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ArabicArknights: The Holy Son's Leisurely Life — Chapter 39
Chapter 39: I Like A Lot of Women
“Giving up without even seeing what my rival looks like doesn’t suit my personality at all,” Swire declared, her chin tilted up in that signature haughty manner of hers. “So, at the very least, tell me. Just how wonderful is this woman you’re so hung up on? Is she really someone I couldn’t possibly compare to?”
Lucian was rendered entirely speechless. He stared at the wealthy feline, unsure of how to even begin untangling this mess.
Honestly, Swire’s rock-solid belief that he was pining away for some singular, unattainable woman was a massive misunderstanding.
Deciding to clear the air before things spiraled any further, Lucian let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“I won’t deny that there are women I’m fond of, but it is definitely not as exaggerated as you’re making it out to be in your head. I am not some conflicted protagonist in a tragic melodrama, weeping over a star-crossed lover.”
He didn’t deny his affection for Mostima.
After all, she was his childhood friend—just like Exusiai—and the one who had watched over him the most closely during those suffocating years.
For Lucian, who had been revered as the Holy Son of Laterano since the moment he drew his first breath, he wasn’t even permitted to know the identities of his biological parents. In that gilded cage of absolute reverence, Exusiai had been his very first friend, and Mostima had been his only true family.
Because of that deep-rooted bond, as Mostima grew older and undeniably more beautiful, Lucian—being a perfectly healthy young man—naturally developed a fondness for her. Yet, he had never harbored any intention of making a move.
Lucian had his pride as a man, after all.
As the Holy Son, if he showed even a fraction of a hint of desire, any Sankta—whether it was Mostima, Exusiai, or anyone else—would unconditionally surrender and fulfill his every need. It was written into their very nature, bound by the Law.
And Lucian absolutely loathed that fact.
As long as he wore the suffocating crown of the Holy Son, it would be fundamentally impossible for him to ever have a normal, equal relationship with a Sankta woman.
So, when Mostima finally tore that fragile dynamic to shreds, fell from grace to become a Fallen Angel, and thoroughly defiled him, Lucian woke up from the illusion.
He hadn’t been the only one enduring the pressure.
Mostima, who always seemed so effortlessly excellent and loved to tease him mercilessly, was also a young woman going through puberty. Even if the angels of Laterano typically lived rigid, strictly regulated lives, their essential human desires and emotions were no different from anyone else’s. They were simply indoctrinated with the heavy shackles of the Law from a young age.
Once those shackles shattered, even the holiest Archangel would fall to the earth and claim her childhood sweetheart.
…Of course, from a purely moral standpoint, that kind of forceful behavior was highly problematic and definitely not something to be advocated. Mutual consent was paramount.
But objectively speaking, it was indeed Mostima who had enlightened Lucian. She had been the obvious catalyst that finally pushed him to make up his mind and abandon Laterano for good.
His current, unabashedly honest attitude toward life largely stemmed from that very incident. Mostima was, without a doubt, a deeply special woman to him.
But Lucian wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: he was not acting out a soap opera.
He looked Swire dead in the eye, his tone turning serious. “I do have a childhood sweetheart I care for, and I came to Lungmen specifically to find her. Tracking her down is my biggest goal in life right now. But that doesn’t mean our relationship is particularly sacred or untouchable. Even if she jumped out of the shadows right now and told me that what happened between us was just a momentary impulse, and that after cooling off, she realized it’s better for us to draw a clear line… I would completely accept it. What I absolutely hate is her current attitude. She’s hiding from me, making it look like I’m the creeping pervert when I am very clearly the victim here.”
Just bringing it up made a vein throb in Lucian’s forehead. That infuriating woman, Mostima, truly had the guts to steal a man’s innocence but lacked the spine to open the front door and face him. If she was so capable, she should act like it and talk to him face-to-face.
Lucian sighed deeply, letting the irritation bleed out of his lungs. “And I have zero intention of hanging myself on her one tree. You can call me a playboy if you want; I like a lot of women.”
