The man approached Alex and introduced himself with quiet pride.
“My name is Kimberly Sylvain Delacroix. And I don’t need to know who you are to know you’re unworthy of her.”
“Kimberly.”
Naosa’s voice cut clean through the music—soft but firm. At her tone, he fell silent immediately.
Sylvain Delacroix… the name stirred something deep in Alex’s memory. It was the name the traveler had taken at the end of Séraphine’s dream.
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“Let’s take a break,” Naosa announced, and the musicians began setting down their instruments with the casual ease of old friends.
She led Alex over to Jill and Miguel, who still looked a little shell-shocked.
“Thanks for coming. You’re not bored, are you?” she asked with a playful smile.
“Bored?” Jill’s eyes were wide. “I can’t believe I’m witnessing something like this. It’s absolutely incredible.”
Miguel exhaled slowly. “It’s like stepping into a dream—like watching something sacred unfold.”
“They say it’s just for fun,” Kazu chimed in with a grin, “but everyone here gets really serious about their music.”
Miguel gave him a friendly pat. “You too, Kazu. You were incredible tonight. That wasn’t kid stuff—that was pro-level.”
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Alex turned to Naosa, guilt tugging at him.
“I’m sorry I came without being invited. I know I shouldn’t have—”
But Naosa smiled warmly and cut him off.
“Thank you for coming. I didn’t invite you because I thought you might get bored—these sessions can get pretty intense. But honestly, there were no formal invitations. Everyone brings their friends, and… to be honest, I don’t even know everyone here myself.”
Then, more softly, her eyes tender and sincere, “But I’m so happy you’re here.”
For the first time, Alex felt like he’d been fully welcomed into her hidden world. No walls. No masks. No boundaries between the different versions of her. She was letting him see everything—and it made him love her more deeply than ever.
He pulled her close, still marveling at the transformation.
Just moments ago, she’d seemed distant, untouchable—mythical. But now, in his arms, she was his Nao again.
Real. Warm. Home.
You’re my love, he thought fiercely. And I know it more than ever.
Around them, the music resumed—vibrant and alive.
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Jill leaned over to whisper, “That guy—Kimberly—he’s a world-famous percussionist. He won the International Classical Music Award just last year. I can’t believe we’re hearing him live.”
As if he’d heard her, Kimberly stepped into the next musical set with quiet confidence. His performance wasn’t flashy—it was precise, powerful, and deliberate. Each beat of his drum carried weight—steady, primal, like a heartbeat.
And to Alex, it was clear:
This was a challenge.
A message only another man in love would recognize.
This is my rhythm. I offer it to the Queen.
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The party stretched late into the night, tapering off as dawn began to break.
Jill and Miguel were graciously shown to guest rooms by Kacy and Lu. Alex and Naosa remained outside, wrapped in the quiet calm of the poolside as the horizon shifted from black to lavender.
Just as the sun crested over the distant hills, Kimberly approached one final time.
He gave Alex a passing glance—cool and dismissive—then turned to Naosa with the poise of a knight.
“Thank you for tonight. It was transcendent, as always. I’ll see you again soon.”
He began to walk away—but paused.
Then, with pointed calm, he added, “He’s not right for you. You should be with someone who truly shares your music—someone who understands who you are.”
Naosa met his gaze without flinching.
“Kimberly. Alex is a wonderful man. Maybe I’m not right for him… but I love him. With all my heart.”
Kimberly’s mouth tightened. “I don’t agree.”
Naosa let out a soft sigh—the kind that belonged to someone who’d had this argument too many times.
“Don’t mind him,” she told Alex with a gentle smile. “He’s just an overprotective older brother.”
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But Alex wasn’t ready to let it go. Something in Kimberly’s words had struck deep.
He followed after him, stopping a few paces away. “Why are you so against us?” he asked, his voice calm but firm.
Kimberly turned. His eyes, full of pride and fire, locked onto Alex’s.
“Because you don’t see her for who she truly is.”
His voice was steady, but every word landed like a drumbeat.
“Our clan has protected the Queen for generations. She’s not just a woman to love casually—she’s sacred. She carries something ancient. Divine. She needs someone who understands that weight—who will worship it. Not someone who’ll get bored and walk away when it becomes inconvenient.”
Alex didn’t argue. He didn’t bristle.
Because deep down, he understood.
This wasn’t about jealousy.
Kimberly wasn’t fighting for Naosa’s love.
He was guarding her.
As Kimberly disappeared into the soft morning light, Alex whispered to the fading stars above,
“She’s my Queen too. And I’ll never forget.”
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