The sky had barely lightened when Luna lazily opened her eyes.
There was no alarm clock.
Not a touch of Ivy.
Not even servants knocking on the door.
She simply woke up… because her body, genetically enhanced by the Tycoon System, had gotten enough sleep. And because, deep down, even sleep was afraid of disturbing her for too long.
With an elegant yawn and a stretch that would make ancient god sculptures rethink their beauty standards, Luna rolled out of bed, her golden hair streaming over her shoulders like a river of messy light.
She murmured, her voice still hoarse. "Another day… of carrying this flawless little face around the world."
He dragged himself to the master bathroom. As he entered, the lights gently flickered on, detecting his body heat. A jet of fragrant steam enveloped the room as the tub filled with imperial rose oil and Galilean lavender essence.
But Luna just smiled.
"Today will be a quick bath. Nothing fancy… I want to appear humble."
(Of course, humble on the 'I have heated floors with mood sensors' level.)
She stepped into the tempered glass shower head and let the warm water run down her body.
In less than five minutes, it was dry and fragrant.
He walked to the bathroom counter, picked up his personalized toothbrush with quantum cleaning technology, and began to brush calmly, staring at his reflection in the mirror with that "you'll never beat me" look.
When she was finished, she pulled her hair into a high, casual ponytail, leaving only a few strands deliberately falling out—the kind of calculated sloppiness that would take three hours in a salon to replicate.
She headed to the automatic closet that already predicted her mood, but this time… she refused the luxurious suggestions.
"No, thanks. I'm taking a break from magical jewelry and intimidating heels today."
She chose an oversized white T-shirt with ultra-thin fabric, so comfortable it felt like a divine embrace. And short denim shorts that barely showed beneath the shirt, creating that "I didn't put in any effort, but I still look like a millionaire forgotten by the Olympian catwalk" look.
She turned on her heel, stood in front of the floating mirror, and assessed her appearance.
He struck a thoughtful pose.
Then she smiled to herself.
"Zero makeup… and still? A vision. A face that slaps society. Cosmetic poster skin. Eyes that make CEOs forget their bank passwords."
She tilted her head slightly and muttered with pure petulance, "Seriously, what a biological injustice. The world isn't ready for this until nine in the morning."
Ivy appeared, her voice silky smooth. "Would you like to add some digital cosmetics for formal meetings?"
Luna replied as she casually stretched in front of the mirror. "What for, Ivy? Who needs blush when you have divine symmetry and skin that glows on its own?"
Ivy simply saved the comment as "iconic quote #287" in the database.
Dressed, smelling good, with an impeccable ponytail and with the confidence of someone who could stop wars with the blink of an eye, Luna left the suite heading for breakfast.
She didn't yet know what the day would hold for her...
But I was absolutely sure of one thing:
"Matthew is going to see me like this at some point… and he's going to cry in his shower."
The mansion's breakfast table was ridiculously large for a single person, but Luna found it charming.
It was as if the universe itself said:
"This table isn't too big... the world is too small for you."
She sat down and took one of the puff pastry croissants filled with pistachios imported from Iran.
Beside it, fruit cut with surgical perfection—a pineapple shaped like a flower, strawberries with no visible seeds, and an orange juice made from oranges grown under magical light (kindly donated by a philanthropic druid from Norway).
While chewing delicately, he picked up his iPhone 16 Pro with a custom gold case and unlocked the screen with a simple glance.
The message notification was flashing like a festival.
@Victória: "Guys, the Gala in New York will be broadcast to three continents. Shall we?"
@Nikoly: "Tokyo is in a frenzy with the opening of the new Hoshinami Grand Tower branch. There's going to be an AI kimono fashion show. Shall we?"
@Lumine: "Berlin is hosting a secret film festival just for investors, and MY FILM will premiere in the private screening. Are you going or are you going?"
Luna took a sip of her Caribbean vanilla-infused latte and typed with one hand:
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva: "I'm still deciding if I'm going to get out of bed tomorrow, let alone cross hemispheres. But maybe... depending on the look."
As he nibbled on a small piece of gingerbread with lavender syrup, a thought crossed his mind like an irritating bolt of lightning.
"Matthew hasn't texted you since that time."
She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to understand an alien language.
"Is... he busy? Is... he alive?"
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Could it be… he's just an idiot?"
He sat up straighter in his chair, gripped his cell phone tighter, and typed slowly, his pride crushed and his ego on fire.
Private Message to: "That Annoying Prince"
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva: "Good morning, Matthew."
It was simple. Cold. No emojis.
A direct attack with the weight of a hundred pages of silence.
She watched the screen as if she could force the operating system to deliver a "typing..." that never appeared.
