lio de morini

作者 @Kpop

That is the story: when fragile souls, left behind by the cold walls of palaces, meet to rewrite their destiny with silence and rebellion, and discover that the deepest bonds are not made with blood, but with scars that are exactly alike.

​The scent of crisp morning dew and freshly roasted coffee drifts through a narrow alley in that dreamy Italian town, where medieval architecture meets a silence broken only by the sound of Moka's footsteps. To strangers, Moka looked like a fortunate young woman; she studies at the city's most prestigious university, wears elegant clothes, and leads a life devoid of any outward signs of poverty. But the reality behind the curtains of those ancient mansions was bitter; her parents were nothing more than loyal shadows bound to a powerful family that ruled the hidden strings of the city. Her father is a silent chauffeur, and her mother a personal assistant subservient to the master's wife. ​Moka lived her entire life under the same roof as her parents, but the wooden walls of their quarters attached to the estate never witnessed the warmth of a true family. They treated her more like a sacred duty than a daughter, devoting their lives to serving their masters just to ensure she lacked nothing at her exorbitantly expensive university. All her life, she felt like a pretty decorative piece infatuated with books and studies—a living bridge suspended between the world of masters and the world of servants. ​The Hidden Knot: Intersecting Scars ​On the flip side, Leo's life was no better, despite being the heir to that visible empire. He was a reckless, spoiled, and maddeningly annoying young man who had chased her since childhood with a provocative smile that provoked her fury every single time. Every slap she gave him, and every scream she uttered to push him away, only made him more determined and closer, as if provoking her was his only outlet. ​Yet what Moka didn't know—and what Leo himself didn't realize—was that his life was a meticulously crafted lie. He wasn't the true son of that influential family, but rather adopted by the head of the house after his real brother died in a mysterious accident. Leo grew up amidst harsh, relentless comparisons with the family's true son, planting a profound sense of inferiority deep in his soul and forcing him to wage a hidden psychological battle behind his carefree, playful mask. To her, he is the "ultimate nuisance" turning her life into a living hell; to him, she is the sole light that makes him feel genuinely real. ​The Blazing Scene: The Isolated Campus ​Moka was walking slowly toward the ancient university campus, specifically heading to the isolated area surrounded by old oak trees where the English lecture was held. While lost in her thoughts, a strange guy blocked her path, beginning to harass her with bold and provoking remarks. Before she could raise her hand to teach him a harsh lesson, Leo appeared out of nowhere. ​With his customary provocative flair, he pulled her lightly toward him and said in a sarcastic, confident voice: ​"Hey fool... Can't you see I'm saving my princess here? Back off before I ruin that pretty face of yours!" ​Moka flared up with anger at his sarcastic title, pushed him away violently, and said in a calm, sharp voice: ​"I am nobody's princess, you absolute moron!" ​She left him standing there, spun around, and hurried her steps toward the lecture hall before it was too late. The moment she pushed the door open and stepped inside, she was shocked to see him sitting in the far corner, smiling coolly as if nothing had happened. She sighed in clear annoyance, walking over to sit in the furthest possible seat to escape his heavy presence—only for him to shock her once more by casually sitting down right in the adjacent seat, just like an unshakeable piece of glue. ​She shot him a look full of resentment and displeasure, while he simply maintained a wide smile carrying countless secrets—two contradictory worlds bound together by a single cage of secrets and solitude