He began counting them off on his fingers, listing them as if he were taking inventory of precious treasures. “First off, I really like my Texas. I also like Ch’en Hui-chieh and Lin Yuxia. Setting aside my deep respect for the boss, I can comfortably add Big Sister Hoshiguma to the list. And, to take it one step further into the hypothetical, if Croissant ever fell on her head and lost her memory, I’d really like her too.”
He paused, his gaze softening as it settled entirely on the feline standing before him. “Of course, I also really like you. Swire, how could I possibly not like a woman as beautiful, cute, and understanding as you? So, you don’t need to compare yourself to her at all. You are already miles better than that troublesome woman. I already like the current you very, very much.”
Swire blinked. Once. Twice. Her amber eyes went wide, and she remained frozen in absolute silence for more than ten seconds, the bustling noise of the Lungmen streets seemingly fading into the background.
Then, she reached out, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of Lucian’s sleeve. “Hey… hey, Lucian. That line just now. The one where you praised me as a beauty. Can you say it again?”
“Swire, how could I possibly not like a woman as beautiful, cute, and understanding as you?” Lucian repeated, his delivery completely deadpan, yet the sincerity in his eyes remained unwavering.
Since he was already laying his cards on the table, he generously threw in a few more lines to seal the deal. “I like you. I like you very much. The only reason I’ve been avoiding you is because of the massive gap in our social statuses. I don’t want you getting dragged into any trouble because of me, let alone sparking a conflict with your prestigious family. If you weren’t the golden daughter of a super-rich dynasty, but just an ordinary office worker living next door, I would have pursued you aggressively a long time ago. The kind of aggressive pursuit where I knock on your door with breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day, leaving you with psychological trauma for the rest of your life.”
He was exaggerating a bit for comedic effect, but the core of his words was nothing but the absolute truth.
As a physically and mentally healthy man, who wouldn’t be drawn to a stunningly beautiful woman with a vibrant personality like Swire?
Lucian found it difficult to pull his gaze away from her now. Dressed in her pure white dress, she looked simultaneously noble and pitifully charming—a devastating combination tailored to strike a critical hit on any pure-hearted man.
Swire’s long eyelashes fluttered rapidly. She looked completely and utterly stunned, her brain struggling to process the sheer volume of blunt affection.
After a few agonizingly long seconds, she finally reconnected to the server. She took a long, deep, shuddering breath.
“Ooh-hmm~!”
Without a shred of hesitation, she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Lucian’s neck, and planted a passionate, lingering kiss right on his cheek.
The pedestrians who had been subtly watching the striking couple from a distance immediately stirred into a frenzy. Several bold onlookers even risked the wrath of the LGD to whip out their phones and snap rapid-fire photos. Tomorrow’s Lungmen gossip magazines were going to have an absolute field day with this explosive material.
But Swire didn’t care in the slightest. The rest of the world had melted away; her shining eyes were locked solely on Lucian.
“Even though what you just said is incredibly scummy, I love it!” she declared, her voice trembling with raw excitement. “It makes even me feel utterly disgraceful! Why do such blunt, crude, and cheesy love words excite me so much?! Ah, this is so annoying—! I retract my previous statement, Lucian! I don’t care if you have a crush! Even if you were married, I’d make you cheat! I will throw money at you until I buy my way right into your bed!”
Lucian’s eyes widened in sheer panic, and he immediately slapped a hand over the wealthy young miss’s mouth. “No, Miss Swire, please calm down!”
Kissing a man on the bustling streets of Lungmen was one thing, but for the eldest daughter of the Swire family to publicly declare that she would force a married man to cheat and buy her way into his bed? That was a catastrophic PR disaster waiting to happen.
‘And honestly, I’m not even married yet, so getting into her bed wouldn’t even count as cheating!’ he thought wildly.
Leaning down, Lucian pressed his lips close to Swire’s twitching feline ears, lowering his voice to a desperate whisper. “There are way too many people watching us right now. Please, Miss Swire, can we go somewhere else?”
Swire, her mouth still firmly muffled by Lucian’s palm, gave a sharp nod. However, her free hand had already snaked down to his waist, her fingers pinching the soft flesh there with a punishing twist.
‘Don’t call me Miss Swire.’
The stinging pain delivered her message loud and clear.