《My Vengeful Former Lover》 Chapter 1 - Anyone But Him Chapter 1 ¨C Anyone But Him It took six years with two failed engagements for the woman, who was regarded as the flower of the society, to finally reach her downfall. Deatrice was seated on the sofa in the drawing room, her back slightly hunched. Her eyes were set on the mailbox she spent days staring at, the sight of it reminding her of the time when she had made her social debut; her large mailbox was filled with at least twenty letters a day that she had to call her second cousin to help her respond with all the letters. They used to spend the whole day lounging in the drawing room as she uttered the words while her cousin scribbled them down on paper. But now, not a single letter was inside the mailbox. ¡°So, he must be really dead, huh.¡± She muttered to herself. She remembered her fianc¨¦ leaving the port of Revol so hastily he didn¡¯t even spare her a proper goodbye and just told her he¡¯ll write to her. It¡¯s been three months since then. Maybe he hasn¡¯t settled down yet, but he could¡¯ve at least sent her a letter telling her he¡¯s staying at an inn or something. It was Deatrice who had rescued him after all, helping him escape on a boat while everyone thought he was dead. He could¡¯ve at least written her a letter, but now, the hope she was clinging onto was gone. The squad chasing after him was intent on catching him and it didn¡¯t matter that he was out in the sea, they would surely chase him to the ends of the earth. The absence of his letter meant there¡¯s a high chance that he really was dead. Deatrice could imagine it; Fredhi in the middle of the square, rope tied around his neck as his legs dangled freely in the air, the typical punishment for traitors. But she didn¡¯t cry nor wallow in despair. Unlike her first engagement where she had genuinely fallen in love at such a young age and rushed for marriage, her father was the one who insisted on her second engagement. It was her father who encouraged Fredhi, the second prince of the neighboring country Galaba, to usurp the throne of Galaba. With this usurpation, rebellion has started, and soldiers fought against their comrades who followed Fredhi. Before all these, her father also made sure to secure her engagement to Fredhi to acquire authority once the second prince becomes king. Hence, if there¡¯s anyone who should be crying right now, it¡¯s her father, not her. He just lost his horse. It was he who had failed miserably. But what was she doing here waiting for his letter? Deatrice couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her own demise. She recalled her father¡¯s words, ¡°Even if a woman finds herself in a loveless marriage, she will eventually find the heart to love her husband.¡± She couldn¡¯t lie there was a small part of her that wished for this to be true. But it was impossible now. ¡°Lady, the master is calling for you.¡± A maid snapped her out of her thoughts. Deatrice peeled her eyes off the empty mailbox and put on a pair of slippers before heading to the duke¡¯s office. From her engagement with Fredhi to the attempt of usurping the throne of Galaba, the duke¡¯s plans went by smoothly until the very end. The duke was not at all threatened by the then King of Galaba, deeming him lazy and incompetent, and the latter¡¯s incompetency also stretched to his knights that were lacking in power. However, just before the usurpation, everything changed when the emperor of the Empire sent a knight to the castle claiming his blood ties with the Galaba royal family and protecting the King of Galaba from the oncoming attack. The siege ended before it even started, and Fredhi the usurper was branded a traitor to the empire. ¡°The bloodline of the emperor runs all the way till the end of Hasto. How ridiculous it is then to pity the King of Galaba just because he was a far relative of his? He stayed silent until today! Why is he suddenly doing all of this now!¡± The duke was enraged at the fickle-minded emperor who had slyly ruined everything he had prepared for. While he was seething on his spot, a knight came to ask him about what they should do at the sudden influx of the emperor¡¯s knights at their doorsteps. Overwhelmed and full of emotions, the duke rashly commanded him to take matters into their own hands. The knights who were ordered to rebel at the last minute were swept away in an instant and they didn¡¯t even have the chance to properly lift their swords. The duke only came to his senses after everything was done, quickly saying he didn¡¯t know that the knights of the empire would come to visit in the middle of the night, and the knights had unwittingly mistook them for enemies. He even turned his back on his own knights by saying they have rebelled against the empire in an attempt to save face, like he was not the one who ordered them in the first place. Everything was a mess. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 To save what little dignity lift, the duke stood by the emperor¡¯s side, appeased him to earn his forgiveness, but the emperor simply ignored his presence and left him unattended for three months. But even though the emperor appeared nonchalant, he was actually grinning to himself, smug at the fact that the duke was desperate enough that he visited him often. He continued to ignore his pleas, saying he was too busy but proceeding to take a nap after, and his excuses even stretched to him saying he couldn¡¯t entertain the duke in his visit as he was too preoccupied feeding his tigers. Such a great insult¡ªthe emperor had put his tigers above the duke. Then as if nothing happened, the emperor called for the duke. The latter stood in front of him, shakingly spewing out apologies after apologies, and tried to justify his recent behavior with excuses. Nonetheless, the emperor¡¯s mind was made up and he wanted the duke pay the price. Entering the office, the duke sat on the sofa as he kneaded his forehead in exasperation. Deatrice was seated on his opposite, not saying anything as the he regarded her with his grim eyes for a while. ¡°You look rough.¡± Deatrice wasn¡¯t sure if he was criticizing her, so she kept silent on her seat as the duke continued, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re probably still agonizing over what happened to Fredhi. I heard that you¡¯re locked up in the drawing room waiting for his letter, which is understandable, but please pull yourself together. There are many eyes watching you, especially the people of lower status. You could host a tea party, or you could get in touch with your friends.¡± Deatrice squeezed her hands together, slightly irritated at her father¡¯s indifference. She went here because she assumed her father would talk about what had transpired with his meeting with the emperor. She did not come here to get some fatherly advice. And was he really suggesting a tea party? Her status had taken a nosedive after his foolish mistake. She couldn¡¯t go out, and the social community didn¡¯t even show their sympathies nor did they send her a letter because they didn¡¯t want to be associated with the duke¡¯s family in any way. Now he was suggesting a tea party? Her mouth parted in disbelief and after a moment¡¯s silence, she asked, ¡°¡­ What happened to your meeting with His Majesty?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.¡± She was not satisfied with his answer, but at least he didn¡¯t lie. She guessed everything worked out since he was sitting here, well and alive, and talking about hosting a tea party of all things. It seemed like he was not worried about his death anymore. Unsure what to say, Deatrice looked down at her palms and stared at the ring on her finger. The blue sapphire ring complemented her pale hands well, and it was one of the few things she liked about her engagement. After everyone found out about what Fredhi¡¯s demise, her annoying relatives kept their distance whenever they saw her looking at her ring, thinking that she¡¯s missing her dead fianc¨¦. The duke on the other hand, the mastermind of it all, showed her little to no sympathy. ¡°As you may already know, even if Fredhi was alive, the engagement still wouldn¡¯t push through.¡± The duke supplied coldly, not liking the fact she was looking at her ring. ¡°The rebellion is a failed cause anyway since the emperor intervened. And Fredhi was literally just a second prince. So we would still break off the engagement either way.¡± What¡¯s the point of him saying this when Fredhi is already dead? Deatrice¡¯s face darkened. ¡°He died because of you. Why couldn¡¯t you spare him some respect?¡± ¡°Me? I think you misunderstood. The reason why any of this happened was all because of the emperor¡¯s doing. Also, wasn¡¯t it Fredhi who first asked to marry you? Fredhi said he would take the fall if anything goes wrong and that he wouldn¡¯t be dragging our family into the situation.¡± The duke said as a matter of factly. Deatrice knew that, but seeing her father react to Fredhi¡¯s death so uncaringly was just disgusting. Silence lingered between the two and it¡¯s like there¡¯s a dark shadow looming over the office. After a short pause, the duke spoke, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not be sensitive, okay? The dead is already dead, there¡¯s nothing we could do about it. I was simply stating facts.¡± He was right. But Deatrice sensed there¡¯s something strange, with the way her father called her so suddenly and told her to get a grip of herself. A realization washed over her instantly. ¡°¡­ Did His Majesty ask about my marriage?¡± This was the only reason why her father would mention Fredhi¡¯s death after coming home from his meeting with the emperor. The duke nodded, avoiding Deatrice¡¯s gray eyes staring at him. ¡°Yes. He said all is fine, but I have to hand you over. He wants you to marry one of his knights. The one he cares about.¡± Her face paled at her father¡¯s words. Marrying a knight was outright insulting for people with her status, but she knew she was not in the position to say no. It was happening all over again, her being sold away. The emperor¡¯s favorite knight is none other than Lucius Elliot. He made his name known after his heroic action during the war against Croft and from then on, he prided himself as the emperor¡¯s most cherished knight. While Deatrice was alright with the idea of becoming someone¡¯s second wife, even if it¡¯s with someone who was way below her, she was not on board with the idea of marrying Lucius Elliot. Anyone but him. ¡°Father¡­ He¡¯s¡­¡± The tremble in her voice was evident. She clasped her fingers together as she tried to calm her racing heart, her mouth parting and closing before she bit her lips, muttering, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me.¡± She said in a defeated, terrified voice, ¡°Father, you know what happened with Lucius. You were the one who ruined him and kicked him out, now you¡¯re telling me I will marry him? How could you do this to me!¡± ¡°There was nothing I could do, Deatrice.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°Stop lying!¡± The duke¡¯s indifference irked her. She palmed her face and glared at her father with flaming eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t mind marrying anyone, but Lucius? Are you serious? How could you do this! You shouldn¡¯t have accepted this marriage in the first place! Remember what you did when I promised to marry him then? You made him so miserable he couldn¡¯t show his face in the community, and even in his own home. Lucius lost his status and was sent out to the battlefields. Now you¡¯re telling me to marry him?¡± ¡°What should I have done then? Go on, tell me. It is what the emperor wanted, and I had no choice but to accept it.¡± ¡°But you should have at least tried telling him about what happened¡­¡± ¡°What? Tell him that you and Elliot were previously engaged? Did you really think the emperor didn¡¯t know that? The emperor doesn¡¯t care about such trivial things.¡± The duke waved her off. Tears pooled her eyes from her father¡¯s words. It was true. The emperor doesn¡¯t care about that. No one cares about her previous engagement. Feeling defeated, she continuously sobbed on her seat, not bothering to wipe her tears away. Seeing Deatrice, who plumped down on the sofa and started bawling, the duke could imagine her marriage and the insults she would receive after. He had great sympathy for her and wanted to comfort her poor daughter. ¡®Oh, Deatrice.¡¯ But there were already too many poor souls left behind by the duke for him to be crushed by such compassion. After pulling himself together, he put his hand on Deatrice¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Elliot will be visiting soon. He will come for the marriage proposal and will see you. So be prepared.¡± Then, he left the big office, leaving her alone. Deatrice didn¡¯t move and shed more tears. She felt as if everything that was happening was staged and she¡¯s been made the show¡¯s laughingstock. She felt exhausted of it all. She got up, wiped her tears, and fixed her wrinkled gown. The blue sapphire on her fourth finger was shining transparently as if it contained tears. It¡¯s all a thing of the past, but there was certainly a time when Lucius Elliot was her lover. He was a sweet and passionate young man, and above all, he made her feel that she was truly loved. Although a lot of time has passed since then, his soft gaze and the warmth of his palm touching her were few of the things she could remember until now. His soft golden hair, his gentle eyes, and the tenderness held within. But most of the good memories were ruined at the last minute by a messy breakup. The duke severely ruined Lucius for wanting Deatrice, and Lucius was pushed to the battlefield after losing everything he had. He eventually gave up on her when she refused to run away with him. Amidst his downfall, she left him to fend for himself. Now, she didn¡¯t know how to deal with the situation in which they must be reunited after their hearts had been broken into pieces. Deatrice stared blankly at the window with a pale face. As if all the failures of rebellion that occurred during the winter were buried in the greenery, it looked fresh and serene outside. Her hair, wavy, ran down her shoulders, gracing the back of her empire gown. When she was lost in thoughts, the door opened, and a maid made her way in haste. ¡°Miss! Sir Elliot is here.¡± The maid was visibly out of breath as she delivered the urgent news. Upon hearing this, Deatrice¡¯s face turned more ashen, if that was even possible. Although she was told that Lucius will visit ¡®soon¡¯, it had been only four days since this information was disclosed to her. It was a courtesy to proceed with anything related to the marriage slowly under the excuse of being cautious. But he came without telling her in advance. ¡°Did father know about this already?¡± ¡°No. Sir Elliot said that he just stopped by. He apologized for not letting you know beforehand¡ª¡± The maid couldn¡¯t even finish her words. It was probably the first time in her life seeing someone visiting the duke¡¯s mansion discourteously. Left without a choice, Deatrice frowned and got up to get ready. Rosalynn, the maid who delivered the news, quickly followed her and added that Lucius had now gone to speak with the duke, and he politely asked to see Lady Deatrice after that. Of course, Deatrice, Lucius, and even Rosalynn all knew that the request was not polite at all. It was a command. Even if she felt disrespected, the duke had accepted him and therefore Deatrice had to do the same. Since there wasn¡¯t enough time to get changed, she only put her hair up and pat a little rouge on her cheeks. But that alone took quite some time. By the time she was ready, Lucius was already escorted to the greenhouse. As soon as he arrived, Lucius demanded that the servants leave without further comment. As if it were his natural right. She understood in her head that it was because of the emperor¡¯s order to keep the engagement secret, but on the other hand, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that he was taking advantage of their now weakness. They needed him, not the other way ¡®round. The duke must be feeling the same. The tables had been turned indeed¡ªthe duke was now on the verge of collapse, while Lucius became the one and only knight trusted by the emperor. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Deatrice suddenly became curious about the conversation that Lucius and her father had. ¡®Did father, who is swaggering proud, apologize to Lucius?¡¯ It was something she could¡¯ve never imagined in the past, but these days, her father had become humbler, so she thought that maybe facing Lucius, he asked for his forgiveness. ¡®At that time, you must¡¯ve been very humiliated because I publicly revealed your identity. I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯d done to you.¡¯ Deatrice tried to think of an apology her father could have said, but she soon laughed. No matter how humbled her father became, he wouldn¡¯t say those words even until he breaths his last. After all, the fact that Lucius was an illegitimate child was not something the duke made up. Deatrice was more embarrassed that the unforgettable skit one afternoon was performed in their drawing-room, than the fact that her lover¡¯s true identity was revealed to everyone. The duke didn¡¯t buy Lucius¡¯ birth mother as what the rumors said, but it was true that the duke himself intended the skit. He wanted to ruin Lucius that he brought her mother to his manor and gathered nobles as witnesses. That day, Lucius¡¯ birth mother sat on a silk sofa embroidered with floral patterns and spoke in a morose tone. She, however, sounded so rehearsed and theatrical, Deatrice knew right away that she was faking it. ¡°I was immature. There were times when I easily fell in love. A man promised me marriage, but the proposal was nothing more than the sweet words he used to whisper to my ears. It turned out that he¡ª he already had a wife in Elon! And by the time I realized it, it was already too late. I got pregnant, an appropriate punishment for my immature choices. I accepted my fate and raised the child alone for several years. But after being kicked out of the house, there wasn¡¯t much I could do.¡± The nobles listening hang on her every word. She continued. ¡°I had to give up many things as I raised my child, which didn¡¯t fit my status as a noble. But suddenly, six years later, the man appeared again. Then he told me to hand over the child to him. He said that he and his wife were not likely to have children. He told me if I give up all the rights I had related to my child, he will inherit his fortune. At that time, I thought I made the right choice for my child. I did exactly what he said and gave up all my rights.¡± She shed tears as she continued to speak. ¡°The portraits of my child which were sent occasionally ceased one day; it¡¯s like I was forgotten. I got sick from doing too much work, but still, I wanted to see him again before I die. But when I came here, the name of the child and even the name of the man I used to love, all turned out to be lies. It was then when I realized that maybe I would never be able to lay my eyes on my child again.¡± Everyone who was sitting in the drawing-room showed their sympathy and surrounded the woman. ¡°We will find the man for you!¡± ¡°Did you say the man was a navy? Do you still have the portrait of the man you received?¡± In such chaos, only the duke and his daughter remained quiet. Deatrice became tired of the gullible faces of those who found interest in the woman¡¯s fake voice of sympathy. She thought that the duke would¡¯ve thought the same, but to think back, he must have been satisfied to see things happening as he planned. From the day he brought Bella Annis, the Duke said, ¡®This lady almost got into great danger because of our carriage. I heard that she came from Hasto. She¡¯s not feeling well, and she even lost everything she had. Please take care of her for the time being.¡¯ From the moment he introduced her to Deatrice, he must have planned everything for the utter destruction of the man his daughter loved. As soon as Bella Annis went up to fetch a portrait, people began to mention the names of the naval officers, not trying to hide the excitement in their voices. ¡°Will it be Jonny Brown? I heard he¡¯s living in debauchery.¡± ¡°It might be Matucci. I heard that they couldn¡¯t have children.¡± ¡°Or perhaps¡­¡± Their conversation stopped when Bella Annis came down. She carefully handed them a small portrait. The first person to receive it was Baroness Carmen Wiles, a socialite who¡¯s famous for having a cool and free-spirited personality. She received the portrait, thinking that she will recognize the child right away since she has a wide circle of acquaintances. To everyone¡¯s mortification, she soon let out a shriek and threw the portrait away from her. Her face was in utter disbelief. The portrait also came into Deatrice¡¯s sight. It was a handsome boy with dazzling blonde hair and scarlet eyes. ¡°Eden?¡± Bella Annis called the middle name of her son, who came in just in time. Lucius, who returned from horseback riding with other noble young men, frowned slightly as if he was bewildered by the crowd¡¯s gaze. Someone spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°No way! That woman must have made things up!¡± ¡°But her story was so detailed.¡± ¡°But still! There¡¯s no way that Fenry is her son!¡± One side was defending Lucius, and the other side was defending Bella Annis. If Bella Annis hadn¡¯t dropped to her knees and burst into tears while wailing ¡®Oh, Eden!¡¯, those defending Lucius would have multiplied. It was the honor of the noble lad that they were willing to defend. Not only that, Lucius had won the hearts of many socialites with his handsome look and pleasant attitude. But when Bella Annis shed tears, people were swayed. She was, after all, a sick woman who was going to die soon. There was no reason for her to lie at all. ¡°Is it true that your birth mother is Bella Annis?¡± A woman shouted at Lucius with scorn. A man beside her quickly reprimanded her for being so vulgar, ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Mackenzie! Fenry won¡¯t know anything. I¡¯d rather ask the count about this¡­¡± But at that moment, bringing up the count was like throwing firewood into the flames. With no one to debunk this rumor, people started to connect pieces of information together against the count and his son, Fenry. ¡°Come to think of it, the count served in the navy before he received his title.¡± ¡°Clearly, the place where he served was near Hasto, the homeland of Mrs. Annis.¡± ¡°But the count is currently not in a condition to talk since he¡¯s suffering from fever!¡± ¡°The countess will tell us something about it.¡± ¡°Did the countess know about all this? Oh, poor soul!¡± Lucius glanced at Deatrice in the middle of chaos. When her eyes met his, she felt her blood gone cold. ¡®I¡¯m not involved in this. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡¯ She quickly thought of an excuse in her head. Flustered, she can only stay silent. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 She deep down hoped Lucius won¡¯t misunderstand her as a bystander. But, contrary to her impatience, she experienced the cold atmosphere. ¡°Is it true that he is an illegitimate child?¡± Someone raised their voice to answer the question. ¡°Obviously Mrs Anise said that she had lived with her child until he was six years old. He might be knowing.¡± On receiving no response, that same person looked at Lucius directly and said, ¡°Mr Fenry, you heard me? What will you say on this? Is that true? Is she your mother?¡± There was a brief silence. Now, all of them looked at Lucius. He tore apart his gaze away from Deatrice to face the people. He spoke in a suppressed voice, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember if she is my mother, but it is true that I am not currently living with my family. The last I remember staying with them was when I was six years old,¡± Lucius spit out the words that soon became affirmations. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± The duke stood up and cleaned up the messy living room, but he couldn¡¯t hear what Lucius was saying. Perhaps for a definitive end, Mrs Anise will be questioned and her claims would be matched with the Count¡¯s situation. After that, she would be referred to the nobility law. That was the end of it. Even though Deatrice did not pass out, her memory ended there. Lucius disappeared after that. Deatrice knew nothing of his whereabouts until he came to visit her once more. Despite pretending to be different, Deatrice was the same inside as the nobles present there. She no longer found herself loving him or choosing him, nowhere near to how deeply she once used to. And left no stone unturned to vehemently refuse to the plan of her eloping with him. She cared more of her status and her family¡¯s name sake. When Lucius was stripped of his successor status, he lost all the rights to the last name of Fenry. Lucius Eden Fenry went to the battlefield as Lucius Fenry Elliot, and since then, it has been the same. After he returned from the war, Deatrice had seen him in the crowds. She felt them as nothing but strangers. When Lucius came to visit her, it was the first time they were meeting alone since the time things went wrong. * * * The greenhouse was warmer than the garden. It already gave away the feelings of summer. Deatrice feared her reunion with Lucius. The scorching hot weather made her heart sink heavily. Was it guilt? Or remorse? Even before his victories in the war and home returning as a hero, she used to casually fantasize about these encounters. This warm greenhouse, him waiting for her, their exclusive space, his blonde hair dazzling in the light peeping through the window! But she imagined only that far. Despite longing for his presence, she never envisioned what would unfold after their reunion. Maybe because it was obvious. Her heart already knew what would be happening after their meet. The resentment will come running. Besides the feeling of contempt for the betrayal and easy abandoning of the one and only lover will pop up. The complete list of complaints might be, in fact, way longer. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder: After reuniting with her today, will Lucius release his grudges from the past? Or will he talk about the vain command- marriage, as if there was never a past between them? With the uncountable thoughts pestering her, she was walking with her head down. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice, ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± It was so soft that the stakes of not hearing the spoken words were high. As she raised her head blankly, her eyes caught the glimpse of bright blonde hair. It was Lucius¡¯ trademark. He had a clean face and a gentle demeanour. For anyone meeting him the first time, it would be a revolting fact that he had been to the battlefield. In an instant, she felt herself time travelling to the past. Hence, she answered him without getting awkward, ¡°I¡­ was just wondering what I should be doing.¡± He laughed at her honest words. Her gaze travelled to the corners of his lips, going up. ¡°Yeah, I can understand. You too shall be finding this situation awkward. Would you like to go for a walk?¡± he asked. He further explained, ¡°Your butler has set up a table for us, but it¡¯s better to walk than sit face to face and talk.¡± She could neither believe her eyes nor ears. This all seemed unrealistic. His appearance was close to how she had imagined. Was he honestly not setting up any wall against her? Returning from the war, after six long years, he was leaving no chance in treating her with respect wherever he faced her. It was as if, for him, their past had been erased. It would be a lie if she says she wasn¡¯t hurt by his cold and distant attitude. But back then, at least, she didn¡¯t have to go through the series of complicated thoughts to find out the intent behind his actions. Lost in her thoughts, Deatrice barely answered his questions. ¡°I wonder if I should be your guide?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not needed, I guess. We can just go. I still remember this place, even if it¡¯s a little.