

"Call Darian..."

"Dr. Darian, my lord?"

"Yes," Lucian replied, his tone low but absolute. "Tell him to be here before dawn."

Sebastian hesitated, unsure if he’d heard correctly. "At this hour, my lord? Should I inform him of the reason?"

Lucian finally turned his head slightly, just enough for the faint silver of moonlight to catch his eyes. "No, just tell him to get here as fast as he can, I need to confirm something..."

Sebastian’s brow furrowed, the faint unease in his expression deepening. "Confirm... something, my lord?"

Lucian didn’t answer right away. His gaze lingered on the frost webbing across the glass, the pattern thin and fragile under the pale moonlight.

"Yes," he said. "About her flame."

Sebastian straightened slightly, trying to read his expression, but Lucian had already turned back toward the window.

"My lord... if I may," Sebastian ventured carefully, "Since my lady already knew the fact you wanted to use her flame, why don’t you just tell her the truth—"

Lucian’s gaze shifted slightly, the edge in his voice softening. "Because..." he paused, the words catching for a moment, "I’m not even sure myself." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Sebastian blinked, caught off guard by the rare honesty in his tone. "My lord?"

Lucian exhaled quietly, eyes still fixed on the frost-laced glass. The moonlight caught the faint reflection of his face, calm on the surface, conflicted beneath. "I don’t know what I should do with her. I wanted her flame... that was clear. But now..." He trailed off, his jaw tightening. "Every time I try to decide, it feels like I’m the one burning."

Sebastian stayed silent. He’d seen Lucian facing a lot of things without a flicker of hesitation but this was different.

Lucian’s voice came softer, almost distant. "I don’t think I’ve ever felt this before, Sebastian. And I don’t know what it is... and I am also afraid it will be another mistake I’ll regret."

He let out a quiet breath, the frost melting from the window in slow, glistening trails. "That," he said finally, "is why I can’t tell her yet."

"But my lord," Sebastian started carefully, "using her flame to heal wouldn’t even harm her. Why does she get so ang—"

Lucian turned his head just slightly, and the look he gave over his shoulder was enough to make the rest of Sebastian’s words die in his throat. The air between them dropped in temperature almost instantly.

Sebastian lowered his gaze. "Understood, my lord," he said quickly, his voice steadying again. "I’ll call Dr. Darian now."

Lucian didn’t answer. He just turned back to the window, the silver light tracing the hard lines of his face, his expression unreadable.

"My lady!"

The distant cry cut through the stillness like glass shattering. His head snapped toward the door instantly, every muscle in his body tensing.

The voice came again, trembling and panicked. "My lady, please—someone help!"

Lucian didn’t waste a second. The air around him shifted, the faint shimmer of frost trailing in his wake as he crossed the room and flung the door open.

The corridor outside was filled with the sound of hurried footsteps. One of the maids stood pale and shaking, frozen halfway to Seraphina’s door.

"What happened?" Lucian’s tone was calm, but the underlying chill made the maid flinch.

She stammered, wringing her hands. "I–I don’t know, my lord! I was bringing her milk as she asked for it, when I heard the sound of something breaking inside, and then—then the light... there was light coming from under the door!"

Lucian was already moving before she finished, his stride quick, precise. Frost trailed behind every step he took, and when he reached the door, the faint hum of power was unmistakable and heat pulsing from within the room.

He didn’t hesitate. One push and the door burst open.

"Seraphina—!"

The sight that met him made him stop cold.

The room was bathed in a wild, golden glow, not like the soft warmth he’d seen from her flame before, but something violent, trembling and alive. Fragments of shattered glass glittered across the carpet, still smoking from the heat.

And there she was.

Seraphina sat slumped against the side of the bed, her wrist trembling, faint golden light flickering from a shallow cut that sealed itself as fast as it formed. The table nearby had been half-melted, its wooden edge charred from the sudden burst of flame.

For a moment, she didn’t notice him. Her eyes were unfocused, staring blankly at her hand, the same hand that glowed and healed itself against her will.

"Why..." Her voice came out raw, a whisper that cracked in the middle. "Why can’t I even do this right?"