Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 477

477 /521

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 477: Beating Himself Over It**

As Lucien sat in the dimly lit room, memories of Emma flooded his mind, each one sharper than the last. He could still hear her voice echoing in his ears, the moment she had sent him away, urging him to go home.

The journey back had been torturous, a physical manifestation of his turmoil. His condition had flared up, a relentless reminder of the darkness that loomed over him. Desperate to shield Emma from the truth of his deteriorating state, he ordered his subordinates to divert their path, taking him instead to Aurelia.

“Keep this under wraps,” he had instructed them, his heart heavy with dread. He knew all too well that if the illness tightened its grip on him, the only salvation would be the unthinkable—using Emma’s blood to undergo the transformation known as Pyreborn. The very thought made him shudder. He couldn’t bear the idea of putting her in danger, not even for his own survival.

Yet, as he sat there, a void consumed him. What had transpired after that fateful moment? His mind was a haze, a blank slate when it came to the events that followed. How had he managed to recover? And more perplexing, where had this newfound power come from that allowed him to suppress Calum’s formidable abilities?

The answer loomed over him like a dark cloud, and he didn’t have to dig deep to uncover it. Despite the fog in his memory, Lucien knew the truth without a doubt. Emma had sacrificed her own blood to save him. But what had he done in return?

He had taken her from the castle, treating her as if she were a mere possession.

“Are you okay?” Calum’s voice broke through his reverie, concern etched across his features as he approached Lucien, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’ve already proven my point in our sparring match. You know I can’t defeat you now. Let’s call it a day. If we keep this up, we might end up destroying this entire sector.”

With clarity returning to his mind, Lucien felt a sense of urgency. He wanted nothing more than to return to Emma, to be by her side.

He raised his gaze to meet Calum’s, noting the feather-shaped mark between his brows, a deep crimson hue that seemed to pulse with energy. Lucien’s voice trembled as he asked, “Tell me… when my condition worsened, was it Emma who gave her blood to me?”

Calum’s eyes widened in surprise before a grin broke across his face. “You remember?”

“Yeah,” Lucien replied, his heart heavy with the weight of realization. “You’re a lucky guy, you know. Emma truly cared for you. The moment she realized you were in danger, she didn’t hesitate for even a second to offer her blood. Watching her do that made me envious.”

As Lucien absorbed Calum’s words, a wave of anguish washed over him. He had given Emma his lightcore, and in return, she had told them he had forgotten everything about Pyreborn. It was astonishing that a single clash with Calum had sparked the flicker of memory in him. If he had known, he would have sought out that confrontation much sooner.