¡± He smiled and went ahead. As he walked further, she followed him silently. On the outside, when looking at the greenhouse, Lucius seemed cheerful and pure. He picked a few flowers from the ground of the garden and threw them away one after another like an immature boy. Deatrice followed him, stepping on the petals he had picked and discarded. Lucius turned around and suddenly asked, ¡°How have you been?¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 He had a characteristic languid smile on his face, but in Deatrice¡¯s mind, it wasn¡¯t simply a question. It was a question thrown her way with a subtle attack. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about those six years when we broke up, I got along well and then I was met with a misfortune.¡± ¡°I heard that your fianc¨¦ had passed away.¡± She pulled herself at his remark and answered with a straight face, ¡°His corpse hasn¡¯t been found yet, but that¡¯s what people say.¡± ¡°Well. It will be much better if his body is found. This situation is much harder. It¡¯s like holding on to false hope. You must have had a hard time,¡± he spoke. Those who would have heard this from a distance might have thought of his statement as an ill-natured remark, but his attitude rather characterized his remark as comforting. Lucius has always been good at confusing others with his attitude. It was this same attitude that got her interested in him in the first place. Lucius was a friend of Deatrice¡¯s cousin, Elwood More, but she was never close to her cousin, hence, Deatrice never talked with Lucius. When Deatrice¡¯s mother passed away and Victoria More, her aunt, helped Deatrice debut in society, her relationship with her cousin was in an ambiguous situation. This brought Deatrice and Lucius to greeting terms at the ball. Elwood¡¯s younger sister, Charlie More, had a worse relationship with Deatrice, compared to Elwood. They needed to be friendly with each other as they debuted with the same chaperone, but Charlie was one cunning and obsessive being, so much that when a man asks her for only a dance, she would fall in love with the man and never let him go. Elwood had received strict orders from his mother to take care of Charlie More if any such situation arose. ¡°Please, Angel,¡± Elwood spoke in a tired voice to his friend. The person who he was referring to as an angel lifted his head and looked at Elwood. With blonde hair and red eyes, Lucius looked no less than an angel. Elwood spoke, ¡°Please save my sister. This is her fourth time dancing with Wick. She must have decided to end her social life here.¡± It was sarcastic of him to speak of his younger sister. Deatrice thought that Lucius would agree with what Elwood had said. Because she knew how men would view a woman who only dances with one man. However, Lucius acted the exact opposite. He raised the corner of his handsome lips and spoke ambiguously, ¡°She must have fallen in love already.¡± It was difficult to decode his attitude and made people wonder if he was being sarcastic or he meant to say it in a good manner to tell Elwood to stop being harsh on his sister. Elwood sighed and patted the angel on his shoulder. To keep his friend¡¯s heart, the angel danced on one song with Charlie More and walked away, and therefore saving her from society¡¯s ridicule. Coming back from her thoughts, Deatrice recalled the angel¡¯s words. It will be much better if his body is found. You must have had a hard time. She looked up at him without saying a single word. Her actions made Lucius smile at one corner of his mouth. Later, he turned his head to look at the flower again. ¡°I know your feelings, but you must go on with this marriage.¡± She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to ask him how he knew her heart. ¡°I know, I can¡¯t refuse. Though I know you don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°I am no different. Besides, it¡¯s a marriage that¡¯s quite an advantage to me. The emperor has always wanted to grant me a title, but the conservatives seem to have opposed it because of my bloodline. Your family¡¯s legitimacy is necessary for me to inherit the title,¡± Lucius explained. ¡°That was why¡­,¡± she trailed off. He nodded, ¡°Yes. I came here with a marriage proposal, though you would have already guessed.¡± It was a light conversation. Far from romance, it was more of a proposal. Deatrice understood that he was not in a position to turn down the proposal, but since the order to keep secrets came to duke and her directly from the emperor, she was speculating that it might be because if Lucius objected, the marriage could be disrupted. Concerning her speculations, Lucius would never willingly want to have anything to do with her, let alone the duke. But when she saw Lucius calmly revealing his intentions, he must have made up his mind to leave behind his messy past. Deatrice couldn¡¯t stop wondering how can a person be like that? She suddenly remembered the words of a nobleman who had returned alive from the war. He had mentioned that during a war, trivial matters between people become nothing, and one starts accepting everything that occurred in the past. Lucius might be experiencing the same. After returning from the war, Deatrice could see that Lucius had learnt to accept everything he had gone through, including him losing all of his property and that precious title. What a great existence the war must be. ¡°But I have one condition,¡± Interfering her thoughts, Lucius spoke. ¡°The emperor had wished for our marriage to be built on love.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the sudden, puzzling remark, Deatrice frowned and Lucius laughed to calm her down. ¡°That¡¯s what he says. Think from his point of view, he wouldn¡¯t want me to perceive that he forced me to marry you just to grant me a title. He knows about our past. Hence, he wants to announce that we got married because after reuniting, we fell in love again. And then he will go on and grant me a title.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you and I-¡± Lucius interrupted and continued with the words she might not wish to hear, ¡°-Should act like we¡¯re in love again in front of other people.¡± She went blank and Lucius waited patiently for her reaction. She backed away and said, ¡°Nonsense.¡± She started clearing her stance, ¡°Everyone knows how we ended. How am I supposed to act like that again? And it has not been long since Freddy¡­¡± ¡°People¡¯s hearts can change easily. You could just say that I aimed at your heart when it was weak. Is it that hard to happen? Everyone does it like that.¡± He watched her deny it with a bored attitude. He added, ¡°Everyone is well aware of the fact that we really loved each other.¡± A brief silence passed. She never expected him to remind her of their past this way. She could withstand statements like both of them had a past, but it was not the same on hearing that the both of them had loved each other. It left an undulating ripple in her heart. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Deatrice shut her mouth and her gray eyes closed halfway. She thought that she was still fine and that she could still endure the pain. But if one looked closely enough¡ªher emaciated cheeks, pallid complexion, and thinner neckline had only served to reveal hints of all the suffering she had gone through. She was like a delicate doll that bruised so easily. Lucius peered down at her, as if he had caught onto her weakness. A somewhat nervous feeling welled up in him as he struggled to push down the feeling of wanting to reminisce. ¡°We need to pretend that we¡¯re in love. It would be best if you cooperate, and we should also fix that facial expression of yours.¡± he said helplessly, ¡°Shall we practice then?¡± He took note of her current appearance and gave her an apprehensive smile, then gently coaxed. ¡°If you show up like this, all pale and sickly-looking, would people believe us? Furthermore¡­¡± he tilted his head to the side. Then, he said in a slightly bitter tone, ¡°You can take off that damn ring now, hm?¡± Deatrice followed his line of sight and quickly hid her hands behind her back, embarrassed. She was still wearing her engagement ring with Fredhi, right in front of the man she would soon marry. This was clearly a mistake on her part, and she felt utterly pathetic because of it. As if her past weaknesses weren¡¯t enough, more and more flaws kept on revealing themselves as if they were all she¡¯s ever made of. Lucius leisurely looked down at her, waiting for an answer. As soon as she nodded her head in a timid manner, he extended his hand. Deatrice clenched her hand that was hidden behind her back and bit her lips. She was a little surprised at the thought that he, in the midst of the current situation, would want to kiss the back of her hand. It wasn¡¯t a very hard thing to do, but the problem was that she was still wearing another man¡¯s ring. She could give her other hand but doing so would have impolite implications based on their culture and tradition. But despite knowing that, Lucius still asked for her hand, and he didn¡¯t look like he planned on going soon if he didn¡¯t get what he wanted. Sighing, Deatrice slowly put her hand on his and Lucius gently covered them with his palms. A fraction of a second later, she felt his soft lips touch the back of her hand. But unlike before, his sapphire-blue eyes had turned into a fiery red. ¡°Then,¡± he whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯ll hope we¡¯ll get along well in the future.¡± Deatrice muttered to herself. ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡± But Lucius didn¡¯t respond to her statement. He only continued looking at her with that soft smile on his face. *** Soon after, they signed the engagement letter they couldn¡¯t refuse. The emperor, having already achieved his objectives, said he wouldn¡¯t care about the duke anymore. With no announcements of further invitations or words of pardon, the position of the duke became a bit murky. The people even speculated whether or not the emperor would still impose a punishment on him. Because she had yet to recover her position in social circles, Deatrice should not have been able to attend any tea party, let alone a ball. However, she could attend this one that welcomed the emperor¡¯s elder sister, Queen Andrea. Not showing up to any other gathering could still be overlooked but being absent in one with the queen present would have repercussions in one¡¯s reputation and prestige. In addition, it has been a while since she had visited with the young prince, so any discerning eye would have the mind to know that they should attend. Deatrice sat quietly in the ballroom. Wearing a dark velvet dress with her wavy black hair cascading down her shoulders, there were already three people who had odd expressions when they saw the colour of her outfit. The only spark of color she had on her was the golden pin inserted on her hair. Even then, she still looked quite gloomy. Some people even told her she was better off attending Fredhi¡¯s funeral. Saying that to a young lady during a grand ball was rude, but when Deatrice heard the word ¡®funeral¡¯, she was a little relieved instead because it meant that she¡¯d succeeded in following Lucius¡¯ arrangements. Two days before the ball, he had sent her a piece of paper, too small to be even called a letter, stating that she should dress like how she would at a funeral. What was he planning? To even set a dress code for her¡­ As Lucius said, they had to look like they were falling in love ¡®again¡¯ at this ball. Judging from the dress code he had decided on, there must¡¯ve been some sort of script in Lucius¡¯ mind that she wasn¡¯t even aware of. Deatrice thought long and hard about what might¡¯ve gone through his head so she wouldn¡¯t mess up his plans, but then she realized it was a futile effort. In any case, people would still spread rumors as long as Lucius and Deatrice were in the same place. It was quite a famous fact that Lucius and Deatrice were previously lovers, so it was definitely something that all the young men and the young ladies who had just debuted in the society were aware of. Even the second prince of Galaba, Fredhi, knew this. Back then, seeing Lucius receiving his knightly title, the prince had asked her a certain question. ¡°Isn¡¯t he your former fianc¨¦e?¡± Her heart fell at that time. Of course, rather than waiting for her to respond, he soon said, ¡®Nevermind.¡¯ Then, he went on saying how grateful he was that at least his bloodline was legitimate, amongst other things he kept saying about himself. Anyhow, that meant that the relationship between her and Lucius was so well-known that even Fredhi was reminded of it. Even after their relationship had ended, other socialites continued to show unquenchable interest in the two of them. Strangely enough, their interest was expressed in a rather positive way. For example, when both Lucius and Deatrice entered the same room, someone would appear and naturally lead the other one away by either conversing or taking a walk with them. In this way, no matter what happened, the two would not be able to talk to each other. It looked like they were doing this out of concern for the two of them, but Deatrice wasn¡¯t so sure about it. The fact that the socialites did it in the first place until it turned into some kind of unspoken rule was what made it so bizarre to her. Just then, she heard that Lucius had already entered the room. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 As expected, a lady named Hana started walking towards Deatrice. However, another lady dissuaded her and led her into another direction. Then, a voice spoke. ¡°Oh my, this lady. You must take good care of your body. Everyone says it¡¯s good to walk when you are pregnant, but it¡¯s not good to push yourself too hard! You don¡¯t want to attract bad elements with the weather that we have.¡± Then a certain lady side-eyed her pertinently. Perhaps it was a warning that meant, ¡®Don¡¯t risk losing your reputation for nothing in front of the emperor just because you spoke with the fallen Deatrice!¡¯ The socialites were certainly kind to those they considered to be part of themselves. And very brutal to those who don¡¯t. The lady who was approaching her also took a detour to another place. Since no one took the initiative to talk to her, this time, she could see Lucius entering the room. He wore his uniform and was noticeably more casual in his action than the other tensed knights. Looking around, Lucius soon found her and, with a playfully secretive smirk on his face, walked into his own group. The young ladies who witnessed that smirk immediately began to gossip. ¡°Who was he smiling at?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of rumors that he¡¯s having an affair with Berry Spirt these days.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s not even here yet!¡± ¡°Who else could it be then? We all know that, for Sir Elliot, marriage is his ultimate goal.¡± Had it not been for his status as an illegitimate child, the gossip would¡¯ve ended on a slightly more positive note. However, Lucius was now like a poisoned golden apple seducing you with its beauty, but you wouldn¡¯t be able to take a bite unless you had a death wish. Deatrice suddenly thought that she had to get drunk in order to get through this whole ordeal. With just a smirk, people were already in heated discussions. She dreaded the thought of them finding out that Deatrice and Lucius had supposedly ¡®fallen in love again¡¯. But just as she had left and picked up a cocktail, a more daring and venomous voice uttered mockingly. ¡°So, who will she be engaged to this time?¡± ¡°Oh my¡ªMiss Kepler! You shouldn¡¯t ask such questions in public¡­¡± Even when this other lady was busy ¡®rebuking Miss Kepler¡¯, she made eye contact with Deatrice. Even her last words had that gossipy tone to them. When she felt their gaze on her, Deatrice came to realize that they were referring specifically to her. Another young lady who could not see Deatrice because she had her back to her, increased the volume of her voice that was tinged with interest. It was probably because she felt that the topic she had chosen was very clever. ¡°She¡¯s already had a failed engagement for the second time, aren¡¯t you curious on who would be her next target?¡± Then everyone else chimed in. ¡°I know, right? Usually, if an engagement had already been broken once, people would start avoiding them like a plague.¡± ¡°She¡¯s lucky she¡¯s a noble, that¡¯s why she had another offer. But,¡± she slightly lowered her volume for added dramatics, ¡°people say that she won¡¯t be able to bear it this time. She might even enter the temple!¡± The other ladies mock-gasped. ¡°Well, she is famous for going to the temple on every holy day¡­¡± A fakely concerned voice chirped, ¡°Would she still decide on going to the temple? There are still a lot of men who want her.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re too scared, she¡¯s bad luck. Who knows what misfortune would befall them if they proposed?¡± Everyone listened to Eva Way. As if she was telling a scary story, she slightly bowed her body and created an eerie atmosphere. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who knows what kind of cursed blood dwells inside of her?¡± Really, why is she so pathetic? Majority of the ladies had this thought running through their heads. But before a grimace could fully be displayed on Deatrice¡¯s face, someone stood up. ¡°Would everyone please stop?¡± It was a voice that put a halt to the heightened atmosphere. People nervously confirmed who it was, but they soon backed away with an embarrassed expression on their faces. The woman who stood up for her was Dixie Bell, and before she had married, her name was Dixie Fenry. Lucius¡¯ sister. She was also another victim of the scheme her father pulled off because of what was revealed in the duke¡¯s house. At that time, Lucius had lost everything and he couldn¡¯t inherit anything due to him being an illegitimate child. Dixie had no choice but to quickly choose a man to secure the inheritance so she could take care of her mother after the Count died. Of course, she was said to be doing well on her own now. But Dixie was just as hurt as Lucius back then, and Deatrice felt indebted to her. Moreover, a few days before the incident was revealed, Dixie visited Deatrice and said some words to her. ¡°A suspicious woman named Bella Anise is staying at your house. She had already come to see me and the Count¡­ She must have done something to harm my brother.¡± Up to this day, Deatrice remembered what she had said to her. ¡°Even if you come up to me and force me to tell my father¡¯s guest to leave, I am unable to do it. If, by any chance, she really is truly dangerous to Lucius, please get him to come and speak for himself.¡± She had refused to chase out the woman, causing the whole incident to happen. She could still recall Dixie¡¯s expression and her tone after she had finished speaking. Disappointment. ¡°So¡­ you have never sincerely loved my brother, after all.¡± At the time, Deatrice saw Dixie as an overly emotional woman. But now that she had thought back to it, the notion that ¡®maybe Lucius¡¯ sister was right¡¯ crossed her mind. Her own dignity was more important than Lucius, she wanted to put herself first, her heart for herself was greater than her heart for him. She was selfish. But if it was truly dangerous, Deatrice wondered why Lucius had never told her about it. ¡°Miss.¡± A voice called out to her. Deatrice woke up from her reverie and raised her head. An officer in uniform, whom she had only seen a few times, stood in front of her. She put down her glass on a table and glanced at him. ¡°What is it?¡± The man smiled in a flustered manner because of her somewhat stern attitude, then he recomposed himself. Surprisingly, this man held out his hand. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°May I ask for a dance?¡± Deatrice was taken aback. Why would someone ask her for a dance, right in the middle of her current situation? ¡°I would gladly oblige. But,¡± she looked him up and down, ¡°you¡¯ll risk getting your name sullied by being associated with me.¡± ¡°Whatever the rumors might be, it¡¯s still better than being punished for defying an order.¡± ¡°An order?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He looked in a particular direction and said, ¡°Over there.¡± At the end of his gaze was Lucius, looking like he was having a pleasant conversation with the other officers. ¡°He sent you here?¡± she clarified. ¡°Yes, to dance with you.¡± Contemplating over his words, Deatrice carefully put her hand on his and let the man lead her to the dance floor. She was suddenly reminded of that day when Elwood had a certain request from his sister, which resulted in him beseeching Lucius¡¯ assistance to ask Charlie for a dance. When Elwood had said: ¡°Please save my sister. This is her fourth time dancing with Wick. She must¡¯ve decided to end her social life here.¡± Who would¡¯ve known that Lucius would reply to him with a: ¡°Please take care of my fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s standing still like a pole. She must¡¯ve made up her mind to embarrass me.¡± She was currently experiencing feelings of low-esteem because of his uncaring words, but they immediately ceased when the man she danced with handed her a small note. Deatrice frowned and tried to discard the note, but the man panicked and swiftly revealed to her that the note was from Lucius, stating that his objective from the beginning was to pass on this note to her. He had no intention of making fun of or being rude to Deatrice. Then, he could¡¯ve just given me the note right from the very start! How inefficient. Vexed, Deatrice opened the note. Written there was an order telling her to go to the third terrace from the east. ¡°He must be enjoying this¡­¡± Deatrice suddenly muttered. From the dress code, to a secret note, and a little sneaky agent delivered it¡ªhe must be feeling very entertained seeing her being toyed around by him. She pouted her lips in defiance, but she knew that she had no choice but to move according to Lucius¡¯ will. Because deep down, Deatrice knew that she still owed him something. *** As Lucius had said, she went to the third terrace from the east, but no one was there yet. Deatrice leaned against the railings, thinking that she must¡¯ve simply arrived first. Actually, she preferred it this way. She felt much better without his presence. Standing outside in an open area, the cool night air seemed to slowly disperse her depressive mood and feelings of pent-up frustrations by carrying it away with its gentle breeze. She pretended to be alright, but she had many things weighing down on her mind. She recalled the times when society had meant everything to her¡ªhow much she relished being in the company of other people, hearing their stories, the wonder she felt when every individual she met had differing personalities from the other, the luxurious halls, and the extravagant clothing she wore¡­ But after meeting Lucius, something changed inside of her, like a small flame of rebellion began to ignite within her. Before all of that, Deatrice had always been obedient to the laws of society and did her best to mingle with others. But today, it was clear that the society had turned against her. It certainly was not a good feeling, realizing that the things she had previously cherished and had been part of her daily life, had now completely isolated her. ¡°Did I make you wait for a long time?¡± a soft voice shook her from her thoughts. Lucius sauntered through the arching door frame of the terrace. Deatrice gazed up at the night sky with her elbows resting on the railings and answered, ¡°No, not really. I actually enjoyed my time without your presence.¡± Lucius laughed at her response. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that you didn¡¯t wait that long. However¡­¡± Lucius took off his jacket and draped it over the back of a small chair. His sleeves weren¡¯t cuffed, revealing his forearms. ¡°Hearing you say that you like being alone isn¡¯t good. Not when the person you¡¯ll soon marry is trying to accompany you.¡± He joked playfully. But Deatrice only put some stray hairs behind her ear and started questioning him. ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You told me to dress for a funeral.¡± she uttered dryly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you planning on doing something big?¡± ¡°Plan?¡± ¡°Yes, the plan for us to fall in love again¡­?¡± When she elaborated her interpretation of the situation to him based on his whimsical actions, the corners of Lucius¡¯ lips went up. ¡°Do we even need a plan for this?¡± He chuckled amusedly, ¡°Us being here in this terrace together, wouldn¡¯t rumours fly off the roof then? Let the gossip-mongers do their job.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed at his calm reply. She had thought of that too, but if things were really as simple as that, why the need for her to dress so grimly? If there was truly no particular reason behind it, she would just shrug it off as his petty attempts of wanting to annoy her. When Lucius saw her expression, he decided to assure her. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I told you to dress like that for your own good. If you had come here, dressed in fancy clothes, people might¡¯ve assumed that you came here to seduce me.¡± ¡°What?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re in that unique situation where everyone slanders you even when you¡¯re doing nothing.¡± he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I want to make use of that to start the rumors of our rekindled love. I don¡¯t want people to view us as simply using each for the sake of benefits. That way, we won¡¯t be criticized when the emperor grants me a title.¡± At the end of his little speech, he glanced at her ring finger. ¡°Of course, you could¡¯ve worn your previous fianc¨¦e¡¯s ring to make things more believable, that you had no intentions of seducing me. It¡¯s just that¡­ it makes me feel like shit.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 She wanted to ask why, but eventually decided against it. Instead, she looked at the exposed skin on his arms and forehead. The scar on top of his eyebrows and the long scar on his arms were obviously not there six years ago. ¡°Your words have gotten rougher.¡± He burst out laughing, as if hearing something silly. Deatrice stood still, not knowing what he found so amusing. There was this cheerful expression on his face when in a blink of an eye, he stopped laughing. Then, she heard him say. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve spent five years on the battlefield after all.¡± He squinted his eyes and looked her up and down, ¡°But you seem to not have changed at all¡­¡± For a woman who had never received such a critical glance, she could sense displeasure emanating from him for a fleeting second but she didn¡¯t speak out. Instead, Deatrice pretended to be calm and waited for him to finish. Lucius¡¯ gaze, which had gone all the way down to her toes, finally came back up and stopped to stare at her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a bit boring too.¡± He raised the corner of his lips, ¡°Well, I guess what else could I have expected after you became engaged to a similarly boring man who¡¯s just so full of himself.¡± ¡°Fredhi¡ª¡± Deatrice stopped and looked away, quietly reproving him, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle him like that. He lost his life because of his father, and I don¡¯t want to hear you criticize him.¡± As she spoke, she clearly thought he would be mad or laugh at her. Perhaps it would be because he was dissatisfied with her engagement to the second prince, and the sight of her engagement ring irritates him. He even called it a ¡®damn ring¡¯ before. However, after a long silence, Lucius broke her expectations of him once more. ¡°You are right, I went overboard. Please pardon me.¡± Although rather than a genuine apology, it seemed like he was just saying it for the sake of maintaining a good atmosphere between the two of them. In any case, an apology was an apology anyways, so she decided to accept it. ¡°Alright.