"Look, you can't even leave me in a classy vacuum," he muttered as he took a small piece of brie cheese and placed it on a truffle toast.
Ivy appeared in lateral projection.
"Would you like me to track Prince Solarius's current location?"
Luna raised an eyebrow and snorted elegantly. "Of course not. I'm not a crazy ex… I'm a busy goddess. If he wants to know how I'm doing, let him ask. Or call. Or show up on a dragon."
Ivy blinked slowly. "...understood. Ignoring impulsive impulses."
As the ambient music played a soft sonata on magical strings, Luna closed her eyes for a second. She took a deep breath.
"I need to decide whether I'm going to New York, Tokyo, or Berlin... or whether I'm going to take the day off to send indirect messages on Instagram."
Then...
He took out his phone and took a perfect selfie with the natural sunlight illuminating his angelic face and caption.
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva: "There are messages that don't arrive, but silence says it all."
Posted.
And then she smiled, satisfied.
"Let's see if the prince learns to play the game."
Moments later, going up the stairs that led to the second floor of the mansion, Luna walked with slow steps, barefoot, her golden strands still tied in her careless ponytail.
Already fed and bored, she decided the best remedy for her frayed nerves was a therapeutic swim and, to top it off, a sunbathing session like an exiled Greek queen in a futuristic spa.
She went into the closet next to the bedroom and pulled out a two-tone white and gold bikini from a drawer, finished with magical threads that perfectly molded her slender figure.
He adjusted his ties, looked in the mirror, and muttered, "Perfection is tiring, you know... but someone has to maintain the standard."
He walked calmly down to the outdoor patio, where the Olympic-sized infinity pool reflected the sky like an enchanted mirror.
A light breeze swayed the palm trees carefully cultivated by the druids of Barbados.
Robot butlers pushed a padded lounger into the best position in the sun, while a table with glasses of juice, flavored water, and glistening grapes was positioned inches from his hand.
Luna swam for fifteen minutes with a lightness that would make professional swimmers depressed.
Then she emerged, her hair falling to her shoulders like liquid gold, and lay down in the sun, Maison Elfique sunglasses perched on her face and a sigh of lightness escaping her lips.
It was then that the iPhone 16 Pro vibrated slightly beside her.
The notification scrolled across the screen with class.
@Matthew Solarius: "Dear Luna, I would like to thank you again for the positive impact of your foundation and to reinforce the willingness of the Phoenix Empire to collaborate diplomatically and logistically with your global assistance projects."
Luna arched an eyebrow.
He took off his sunglasses with dramatic slowness.
She read the message twice more, then snorted in disdain, as if she had read a tax report instead of something from the man she had, until just a few days ago, dragged onto a dance floor as if he were her royal toy.
"Dear Luna…?" She spoke loudly, indignantly, staring at her phone. "'Hereby'…?! What is this, a diplomatic letter or the UN manual?"
He tossed his cell phone aside on the lounge chair, crossed his arms, and let out a long sigh of 'what a slow man, my God in heaven and the imperial coffers'.
"This prince is an emotional bureaucrat…
Do you want to court or open an embassy, my son?"
She glanced at her phone out of the corner of her eye, thinking for a few seconds.
Then he picked up the device and typed with absolute coldness:
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva typing...
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva: "..."
And he sent.
Just that.
Three dots.
The ultimate weapon of high-caliber passive-aggressive communication.
Seconds later, the phone vibrated again.
@Matthew Solarius: "...Something wrong?"
Luna rolled her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb, and muttered, "You, Matthew. You're wrong. In the world. In the way you breathe. In the way you exist."
He replied again:
@CheiroDeTerraPósChuva: "…"
More dots.
Little dots of sarcasm, of 'I'm judging you', of 'you should know why I'm angry' energy.
Meanwhile, Ivy appeared holographically next to the lounge chair. "Would you like me to intercept and translate Matthew's diplomatic message into emotional language and analyze hidden intentions?"
Luna answered without hesitation. "Yes, please. Because if it were up to him, I'd die not knowing if he was flirting, signing a treaty, or inviting me to a G20 meeting."
Ivy quickly analyzed and responded with impeccable neutrality.
"Analysis complete. Emotional translation:
"Hi, Luna. I'm thinking about you, but I'm a foolish prince afraid to appear vulnerable, so I hide my intentions behind bureaucratic phrases. Notice me. Please."
Luna smiled sideways, satisfied.
"Aha! I knew it. Idiot or not… you still think about me."
He looked up at the sky, the sun shining brightly over the infinity pool, and murmured with a venomous smile, "Very well, Matthew... now you'll have to chase me with a certified letter and enchanted flowers, because my patience is on vacation."