Damon had long since thought up every possible excuse for when someone asked about his changed eye color.
But at this moment, he was caught off guard by his sister''s question.
His mind had been too preoccupied—still lingering in the aftermath of back-to-back deaths, and the sheer excitement of finally seeing Luna again.
He hadn''t even considered the physical changes he had gone through.
So, for a brief second, he stared at her, slightly startled.
"Erm... I—I..." He fumbled, trying to form words. "My eyes? Oh... uh..."
Luna''s worried gaze didn''t waver.
"Don''t lie to me, Damon."
Damon smirked, regaining his composure.
"I''m not lying."
"You are."
He shook his head, amused by her insistence.
"I''m not going to lie."
"Stop being stubborn, Damon."
He let out a sigh, feeling a tinge of guilt as he met her gray eyes.
For a brief moment, he thought of Sylvia.
There were times when he drew parallels between the two girls—their gentle yet unyielding spirits, their unyielding concern for him.
Finally, he relented.
"Fine, I''ll tell you..."
His gaze shifted to the window, staring at the world beyond.
"I woke up one morning, and my eyes started hurting. Next thing I knew, my mana surged..." He shrugged slightly. "Apparently, it''s a sign that I''m close to a first-class advancement."
Luna glanced at him, then sighed.
"That''s a lie," she said quietly. "But it''s fine if you don''t want to tell me."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"I can understand... There are some things you want to protect me from." Her voice grew softer. "But, Damon... don''t you ever think that I want to protect you too?"
Damon''s smile softened.
He leaned his head against hers.
"I know that."
Luna bit her lip, determination flashing in her eyes.
"I''m going to get better," she declared. "I''ll get really strong—and I''ll be the one protecting you."
Damon let out a small chuckle, amused but touched by her words.
"I''m looking forward to that."
She nodded, forcing a smile.
Then, as if trying to lighten the mood, she changed the subject.
"Enough of this serious talk," she huffed. "What''s the academy like? I hope you aren''t getting into fights with nobles..."
She gave him a knowing look.
Luna grinned. "Mmhmm. Got it."
She adjusted her medical robe slightly, then added, "I''ll be sure to invite him for tea."
Damon groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"You really don''t listen to me, do you?"
She giggled. "I do. You''re just stubborn."
Then, her expression shifted, and she folded her hands neatly on her lap.
"Now then. To address the elephant in the room."
Damon blinked, glancing around.
"...I see no elephant here."
Luna closed her eyes, smiling.
"Oh, you''ll see."
She leaned forward slightly.
"I can only imagine how hard it must have been for the girls who became friends with you."
Damon narrowed his eyes, already feeling the impending attack.
Luna continued, her tone laced with mock sympathy.
Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire
"Yes, I can see it... It must have gone something like this..."
She cleared her throat, then mimicked an innocent, friendly voice.
"Hello, can I sit here?"
Then, she deepened her voice, mimicking him.
"No. You may not."
She clapped her hands together dramatically.
"And then, of course, the poor girl would have insisted—"
For the next few minutes, Luna broke down exactly how his friends must have suffered through his lone wolf attitude and blunt personality.
To Damon''s shock, she got most of it right.
Even down to the exact words he had said sometimes.
He squinted at her, lips curving into a thin smile.
"...Alright. You''ve addressed the elephant. Stop. I have suffered enough."
Luna scoffed playfully, shaking her head.
"Hehe. Wrong again, big brother."
She leaned in close, her grey eyes gleaming mischievously.
"That wasn''t the elephant."
She lowered her voice.
"Tell me, Damon... which one of them is your girlfriend?"
Damon''s brow twitched.
...Luna was truly out to get him.