¡± For a moment, he said nothing and fell silent. When Lucius closed his eyes, he seemed to be listening intently at the faint sound of music that could be heard playing from the hall. The moonlight cast a soft luster upon his face, and the blonde colors of his hair became tinged with a bluish hue underneath the torpid glow of the night. Lucius, who had been silent for a long time like he was truly enjoying this night, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Do you feel the same way towards me?¡± Do you have the same sympathy and guilt towards me as you have towards your deceased fianc¨¦e? You even defend his name upon the scrutiny of others¡­ He was curious. But as her silence grew longer, he realized how stupid and childish his question was. ¡°Nevermind. Don¡¯t say anything.¡± He abruptly got up from his seat. After that, he smiled charmingly and asked some questions as if to diffuse the situation. ¡°Have you practiced your expressions yet?¡± After a while, Deatrice barely answered with a crack in her voice. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Good,¡± he smiled, ¡°because I think you¡¯d be better off crying anyways.¡± He cringed in a playful manner. Seeing her awful expressions at the moment made him think it was impossible for her to act so lovey-dovey with him. ¡°Here¡¯s what you need to do. Run out from this terrace, crying. But your style needs to¡ª¡± Lucius took a step closer to her and cautiously pulled the pin out of the side of her head. From the moment he started walking closer, Deatrice remained motionless and let him do whatever he wanted. Although, it was more accurate to say that she wanted to move, but her body was too rooted to the spot that she was unable to. Sensing his warmth close by, Deatrice felt his hand gently brushing through her hair as it passed the tip of her ear. Memories came gushing back to her like a relentless tide. She remembered details about him. His warm eyes that used to look at her so tenderly, the way he used to smile at her like she was the sun, and how he would adjust his position to make her feel more comfortable whenever she leaned on his shoulder¡­ Everything suddenly became vivid like it happened yesterday. It had been so long since she had felt this. Deatrice suddenly took a step back as an unconcealable expression showed up on her face, unable to bear the twisting pain in her chest. At that moment, the wind came between them and ruffled her long curly hair. Staring back at her, Lucius just smiled like nothing was wrong. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, you¡¯re already doing great. Now run.¡± He gave her a cheerful smile, ¡°Run towards the carriage while wiping nonexistent tears in your eyes. Can you do that for me, hm?¡± How could he be alright when she¡¯s currently in a mess from recollecting their past? She looked up intently at him and hurriedly opened the door as if to run away from all this. Everyone¡¯s attention became focused on her at that very instance. Following what he had said, Deatrice swept her cheeks, acting as if she had truly cried. But this time, it was more of a gesture of embarrassment as she could feel all eyes on her person. Then she ran. Just as he had ordered her to. As soon as she was out of sight, someone spoke. ¡°What was that?¡± And so, one by one, the people told what they had seen. ¡°She definitely went out of the same terrace that Elliott got in, right?.¡± ¡°Both of them were at the same place? Oh my¡ª¡± ¡°I saw it too! Elliott definitely followed her!¡± ¡°And then she came out crying?¡± ¡°What in the world happened?¡± Those were all the kinds of questions they had asked, but the question everyone truly wanted to ask that would confirm whether their suspicions were true couldn¡¯t manage to escape their lips. So the two of them are back together again? Chapter 11 Chapter 11 This sentence circled into their minds as they all looked at each other meaningfully. Tonight was destined to be a restless night¡ªespecially for the gossipy madams. Lucius, who had remained on the terrace, laughed as he heard their murmurs. Then he raised his hand. On his palm, was the golden hairpin that had just been on her hair. Mn. If they see this, the rumors will definitely be confirmed. Lucius glanced at the accessory with an indifferent look. He thought of Deatrice, who would turn away in embarrassment whenever he touched her, even if he just barely grazed her skin. His heart clenched, but he was also used to this. For the past six years, the figure of Deatrice in his imagination had always been that of her trying to move away from his reach, as if to avoid touching something so filthy. ¡°Please, get away from me. An illegitimate child shouldn¡¯t dare to touch me!¡± She shouted, and those words had forever been ingrained in Lucius¡¯ mind, haunting him in his every waking moment. It was strange. It had only happened for a brief moment, and she was mostly a sweet and adorable lover to him back then. But no matter how much time passed, when he thought of her, that scene of her renouncing him always took precedence over all of their loving moments together. But that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t forgive her for saying that. She was two years younger than him and was still a little immature. He knew best how clumsy she was years ago. Perhaps it was the combination of the pressure she received from her father, the feeling of betrayal about what had happened to the duke and what he had driven her to, the nervousness¡ªall of those eventually had led her to say those words in a moment of intense emotions. He couldn¡¯t blame her. Because he understood her. But even if he did, what she said had easily ruined everything. Her words smashed something precious inside him, and he would remember it forever because he would always feel the sharp fractures that remained in his heart. ¡°Such a funny thing.¡± He said, looking at the unassuming pin on his hand. Looking at it a little more, he lifted his hand and briskly threw it over the terrace. The golden pin disappeared in the depths of the night, leaving no trace of it ever having been in his possession. With no hesitation, Lucius grabbed his jacket and left. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 The rumors snowballed into one giant concoction of lies mixed with truths. Actually, most of them were all lies. But they were all so believable to anyone who heard them that even Tom, Lucius¡¯ attendant, was starting to get dubious about whether or not the news he was sorting out was still something his master fabricated. ¡°Even if they had only seen me with her once or twice in an event, people will already create a detailed scenario in their heads about how I purportedly wrote her a poem and professed my love for her.¡± Lucius uttered. Tom didn¡¯t pay attention to his words and previously thought he was just exaggerating. But now, from the looks of things, it was true. Then, he asked, ¡°What should we do? Should we tone down the rumors a little?¡± Lucius was looking through the documents that Tom had brought, and looked out the window. The mansion the emperor bestowed him seemed small at first glance, but in fact, it wasn¡¯t. Moreover, the garden was beautiful. As he looked at the different varieties of flora and fauna with one hand on his chin, he remembered the first words the emperor said when he heard about the past of the infamous pair. After the storytelling was done, the emperor only went: ¡°Oh, right. The duke¡¯s greenhouse is so beautiful.¡± As if the importance of the duke¡¯s beautiful garden paled in comparison to his relationship with Deatrice, which was the main subject of their conversation back then. As a result, the emperor gave him this mansion. Lucius surmised that the main purpose of the emperor by giving him this location was for Deatrice in the first place, so she would have a lovely garden to tend to if, by chance, they had gotten together again. If not, he supposed the unpredictable emperor thought that he had only been dating Deatrice because of the presence of the duke¡¯s greenhouse. ¡°Just let them be.¡± Lucius said, watching the butterflies flutter their wings from one flower to another. ¡°Even if Deatrice and I don¡¯t meet, people would still invent stories about us. I¡¯m just using it to my advantage.¡± Tom suddenly spoke in a blunt manner. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to marry her, just like that?¡± Lucius found it to be a silly remark and laughed, ¡°Is there still a need to ask that? I¡¯ve already given a marriage proposal to the duke.¡± ¡°But sir¡­ at this rate, even the emperor would know of your plans.¡± The attendant reasoned. ¡°You do realize you would have to live under one roof¡­ Don¡¯t you hate her? Having a bitter past and such?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t Deatrice¡¯s fault.¡± Looking at Lucius¡¯ side profile, Tom couldn¡¯t help but feel indignation on behalf of his master. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®not her fault¡¯? She betrayed you. When you locked yourself up in your house, not once had she ever visited you.¡± Then he noticed the change of expression in the knight¡¯s face, so he continued. ¡°Just by looking at your face, the truth is already so obvious¡ª¡± ¡°Tommy.¡± He abruptly shut his mouth after hearing his master¡¯s nickname for him. He knew he would cross line when he would say those words, but Tom still did it anyway as his heart was filled with dissatisfaction. But the thing with Lucius was that, the more serious he gets, the nicer he becomes. ¡°Pardon my manners, Sir Elliot, but¡ª¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Lucius coolly uttered, ¡°And don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± The servant glanced at the man before him with concern, then he breathed out a sigh. ¡°Your soft heart¡­ will be the end of you.¡± he lowered his spine and bowed his head, ¡°This servant is humbly asking the master to not forget his promise.¡± Suddenly, the office door slammed open, and someone walked in with angry steps. When the person stood in front of his desk, Lucius lifted his head and saw his sister with her soft brown hair in a delicate chignon. Seeing her so angry that her face looked like it was burning, Lucius thought to himself¡ªthe time has come. She stared down at him. The longer she looked, the more her eyes hardened. Even Tom¡¯s anger, which had just reached its peak a few seconds ago, quickly deflated when he saw Dixie¡¯s face and hastily declared, ¡°Then, I-I shall take my leave first.¡± Then he was gone like the wind. Dixie eyed him for a long time without even sitting down. It was Lucius who broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± She remained quiet for a few more moments before she spoke, ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re dating Miss Louisen?¡± Her voice was so low that it was barely audible, but Lucius still understood. Her big, round eyes looked at him with such a clear and innocent gaze. It was this aspect of hers that, although she had been married for six years already, caused her to be mistaken as a young and unmarried lady. The people said it was because of her round forehead and childlike facial features, but for Lucius, it was her fiery attitude that made her appear untainted and youthful. Like a tempestuous storm temper that wildly blazed forward regardless of her enemies. Lucius closed his eyes, believing he was bound to get a headache from her scolding. ¡°It¡¯s true. Now, I know what you think of Deatrice, but¡ª¡± ¡°Lucius Eden Fenry, you must be out of your mind!¡± His eyes shifted, ¡°I don¡¯t go by that name anymore.¡± But it was as if she couldn¡¯t hear him. Dixie took a step back in frustration. ¡°How could you do that after all she¡¯s done to you? She didn¡¯t love you back then, do you honestly think she will love you now?¡± A tired expression flitted across her face as she inhaled deeply. ¡°You remember what she did, don¡¯t you? I told her to let that woman out of their home because I could sense that she posed some danger to you. But what did she do?!¡± Lucius had heard this tirade many times over already. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to finish. ¡°She refused, didn¡¯t she?¡± Dixie continued. ¡°She even defended that woman and said that Bella Anise was her father¡¯s guest. But you know what makes me angrier? During that fateful day, she didn¡¯t even say a single word to defend you, and her silence makes it like she already knew what would happen right from the very beginning and didn¡¯t even warn you! If she truly loved you then, how could she have done that?¡± Lucius didn¡¯t want to go through this again, but with the emperor¡¯s command, he knew it would happen sooner or later. It was best to just let it come over and be done with it. He wanted to say he no longer had feelings for Deatrice but recalling the emperor¡¯s words that they had to be in love, he endured and kept his silence. But words still echoed in his head. She chose her father¡¯s dignity over you. ¡°Dixie, I don¡¯t care about Deatrice¡¯s heart for me anymore.¡± he stated. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll propose to her.¡± he said and put one leg over the other and turned his gaze towards the garden for the second time. ¡°She¡¯s no longer in the same position as before. But what I hope is that, maybe now, she would be more willing to accept my heart.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Lucius¡ª!¡± Dixie couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at his reckless remark. Lucius felt a bit relieved that he didn¡¯t have to lie too much to his sister. Besides, what Deatrice felt for him doesn¡¯t really matter to him anymore. Dixie, who didn¡¯t know any better and thought her brother was being foolish again, cried out, ¡°Do you think mother and I would accept this marriage?¡± ¡°Mother won¡¯t accept me being married in general.¡± Dixie, who tried to fight by using the reason of family opposition, was silenced by Lucius¡¯ words. After the Count brought in six-year-old Lucius, saying that he was the child of his deceased brother, the countess raised him alongside Dixie without any discrimination of treatment between the two of them. Growing up, she had always treated him with special affection. But the difference between knowing that he was her nephew from him being her husband¡¯s illegitimate child caused a drastic change of attitude when she had found out. Overwhelmed to the bone by her husband¡¯s betrayal in her bones, the countess, who has always treated him with kindness, has long since removed Lucius from her life. Her interactions with him afterwards were filled with contempt, malice and obvious disregard. Hence, she would probably do her best to impede his happiness, with marriage being one of them. ¡°But brother¡­¡± she reached out. ¡°It¡¯s clearer to me that mother wouldn¡¯t be happy with this marriage. Deep inside, I know that mother wants to know how you¡¯re doing, but if you marry Deatrice, your chances of reconciling with her will become even lower.¡± He sighed. ¡°I know your mother has already softened her stance against me by a large margin. But, I am also aware it doesn¡¯t mean that she has forgiven me. No matter how much I apologize, she won¡¯t accept it anyways, and it¡¯ll be like that forever.¡± ¡°Have you actually asked for forgiveness?¡± Dixie added softly, however, her red eyes suddenly turned cold as her tone became harsher, ¡°Everything that¡¯s happened, was all because father didn¡¯t say things properly right from the very beginning.¡± A bitter smile crept on Lucius¡¯ lips. In his mind, he wanted to preserve how Dixie thought this was just a normal misunderstanding between family members. But in reality, it truly wasn¡¯t. But even if the truth was to come to light, it still wouldn¡¯t change the fact that Lucius was an illegitimate child. Had the family been made aware of his origins right from the start, at the very least, the repercussions of this revelation in the duke¡¯s house would¡¯ve been minimized. However, the countess¡¯ affection for him when she thought he was simply a nephew wouldn¡¯t have developed either. ¡°Anyway, if you really think it¡¯s not my fault, you should also have the open mind to understand that Deatrice was not at fault either.¡± Dixie felt betrayed that Lucius could even suggest such a thing. ¡°You¡¯re simply blinded by love and cannot think straight.¡± ¡°No. Deatrice is also a victim in all of this.¡± Lucius countered. ¡°She did not know of my legitimacy issues. Thus, refusing your request that day is only reasonable from her point of view.¡± If only it was just that, Dixie could still tolerate it. However, Deatrice had completely abandoned her brother when he was at his lowest and even contributed to ruining her father¡¯s name. When he had locked himself in the mansion, Dixie had witnessed how broken Lucius had become¡ªhow he drowned himself in shame and misery. But above all else, he was most anxious of the fact that Deatrice was ignoring him. Which is why, Deatrice coming back to Lucius¡¯ life to possibly ruin him for the second time was something utterly unacceptable to her. She recalled a certain scene that showed how distraught he had been. Lucius was walking around the library when he suddenly fell onto a single-seater sofa. He had covered his face with his trembling palms and whispered. ¡°She has abandoned me¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t very loud, but Dixie could hear the crack in his voice when it faltered, and it broke her heart to see him feeling that way. But now, the grieving young man in that memory of hers has fallen in love again. It¡¯s just that¡­ Why did it have to be with the exact same woman who hurt him? Dixie instinctively felt that the gap in demeanor between her brother whom she had known for the past ten years, versus the man who was in front of her today, has widened significantly. It made her feel dejected. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s you who has gotten hurt. I can¡¯t stop you if you decide to forgive her, but I don¡¯t think that woman will ever love you wholeheartedly.¡± Her voice grew cold, ¡°There must¡¯ve been some benefits involved if she chose to return to your side. If you¡¯re alright with her taking advantage of you, then¡­ I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± He remained silent. ¡°Just know this¡ªyou¡¯re making a big mistake, Lucius Fenry.¡± Putting on one of the gloves she had taken off earlier with a detached look on her face, Dixie left the office without another word. The door slammed shut with a loud noise as the wind breezed through the curtains. Then came silence. ¡°¡­¡± This was the first time Lucius had seen Dixie¡¯s cold side, who had always been a sweet little sister to him. He glanced at the closed door, and then looked out to the window once more with his chin resting on the back of his fingers. Soon, Deatrice will take a walk in that garden. Although it was already pretty, it was still a far cry from the Louisen¡¯s greenhouse. Shortly after, Tom came back and queried. ¡°What did the lady say? Her expression seemed very odd.¡± Lucius still glanced outside with a vacant expression on his face, the servant¡¯s words going in from one ear and out of the other. ¡°Make that garden look nice.¡± he suddenly said. ¡°I think it¡­ already looks nice enough?¡± ¡°No, I want a garden that will take people¡¯s breath away once they see it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± It was a strange order. But what¡¯s stranger was the fact that, right now, his master looked at the garden in awe when he didn¡¯t even spare a glance towards it before. So, what changed? Tom mulled over it for some time before he gave up. His job was simply to follow the master¡¯s instructions. After that, he busied himself in looking for a famous yet suitable gardener that would cater to his master¡¯s needs. The notion that what brought this change had something to do with Deatrice, whom he hated, had never even crossed his mind. *** Chapter 14 Chapter 14 At a different location, Deatrice was fighting a one-woman battle. It was because all her relatives, who were none the wiser that this marriage was dictated by the emperor, had come knocking on her door at least once and preached about how selfish she was. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how important this time is to your father? Your marriage is the last chance to turn this crisis around! Why are you playing love games with that illegitimate child?!¡± ¡°So selfish!¡± ¡°Deatrice must have gone mad!¡± Failing to convince her, the grown-ups in the house caused a commotion outside. They were hoping for sympathy, but other people believed that the love between Deatrice and Lucius was genuine. Which only angered the noisy relatives to the point of fainting. However, hearing similar words for the past few days from people who were only clinging onto the duke for his wealth and status, Deatrice felt very insulted. Moreover, ¡®throwing the bait¡¯¡ªthe term Lucius used to refer to their meetings to keep people talking about them¡ªwas done strictly according to his schedule. After getting nagged all morning, she had an appointment with him in the afternoon. Once again, the public¡¯s attention was drawn to them even if they hid from curious gazes. Just as it had always been when they were younger, Suddenly feeling choked, Deatrice leaned on Lucius¡¯ shoulder and lifted her head. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Lucius looked back at her with a genial smile and held her hand. It was impossible for there to be no one keeping eyes on their person, so they had to perform this act of being in love at all times. Lucius even said that gestures like these were the most important aspects to deceive people. Deatrice also agreed that these kinds of actions were the easiest to be noticed by others. Although she was a bit of a socialite before, she didn¡¯t like being scrutinized wherever she went, and sitting in the middle of the crowd and performing such a play made her uncomfortable. She voiced her thoughts. ¡°Until when are we going to do this?¡± He smiled charismatically and tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. ¡°What do you mean?¡± It was just a simple touch performed for the sake of keeping up appearances. Deatrice couldn¡¯t detect a shred of affection from his finger. ¡°When are you going to propose to me?¡± she pressed. Then he laughed. This time, it was genuine laughter. ¡°Propose?¡± But Deatrice was dead serious. ¡°I heard that the emperor told us to get married as soon as possible. But you¡¯ve already wasted your time like this for two months.¡± ¡°Why the rush?¡± he asked slyly with one eyebrow raised. ¡°Are you that excited to be wedded to me?¡± Deatrice felt slightly annoyed at his behavior when he demonstrated that he didn¡¯t care that much about her situation. She furrowed her brows. ¡°I¡¯m tired of putting up a farce for everyone to see. My relatives even come to my home to fuss over everything I do. I¡¯d rather get married now and then quickly end this relationship as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Then,¡± he started, ¡°what¡¯s the duke doing when you¡¯re the one suffering for his wrongdoings?¡± Her father was directly involved in all of this, which is why he was also aware of their current arrangements because of the emperor¡¯s orders. Lucius had asked in a carefree manner, but Deatrice felt a little awkward since she felt uncomfortable hearing anything related to the duke coming from his mouth. Her father had destroyed his future, after all. ¡°My father thinks it is just right to not intervene. If he did, he said people might be suspicious.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t step in, given our past, wouldn¡¯t that be more suspicious?¡± Lucius answered, looking elsewhere as if he was bored. Deatrice wondered if he would show hostility towards the duke, but he seemed rather uninterested. Looking at his naturally flowing, radiant blonde hair and a slightly stiff posture; she suddenly realized that she had no idea how Lucius had successfully returned from the war. He didn¡¯t seem like the ferocious type because of his elegant looks. Perhaps he may have been athletically-inclined six years ago and liked to compete, but it didn¡¯t occur to her that he would have any interest in getting blood on his hands¡ªeven if it was just hunting for wild animals. But now, he must¡¯ve killed as many people as his scar suggested and Deatrice found that hard to believe. Feeling her gaze on him, Lucius turned around and asked. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Jus¡ªnothing.¡± Deatrice wanted to ask him how he got such a scar, but she didn¡¯t want to appear concerned for him, so she simply changed her words. ¡°By the way, I heard Belle went to you.¡± Lucius, finding the name slightly unfamiliar, frowned. ¡°Ah, right. She did, and she was very angry.¡± He realized a while later that she was referring to his sister, Dixie. ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t like you very much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked. I¡¯m just worried something might go wrong with this marriage if anyone opposes it.¡± Lucius laughed again. To him, it was funny how she spoke as if she was too anxious to be married to him. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°No matter what, I will definitely marry you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Besides, no matter how angry my sister gets, her nature is inherently good. She won¡¯t make things difficult for us.¡± ¡°I know Belle is a good person. I was just asking if you were putting off the marriage because she disagrees¡­¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know you thought of Dixie quite positively.¡± Towards Lucius¡¯ words, Deatrice went silent for a moment before answering. ¡°I¡¯ve always felt sorry for her. She had to marry in a hurry because of¡­ what happened.¡± she shook her head. ¡°Not to mention, at the last ball, Belle had gotten mad in my stead.¡± ¡°She got mad?¡± Lucius did not expect this kind of development. ¡°Yes.¡± Deatrice nodded. ¡°Because Eva Way called me ¡®cursed¡¯ because of the way my fianc¨¦es would meet misfortune one after the other and how the next one would be unlucky as well. It was then that Belle got angry and told her to stop.¡± ¡°Hmm. Eva Way must¡¯ve been disappointed. She would have loved to see what would happen if you met a new lover, but she¡¯s bound to be disappointed since you¡¯re getting married to the first one.¡± Although he responded casually on the outside, Lucius¡¯ insides became cold with contempt for Eva Way. That woman had always been jealous of Deatrice and would talk about her behind her back. Especially during the time when she was engaged for the second time to the second prince of Galaba. Eva Way was the one who was the most vocal on the side criticizing Lucius¡¯ and Deatrice¡¯s relationship, she had even surveyed to see how people reacted last time. During that time, Lucius had remained silent because he himself couldn¡¯t understand Deatrice¡¯s actions at all, and why she chose Fredhi. But now that he was with her again, not a peep could be heard from that gossipy woman as of yet. In fact, Eva Way¡¯s influence was practically nonexistent during the most recent gatherings hosted by dignified individuals. However, it was like she always had the need to be provocative with a drink on her hand at all times and chit chat with other people. As a result, for the more unsavory get-togethers, Way¡¯s presence still made itself known. ¡°It¡¯s a really funny reunion between them. Not even romantic in the slightest. It is a combination of low-quality empathy and comfort between two people who are trying to salvage what is already destroyed.¡± She would say. Lucius thought to himself. Hm. Perhaps now is the time for Eva Way¡¯s downfall. Suddenly, he felt a gaze from somewhere else. Lucius recollected himself from his thoughts, combed Deatrice¡¯s tangled hair with his fingers and kissed her forehead. Deatrice¡¯s body became rigid. She had been playing along with him for two months already, but she still can¡¯t seem to get used to being touched like this. Lucius suddenly felt the urge to bite her cheek to punish her, but quickly shrugged off the thought by putting on a languid smile and chuckled, ¡°So jumpy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too sudden.