The Man Who Already Knew

The ballroom was filled with music and laughter.

Crystal chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floor as nobles moved between tables, completely unaware of the danger standing among them.

Elara couldn't take her eyes off the servant.

The silver tray trembled slightly in his hands.

A servant shouldn't be nervous.

Not here.

Not tonight.

Elara remembered what happened in her first life.

The royal advisor had been poisoned.

The attempt failed only because the servant panicked and dropped the glass before the advisor could drink from it.

But the chaos that followed had allowed several important nobles to secretly exchange information.

That information eventually became the beginning of the Crimson Order's influence.

If Elara stopped the attempt now, she might change everything.

But she needed proof.

"Don't act too quickly."

She slowly reached for her glass.

Then—

A hand caught her wrist.

Elara froze.

She turned.

Lucien stood beside her.

His expression was calm.

"What are you doing?"

Elara lowered her voice.

"Let go"

"Not until you tell me why you're watching that servant"

Her eyes widened.

He noticed too.

"You saw him?"

Lucien glanced toward the servant.

"He's been watching the royal advisor for the last ten minutes"

Elara stared at him.

"You knew?"

Lucien's gaze returned to her.

"I suspected"

"Then why haven't you done anything?"

"Because I wanted to see who else noticed"

Elara's heart skipped.

"He's investigating too."

Lucien released her wrist.

But before he could step away, Elara caught his sleeve.

He looked down at her hand.

Then back at her.

"Now you're the one holding me"

Elara immediately let go.

"I didn't mean—"

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You blush easily"

"I do not"

"You do"

"I don't"

Lucien leaned slightly closer.

"You are right now"

Elara's cheeks became even warmer.

She glared at him.

"You're enjoying this"

"Perhaps"

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

For someone with such a terrifying reputation, he certainly enjoyed teasing her.

Elara crossed her arms.

"Fine. If you're done playing around, we have a problem"

Lucien's expression became serious.

"What do you know?"

"Not here"

He studied her.

Then nodded.

"Follow me"

They slipped away from the ballroom.

Lucien led her through a quiet corridor.

Elara followed carefully.

She knew these halls.

She knew where they led.

They eventually stopped beside a balcony overlooking the palace gardens.

Lucien closed the doors behind them.

"Now"

He turned toward her.

"Tell me"

Elara hesitated.

She couldn't tell him about her first life.

Not yet.

"I noticed the servant's tattoo"

Lucien's expression changed slightly.

"The Crimson Order"

Elara's heart stopped.

He knew the name.

"How do you know about them?"

Lucien stared at her.

"That's what I should be asking you"

Elara looked away.

"I heard rumors"

"Rumors?"

"Yes"

He stepped closer.

"You're fourteen, Lady Elara"

"I can hear rumors"

"Not rumors about a secret organization that doesn't officially exist"

Elara said nothing.

Lucien studied her face.

"You've been watching the servant since you entered the ballroom"

She swallowed.

"You're very observant"

"So are you"

Their eyes met.

Neither backed down.

Then Lucien suddenly smiled.

"You really are different"

Elara frowned.

"Different from what?"

"The girl I met before"

Her heart jumped.

Again.

That strange wording.

"You knew me before?"

Lucien's smile disappeared.

"We've met several times at court"

Elara stared at him.

She remembered their first meeting from her original life.

But Lucien had barely spoken to her.

Why was he acting as if he remembered something more?

Before she could ask

A crash echoed from the ballroom.

Elara and Lucien immediately turned.

The assassination had begun.

They rushed back.

The servant had dropped the tray.

The royal advisor was on the floor.

People screamed.

Guards surrounded the area.

But Elara noticed something else.

The servant wasn't running.

He was staring directly at her.

His expression was terrified.

Then he whispered something.

"She knows..."

Elara froze.

Lucien heard it too.

He stepped in front of her.

"Stay behind me"

Elara stared at his back.

"Lucien..."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Why are you protecting me?"

His eyes softened.

"Because whoever he was talking about..."

He looked toward the servant.

"...I don't think they meant you by accident"

The servant suddenly bit down on something hidden inside his mouth.

Lucien's eyes widened.

"Stop him!"

But it was too late.

The servant collapsed.

The ballroom erupted into chaos.

Elara stared at the body.

Her hands trembled.

This wasn't how she remembered it.

The servant had never died in her first life.

Someone had changed the timeline.

Someone knew she was changing it.

Lucien turned toward her.

"Elara"

She looked at him.

His expression was unusually serious.

"Who are you?"

Elara's breath caught.

He wasn't asking about her family.

He wasn't asking about the assassination.

He was asking about her.

And for the first time since her reincarnation...

Elara realized that Lucien Ardent might be just as dangerous as the future she was trying to escape.

To be continued...

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