¡± Deatrice said while pretending to be calm. Registering the implications of his actions, she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Lady Saint Elle, on your right.¡± ¡°Just like a ghost.¡± ¡°Who? Me or Lady Saint Elle?¡± Deatrice said something else without answering his question. ¡°Just answer me, when are you going to propose?¡± Lucius replied in a sickly sweet voice. ¡°No need to rush, sweetheart. I¡¯ll do it soon.¡± ¡°And when exactly is ¡®soon¡¯?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be even more exciting if I don¡¯t tell you?¡± He whispered with an enigmatic smile. Deatrice noticed that he wasn¡¯t going to answer. What¡¯s the reason for his delay, then? She frowned because she didn¡¯t understand, but just then, she recalled the words she heard at the ball. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of him having an affair with Berry Spirt these days.¡± She wondered if the rumors were true. If they were, it was possible that Lucius was dragging out the marriage because he didn¡¯t want to end things with her. Deatrice¡¯s mind had already gone through numerous situations wherein the legal wives were insulted because of their husband¡¯s infidelity. Well, she ¡®is¡¯ pretty. So¡­ Deatrice thought. Berry Spirt, daughter of a southern baroness, had already lost her aristocratic status. But it didn¡¯t matter that much because she was very wealthy. On top of it all, she was a lovable girl that had a good upbringing, quite famous in the social circles for her lively personality and friendly demeanor. She definitely would¡¯ve treated Lucius well, no matter what his past was. The thought that Lucius might¡¯ve given his heart to such a light-hearted girl was not a far-fetched reality. It was highly likely that it was true. Then, our marriage would simply be a loveless one. Deatrice muttered inside her heart. It was unreasonable of her to expect Lucius to remain faithful to her when they don¡¯t even have feelings for each other. Perhaps, he might even have scandals like other men stuck in unwanted arranged marriages. Many ladies had probably fantasized about marrying Lucius, but here she was, already wanting to get as far away from their engagement as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Deatrice was already constructing scenarios in her head where she would suffer at the hands of his numerous mistresses during their marriage, when Lucius abruptly pulled her up. He flicked a finger on Deatrice¡¯s forehead, which had already creased into a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink too much about my proposal. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± He answered confidently. Deatrice wanted to ask who exactly would be satisfied between the two of them, when Lucius promptly bowed his head and kissed the outer corner of her eye. Her eyelids fluttered, and she had no choice but to close them. She could sense it. His kiss, though hollow and detached coming from his lips, still made her feel warm and sweet. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Today was another holy day that people celebrated every four days. Deatrice got up at dawn and set out for the temple before sunrise, as she had always done. She had never forgotten to visit the temple during times like these. People said that she had a peculiar interest in religion, but in reality, it had just become her habit. In all actuality, her mother, Amelia Fram Louisen, should be the one known as being truly faithful. She would wake up early in the morning to offer her daily prayers to the temple, this continued from when she was still an unwedded lady all the way until she was pregnant with Deatrice. Whenever Deatrice thought of her mother, Amelia, the first thing that came to mind was her wearing a white dress and praying in front of the holy book and relics. But¡­ There were no other beautiful memories left with her. Almost all of them had been tainted by her mother¡¯s ugly side. ¡°Save me, Deatrice!¡± Amelia had an illness that she couldn¡¯t cure even with her divine powers. Afterwards, she died from the exact same disease she had suffered from. Deatrice had always viewed her mother as a sublime and noble figure. So, it came as a shock to see the woman down on her knees, clutching Deatrice¡¯s hand tightly, and begging like a madman, saying things with bloodshot eyes. ¡°It is because I have been so close to God that you have been granted such powers! That means, your power is mine, and now I want to use my power on myself. What¡¯s so wrong with that?!¡± The late duchess shouted, demanding that her daughter heal her. Of course, Deatrice thought that her words might be true to some extent. She had been able to use her powers, although weakly, ever since her childhood days. Amelia claimed it was because of her faithful worship since her maiden days that the gods have granted her daughter some form of divinity in order to help her triumph over this disease she would have in the future. The only problem was that¡­ The gift was incomplete. Deatrice could only access half of her divine power, so after healing Amelia, she would suffer the pain instead. The priests who knew of this fact would praise Deatrice for her great spirit of wanting to sacrifice for her mother. But they could not have been any farther from the truth. Deatrice had begun to hate her sick mother. Whenever she was forced to heal Amelia, she felt exploited, and the unbearable suffering she felt afterwards had only served to intensify her loathing. But at the same time, she also despised herself for feeling that way, because she recognized that that woman was still her mother. Amelia would eventually die and disappear, and the physical pain might¡¯ve only been temporary, but the torment her mother had wrought upon her would forever stay in the recesses of her mind. Contempt. That was what she felt after Amelia¡¯s death. Feeling free from the shackles for a moment, she felt a little lost. She had only ever known to continuously heal her mother in that temple. As a result, this made Deatrice more attached to going to the temple even after her mother¡¯s death. There were fleeting moments where she would recall the faint memories of her mother that she wanted to keep¡ªlike the two of them joining their hands together as they walked towards the temple in the distance. Shaking her head to cleanse her mind, Deatrice took the things she needed and left. Upon arriving, familiar priests greeted her and led her to a prayer room. As she entered, a priestess, who¡¯s always looked after due to her divine powers, greeted her. ¡°You have arrived.¡± The appearance of priests with their heads bowed deeply was something she had always seen since childhood. She heard that this woman was the daughter of some nobleman. However, after her divine power was discovered, she decided to become a priestess. After that, she lived a life away from the secular world. ¡°You¡¯re already known for coming here every holy day, you might as well fully entrust yourself to the temple.¡± Deatrice suddenly remembered the words she had heard at the ball. If she really had done as the priestess said, she wouldn¡¯t have to play-pretend with Lucius anymore. Two failed engagements. Then, she reunited with her first fianc¨¦e and had gotten herself engaged for the third time. After checking her state, the priestess withdrew. Deatrice sat in the prayer room for a long time, asking whoever was up there the reason as to why she was experiencing all of this. But, like all other times, there was no answer. After sitting for a long while, she suddenly heard a conversation between two ladies who passed her by without. They didn¡¯t recognize who she was with the white cotton cloth covering her head. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Turns out, Eva Way is Count Mendez¡¯s mistress!¡± Eva Way was the one who called her ¡®cursed¡¯ during the last ball. As much as Deatrice was surprised by the sudden news, the other lady listening in seemed to be surprised as well. ¡°Mistress? But Count Mendez was famous for being loyal to his wife!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more shocking. The countess had fainted, and I even saw a priest from here go to her place.¡± ¡°Oh my¡ª! She must¡¯ve been really shocked! She was the woman who believed in the Count more than anyone else!¡± then she whispered inquisitively, ¡°But, how was it revealed?¡± ¡°I heard that it was revealed when a mysterious document arrived at the tea party held by the Countess Mendez. It contained a pocket of letters and hair. A lot of people wondered who gave it to the countess, but they speculated it was probably Eva Way herself who had sent it.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°Eva Way herself? Why would she even do such a thing?¡± ¡°Well, she must have thought that the Count would annul his marriage and choose her. As you may know, the countess had been with him for so long, but she had yet to bear him a child.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s quite foolish of her. The Count is not the kind of person who would give up everything and choose her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say!¡± ¡°So, will the countess¡¯s family remain still? He must have sworn to the countess that he would immediately abandon Eva Way.¡± ¡°Ai! If that¡¯s the case, then this is the start of Eva Way¡¯s ruin.¡± Whispering quickly, they soon turned around the corner and went elsewhere. Deatrice stood there for a moment, confused as to how to react to this story she had heard by coincidence. It was only recently she had defined Eva Way in contempt. In front of Lucius. It couldn¡¯t be his doing, right? However, the reason Deatrice could think of such a nonsensical possibility was because similar things have happened in the past. A drunken man harassed her at a certain ball. Not long after, that man was robbed by gangsters on the street. Perhaps the perpetrators thought that wasn¡¯t enough, they even beat him black and blue. At first, Deatrice did not associate the incident with Lucius. But it was Lucius himself who confessed with a wanting-to-be-praised look on his face. ¡°I did well, right?¡± When he said that, she remembered him laying his head on her lap as he gazed up at her lovingly. That¡¯s why, she thought today¡¯s incident might also be his doing. As she walked out the front door, she felt some people gossiping and looking at her. For some reason, a familiar carriage was already waiting for her, and Lucius was standing in front of it. Speak of the devil, and he doth appear. As she stood blankly and stared at him, he swiveled his gaze and saw her. Then he approached with a soft smile. ¡°Are you done?¡± He gently took her hand. She was perplexed. All of their meetings so far had been discussed in advance. Never had he appeared so suddenly before. Moreover, he did it when she was at the temple. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She asked warily. ¡°Just because.¡± He replied, kissing the back of her hand. ¡°I missed you.¡± Aware of people¡¯s gaze, she knew she had to put on a friendly expression, but Deatrice couldn¡¯t force herself to. She simply could not grasp Lucius¡¯ intentions, so she could only look at him stupidly for a good few seconds. Then he smiled and lightly coaxed her, ¡°Did you miss me too?¡± She hardly opened her lips and replied, albeit a little stiffly. ¡°Of course.¡± He raised his lips at her awkward answer. ¡°I just wanted to see your surprised face, is all. The wait took a lot longer than expected, but I wasn¡¯t bored at all because I was thinking of you.¡± Then he kissed her forehead, her upper lids, and the tip of her dainty nose. There were only a few people passing by, but they were still at the main gate of the temple. It made her uncomfortable when he did it at this kind of place, which led her to push him away all of a sudden. ¡°Deatrice¡ª¡± He grabbed her hand that pressed against him with a very serious look. Then he knelt down on one knee and looked up at her. Deatrice was completely embarrassed and tried to let go of his hand, but Lucius added more force to his grip to prevent her from escaping. He acted calmly and spoke. ¡°The times we¡¯ve spent have always been precious to me. Our past may have been complicated, but I just simply can¡¯t see myself being happy with anyone other than you. Because when I had you in my life six years ago, I felt like I was complete.¡± Lucius gazed deeply at her with eyes full of tender affection, ¡°Now that I have the chance to make you mine a second time, I don¡¯t want to lose you ever again. So please, grant me the honor of being that man who would give you happiness that lasts for a lifetime.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± Deatrice¡¯s voice faltered. This wasn¡¯t part of their play. She was genuinely surprised and bewildered. She never dreamed that Lucius would come to the temple today and that he would propose to her right in front of it, breaking the tradition that marriage proposals should be done in private and not in front of other people. Another thing was that, how did he muster the courage to come here? People might slander him for having the guts to propose in public even with his status as an illegitimate child, and in front of a sacred place no less! But why here, of all places? Deatrice looked at him as if waiting for an answer. They stared into each other¡¯s eyes as the sun shone upon them. Sighing internally, she was painfully aware that there was only one answer she could give here. She spoke, but her voice was so soft it was barely even heard. ¡°Definitely, Lucius. I shall have no other, but you in my life¡­¡± The words that escaped her lips sounded sweet, but her heart had gone cold. He pulled off this little scheme to make a statement against her, to bring back and twist the history that happened between them. ¡®Remember this place? This was where you threw me out.¡¯ Those words kept ringing inside Deatrice¡¯s brain like a taunting menace. He never uttered them out loud. But the bright, yet somewhat satirical smile on his face had only served to frost her already wintry heart. *** Chapter 18 Chapter 18 After having been revealed to be an illegitimate child, Lucius did not step out of the house and Deatrice didn¡¯t contact him either. Looking back, she realized it was cowardly of her to do that. It should¡¯ve been just right for her to say hello or even drop a greeting card at the very least, but she didn¡¯t. At that time, she was too self-absorbed to even care about other people¡¯s feelings¡ªtoo distracted by Lucius¡¯ betrayal and how it made her suffer. How could he have fooled me like that? After all this time, why did he not say anything about his origins? The Deatrice who had cared too much about her reputation and social life would usually think those words to herself. There were times she¡¯d wondered how Lucius fared, but rumors of him were enough to let her know. After all, people talk about his trial every day and their speculations about his uncertain future, so it was easy to catch wind of his current situation. After the trial was over, some say that he would leave for Hasto with his birth mother, others say that he would become a naval officer, but one thing they all had in common was that they all agreed that his relationship with Miss Louisen had truly ended. Given his current standing, how could he dare to go and find her? Deatrice was disappointed with all that she¡¯d heard. She also didn¡¯t expect Lucius to come to her. But he did. On one early morning, he threw away all of his pride and came to her. During the day she had gone to the temple to pray. As per usual, the prayer room was like an ice field. But Lucius didn¡¯t mind as he calmly kneeled on the platform underneath the light of dawn. Waiting¡­ In a span of a few days, he had suffered from severe facial injuries. It was alright if she didn¡¯t see him because she felt like her resentment towards him was justified. But now that she had seen him in this state¡ªaffection, mixed with pity and sympathy, washed over her like erratic waves. Deatrice had only quietly glanced at his side profile. Lucius closed his eyes without moving another muscle, and then suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Why did you not come and find me?¡± His pained and nonplussed voice echoed. A voice that found it hard to comprehend Deatrice¡¯s silence. She looked away, ¡°I thought you wanted to be alone.¡± ¡°I needed you.¡± he replied. Lucius¡¯ face was serious, but he could not mask the wounded expression on his face, nor could he hide the slight tremor in his voice. He got up from his seat and walked towards her. But when he made that sudden movement, she unconsciously took a step backwards. As she retreated, he halted his steps as a look of hurt crossed his features. ¡°Why?¡± Why are you avoiding me? Deatrice became agitated because she didn¡¯t do that on purpose either. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡ª¡± ¡°Are you that repulsed by me?¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s not like that.¡± she hurriedly explained herself. ¡°I¡¯m just flustered that I met you here¡ª¡± ¡°Deatrice.¡± He called out in a low voice. Deatrice thought he would be offended by how selfish she had been, but instead, he said something she did not expect. ¡°Run away with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He softened his tone. ¡°I already have a small mansion that I inherited. It won¡¯t be taken away even if I lose in court. Once I sell this property and we manage to flee to another country, you would be able to live in my care without lacking anything. So, please¡ª¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Lucius¡­¡± she called his name in a tired voice, as if she didn¡¯t hear him suggesting that they run away together. ¡°Are you truly going to lose in court? Is that why you¡¯re doing this?¡± Lucius glanced down, his complexion turning slightly pale at the word ¡®trial¡¯. ¡°¡­the evidence on Bella Anise¡¯s side is particularly convincing. If things keep going like this, I might be removed from the household as punishment.¡± The crestfallen tone of his voice made it seem as if he had lost everything. Deatrice stared at his pathetic figure without a word. She had heard the rumors, so she knew the odds of him winning the trial were slim. Because he was fighting against the law. Illegitimate children were frowned upon and were sentenced by the court to exile or placed in the military forces. Judging by these predicaments, it comes as no surprise that they would have no right to inherit any properties of their unwedded parents. But even if that was the case, deep down, Deatrice wished he would have some kind of fortuitous encounter that would help him escape this tricky situation. However¡­ The attitude he was showing right now, wanting to run away and almost to the point of crying, from the probability of losing made him appear like a failure and a big joke. Lucius offering to elope was supposed to show the grand gesture of his love for her, but it had only managed to portray his weakness. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± It is said that to have true love is to accept even the ugliest parts of your lover, but Deatrice, who has always only seen the reliable and handsome figure of Lucius, could not stand his current lowly appearance. Lucius¡¯ gaze sharpened at the question, clearly disturbed. ¡°Do you really think I really fooled you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± she shook her head. ¡°What I meant was, why didn¡¯t you tell me you lived in another house until you were six?¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Father said¡ª¡± Lucius corrected the words he had unconsciously uttered. ¡°I did not think it was relevant enough. The Count said I was the son of Kerner Fenry, his older brother. He then mentioned he could¡¯ve just adopted me, but then we would¡¯ve been subject to many sanctions if he did. So, I just ended up being recognized as his son even though I was ¡®supposedly¡¯ his nephew.¡± But no matter what angle they would look at this matter, Lucius was an illegitimate child through and through. Unless the count married Bella Anise, which was practically impossible. Deatrice could not understand why Lucius kept this from her. In her head, she thought that he must¡¯ve only pretended to have shown his real side to her. The letters he sent her, the whispers in her ear whenever they sat together, his sweet words¡ªall of them were pretenses. Because he hid his roots. ¡°Isn¡¯t not saying anything the same as fooling me?¡± He slowly approached her with cold eyes. ¡°Why is it such a big deal to you? Whether you knew or not, I still would¡¯ve received the Count title anyways¡ªhad I not been exposed¡ªand nothing would¡¯ve changed between us.¡± ¡°So, you thought it was just a small matter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Little by little, he felt his anger rising. ¡°As long as you know my title and what I possess, that should¡¯ve been enough to satisfy you.¡± She took a step closer, not wanting to lose the argument. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You still should¡¯ve told me about your biological mother. So, why didn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you at least have that basic trust in me?¡± The tree branches outside a small window swayed from left to right by an unexpected gust of wind. Lucius went silent. ¡°Did you ever truly love me?¡± he asked out of the blue. It was a clich¨¦ question for lovers with complicated situations, but it was something that floated incessantly inside his head the whole time he didn¡¯t hear from her. It didn¡¯t help when his sister, Dixie, had patiently explained to him the reasons why Deatrice did not love him. Currently, however, Deatrice couldn¡¯t understand why he was saying things like that all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t ask such nonsense at the moment. Answer my question first.¡± That wasn¡¯t what he wanted to hear. Lucius needed to hear the conviction in her answer rather than having his question evaluated as being nonsensical. ¡°How is it nonsense? They even said you abandoned me¡­¡± He came closer and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°When I think about how you haven¡¯t even tried contacting me, I just can¡¯t help but feel you never truly did. If I hadn¡¯t come to you first, perhaps we would never see each other anymore.¡± There was an unknown sense of defeat and resentment in his voice. ¡°How easy is it for you to let go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡ª¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not like that, then tell me that you love me.¡± He lowered his head while holding her. ¡°Kiss me.¡± His forehead touched her shoulder. Their cheeks rubbed against each other, and their hair got tangled. If she tilted her head a little, their lips would probably have touched. But then, she pushed him. ¡°Go away.¡± Dazed, Lucius could only stare blankly at her. He grabbed her wrist that was against his chest and demanded. ¡°Kiss me.¡± ¡°I told you to let me go.¡± But he only tightened his grip to the point that it hurt her delicate wrist. ¡°I have never asked anything from you. But today, I ask you to fulfill my request.¡± He pulled his face closer to catch her lips with his, like a drunken man. ¡°I need it.¡± ¡°Get off me!¡± Frightened by his abnormal attitude and the painful grip on her wrist, she twisted her hands and heedlessly blurted out the words. ¡°How dare an illegitimate child touch me?! Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t know anything! You have already deceived me, and you still have the gall to demand for my affection?!¡± He stopped. Deatrice regretted the words the moment it came out of her mouth. But at the same time, as with any self-destructive act, she felt inwardly satisfied. ¡°You¡­¡± Lucius halted his words. ¡°You are right.¡± he said, turned his head away from her with an expressionless face. ¡°So this is what you truly feel then? All along, that bloodline of yours that you said you hated meant everything to you, didn¡¯t it? Because of the status, the power¡ªthe recognition that comes with it¡­¡± She answered coldly. ¡°At least mine is better than a fake.¡± ¡°No, Deatrice, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s fake, especially right now. Can¡¯t you see it?¡± His mood immediately became sullen, and he briskly grabbed his coat. Deatrice clenched her fists. She knew she shouldn¡¯t let him leave with the way things had just ended, but she was too immersed with her own negative feelings. She just stood there still until he had finally left her sight. Then she collapsed on the floor. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She had lost him. And it was her fault. How foolish she had felt. Looking back, Deatrice would rationalize with herself that she was simply repeating with her mouth what her father had said about being an illegitimate child. *** No words were exchanged on the way back from the temple. Lucius was currently looking out the window with a distant expression on his face as he admired the scenery. But after receiving the proposal at the temple, Deatrice, whose heart was plagued with a heavy feeling, could not stand such silence. In the end, she was the first to speak up. ¡°I was sorry, I was young and immature then. I didn¡¯t mean what I said.¡± He just laughed, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He didn¡¯t even ask why she brought it up in the first place and just continued with his words. ¡°Ah, yes. Well, the only place you go back and forth regularly is the temple. Therefore, I proposed in front of its gates because it was the most opportune place to show people.¡± But then, he said those words while looking out the window. He didn¡¯t even make eye contact. Hence, Deatrice wasn¡¯t sure if his words genuinely reflected his thoughts. Looking at the pleasant expression on his face, there seemed to be no trace of malice or resentment towards her, or anyone for that matter. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but he suddenly talked. ¡°But,¡± He started, seeing her slowly turning her head in his direction. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you didn¡¯t mean what you said. After all, people tend to show their real thoughts and emotions in those kinds of situations.¡± With a light smile to finish off his words, his remark had practically crumpled her apology like some worthless, discarded paper. Lucius glanced out the window again, and an awkward silence blanketed the carriage once more. Deatrice didn¡¯t say anything else afterwards. But if one looked closer, her fists were clenched tightly during the entire journey back home. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Oh, my lord¡ªDeatrice!¡± Deatrice was freed from her thoughts by the sound of a fussy voice. She lifted her chin that rested on her palms and looked towards the door to see the face of her aunt entering the room, her face filled with dismay. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a wedding dress! How can you sit like that?!¡± Victoria hastened her steps and quickly pulled the bride into a more upright position, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how difficult it is to straighten out a wrinkled wedding dress?¡± Deatrice let herself be dragged upwards as her aunt¡¯s voice increased in volume. A short second later, she saw Charlie More dressed in a pink dress stepping inside the room and standing behind her aunt. She greeted Deatrice with a light glance. Victoria quickly had her attendant straighten her dress and the latter subsequently began patting and slapping the dress. She was aghast and quickly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t hit it that hard! Do you have any idea how expensive this fabric is?!¡± Her daughter took a seat, unmindful of her mother¡¯s nagging because at this point, she was used to it. But her eyes were sparkled with interest in this marriage. ¡°So, how far did you go, Deatrice?¡± The conversation hadn¡¯t even completely started and yet Deatrice felt tired already. She had foreseen that, throughout the preparations of this wedding, she will be tormented by Victoria¡¯s nagging and the dull-witted Charlie More¡¯s stupid questions. Which was why she tried preparing for the wedding by herself as much as possible, but Lucius had a tight schedule so he couldn¡¯t help out much. There was nothing she could do, and there was a lot that needed to be organized. She closed her eyes for a moment. The designer stood in front of Deatrice, who currently had a gloomy countenance, and spoke. ¡°We¡¯re adjusting the silhouette of the dress, miss.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Then she took a quick survey of her dress. ¡°Well, it does look a little old-fashioned. Have you decided on the style yet?¡± ¡°Yes, miss. We¡¯ve decided that the overall theme of the bridal gown would meld seamlessly into an even more gorgeous dress if we added in hints of southern style influence.¡± he added dramatically. ¡°Then¡­ let me see what you have in mind.¡± This was the beginning. For a traditional Galaba wedding dress, if they weren¡¯t careful enough, just the slightest movement might cause some of the accents to fall off because of how delicate the materials were, and they didn¡¯t want that. Deatrice rose to her feet as she watched Victoria talk with the designer whom she was supposed to make arrangements with, not her aunt. What took place was that they argued on their differing opinions, like the one they¡¯re currently going on about how the fabric should be pleated. ¡°¡­if you fold it like this, it will give off such an elegant vibe!¡± ¡°No, no. We should go for a more ethereal flair by folding it this way¡­¡± ¡°¡­make the neckline even lower, and the sleeves¡ªeh? How about this piece of cloth¡­¡± Victoria walked through the rows of accessories and fabrics. Then she exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering to consult her decisions with the person who was actually going to be wedded instead of deciding things on her own. ¡°Oh, right! Deatrice, Charlie, what do you think of this?¡± she held up a cloth in her hand. As Victoria turned to look behind her, Charlie was a little slow on the uptake. ¡°Hm¡­? Oh! Of course! My mother truly has an eye for beautiful things!¡± ¡°Really?¡± her mother grinned, feeling proud of herself. ¡°Although, this other one looks the best to me¡­¡± Victoria picked up a different fabric and based on that, the designer quickly guided them to something else. ¡°If you are going to use chiffon material, it would be best to wear a lightly-adorned necklace. It¡¯s all the rage in the South these days and was even featured in fashion heralds.¡± Intrigued, her aunt impelled, ¡°Really? Did you bring a sample?¡± ¡°Of course, madam.¡± The designer brought out a chic-looking box and showed what¡¯s inside to both Charlie and Deatrice. It was a unique looking necklace¡ªintricately thin and lustrous that it almost seemed like a transparent silk thread. She reckoned it would definitely look even more beautiful once it finally rested between a woman¡¯s delicate collarbones. But seeing such an exquisite craft, and even hearing Charlie¡¯s soft cry of admiration, did nothing to dispel the gloomy feeling that was welling up inside Deatrice. While her aunt was choosing figures to be embroidered, which thread was most suitable for it, and picking beads and sequins to further decorate the dress with¡ªDeatrice felt alienated from it all, as though she was preparing for someone else¡¯s wedding and not her own. ¡°But¡­¡± A voice slipped inside her head. The tone was so soft¡­ yet so indifferent at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you didn¡¯t mean what you said. After all, people tend to show their real thoughts and emotions in those kinds of situations.¡± The words he spoke echoed within the corners of her mind yet again. She clenched her fists, feeling as if she was transported back in time to when she was still going home with him in that suffocating carriage. Eventually, she was unable to bear it. Deatrice took off the heavy fabrics that wrapped around her body and some of the bobby pins holding them in place fell to the floor. She sat down on a sofa, hugging her knees. Charlie More chose this moment to come and sit beside her, as if she was waiting for that exact same moment to emerge. ¡°I congratulate you on your marriage, Deatrice.¡± ¡°¡­yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°The story about his marriage proposal is spreading among the masses and it sounds so romantic! I heard he waited for you outside the temple for a long while and then proposed to you in front of the gates, is that true? He wasn¡¯t even embarrassed even though a lot of people were watching.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 When she didn¡¯t reply, Charlie More spoke again. ¡°Have you heard the news about me? That Mr. Sid, whom I was engaged to, failed his business and went into exile.¡± Of course she knew. It had already happened at least half a year ago that it could hardly be identified as ¡®news¡¯ anymore. During that time, Deatrice had to go to the count¡¯s mansion to comfort Charlie More even though they weren¡¯t even that close. It was because her aunt, Victoria, was so ill back then so she couldn¡¯t properly console and manage her daughter who wasn¡¯t in her right frame of mind. Deatrice would be inside her room and see her jumping on her bed like a crazed woman, saying how she desperately needed to see Mr. Sid. As if reminiscing those bitter times, Charlie took a handkerchief and wiped her nonexistent tears in her eyes. ¡°At that time, my heart felt like it was going to break, but hearing your story gave me a lot of strength. You¡¯re also getting married to the lover you broke up with six years ago. Therefore, I think that my Mr. Sid might come back to me again someday.¡± Don¡¯t tell me¡­ The fact that Deatrice did not say her thoughts out loud was more of the fact that she was surprised rather than her being considerate. She didn¡¯t expect for Charlie to still be thinking of him even after months had passed. Doesn¡¯t she realize how ridiculous she would appear because of that? ¡°I and Lucius¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I am aware, you and Sir Elliot are a special case. I¡¯m just hoping that something special like that will happen to me too.¡± ¡°So, you are planning to wait for him?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you wait for Sir Elliot?¡± A contemptuous expression pasted itself on Deatrice¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve been waiting for him all these years with lingering regrets? I was already engaged! Don¡¯t tell me you thought I was with Fredhi while yearning for another man?¡± A stupid expression revealed itself on Charlie More¡¯s face that indicated she really didn¡¯t understand what the problem was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Why even try to hide the truth even though it¡¯s just the two of us? Either way, no one would blame you. You¡¯ve ended up marrying him soon, anyways.¡± ¡°Charlene More.¡± Deatrice interrupted sternly. ¡°You¡ª!¡± Her face went pale. She knew that Charlie More wasn¡¯t the only one at fault, but she couldn¡¯t bear to think that everyone else was thinking the same way¡ªthat when Fredhi sacrificed his life for her father¡¯s sake, the public had questioned her loyalty behind closed doors. Charlie More couldn¡¯t keep up with Deatrice¡¯s sudden anger and her eyes widened in surprise. Hearing the commotion, Victoria hastily drove the designer out of the room and approached where Deatrice was. ¡°What¡¯s with all this racket? You¡¯re not kids, and we¡¯re in public!¡± ¡°Mother, I¡ª!¡± ¡°No.¡± She cut off her daughter¡¯s words, ¡°Deatrice, you answer me.¡± But Deatrice kept her mouth shut and didn¡¯t say anything. In her mind, she surmised that Charlie would soon become impatient, and Victoria would listen to her side and then judge the situation from her perspective. Then, they would tell her to leave this place. I must say, it¡¯s not exactly a bad outcome¡­ But Victoria, who watched Deatrice pursing her lips into a thin line, kicked her daughter out. ¡°Wait outside, Charlie.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts! Leave us be for a few moments.¡± Victoria led Charlie out the door herself and closed it on her way back. Then she turned around. Deatrice rolled her body helplessly on her sofa, wearing only her thin underwear. Victoria didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but she knew that the only time Deatrice had been curled up like this was during the death of her sister, Amelia. She soon sat down next to her to comfort her own niece. Even if she was just an aunt in status, Victoria was the only person who could fill the void in Deatrice¡¯s heart from time to time after her mother died. ¡°What is the problem, child? Did something happen?¡± Asking affectionately as if she never nagged, Victoria pulled Deatrice and leaned her against her shoulder. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡± But as soon as Deatrice said those words, she started leaning on Victoria¡¯s shoulder, and her aunt could sense her dispirited behavior. This was rare, and Victoria instinctively realized that perhaps there was something wrong with this marriage from Deatrice¡¯s strange demeanor. ¡°Is this marriage an order from the emperor?¡± Deatrice lifted her head and looked at her aunt in astonishment. Victoria smiled bitterly and pulled Deatrice into a hug. ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious just by seeing the look on your face, which was rare for a bride to have right before marriage.¡± She broke off their embrace and looked into her eyes. ¡°Besides, your father is seldom quiet, and I found it peculiar given how he previously opposed your relationship. Others might say your father finally gave up on everything, but we both know that that man is not the type to yield so easily¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Poor Deatrice¡­ It would have been better had it been a person without any prior ties to you.¡± Deatrice had always hated her aunt¡¯s somewhat irksome voice. But today, she felt oddly comforted by it. Right. It would have been better if it was a person who had zero ties to her. Lucius had pretended to be okay the whole time since they started this charade, pretending that there was no past between them. But the fact that he proposed to her in a temple and not anywhere else, was a sign that he didn¡¯t dismiss the past as simply nothing. Perhaps he even chose that place out of spite. Yes, that was it. Besides, what about the conversation they had on the carriage afterwards? Wasn¡¯t that another indication of his resentment? Perhaps he had only wanted to remind her about all the faults she had done and the hurt they had caused him. This marriage could easily be his ploy to get his revenge on her. As she became more depressed, Victoria hugged her even tighter. She further rested her weight against Victoria¡¯s bosom, entrusting herself completely to her aunt¡¯s care. It had been a long time since she had another hand stroking her hair so tenderly¡­ ¡°Do not worry too much, child. Even if Lucius did hurt you, it will only last for a short while. Anger will not persist for too long, and marriage is the one that lasts for a lifetime.¡± She continued, ¡°Sooner or later, the two would have to set aside your differences and learn to live together in harmony. The things that you regard today as major obstacles would only tend to become more trivial as time passes by. So, just for the meantime¡­ endure, alright?¡± Right¡­ Just for the meantime. Deatrice memorized her aunt Victoria¡¯s spell, even though she truly couldn¡¯t imagine the two of them fully reconciling in the future. She could only hope that one day, their subtle war of unnerving each other would soon come to an end. Mmm. Just for the meantime¡ª ¡ªI will endure. She promised herself. *** Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Deatrice and Lucius¡¯ wedding took place with a typical southern style concept consisting of many plants and flowers as decorations, extravagant full-course meals with refreshing wine, and many more. It was also an event that completely overturned the speculations of those who thought Miss Louisen¡ªnow known as Mrs. Elliot¡ªwas such a devout believer. They initially thought they would partake in a religious marriage, but she had proved them wrong. Deatrice wore a wedding dress embroidered with silver laurel leaves. Her sleeves were of white chiffon and did nothing to hide the pale, slender arm and delicate shoulders that lie underneath it. It seemed to be a modest dress, but it was one that looked as if it was flawlessly coalescing in perfect harmony with the forest that surrounded them. It was exactly this that drew people¡¯s attention to her person. ¡°Simply stunning.¡± Lucius expressed with blatant adoration. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, ¡°Easily the most beautiful bride in the world.¡± People admired the two lovebirds and how they had finally married despite all the difficulties. And then, they would talk about how lovingly the husband would gaze at his newly wedded wife the whole time she was within his sight¡­ While these people were busy exchanging their opinions on the matter, Deatrice curved her lips into a dazzling smile, displaying the picture-perfect image of a bride blooming like the vibrant spring of June. When the others saw it, they were momentarily at a loss for words from seeing such radiance. It had looked so natural that even Lucius was caught unawares. She had the countenance of a woman deeply entrenched in love¡ªsomeone who had truly married their soulmate. It was vastly different from when Deatrice had looked like a weak and half-dead doll a few weeks prior. Like this, no one in their right mind would ever think that she was acting. It was only when Lucius noticed the slight trembling of her fingertips and the tired expression that crossed her face, even if it was just the tiniest fraction of a second, did he realize that everything was fake. Her hand that was situated in his palm felt scalding to the touch that he had abruptly let go, clenching his fists right after. Right¡­ What else should he have expected? A miserable bride crying from tears of dejection wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid people¡¯s suspicion no matter how hard she tried to hide it after. He should be grateful actually, that she was able to perform her role perfectly¡ªto the point that even he was almost fooled by it. But as time passed, rather than feeling relief, Lucius felt a twist in his stomach instead. The things she did then did not escape his notice. The way she talked with people so shyly and endearingly, just like a gushing June bride; the way the hem of her dress would flare into circles when she danced with her cousin; the way a few traitorous strands of hair escaped the confines of her hairstyle and matted against the slightly sweaty skin of her nape¡­ When other men glanced at her a little differently when she spoke to them, it was akin to thorns piercing his nerves and the feeling irritated him to no end. Moving back and forth between people like a restless hummingbird, Deatrice eventually had a small injury. Which could probably be considered as her being a little lucky. After all, she might unknowingly do something else that may be offensive to his eyes. She sat down in a corner and took off her shoes. A little later, Lucius put some ice cubes into a handkerchief. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He knelt down in front of her and rolled up his sleeves. A twisted ankle wasn¡¯t that big of a problem, but she thought that he was doing this to add more flair to his own performance, so she let him do as he wished. That was until, his big hands took off her shoes and grabbed her bare feet. ¡°Lucius!¡± she said in a flustered voice. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯m going to take a look.¡± He ignored her words and took a look at her ankle¡ªit was swollen. ¡°If you leave it like that, your injury might get worse.¡± She protested. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°Then who else should?¡± It was a question that had a hidden implication. I¡¯m your husband now. Deatrice sighed and Lucius laughed, realizing that her little action signified her giving in. The cold of the ice touched her ankles and permeated into the muscles underneath. Having been dancing all this time, she was warmer than usual, so feeling the sudden dip in temperature was a little too sudden for her that it made her toes curl up. ¡°Is it cold?¡± Lucius spoke, wrapping his large hands around her foot. When she didn¡¯t answer, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Why force yourself to suffer?¡± ¡°The bride isn¡¯t supposed to stay still and should mingle with everyone else.¡± she calmly delivered. ¡°Even so, there¡¯s no need to overexert yourself.¡± Deatrice briefly stared at the loving expression on his face, then she questioned. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m forcing myself?¡± He raised the corners of his mouth and rubbed her ankles with his hands. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, then. I had a lot of fun today.¡± Says the woman who kept pushing herself even though she¡¯s already hurting. As the smile remained on his face, her eyebrows furrowed, confused as to why. Deatrice stared intently at him until his smile slowly disappeared. She was familiar with all those gazes, but she was keen on ignoring them. He suddenly raised his head and said, ¡°Now how about calling me Lucy again?¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 She was flustered by his sudden request. ¡°Lucy?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you use to call me that sometimes?¡± Of course, she did. She had used that name whenever she wanted to tease him because she liked it when he felt bothered by being called with a girly nickname. It was just that, she had only called him like that for only a small number of times. ¡°I liked it, you know? When you called me ¡®Lucy¡¯.¡± He said as he rubbed her ankles with a handkerchief filled with ice cubes. ¡°It¡¯s unique from my usual nickname, Luce. Other than that, most people would just call me either using my real or my formal name.¡± Deatrice was puzzled. Was he asking to be called that only in public or was he really asking for her to call him like that in the future? As she narrowed her gaze and tried to read his true intentions, he grinned and re-positioned her ankle. She groaned and grabbed his shoulders with the sound of her bones snapping back in place. He pulled down his cuffs. A few drops of water fell on the ground from his fingertips. Lucius grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek, then he straightened his spine and slowly backed away. ¡°Lucy¡­¡± She suddenly remembered what she said to him when she used that nickname. ¡°I want to get married in spring, just like how my mom got married in our greenhouse at that time. Could you¡­ do that for me?¡± Six years have passed, and a lot has changed but that wish of hers remained. And today, it came true. This time of the year was spring, and their wedding was held exactly in the Louisen¡¯s family¡¯s greenhouse. Originally, their marriage was supposed to be held in the groom¡¯s mansion, but Lucius suggested that the wedding be held in theirs instead as the renovations on his property would take a long time and probably wouldn¡¯t be ready any time soon. He had just recently obtained it, after all. However, Deatrice wondered if he had remembered her request that time, or if everything was simply a coincidence. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± She muttered to herself. He wouldn¡¯t do that. By this time, she naturally knew that his doting actions towards her were all just for show. His true feelings towards her would most probably resemble the bitter cold of the winter and the scathing heat of the desert. But even though they¡¯ve been pretending for a while now, sometimes, she couldn¡¯t help but feel confused. Does he really not have a single drop of affection for her? Seeing Lucius¡¯ profile from afar, talking to someone, she murmured an answer to her own thoughts. ¡°Maybe¡­ there¡¯s a little bit left?¡± But even she could recognize that her own voice was laced with hesitation and uncertainty. Whenever he acted so sweetly towards her, it would sometimes overlap with the image of him from six years ago. And the reactions she would have from his touch¡­ like him casually grabbing her and kissing her on the cheek or forehead, she would feel the strange trembling of her lips. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I still have feelings for him, or if it¡¯s simply because I can¡¯t interact with him without remembering the beautiful memories of our past that would inescapably fill me with regret¡­ She quietly stared at his back. The party lasted from evening until past midnight, but Deatrice withdrew at around nine o¡¯clock and the few that remained there had many rounds of drinking. To enjoy the night or to forget their own woes, Deatrice didn¡¯t know and she had no inclination to do so. After bathing in perfumed water, a couple of maids massaged her body with special oils to squeeze out the tension in her muscles. After experiencing comfort and relief, Deatrice¡¯s body turned sluggish, and she surrendered herself to the hands of the skilled maids. But after wiping her body with a towel, the thin slip the maids brought in made her realize why they had painstakingly kneaded every fiber of her body until it turned into a soft persimmon. That¡¯s right. When you get married, you have to spend your first night together with your new spouse. The tension that the servants wrung out of her with much difficulty, quickly returned to her and caused her back to stiffen. She didn¡¯t know why she was just realizing all of this just now. She shouldn¡¯t be all that surprised, considering she was the one who had decorated the room they would use tonight. Perhaps, it was because she was too stressed about other matters that she had no energy to spare for this one. If her husband had been a man Deatrice didn¡¯t have a complicated past with, she would have endured. But knowing that it was Lucius made the situation even harder for her. He would take her clothes off, and then do¡­ whatever he¡¯s been taught to do¡­ The path leading to their room was long. Or perhaps it had only felt long because she was walking as slowly as she could. Deatrice opened her cloak slightly to feel cool night air against her skin. Rosaline opened her mouth, unable to handle seeing the endlessly slowing pace of her mistress. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss. Sir Elliot is a tender person.¡± But her words didn¡¯t help at all. Because she knew that those who called him that were ignorant of the harshness behind his charming facade. One wouldn¡¯t even be able to call him friendly if they knew how aggressive he could be. There¡¯s also the fact that he had survived a brutal war¡­ Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Deatrice could no longer gauge the depths of his character based on what she previously knew about him. No matter how slow she walked, sooner or later, she still would arrive at her destination. She had even felt that the distance had been significantly shortened when she was musing to herself. As she pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, she saw him sitting in her chair at her little table with a finger to his chin, as if waiting for her to arrive. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± a flat voice uttered. Lucius sat languidly, and his dress shirt and sleeves were already unbuttoned, revealing the middle of his chest. His expression seemed intoxicated already, but his tone wasn¡¯t the least bit slurred nor was his face flushed. He poured a glass of wine and pushed it towards her. ¡°Try this. It¡¯s wine from the East.¡± She sat slowly across from him, hiding her trembling fingertips. ¡°No, thank you. I have drunk enough earlier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Then, why did it take you such a long time to come here? I almost fell asleep waiting for you.¡± In fact, he really looked sleepy. Deatrice scrutinized his face. Half-wishing he would simply fall over and go to sleep, and half-worrying that he would actually fall asleep. She didn¡¯t want to spend the night with him, but she also didn¡¯t want to be called an awful wife by spending their first night together doing practically nothing. ¡°Will you go to sleep, then?¡± Hearing the anxious tone in her question, Lucius laughed softly and said something else. ¡°I did a little tour of your room before you came.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°I had nothing to do and one of the servants told me that this used to be your room, so I looked around for a bit.¡± She wondered what was there to look at in this room. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have rummaged through her drawers, but the mere presence of him in the place where she had spent her maiden years made her feel that her privacy had been invaded. She suggested that they use a guest room for the wedding night, but her aunt was against it, saying she couldn¡¯t let the couple spend their night in such a tasteless area where unrelated people would stay. Lucius, unaware of the thoughts in her head, said as his posture turned lax. ¡°They say you could figure out a person¡¯s character by looking at their rooms. But looking at this place, as neat and ordinary as it appears with no suspense whatsoever, I would say it isn¡¯t entirely true.¡± ¡°Disappointed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Lucius lightly waved his hand, ¡°But when we were dating, I used to pretty much imagine your room to be¡­ more than this. When I couldn¡¯t reach you because you were sick or when I took out a letter from you, I¡ª¡± His heart pounded. In his mind, he was looking at their past, but there wasn¡¯t much emotion in his voice. I was as if he was just scouring meaninglessly through the burned ashes of a precious memento to see if there were any scraps left that he could salvage. And he found none. Deatrice looked down at him, feeling worn out. The longer he spoke, the clearer it was that he wasn¡¯t sober. How long would his drunken attitude last? After that, he brought up more stories about her and out of nowhere, would randomly insert stories about him and his knights. When he felt that the food was too unappetizing, he would tilt his glass of wine and down them in one go. Eventually, she¡¯s had enough of it. Just as she was about to leave, Lucius frowned and shook his head. He got up and sat on the bed, then he patted the mattress right beside him and called her. ¡°Come here.¡± It sounded like he was calling his dog, sweet and slightly authoritative. With a sigh, Deatrice went to where he was pointing and obediently sat down. He looked at her blankly for a long time without saying a word. Her wavy hair and the baby strands that curled against her forehead, the rosiness of her cheeks, and those little beads of sweat that caused a light sheen to appear on her skin¡­ Caught in a stupor, Lucius spoke drunkenly. ¡°For a period of time, you appeared in my dreams¡­ every day.¡± His words were so sudden that it felt like something had managed to stab a corner of her heart and the tingling sensation in her stomach wasn¡¯t helping either. Not knowing what to say, she remained frozen. Suddenly, he raised his hand and his gesture toward her made her grit her teeth. But then, a gentle hand briefly swept through her hair, then it headed towards the tie that kept her cloak together. Swiftly, the strings were untied, and the heavy fabric slid down to reveal the thin linen nightgown she wore specifically for this night. The almost transparent cloth was tinted with a yellowish hue from the candles that lit the room, illuminating her skin. His half-lidded eyes slowly trailed down her body, his gaze bore into her skin like he could see her bare body through her slip, and it gave her goosebumps. The fingers that ran along her neck were tentative¡­ exploring the feel of her skin against his, and it glided slowly down to her clavicle with a soft caress. Deatrice felt her body become hotter as his touch became more intimate, but she had no intention to stop him. For her, this night was some sort of quest she had to endure. But, when she suddenly lifted her head, she realized that his eyes that gazed upon her were as empty and lifeless as the feeling she had the moment she noticed it. She abruptly stopped his hand. Lucius looked at the hand that grabbed his wrist and switched his attention to her face. He stared at her for a brief moment before he stood up in a tipsy manner and went to where his clothes were placed. Fumbling for something, he pulled out a small dagger. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 From the moment Lucius got out of bed, Deatrice felt beyond embarrassed and ashamed. So when he pulled out the small weapon, she was unable to hide her utter surprise. Without any hesitation, he rolled up his sleeves and sliced the dagger against his skin. He didn¡¯t even look at her. He moved closer to the bed, and a few drops of blood dripped from the fresh wound, staining the pure white bed sheets with its striking red color. ¡°Why so surprised? Did you really think I would sleep with you?¡± He chuckled coldly, casually bandaging the wound with a spare cloth. When she didn¡¯t say anything, Lucius looked away. ¡°Rest assured. Today, or any day in the future, I will never sleep with you.¡± His words had practically dismissed the feelings imbued on his fingertips when had touched her skin earlier, as if everything was simply her hallucinations. Deatrice reddened at his obvious display of contempt, ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re going to have a mistress, then?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± He held his glass again. But soon after, he grimaced as he pressed his hands to his temples, feeling a slight headache. Deatrice tightly gripped her clothes between her fingers, clenching her fists at his nonchalant demeanor. ¡°But even if you indulge yourself with a concubine, you cannot avoid your marital duties. What would happen if someone else bore your child and I didn¡¯t?¡± He gave a scornful laugh, ¡°Why? Scared of illegitimate children again?¡± She shut her mouth. Seeing her speechless, Lucius smiled and picked up his glass again. ¡°I can just adopt a child, I don¡¯t care about successors.¡± Adoption. It was mostly the case when the wife died early or that the wife was unable to have children. Deatrice knew how humiliated she would be in the society if rumors of the latter were to spread. She couldn¡¯t stomach the mocking gazes that would be directed at her in the future. ¡°Why humiliate me like this?¡± His face hardened, as if her words were ridiculous, ¡°Then, do you want me to sleep with you?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s not a matter of whether I want to sleep with you or not. Married couples are obligated to¡ª¡± Silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You and I¡­ we need to keep that duty.¡± she continued. Deatrice explained things again as her face turned crimson from having her feathers all ruffled up, but one look at his apathetic expression easily forced her to shut her mouth immediately. That face¡­ She had only seen this expression of him only once, but it was something that was firmly engraved in her mind. Six years ago¡­ She didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant. For all she knew, beneath that calm exterior, his anger might¡¯ve already been raging inside him. She saw that look when she had described him as someone dirty and vulgar. ¡°So,¡± He approached her, speaking in a deep voice that caused chills to crawl up her spine, ¡°do you expect me to f*ck you, Deatrice?¡± She frowned at his vulgar remark, but Lucius didn¡¯t stop speaking even after seeing the change in her expression. ¡°Those vague words that you keep hankering for, like the ¡®duty¡¯ you speak of, only means that we have sex with each other? Do you understand? It means I would get to f*ck you.¡± He took one oppressive step towards her, ¡°You scrunch your face at the sight of me and feel appalled by my touch. So tell me, Deatrice, can you actually endure a whole night of my skin against yours?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak vulgarly! And when did I make my face¡ª¡± ¡°Get off me! How dare an illegitimate child touch me?!¡¯¡± he uttered emotionlessly, almost robotically. Her breath hitched. ¡°Sounds familiar?¡± a derisive smile graced his lips, ¡°You said that to me six years ago.¡± Deatrice felt herself choke. She didn¡¯t think he would remember her each and every word back then. She looked up at him with her flushed face tainted by shame. ¡°Why? Did you assume that I would forget all about it? Besides, if we have children, it meant that my bastardly blood would have to settle inside your womb.¡± He slowly climbed on top of her and arrogantly looked down on her. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want that, don¡¯t you? I certainly don¡¯t, as it would be a sin to tarnish such a pure lineage.¡± Deatrice felt her eyes turning moist, but she refused to let tears fall. ¡°¡­I have apologized to you, and you said you understood¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­you said you¡­ understood¡­¡± Her voice cracked at the end, and then there was silence once more. His big hand moved to touch her cheek and Deatrice inhaled sharply. But the fragile tenderness of it was such a stark contrast to his ruthless words that it threw her emotions into extreme disarray. The abrupt difference in treatment was too huge. Why are you treating me like this? And how could you have changed so much¡­ Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Deatrice thought back to the times when they were still genuine lovers. Lucius was affectionate and passionate, and although sometimes he would overthink and become a little pessimistic, it wasn¡¯t that serious. It was still negligible. But from what she could observe right now, that negative side of him she had barely even seen on his person had distorted further into what she could only describe as corrupt and twisted, to the point where Deatrice doubted if she could still handle it if he ever bared his fangs against her. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb and moved towards the outline of her lips. His delicate touch made her throat feel dry. He smiled softly, ¡°Of course, I understand. Deatrice¡­ you are just that kind of person. But¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean¡­ I can¡¯t get angry¡­¡± She didn¡¯t understand what he meant, and Lucius just laughed after spouting that nonsense. Deatrice tried reining in her anger by biting her lips, but it was difficult for her to maintain composure when his body was on top of her while saying words that offended her. His next words eventually made her snap. ¡°Would you have said this too had you married that second prince? You want him to f*ck you too because that¡¯s his duty?¡± Slap! ¡°Get off me.¡± Deatrice slapped him on the cheek, unable to bear his humiliating actions any longer. ¡°Stop harassing me.¡± she ordered as her eyes glared at him, ¡°Do not lay on top of me if you have no intentions of sleeping with me.¡± The smile on his face remained, but it was more of his amusement with her choice of words such as ¡®harass¡¯, and then he turned his head away as he left the bed. Lucius wiped her cheek and stood motionless for a good while, then he apologized. ¡°Sorry, I was drunk.¡± However, Deatrice, who had already witnessed how threatening and wretched he could be, could not afford to forgive him so easily with such a brief and half-hearted apology. Lucius looked down at her with his head slightly crooked, then he slowly re-tied the laces of her pajamas. He tousled her hair with his fingers and kissed her on the cheek the way a big brother would to their younger sister. ¡°Sleep well, Deatrice.¡± He grabbed the corners of the blankets and tucked her in. Soon after, Deatrice heard him plopping down on the sofa. He didn¡¯t come back to her side again. Tonight was bound to be a sleepless night for her, and it wasn¡¯t until dawn that Deatrice had finally dozed off into a dreamless slumber. *** When she woke up a few hours later, Lucius had already left. Her maid said he went horseback riding, and then he mentioned wanting to have breakfast with her after he was finished with work. The maid didn¡¯t say where he went specifically, but Deatrice knew that Lucius would usually go around the Sowell Forest and then towards the east. She knew this because back then, Lucius would often visit that place when he came to visit her in their house. Even after taking a shower, she could still detect the scent of forest lilacs and sycamore exuding from his body. She would lean on his shoulder for a while and inhale that comforting smell, and Lucius would adjust his position to make her feel more comfortable no matter how awkward his posture might be while reading the newspaper. ¡°Lucy.¡± She muttered back then, resting her forehead on his shoulder. ¡°You smell nice, like the faint fragrances of D¨¹ssel perfume.¡± ¡°Oh, really? How did you know? I actually waited in line for an hour just to buy Arton-D¨¹ssel¡¯s most famous perfume.¡± He playfully responded. However, in contrast to his current light-hearted attitude, Deatrice spoke in all seriousness and Lucius even heard the stubborn tone of her voice. ¡°I think Dussel should make a perfume series labelled ¡®Lucius¡¯.¡± He burst out laughing at his lover¡¯s solemn expression. He pulled her face closer in an attempt to kiss her. Lucius¡¯ laugh made it seem like her words were but a mere joke, but Deatrice still let him kiss her anyways. She had already seen different versions of his laughter, but he would only laugh this way when he was with her, and that¡¯s why she liked hearing him laugh so freely like this. Lucius did treat her words like a child¡¯s prank, but he couldn¡¯t completely ignore the words of his lover. ¡°If you promise to use it, I¡¯ll go to D¨¹ssel and ask for one to be made.¡± He said as he pressed his lips to her temple. The ¡®Lucius¡¯ at that time would often make her sigh in admiration because it felt as if he could make her faintest dreams into a reality. Indeed. Three months later, Lucius went to D¨¹ssel to request for a perfume similar to the scent that clung to his body when he had just emerged from the Sowell woods. But when Deatrice purchased the perfume and tested its fragrance, she said that the smell was similar but there was something lacking. She realized then, that what she loved smelling and what was missing from that little bottle in her hand was that distinct scent that belonged solely to him. She buried her face into the nape of his neck. When there were times that Deatrice missed him dearly, she would dab some of the perfume onto her wrist and let the scent drift to her nose. When she wrote letters to him, she would sometimes sprinkle a few drops on a handkerchief and hold them with both hands while sitting by the window. But¡­ Just like how its scent had faded from her body when the perfume bottle was accidentally destroyed by someone else¡ªthose precious moments could only ever remain as lost echoes of the past. Deatrice surmised that even if she could smell the scent of the Sowell forest on him again today, nothing wouldn¡¯t be the same as it was then. ¡°Today, or any day in the future, I will never sleep with you.¡± The ¡®Lucius¡¯ of yesterday was a completely different person from the warm-hearted lover she remembered. Cold¡­ She told herself that just because he looked or smelled the same, he was already fundamentally different from the person she once knew. So she should stop regarding him by the standards of what she knew of him before because she was sure to be mistaken. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that happened¡­ Chapter 27 Chapter 27 The duke did not appear at breakfast. Deatrice wasn¡¯t even the least bit surprised, remembering how her father had shunned her new ¡®husband¡¯ during yesterday¡¯s wedding, and a few years before that too. But she was annoyed at him for making her face Lucius all alone. Coward. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered much. But after what happened yesterday, it became very difficult for her to even face Lucius. She might have gained a bit of the upper hand last night by slapping him on the cheek, but now she was left feeling uneasy that she could almost hear the unnatural pounding of her heart. What happened last night was an unpleasant feeling for her, and she had never experienced such an insult before in her life. But unlike all her tumultuous thoughts, Lucius still had the mind to go out for a leisurely gallop through a forest, practically unaffected. She didn¡¯t expect their marriage to be smooth-sailing at all, but she also did not expect to be slighted in the way that he did. To harass her directly, to speak to her so vulgarly, and pinning her down to the bed to let her endure his humiliating words¡­ Yes, she might have hurt him, but that does not grant him the right to hurt and humiliate her. He was even a knight, a person expected to have upstanding morals. And what¡¯s more, they were already legally bound as husband and wife. Deatrice could only hope that when he returned, he would contemplate his drunken wrongdoings last night and never treat her that way again. Lucius had already finished bathing and was already by the door once she had put a plate of soup in front of her. Dressed in a light shirt with his hair slightly dry and wet, he smiled at her and sat down. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Suddenly, she frowned, unable to comprehend what was going on with him. He looked down at her with an impish smile and it was then that she realized that Lucius was already playing the role of a caring husband in front of the servants. One that looked after the well-being of his wife after spending their first night together. The servants saw their mistress blush, but then she ordered all of them to leave. They looked on at the couple with enviable attitudes, but they still obediently left the place, whilst cheering for the newlyweds in their hearts. When everyone was finally gone, Lucius grunted lightly. ¡°Why send them away? I haven¡¯t even said the lines I¡¯ve prepared all morning.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve had enough of this childish farce.¡± she calmly answered as she ate a spoonful of soup, ¡°I thought our little act was supposed to be over right after we got married?¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be suspicious if we, two individuals who married for love, suddenly become estranged? As newlyweds, we should practically be glued to each other¡¯s hips.¡± He tried coaxing her. ¡°Let¡¯s show off some more, it¡¯s not too difficult, is it?¡± Then he recalled her earlier words, ¡°And also, what did you mean by ¡®childish¡¯? Is love a childish affair to you, Deatrice?¡± She tightened her grip on the knife she was holding as she abruptly cut off a portion of meat on her plate. Then she unconsciously bit her lip. After observing her for a while, his tone dipped a few degrees colder, ¡°Now that I notice, where is your ring?¡± ¡°I left it on my vanity table.¡± When Deatrice answered indifferently, the corners of his lips rose into a tensed smile. ¡°You still wore your previous engagement ring even after you¡¯ve already reunited with me. But then you remove our wedding ring right after the day we get married? If you¡¯re doing this to spite me, then, by all means, you are succeeding.¡± At his snide remarks, Deatrice put down the cutlery and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°How long are you going to keep using that one mistake to push me around? It¡¯s just a ring. I don¡¯t even wear it at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pushing you? You¡¯re the one who slapped me yesterday?¡± He pointed out yesterday¡¯s occurrence with a bored attitude. Deatrice knew that now was the right time for her to say out loud the words she had prepared. Be more of a gentleman. If you treat me once more the way you treated me yesterday, see if I don¡¯t fight back! But those words did not come out as expected. In fact, they did not escape her lips at all. There were two reasons. First of all, she imagined how she should respond if he suddenly acted as detestably as he did last night. Like him telling her, ¡®Do you really think I¡¯m a gentleman?¡¯ and other sentences along those lines. Then there would basically be a repetition of yesterday¡¯s distasteful dispute. The second reason was¡­ because of the sudden change of his gaze. He had his arms crossed so lazily while showing an attitude full of appreciation for her that she suddenly fell silent. She was truly unable to grasp how his mind worked. Her gaze sharpened. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just looking at you.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows in response. ¡°Then stop. It¡¯s making me uncomfortable.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so uncomfortable about it?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± she answered simply. Lucius looked at her face, then he slightly cocked his head to the side. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve never really liked me looking at you ever since a while back.¡± Deatrice felt herself getting irked. ¡°You already know, and yet you still¡ª¡± ¡°I just want to.¡± he interjected. It¡¯s impossible for there to be such a thing as ¡®passion¡¯ behind his words. Deatrice let go of her cutlery and glared at him. ¡°What for? To irritate me and show how much you hate me?¡± His smile broadened at her sharp attitude. ¡°You¡¯ve become so unruly during the times we didn¡¯t see each other, Deatrice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be the one saying that.¡± With those words, Deatrice had completely lost her appetite. She had only fiddled with her cup of coffee and no longer paid any heed to him during the course of breakfast. Lucius looked at the food in front of her that was barely even touched, thinking she would have a hard time inside the carriage during the ride back to their mansion. But instead of urging her to eat more, he brought up last night¡¯s happenings again with a little more seriousness. ¡°I apologize for yesterday; I was too drunk. I regret it and have been feeling remorseful all morning¡­ Will you accept my apology?¡± He uttered humbly. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 But Deatrice would be a fool to believe the words of a fickle man. Not to mention, he was angry all morning, said childish things, and acted like a listless kid itching with the need to prank someone. When Deatrice didn¡¯t say anything, Lucius added more, thinking that his earlier apology was lacking. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure not to drink alcohol in the future, if you want me to.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Deatrice didn¡¯t think alcohol was the problem and instead mentioned another matter, ¡°I just want you to make your stance clear.¡± ¡°My stance?¡± She glanced at him lightly, ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re kind and nice, sometimes you¡¯re mean. I am already aware that you hate me, so there¡¯s no need to do the former especially when we¡¯re alone together.¡± ¡°Pretending to be kind to you?¡± He laughed, flabbergasted with her words. ¡°I have never faked my good attitude towards you, because why would I do such a burdensome thing? Just because you¡¯ve never been genuine with your feelings and treatment, especially with me, doesn¡¯t mean that everyone else is the same as you.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°And who said that I hate you?¡± He frowned as if he had been insulted. ¡°I am not that unreasonable to still hold a grudge up to this day. You say I hate you? My wife, it¡¯s already been six years.¡± ¡°But yesterday¡ª¡± ¡°I only did that because I was too drunk to control myself.¡± He spoke as-a-matter-of-factly, but Deatrice didn¡¯t think what he said was the truth. He had already mentioned during that awful carriage ride, that people tend to reveal the truth when they lose control of their emotions¡­ Last night, he didn¡¯t seem as completely free from their past as he would like her to believe. Silence fell. In the end, Lucius let out a sigh, sensing that she did not accept his words. ¡°Alright. Perhaps not everything has been completely forgotten. There are those certain times when I would think about the past and feel inevitable resentment towards you, but that feeling would only last for a brief moment before it¡¯s gone.¡± Lucius told her honestly. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re already married. Shouldn¡¯t we both get away from our murky past and start our relationship anew?¡± He tried persuading once he saw her lips slowly turning into a frown. Then, he added another apology. ¡°And I¡¯m truly sorry about what happened yesterday. Something must¡¯ve gone wrong with my head back then because no matter how drunk I was, those things shouldn¡¯t have happened. When we go back to the mansion, I assure you that won¡¯t happen again. We will sleep in different rooms, and you won¡¯t see me as much then.¡± Deatrice frowned. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t agree to his words. On the contrary, she was more accepting of this new arrangement. It¡¯s just that¡­ Leaving the past behind, living a new life again, him saying that such an insult would never occur again because they wouldn¡¯t get to see each other that much anyway¡­ Deatrice felt like those weren¡¯t the words that she wanted to hear from him. Her frown deepened, then she felt a sense of embarrassment. What did she want to hear from him, then? Deep inside, she had already braced herself for the time when he would say that he would just make her hate him. What exactly is it that she wanted to hear from him? Deatrice didn¡¯t know. She just¡­ didn¡¯t want him to be so kind to her anymore¡­ It¡¯s already becoming increasingly more difficult for her to endure whenever he would show that friendly side of him. His affectionate touch and his tender smiles¡ª ¡ªshe just wanted it all to end. Everything was making her feel the taste of regret. After a long bout of quietude, Deatrice finally spoke. ¡°Alright. I am¡­ glad to hear that.¡± *** Deatrice became sick on their trip back to the mansion. The duke had sent them a gift to take back with them, which had significantly slowed down their progress, lengthening their journey to an uncomfortable span of time. She claimed she could tolerate the pain, but her face was already showing signs of pain. Lucius looked displeased with her forcing herself and told her to recline on the cushion next to her. But Deatrice had only avoided his touch and spoke coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± The heat of her hand rubbing against his felt a little too hot to the touch and dissatisfaction rose in his heart. Despite her rising fever, the woman still acted as if her dignity was of utmost importance. Still, Lucius maintained a calm appearance. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her any further by arguing or forcing something on her, let alone today that she was ill. Therefore, he could only let her do as she wished. But in the end, Deatrice could no longer fight it and had finally succumbed to the sweet call of sleep, eventually leaning against him in an uncomfortable state. He let her do what she wanted, so Lucius did what he wanted too. He gave her medicine, wiped a damp towel on her forehead and neck to reduce the heat, then he adjusted her into a more comfortable position by making her recline against the cushion. He attended to Deatrice, just like that. ¡°After all, in the public¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re my wife¡­¡± He muttered to himself, saying words like how this small favor would be nothing more than a formality because he couldn¡¯t leave her sick like an insensitive scum. Due to his efforts, her fever gradually began to go down. When they were only a few distance away from the mansion, Deatrice¡¯s condition improved a lot, giving her ample time to look around for a short while. Deatrice took a short tour around the estate. Right now, it was just a property that the emperor had told Lucius to manage, but as the two of them were now married, it was land that they would soon rightfully own. The mansion was on a slightly smaller scale, but the entirety of the place looked rich and promising. Even the garden was an impressively beautiful spectacle. All the servants went out to welcome the master and his wife coming together for the first time. As it was the first time she met them, Deatrice felt conscious of her appearance and tried fixing her clothes and her hair. But then, the look on her face as Lucius assisted her down the carriage wasn¡¯t very good. It was because Lucius told her that he would call for a doctor, but Deatrice refused. ¡°Nonsense! Which newly wedded couple would call a doctor just as soon as they come back? Do not fret that much, I will get better after some rest.¡± She clearly declined and their conversation seemed to end there. The head butler then began introducing the servants to her, and after being greeted in unison by said servants, she followed the butler inside as he showed her the interior of what would soon become her new home. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°¡­this place is used as a depository, where collected paintings and other valuables are stored. However, with a bit of renovation, it can be transformed into a ballroom.¡± Deatrice pondered. ¡°Are there any social circles here who actively participate in gatherings?¡± ¡°Yes, madam. People here would take turns holding parties, although they usually wouldn¡¯t be anything too grand. May I recommend associating with the newly wedded couple of the Henderson family? They own no estates whatsoever, but they are fairly decent nobles.¡± The butler bowed, ¡°If the madam wishes, I can set an appointment for an introduction.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll find out more and get in touch with them.¡± It was Deatrice¡¯s duty as the new mistress of the manor to know and understand how things are run inside the place. Hence, the butler brought her to the guest rooms, the study, the kitchen, and many more as she had diligently followed him and hung on to his every word. Meanwhile, Lucius, who was also tailing the two of them, halted his steps and stood behind them disgruntledly. Then he said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Take her to the room and call for a doctor.¡± The butler, startled by the sudden command, stopped walking as well and asked. ¡°Is the madam unwell?¡± ¡°She had a fever on the way here.¡± He clarified, and upon thinking one wasn¡¯t enough, he told the butler, ¡°Gordon¡¯s skills don¡¯t seem all that reliable, bring a few more doctors.¡± ¡°Lucius¡ªI¡¯m alright!¡± Deatrice pulled at his sleeve and whispered sternly. She didn¡¯t need to lower her voice for him to know she was upset with him. But after walking for a long time, her face had started turning pale and it was becoming quite difficult to hide. Her temperature might even be rising as we speak. Lucius felt a slight annoyance at Deatrice being so irrationally stubborn. He looked at her with a deadpan expression, ¡°You can¡¯t even walk properly, how do you expect me to think you¡¯re alright? What if it became worse?¡± She let go of her hand that was holding on to his sleeve. ¡°I go to the temple every week to pray. The high-ranking priests there would¡¯ve noticed if there were any abnormalities in my body.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with all of this? You are sick, end of discussion.¡± He urged her to get inside the room. But as the couple started to bicker, the other servants, who were supposed to tour the lady around the house, showed bewildered expressions on their faces as they exchanged glances with each other. Then¡­ What were they supposed to do? To call the doctor or not? Usually, when the masters are quarreling, the servants should know how to read the situation and either continue with their work or disappear like the wind. But it has only been a day since the lady arrived and they simply stood there, confused. Tom, who was always supposed to be somewhere near Lucius, couldn¡¯t instruct them either because he was still currently running around because of the unfinished garden. The butler made a hasty shooing gesture. Then, the servants rapidly left the room and dutifully waited by the hallway. After the door closed, Deatrice turned and spoke to Lucius. ¡°I should at least know my way around the manor. Was it so hard to wait for that?¡± First impressions mattered a lot. Deatrice didn¡¯t want the servants to see her as a weak woman and therefore, wouldn¡¯t take her seriously. Which is why she was so adamant against calling for help in front of so many eyes. She didn¡¯t bother to hide the slightly irritated tone of her voice towards him because he had messed up her plans. However, Lucius softened his stance and asked calmly, ¡°Then, promise me you¡¯ll see the doctor when everything is over?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will admit that I¡¯m being too much. But in return,¡± he compromised, ¡°you should stop insisting on not seeing a doctor.¡± It was completely different from when he appeared a little reckless in front of the servants. Deatrice soon realized it was all an act, and calling a doctor in front of the servants to make it appear like he cared a lot was his original intention all along. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nice to me, I¡¯m not your little sister.¡± Hearing her cold tone, he uttered comfortingly, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± But Deatrice felt those words were even more disturbing. Worry? Why would you worry about me? What the hell am I to you? Those words came up all the way up to her throat, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t say them out loud. Suddenly, she tightly shut her eyes and her face contorted into a grimace. She was startled when Lucius moved closer to her, but then she was quick to avoid his incoming touch. Instead, she said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go see a doctor. But don¡¯t ever use this method to make me give in to you again.¡± ¡°What metho¡ª¡± ¡°Understand?¡± Lucius barely responded to her insistence. ¡°¡­alright, I promise.¡± Lucius¡¯ tone was very solemn. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Deatrice opened the door. The butler stood ramrod straight and patiently waited for the master¡¯s instructions. But while his face was stoic, the other servants couldn¡¯t hide the curiosity on their faces. She said, ¡°It is true that I¡¯m not feeling well after a long carriage ride. However, you may only call the doctor once I¡¯m done familiarizing myself with the mansion.¡± ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Lucius mumbled in a displeased manner, but he didn¡¯t want to quarrel over the matter again. At least she agreed, so he decided to remain mum. Instead, after he was done with work, he called in four doctors to attend to her. Deatrice laid down and met with the doctors one after the other, to which all four replied that the madam was all right and only had a light fever. They reassured that Deatrice would feel better once she is well-rested and had enough supplements to her body. Taking a walk outside for some fresh air would do her good as well. When the doctors left, she glared at Lucius who, in contrast, was smiling at her. She was looking at him with an ¡®I told you so!¡¯ gaze but Lucius completely treated her as a sick person and took her hand, ¡°Hear that? You need a good rest. So, from now on, don¡¯t move and just lay down there.¡± He said, and then kissed her forehead. Deatrice suddenly wanted to know if he was still acting because he didn¡¯t know the room was already empty, or if he was truly worried as he¡¯d stated earlier. When he made a motion to leave, Deatrice grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Lucy.¡± He paused. Deatrice won¡¯t deny to herself that she called out that name with the intent of retaliating against him. She wanted to deal a blow against him. But when she saw the hardened look on his face, she realized he was hit harder than she had expected. Right¡­ I told her to call me ¡®Lucy¡¯ again, didn¡¯t I? Deatrice smiled purposefully as she sensed his fixed gaze on her. ¡°Can you bring me some iced water?¡± ¡°Ah? Sure¡­¡± His gaze sank, and his answer was uttered slowly. He soon gently removed the hand that held onto him and quietly withdrew from the room. When he was out of sight, Deatrice looked a little embarrassed and nervously brushed her hair. He probably wouldn¡¯t bring ice water or anything like that. Either he would order someone else to do it for him, or completely forget about her request altogether. He might even regret asking her to call him that name again. Deatrice scoffed, put on her slippers, and went to the window. The garden, which she thought to be beautiful, now looked like an eyesore to her. She hardened her chin as she continued watching the bustling scene of servants moving left and right. *** ¡°How about calling me Lucy again from now on?¡± As Lucius untied his cravat, he felt his own voice haunting him like a ghost from the past. He removed his formal coat and threw it on the ground, thinking it wasn¡¯t enough, he even stomped on it. He had been too arrogant and too confident with himself. Lucius thought he wouldn¡¯t be affected once she called him by that nickname again. But the way his nerves stiffened, as if lightning pulsated in his veins when she called out his name, told him that he was nothing but affected. Damn it! Lucius recalled a particular moment during their wedding, when she had injured her ankle. His emotions at that time had been very complicated, because it was very similar to how they first met. Looking at her face back then, the past vividly played out in his head. She was sitting on a bench, lightly massaging her exposed ankle. When Deatrice had just debuted in the society, the charm she exuded was as fresh as a lone yet enchanting flower. But at the same time, she was riddled with thorns that prevented people from approaching her so easily. Lucius¡¯ close friend, Elwood More, had once described Deatrice as an arrogant and pretentious woman, but Lucius believed that was only a wall she had imposed on herself because of her mother¡¯s death. Lucius went over to her and asked. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Deatrice was surprised to sense another¡¯s presence, but she eventually refused. ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡± But Lucius had already figured out that she would refuse, as most young ladies would, so he knelt in front of her, took off her shoes, and placed his hands around her ankle. Admittedly, it was a little rude of him to do it without permission, but¡­ ¡°This needs to be corrected as soon as possible, or it¡¯ll get even worse.¡± Before she could even refuse, he quickly snapped her ankle back into its rightful position. With the sound of bones cracking and the sudden feeling of pain spreading through her foot, Deatrice screamed and held her handkerchief into a death grip. When the pain had subsided to a tolerable level, she angrily raised her head as she looked at the man who touched her body without permission. ¡°How dare you¡ª!¡± However, as he was staring at her slowly, her anger was cut off with his retort. ¡°Weren¡¯t you stealing glances at me before?¡± Her face flushed red at his question. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 If that same scenario happened to the present Deatrice, she would have at least rebutted with something. Like the fact that she had indeed been staring, but it didn¡¯t mean she automatically liked him. Neither was it an invitation for him to touch her out of nowhere. However, the Deatrice at that time was young and had not much social experience. All she could do then was blush, which indirectly let him know that she was truly watching him. She could hardly open her mouth as her anger dissipated into thin air. The pain she felt from her foot paled in comparison to the humiliation she felt from being caught. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. It¡¯s just that¡­ there was something a little different about you¡­¡± ¡°A little different?¡± Lucius laughed. It was because those words had only been used by men to hoodwink a woman into being their lover. His sudden laughter made her blush even more. ¡°I¡­ I would sometimes see you in deep thought, very much unlike your usual cheerful appearance.¡± ¡°And? What about it?¡± ¡°If you are offended¡­¡± She tried to get up. But he grabbed her hand and pressed her to prevent her from getting up. ¡°I am not offended. I¡¯m just curious about how I look in your eyes. I have strong narcissistic tendencies, so I like to hear stories like this. So enlighten me, how did I look different?¡± He replied teasingly. But the way his gaze focused on her revealed that he wouldn¡¯t let the matter slide so simply, to which she noticed. Suppressing her rising shame, she seated herself and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not much¡­ I just thought you looked a little lonely, and that you have bad thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Bad thoughts?¡± He asked, intrigued. With that, Deatrice couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stood a little unsteadily. She shrugged off his hand on her person. ¡°I need to go. My aunt is waiting for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°There is no point in refusing. I¡¯m a person with bad thoughts who likes doing what he wants. So one way or another, I will accompany you even if you refuse.¡± He gave her another mischievous smile, and Deatrice could barely let out a peep with how much she was blushing. ¡°D-don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± ¡°You teased me first.¡± ¡°Just because you have bad thoughts, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a bad person. I have it too¡ªbad thoughts.¡± ¡°What kind of bad thoughts?¡± Lucius asked lightly, but it was evident from her averting gaze that she wouldn¡¯t answer. But he was pleasantly surprised when, after a long silence, she answered softly. ¡°I hope that one day, all the people who talk about my mother¡¯s death will be gone.¡± He had imagined it would be something like that, but Lucius was more concerned about how tired her voice sounded when she said it. Like a bird whose wings were drenched in viscous liquid, unable to move even if it meant saving its life. That was how she appeared when he first saw her at the duchess¡¯ funeral¡ªstanding near her mother¡¯s grave, supported by a maid in the pouring rain. Her face had looked so hollow and constricted, as if she was still imprisoned, with chains that tethered her behind bars¡­ Lucius lowered his body in order to provide better support for her as she walked when all of a sudden, he had this wonderful thought. He wanted to help break those shackles that bound her from her freedom and see those beautiful wings soar into the sky¡­ Of course, at the time, he didn¡¯t even think too hard on that presupposed notion of gallantry. He just thought he wanted to help, and then he put his thoughts into actions. Lucius began talking to her, until the frequency of their chats increased in number as they would speak to each other often. In every conversation, he would try his best to make her smile and give her the support that she needed. Eventually, he received a position as her lover, as well as earning a funny nickname no one had ever thought to call him before¡­ ¡°You must be crazy.¡± His attendant¡¯s voice disconnected him from his previous train of thoughts. Tom had appeared inside his room, holding the hem of the coat he had thrown earlier. As soon as he saw the man, Lucius turned around, already aware that the nagging would begin soon. Unfortunately, Tom positioned himself in front of where Lucius could see him, waving the disheveled clothes as he started speaking with fervor. ¡°You could¡¯ve just called a priest instead. What¡¯s with calling all four doctors?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sick.¡± A disdainful expression crossed his face, ¡°Is she suffering from some incurable disease that she even needs the attention of all four great doctors?¡± Lucius had an incredibly bored expression on his face. ¡°She said she won¡¯t see the doctor, so I called four of them out of spite.¡± he murmured as he leaned back into his chair. Tom narrowed his eyes, looked at his master, and then recounted some events based on what he knew. ¡°I heard a little bit about your wedding while I was here.¡± As if uninterested, Lucius immersed himself in something else entirely, not even dignifying the attendant¡¯s word with an answer. But Tom knew he was listening anyway. ¡°I heard you held your wedding in the duke¡¯s greenhouse? People even said it was so beautiful¡­¡± his voice trailed off as he stared at his master intently. ¡°Hopefully, the reason why I¡¯m running around all drenched in sweat with our garden restoration, isn¡¯t because of her, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to create a garden similar to the duke¡¯s greenhouse for the marquess to adapt better in this place?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s not like that.¡± But it was true that he was reminded of Deatrice when he gave such an order. He didn¡¯t know if what prompted him back then was his sense of responsibility as her soon-to-be husband. Or¡­ if it was his lingering feelings for Deatrice. Tom¡¯s eyes widened even further, noticing the hesitation on his master¡¯s response. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Tom threw his master¡¯s clothes and scrunched up his nose, sniffing Lucius like a dog. Lucius pushed his face away until his nose was almost crushed, but Tom didn¡¯t care. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t smell right. The rumors you created are becoming the truth, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t smell right.¡± Incensed, the attendant responded. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the master¡¯s blind love, I wouldn¡¯t have to sweat and smell so much!¡± ¡°Whose love?¡± Lucius¡¯ expression turned solemn, but Tom didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Your love towards the marquess! Why pretend to scorn this marriage when you actually want it? If you didn¡¯t have one whit of feelings for her, there shouldn¡¯t have been a need to call four doctors at once. You even spent a fortune on the garden!¡± He continued, ¡°You said you gave me the best room? We¡¯ll see if that¡¯s really the case¡ª¡± ¡°Enough with this nonsense.¡± Lucius cut off his words and harshly criticized. ¡°Leave.¡± Tom felt his face getting hit as his master pushed him away. He cradled his cheek and still had the nerve to boldly glare at his master. ¡°Please get back to your senses, master. There is nothing more ridiculous than letting yourself be ruined by a woman.¡± Then he thought for a second and added, ¡°Twice.¡± Tom was only a young adult who hadn¡¯t experienced that much with life to be able to give advice to anyone. However, he knew the master¡¯s history, and he was very concerned that Lucius¡¯ life would be destroyed by that woman yet again. At first, Lucius might¡¯ve shown a cold-hearted side and had only appeared concerned about the benefits he would gain from the marriage, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact the two of them have been in a relationship for a notable amount of time. After losing his parents to the war, Tom was left to die on the streets while clutching his starved belly, begging for scraps and shelter, and eventually resorting to eating garbage as his sustenance. But a certain golden-haired knight had liberated him from this misery. Therefore¡­ For Tom, the man in front of him today wasn¡¯t only a master to him. He was also a friend, a brother, and a deity that he worshipped from the bottom of his heart. His salvation back then had led to a one-sided affection that allowed no room for others to blaspheme the man he had chosen to serve. And in Tom¡¯s eyes, Deatrice, who had tormented his master even in his dreams, was already no different from a wicked witch that deserved to suffer through the nine levels of hell. Lucius closed his eyes tiredly and spoke in a clear and slow manner¡­ ¡°I will never fall in love again with Deatrice anyway.¡± But the young servant could not believe it and mumbled. ¡°How are you so sure? You treated her so well¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t treated her well.¡± Lucius muttered indifferently. No matter what others thought, Lucius did not treat Deatrice with genuine affection. Except for the times when the occasional shards of the past would poke and stab him unsuspectingly, Lucius had mostly tolerated her with sympathy in his emotions and nothing else. ¡°Lucy¡­¡± Honestly speaking, when her lips parted open and called out that name, the emotion that he felt that caused his nerves to thrum was¡­ something close to anger. It felt like the insides of his throat was burning, just like how alcohol would. How could you¡­ How could you? When you threw me away and told me not to touch you again?! Those were the naive thoughts he had at that time. He quickly left the place, bewildered by his feeling of anger. In the end, he realized that old feelings were still ingrained deep within him. ¡°Lucy¡­ what would my life be like without you?¡± He always remembered the banal words she once whispered in his arms. Those words had once been his reason to live, and that they would remain imprinted into his heart forever. But now, he only found them laughable. Lucius sneered, ¡°I would have lived a better life.¡± He stood up after saying that derisive remark. Clueless about where the words came from and why his master suddenly looked provoked, Tom got up and chased him out, shouting, ¡°Master, where are you going?!¡± But Lucius suddenly turned around and gave him orders. ¡°Tell Deatrice to come and see me. Then, I¡¯ll have you meet her and explain.¡± ¡°E-explain what?¡± he stuttered. Lucius grinned at the servant who looked up with a stupid face. It was supposed to be a charming smile, but then it was tainted by a hint of creepiness. ¡°About how she won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± Tom was dumbfounded for a moment because he didn¡¯t quite understand, then a smile crawled into his lips, then it brightened even more. He shouted at the leaving figure of his master. ¡°Things will go as planned then, right?¡± He received no answer, but Tom knew. His master had finally returned. *** Chapter 33 Chapter 33 The peaceful days continued. Deatrice spent several days doing basically nothing. All of the servants treated her with great hospitality, and they didn¡¯t seem to require her presence for anything. She could go wherever she wanted and do whatever she pleased. When she lounged by the lake, she would call a worker and weave a tapestry, or she would simply stare at the skies. Other than that, she would just stay in her room. Of course, there¡¯s nothing bad about a life where she only had to think about her menu for the day. As soon as her mother died, she had to run the large duke¡¯s house as a stand-in duchess. Together with her father, she looked after the estate and worked hard every day in order to preserve the status of the duke by blending into the society. Social circles, territories, and the duke¡¯s house had been the center of life then as the pressure of a duchess fell upon her delicate shoulders. She had only been nineteen then. Six years passed by, just like that. It would be a lie if she said that her experience was without any troubles. ¡°When we go back to the manor, I assure you that it won¡¯t happen again. We will sleep in different rooms, and you won¡¯t see me as much then.¡± Lucius once said, and he truly stuck to his words because she rarely ever saw him these days. Lucius had returned after a long time had passed, spending a very busy day maintaining the manor with the Knights Templar. He usually leaves before Deatrice wakes up and then returns after she¡¯s already gone to sleep. Sometimes, she would wake up earlier than usual to visit the temple, and it was only then that they would meet by the breakfast table. While eating, Lucius looked at the stack of papers with a worn out look on his face. Deatrice couldn¡¯t speak to him easily, so she directed her attention to the tea and food in front of her. Unexpectedly, he was the one who spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being too busy lately. How about the two of us go on a stroll by the lake? There¡¯s also a beautiful forest near here, have you ever been there?¡± Probably because he was conscious of the servants¡¯ gazes on them, which was why he would still occasionally speak sweet and vain words towards her. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, after all this is over, let¡¯s go together.¡± He made a promise that couldn¡¯t be kept. Deatrice knew that he would start pretending to feel distant from her because of his busy schedule, as is often the case with arranged marriages. Couples like those would just do their own things and act as a loving pair of husband and wife only when it is necessary to show people. Though, she had no complaints with that kind arrangement. The only problem was Lucius¡¯ remark that he would not have children, at least with her. ¡°Today, or any day in the future, I will never sleep with you.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be such a big deal if they didn¡¯t spend the night soon, but it was sure to become a fatal weakness for her when after years had passed and she had still not gotten pregnant. Everyone would be talking about the couple who loved each other so much yet couldn¡¯t have children. After having mingled with nobles as an informal duchess for many years, Deatrice was aware how deadly they could be. It could even reach the to the point of suicide, and it¡¯s not like it hasn¡¯t happened before. It was terrifying how they would dissect the tiniest bit of detail to find fault on something or someone, and her relationship with Lucius would definitely be put onto a magnifying glass. She didn¡¯t want to experience that. No matter what Lucius said, the people¡¯s opinion of her still remained important to Deatrice. She saw an opportunity and vowed to talk to Lucius about the matter again. Regardless of how humiliating it is for a wife to bring up these words in the first place. On a certain day after returning from the temple, she could see that her luggage and furniture had arrived at the manor. She thought it might take longer for it to get here because it was a considerable amount. But while looking at the familiar objects that had accompanied her throughout her maiden days entering an unfamiliar manor¡­ it made her feel strange. I¡¯m really going to live here for the rest of my life, until the day I die? She didn¡¯t actually expect her life with him to last that long. But somehow, she had this vague feeling she couldn¡¯t grasp no matter how hard she tried. Does Lucius feel the same as her? Deatrice suddenly became curious. Did he ask her to leave the past behind and start afresh, because he wanted a sense of unity with someone to spend the rest of his life with¡­? Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Thinking of Lucius being with her as they grow old together, a smile suddenly graced her lips, and that smile remained even as she took in the view of the garden. ¡°Miss¡ª!¡± Rosalynn, who had just arrived, finally caught sight of her mistress and ran to her immediately. Not having seen each other for several days, the maid¡¯s face was filled with glee. ¡°Miss! How have you been?¡± Deatrice schooled her expression and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Have you taken a look around the mansion?¡± ¡°Yes, miss. I was already assigned a room, but I came back to organize my luggage.¡± Rosalynn bowed and then looked at the scenery in front of her, exclaiming. ¡°This garden looks so beautiful! Miss, haven¡¯t you heard? This garden was already very pretty in the first place, but then Sir Elliot hired some people to renovate the majority of it because of you.¡± Deatrice looked around the garden silently for a moment, but she did not feel anything extra special. Instead of admiring Lucius¡¯ supposed sincerity, Deatrice corrected the maid. ¡°Address me as ¡®Lady¡¯, not ¡®Miss¡¯.¡± Then she added, ¡°And it¡¯s ¡®Lord¡¯, not ¡®Sir Elliott¡¯.¡± Rosalynn had rarely made a mistake during the time she had served Deatrice. This time, she simply didn¡¯t notice because her usual form of address was a habit she had brought from all those years. Her cheeks heated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, m¡¯lady. I¡¯ve already practiced all the way from the carriage and my tongue still slipped.¡± She nodded and turned around to walk towards the mansion. As per usual, Rosalynn followed behind her. Except for when Fredhi had died, Deatrice had always been busy. Even when the well-maintained duke¡¯s residence had a lot of servants she could order around, there would still be a lot of work left on her table, such as organizing their finances and hosting social gatherings. This was what Rosalynn was used to seeing, her mistress bent over the table, fussing over some papers. But when she followed her to her room, she was a little surprised. The door to her terrace was wide open, overlooking the forest and the lake. The sight was very breathtaking. However, that wasn¡¯t what surprised her. It was the fact that she couldn¡¯t see any trace of her mistress being busy anywhere. Not a crumpled paper in sight, nor was there a stack of documents on her desk. The only signs that she could see that Deatrice had done something in this room was the piece of fabric she was embroidering. It seemed like she had just started because it still had paper sketches of the patterns attached to it. As she was the attendant who had always been with her, it wasn¡¯t difficult to read her thoughts. Therefore, Deatrice could read Rosalynn¡¯s surprise just by looking at her expression. When she removed her hat and took off her gloves then placed them on the table, a moment¡¯s silence had passed afterwards, and Rosalynn quickly assumed her role of being an attentive and skillful attendant. She then grabbed her mistress¡¯s belongings and put them in their rightful place. Rosalynn helped Deatrice wash her hands and patted them dry with a clean handkerchief. Once they were done, Deatrice naturally grabbed a book and headed for the sofa. ¡°The butler didn¡¯t even come to me with a single document, and I¡¯m not feeling completely well yet, so I guess it¡¯s too early to ask Lucius for a bit of work. With that, I simply decided to enjoy some rest that I lacked in the past.¡± When she opened her book, she asked the maid, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m being lazy?¡± At Deatrice¡¯s words, Rosalynn hastily shook her head. ¡°Of course not, m¡¯lady. You¡¯re still in your honeymoon.¡± For a moment, Deatrice looked out at the view through the open terrace, the wind lightly blowing against the curtains. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m still in my honeymoon.¡± She said as soon as she woke from her thoughts after having blankly held onto her book for some time. ¡°I¡¯ll meet the butler in a little while, so be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, m¡¯lady.¡± After that, Rosalynn gave her greetings and immediately left the room. Left alone once more, Deatrice admitted that she had been too caught up in her own thoughts to even admire the vast forest and the shimmering surface of the lake. She thought she would be busy after taking a walk in the place Lucius had suggested and then spending time in the nearby forest. But now that she was here, she was barely even doing anything. Hence, she thought it was time for her to do her duty without hiding behind embroideries or books. Lucius is keeping himself busy, isn¡¯t that what she¡¯s supposed to do as well? It would¡¯ve been different had she married someone else, but it must¡¯ve been because she had become too comfortable with her current situation given her past with him, even though it ended up scarring them both, and that she actually enjoyed the time she wasn¡¯t tired to death. The butler found her on time. Deatrice initiated a question, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be seen as being too indolent or incompetent. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s important to introduce formal matters to me?¡± ¡°About that¡ª¡± ¡°May I see some documents from the manor? How are things like financial papers managed here?¡± Because the estate was located further south of the peasant family, she knew that the atmosphere would be a bit more relaxed than being in the center of noble families. But even if it was lax, she knew it wasn¡¯t okay for her to act like she had¡ªlazy, as if she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to pay attention or show a bit of interest in the affairs of the manor. When Deatrice looked at the butler with an inquisitive gaze, he smiled shyly for a moment. She thought the butler would nod and tell her that he would come back with the documents. But then, the butler said in an ambiguous manner. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you with that, m¡¯lady.¡± She frowned, ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°The lord hasn¡¯t granted me the authority to let you look through those files.¡± What nonsense is that? Deatrice was too flustered to even say anything. For her, the authority to govern and inspect matters regarding the manor were supposed to have been given to her from the very moment she had married Lucius. It was already part of her duty as the lady of the house. A foreboding feeling filled her gut and Deatrice frowned, asking, ¡°Is that an independent judgment you have made without prior instruction, or was it because Lucius himself disallowed it?¡± If it was the former, the butler should apologize immediately because her status was higher than his. But he had only stood there with an ambiguous attitude, looking straight ahead. His silence and his attitude were enough to answer Deatrice¡¯s query. ¡°So¡­ it was Lucius who instructed you¡­¡± At Deatrice¡¯s monotonous reply, the butler deeply bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m aware that the madam has been through a lot. Therefore, how about taking a break?¡± ¡°I think I already took a long-enough break.¡± Still bowing, he uttered. ¡°There may be people who lack rest, but there is no such thing as having too much rest, madam.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± When she was baffled by his nonsensical response, the butler obediently shut his mouth. Deatrice realized she would never win this conversation. Abruptly, she could feel the pain in her bones acting up again. ¡°Then, before I came, who managed the internal affairs? Lucius certainly wouldn¡¯t have the time to do that.¡± ¡°The lord¡¯s attendant is managing them, madam.¡± ¡°And who is that?¡± Deatrice couldn¡¯t recall that such a person existed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he come to greet me when I arrived?¡± ¡°Answering the madam, the attendant¡¯s name is Tom Wilson. He has already accompanied the lord for four years. As he was too busy with the garden project the lord ordered him to finish as soon as possible, he couldn¡¯t meet the madam on her first day here. It wasn¡¯t his intention to slight you, so please forgive him for that.¡± ¡°Then tell him that I want to see him.¡± If I can¡¯t meet Lucius, I guess it¡¯s enough to meet the person in charge of the work I¡¯m supposed to be doing and then deal with it from there. The butler, who heard the struggle in Deatrice¡¯s voice, remained still for a brief moment. He could already see the inevitable fight that was bound to happen sooner or later. Eventually, he bowed his head deeply and left. *** Chapter 35 Chapter 35 A lot of time had already passed. But the attendant was still nowhere to be seen. Rosalynn tried to comfort her lady, saying that there must¡¯ve been some misunderstandings or emergencies that caused his delay. Just then, a knock sounded from the door. Tom finally came to visit her. Before Rosalynn could even open her mouth, Deatrice spoke quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Don¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t want to hear any words from her mouth. After saying that, Deatrice embroidered again. The maid then watched Deatrice embroidering in silence as the attendant continued rapping his knuckles against their door. Tom Wilson had only arrived when the sun had already started to turn yellow. As punishment for letting her wait, she left him outside her door for a significant amount of time as well. Afterwards, Deatrice stood up. Having looked through the ledger with Lucius before, she had imagined seeing an aged face jotting down all the data that was written there. But right now, standing in front of her was a young face on the cusp of adulthood. Too young to the point that his immaturity couldn¡¯t even hide his hostility towards her. Deatrice looked at the boy for a long time, observing him. Her disconcerting gaze caused his blatant hostility to turn into one of embarrassment. It was too heavy for Tom, who had prepared in his heart the unpleasant words he would say when had finally seen the ¡®witch¡¯. With her dignified-looking empire dress gilded with golden threads and delicate pearls poking out of her wavy dark hair¡ªDeatrice looked more like a youthful maiden still admired by men in social gatherings than a married madam. Tom closed his eyes. There was a reason why the lord had fallen for her¡­ ¡°So,¡± Deatrice turned her head again and continued to embroider. ¡°I heard you¡¯re in charge of finances?¡± ¡°Yes, it is true.¡± Tom answered right away. Deatrice continued questioning him. ¡°Even after he married me, did my husband tell you to continue with your work?¡± ¡°As far as I know, yes.¡± ¡°Without even informing me beforehand?¡± Tom wasn¡¯t flustered with her words. He had already anticipated everything she had to say. He answered calmly. ¡°Since the master is very busy, he probably did not have time to tell you.¡± ¡°How¡­ ridiculous.¡± At those words, Deatrice¡¯s mood plummeted. Just this morning, Lucius was still talking nonsense about lakes and walks. It didn¡¯t make sense to her that while he had time to say those insignificant words, he didn¡¯t have the mind to inform her of his decisions that prevented her from performing her responsibilities. ¡°Tell your lord that I need to meet with him.¡± Deatrice uttered with a firm attitude. However, Tom could not erase the rebellious spirit that surged within him and responded tartly. ¡°The master is still patrolling the estate and I¡¯m not supposed to interfere with his work. After that, he would have to go to the Knights Templar.¡± ¡°Does that mean he doesn¡¯t have time? Even for a short conversation with me?¡± Tom smiled, ¡°The issue isn¡¯t that big of a deal. We can settle it without letting him be involved.¡± ¡°Not a big deal?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? The master thinks that it¡¯s better for you to not bother with needless work. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I have been doing my work properly, and it should continue to be done properly in the future. There¡¯s truly no need for you to intervene.¡± ¡°I¡¯m intervening¡­¡± Deatrice smirked in disbelief and repeated Tom¡¯s preposterous words. Rosalynn couldn¡¯t stand his disrespect anymore. She slapped the back of Tom¡¯s hand with a fan and said, ¡°Get down on your knees and apologize to the lady, you rude servant!¡± However, such an authoritarian attitude was unbearable for Tom, who had always been able to freely say things to his master with little to no repercussions. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± He spoke to the maid, almost rolling his eyes at her, ¡°You¡¯re the one being rude here. We¡¯re servants of the same rank¡ªdirect aides to the masters. So, who are you to order me around?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth! Had she been the duke, you would¡¯ve been thrashed and fed to the dogs!¡± ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t at the duke¡¯s palace now, are we?¡± he swiftly retorted. In the end, their arguments had turned into childish bickering and Deatrice shook her head. ¡°The two of you, be quiet.¡± Rosalynn quickly returned to her quiet posture, sensing the exhausted undertone in her mistress¡¯s words. But even though the attendant kept his mouth shut, the visible pout on his lips signaled that his displeasure still remained. However¡­ ¡°Even though I may look unreliable, I am confident that my ability to manage finances is exceptional. Don¡¯t you know that there is a reason why the master entrusted me with this position? It was me who doubled my master¡¯s fortune just recently.¡± In the end, Tom couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and poured out his feelings. ¡°You didn¡¯t care who I was, or even cared to ask who looked after your husband. And just because you think your rights have been violated, you immediately come seeking trouble for the master? If you had truly wanted to contribute to the manor, as the master¡¯s wife, shouldn¡¯t you have already found out about me long ago.¡± Never in her life had her attendant behaved so arbitrarily with reckless abandon. Flabbergasted and displeased, Deatrice bit back. ¡°You already said it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Why now, are we talking about me having to acknowledge you?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand why Lucius would keep such an ill-mannered servant with him. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 The longer their quarrel went on, the more she could feel her intelligence getting lower and lower. Deatrice was fuming inside. She wanted to get rid of this loud and cheeky servant, but she had an inkling that this was something Lucius wanted. He knew her personality, and Deatrice assumed that he thought she would just easily give up because she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this kind of servant. But by leaving her to deal with this attendant all by herself, it only showed how spineless he could be. Holding back her boiling anger, she took a step back and shifted her attitude, trying to somehow accommodate the unruly servant first. She said, as softly as she could while having turbulent emotions, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about losing your job. Even after I officially took over, I would still need to ask for your help. If you¡¯re good, I¡¯ll consider taking you as my assistant.¡± But Tom wouldn¡¯t surrender easily. ¡°The lord has never told me to hand over the job to you. If you¡¯re really doing this for the master, then it would be most helpful if you just stay put.¡± ¡°You said it yourself, it¡¯s for Lucius. Shouldn¡¯t I be more involved then? I¡¯m married to him, and you¡¯re just a servant.¡± Deatrice subtly narrowed her eyes, ¡°Besides, you have nothing and I have a lot. Who do you think is more trustworthy to handle the manor¡¯s finances?¡± He immediately felt indignant, ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m a thief?!¡± She slightly tilted her chin upwards, ¡°I¡¯m just doing my best to see things through a fairer perspective.¡± Although her words weren¡¯t meant to be that provocative, it can be helped that Deatrice still looked down on his loyalty. For many years, Tom took pride in what he did and had the utmost loyalty to his master. But her questioning words made him feel extremely aggravated. As if an irrelevant outsider, who knew nothing, interfered with his life and kicked him out. ¡°A fairer perspective?¡± He spoke angrily. ¡°I have dedicated my life to my lord! But you? Have you ever done anything for him? You¡¯re not entitled to everything just because you¡¯re married to him!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to dictate what I deserve and what I don¡¯t.¡± she countered. Her voice had turned frigid, but Tom was already too agitated to notice. ¡°Even a lowly person like me knows how important it is to trust people. How come you¡¯re acting so hypocritical now? Years ago, when the incident came to light, you threw the master away like a dog¡ª¡± Her palm connected to his cheek with a crisp slap. Tom¡¯s was veered to the side by the impact. Although he had already prepared himself to be hurt, he didn¡¯t expect that she would hit him directly. A thin streak of red was visible from the left side of his face, cut by the sharp jewel on Deatrice¡¯s ring. She then uttered with a low voice, ¡°Like an insignificant rat, you think you know everything?¡± Holding onto his tingling cheeks, Tom looked back at her¡ªher eyes, icy as they were, had taken on an arctic-blue hue because of her anger. ¡°Well? Go on, get out.¡± She suddenly urged, ¡°Leave this room and tell the others how the new mistress had mistreated you, insulted you, and beat you into submission.¡± She stared at him directly in the eye. ¡°After all, that¡¯s what you¡¯re here for, right?¡± ¡°If I said something wrong¡ª¡± ¡°I said, get out.¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear it. Turning around, she walked towards a chair and sat down, her unmoving back positioned towards him. Tom watched her. As a young and immature child, he reveled in the sense of victory. But today, Tom simply stood there with a blank expression. Because he couldn¡¯t erase the image of her gray eyes that had turned blue from his mind, as if there was a story deeply hidden inside them that he was unaware of. But as far as he knew, the past was nothing more than Deatrice¡¯s betrayal. As expected of a witch. She¡¯s playing with my head. After seeing the scene of her quietly resting her back against the chair, he left. Just as she had ordered her to. The madam hits people if things don¡¯t go the way she wants. He silently planned. However, his musings were interrupted when Rosalynn suddenly came out of Deatrice¡¯s room. The maid thought his face would still appear constipated from all the insults he had received from her lady, but on the contrary, he actually looked quite calm and composed. Tom raised his chin cockily. ¡°Why? Do you have something¡ªurgh!¡± The rest of his words scattered into thin air, because Rosalynn struck him on his neck. It wasn¡¯t a simple palm slap either, she hit him with her fisted knuckles. ¡°Ahhh! What are you¡ª!¡± Tom felt the entirety of the pain travel from his neck to his spine and up to his head. As he was about to get up in protest, she quickly followed up with a kick to his shins and he keeled over to the floor. When he was all hunched up, he suddenly felt another kick to his back and felt his face make contact with the ground. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± What kind of girl could throw her fists and kick so harshly and so quickly?! In front of him, Rosalynn¡¯s ferocious eyes looked down at him. Without even realizing it, Tom hesitated and lightly shrunk his neck to avoid being hit again. ¡°Be rude to the lady, one more time,¡± she warned, ¡°trust me when I say that I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± She drew her face closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t call her a marquess either, with the intention of insulting her about this place not being the duke¡¯s house. Because I will cut your tongue off and throw you out as if we were in ¡®the duke¡¯s house¡¯. You hear me?¡± Rosalynn used her index finger and made a slicing motion against her neck, never taking her eyes off him. Then she quietly retreated back to her lady¡¯s room. Stunned by the maid¡¯s actions, Tom stood up and felt his blood rush to his brain. ¡°Crazy wench.¡± The next day, Tom appeared before the other servants with bruises. The manor immediately erupted into speculation. Surprisingly enough, there wasn¡¯t a rumor pointing out that the master¡¯s new wife had hit him, quite different from what Deatrice had expected. Because the bruises made by Rosalynn on his long chin were more conspicuous than Deatrice¡¯s slap and the cut on his cheeks, everyone had disregarded it and simply asked him where he got those bruises. Only Lucius found out that Deatrice had hit Tom by closely scrutinizing his face and seeing the scar left by what could¡¯ve only been a ring. He then said, in a voice filled with sullen joy: ¡°Mm. It must have hurt.¡± After hearing his consolation, Tom pretended to cry in front of Lucius, saying he got beaten when he was only defending his master¡¯s good name. Chapter 37 Soon, rumors circulated in the residence that a new maid named Rosalynn was very bizarre. It continued on to say that she was violent and incapable of controlling her anger. These people gossiped among themselves, something quite common to uncultured provinces and rural areas, different from those areas who received higher education. But Deatrice did not know about it and did not pay heed to any rumors floating around. It was because she was too busy tackling all the obstacles in her new life¡ªnot being able to supervise finances and checking the important documents about the manor was just the beginning. When she tried to ask about her allotted budget, tried starting her own charity that she had been doing since she was young, and even tried bringing in a new painting to her room; everything was all blocked. One time, Deatrice asked. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mrs. Bell, madam.¡± The maid answered calmly and Deatrice scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re speaking of Dixie Bell?¡± ¡°Yes, it is ¡®that¡¯ Mrs. Bell, madam. The master¡¯s sister is very famous for her artistic sense and is mainly responsible for the household management, which includes any kind of artwork that goes into the manor.¡± ¡°What a mess.¡± But the maid pretended not to understand anything and just said the following words. ¡°Mrs. Bell is visiting this week, how about consulting with her about this piece right here?¡± Could there be any more insulting words than this? Was she the lady of the house? Or was it the master¡¯s sister? More like, she was being treated as a guest¡ªan outsider. Deatrice¡¯s expression hardened and without even dignifying the maid¡¯s words with an answer, she turned around and left. In the end, all she got from this marriage was a wedding ring and a single room. Arguably the best room in the mansion, but that¡¯s all there was to it. One can even go as far to say that it was more of a lavishly decorated cage. Giving the wife the authority to manage the household meant that the husband trusts and respects her. By denying Deatrice this position, Lucius had set her up to become a laughingstock. He had reasoned out with a mischievous smile that ¡®his wife wasn¡¯t feeling very well and he didn¡¯t want to burden her with work¡¯. His sweet smile at that time and the soft tone of his voice could easily be mistaken as him being so smitten with her. Therefore, he had ordered his people that if she ever wanted to do something outside of leisure, stop her. Still, the servants thought it was strange that the lady had no authority, but it was the master¡¯s order and they couldn¡¯t exactly defy it. Besides, the first thing that Lucius rambled on and on about when he first came home with her was about Deatrice¡¯s well-being. Then, whenever she felt slightly ill, he would become restless and ask her over and over again if she was fine. Remembering this point, the servants didn¡¯t think his behavior was ¡®that¡¯ strange anymore. In addition, the first argument between the couple also served as a good basis in judging their marriage. They concluded that Deatrice¡¯s insistence on not seeing her doctor was her being irrational, and that Lucius persuading her was him being logical and rational. Tsk. The lady needs to quit being so stubborn. This notion echoed within the minds of the majority of the servants. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Therefore, by conditioning the servants¡¯ thoughts into the direction that he wanted, they already had this belief that Lucius¡¯ concern and affection for her were only growing stronger by the day. All of them were workers who were employed from remote regions. When naive newcomers had first visited this place, the manor had awed them into illusions of grandeur. But the ones who had worked for the master for a while were more intuitive. They thought there was another side of this uncanny situation, but they opted to remain silent. Their master was Lucius, and they still wanted to live the rest of their days in peace. Overshadowed by ignorance and those who bowed to power, ¡®guests¡¯ could only be left at the mercy of the one in charge. ¡°We¡¯re already married. Shouldn¡¯t we both get away from our murky past and start our relationship anew? Just after saying that, he betrayed her. Thinking of Lucius, Deatrice clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t stand the thought that she was so delighted back then that he had taken the initiative to put the past behind them. Feeling a sense of defeat along with the relentless boredom of having nothing to do, Deatrice was unable to leave the comfort of her bed for two days. Currently, she had just finished her meal and was peacefully lying down on a pillow. Rosalynn entered the room and brought a sandwich with her. It was then that Deatrice noticed her arm was wrapped in bandages. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rosalynn¡¯s face heated up and she quickly hid her arms from her view as soon as Deatrice spoke. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, m¡¯lady. I just got burned while ironing clothes.¡± ¡°Ironing? Why are you doing such things?¡± ¡°I was just helping, m¡¯lady. The residence is quite small and there aren¡¯t that many servants, so they asked for my assistance.¡± But somehow, Deatrice knew she was lying. Maybe the reason behind this was why Rosalynn¡¯s complexion hasn¡¯t been so good lately. Deatrice sighed and sat up. ¡°Tell me the truth, what happened?¡± The maid shook her head, ¡°I can take care of it by myself, m¡¯lady.¡± ¡°Just tell me, I don¡¯t have anything to do anyways. But if you choose not to, I¡¯ll send you back to the duke¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°M¡¯lady!¡± Rosalynn was surprised as her eyes widened, but Deatrice wasn¡¯t joking. When she saw her mistress¡¯s face, Rosalynn realized it too and sighed. But truth be told, it was impossible for Deatrice to send her maid¡ªher only ally¡ªback home. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Rosalynn spoke. ¡°My¡­ My reputation inside the manor isn¡¯t so good these days, but it was all my fault. I just didn¡¯t know if the rumors were spread intentionally or accidentally, so I decided to just leave it alone.¡± ¡°It started because it¡¯s your fault?¡± Deatrice questioned. ¡°I¡­¡± she gulped, ¡°¡­I hit Tom Wilson.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 38 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, m¡¯lady.¡± she said, ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him being so harsh on you. I just don¡¯t know if he had spread rumors that I hit him¡ª¡± ¡°Rosalynn.¡± The maid shut her eyes at Deatrice¡¯s heavy tone and immediately knelt down. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again! Please don¡¯t send me back! I¡¯ll be more careful in the future. Just please, don¡¯t tell me to leave!¡± Hearing her earnest plea, Deatrice was silent for a long time. Then she spoke, ¡°Rosalynn, stand up. Summon the people who hurt you.¡± ¡°Yes, m¡¯lad¡ªI¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Those who hurt you, bring them to me.¡± Rosalynn blinked a few times for a moment and blankly stared at her mistress, then she nodded her head and hurriedly turned to leave the room. Shortly thereafter, four maids came in, looking into each other¡¯s eyes and feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Deatrice eyed them for a long time before opening her mouth. ¡°My maidservant denotes my presence, thereby holding the same status as me, and to harm my maidservant is to harm the safety of the mistress of this household.¡± The air suddenly turned a few degrees colder as she glanced at them expressionlessly. ¡°Perhaps she may have done something, but that does not excuse your unpleasant actions towards her¡ªbecause only I can discipline my servant.¡± The maids were already frightened silly by Deatrice¡¯s cold attitude when they suddenly heard her say. ¡°All of you shall be punished severely.¡± A maid plopped down on her knees and pleaded, ¡°M-madam! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°What am I misunderstanding, then?¡± ¡°Anna fell down and pushed me. It was then that I bumped into Miss Rosalynn and hurt her by accident!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Deatrice slowly looked her up and down, ¡°Where is Anna?¡± ¡°M-madam, it is me.¡± Deatrice watched one of the freckled maids speak out clumsily with her knees half-bent. ¡°Who else has seen you fall over, other than the ones here?¡± ¡°T-that is¡­ there were four of us in the laundry room¡­¡± ¡°Then explain to me how you fell down.¡± she said, resting her chin against the back of her fingers. ¡°I-I lost my balance trying to get a bottle of detergent, which was in a high position¡ª¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Deatrice had a bored expression on her face, and she lowered her hand. ¡°It appears I won¡¯t be able to understand the situation properly if you simply narrate it to me. Why not re-enact the scene again for me to see? You, the tallest one, take on the role of my maidservant.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Re-enact the scene of the accident,¡± she crossed her arms and scanned their expressions, ¡°as Rosalynn.¡± Because of Deatrice¡¯s spectating attitude, the maids looked at each other. Soon, they understood what she wanted and to happen and slowly settled down. Then they began their performance. ¡°So, t-this was where the laundry rack was positioned¡­¡± Rosalynn coughed to hold back a smile that threatened to show on her face. Instead, a frown took its place. ¡°M-miss Rosalynn was standing like this. And I¡­ I hit the rack and lost balance. Then, I fell and stumbled against her.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Afterwards, they pretended to fall, and while they lied haphazardly on the ground, Deatrice gazed at them sullenly and said, ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t understand, show me again.¡± The simple chain reaction wasn¡¯t too complex for something to be incomprehensible. Obviously, Deatrice had only wished to see them make a fool of themselves for a second time. The maids reddened in shame, but they had no choice but to compose themselves and pretend to fall yet again. When they regained their balance, they glanced back at her. ¡°Was that enough, madam?¡± But a cold voice rang out once more. ¡°Again.¡± That was the start of their torment. The servants had to stand back in line and pretend to fall over whenever they heard that unfeeling voice repeating the same words over and over again in quick succession. After the fifth time, they were already getting dizzy. Rosalynn was the only one who could stop the situation, but she had only listened to her master say the word ¡®again¡¯ multiple times with her eyes half-closed. How long do they have to do this? One of the maids had a weak heart and was already in tears. In reality, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to pretend to fall, but hearing the madam¡¯s unforgiving tone made her feel so frightened and ashamed, like being cornered in a bleak room with nowhere to go and no choice but to follow. The girls have already managed to fall on their butts more than ten times when an abrupt knock sounded from the door. It sounded so beautiful that it felt like they were granted amnesty from the heavens. With Deatrice¡¯s indolent reply of acquiescence, the butler appeared. He was here to inquire as to why there was a servant shortage in the kitchen. Soon he saw four, red-faced maids on the floor. He turned to Deatrice and asked calmly, ¡°Madam, why are they like this?¡± But no one answered and the butler asked again. ¡°Madam, did the maids do something wrong?¡± Deatrice gave him a brief explanation, ¡°My maidservant was hurt. I called them here to show me how exactly she had gotten hurt.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seeing the flushed complexions of the maids and their disheveled clothing, the butler surmised that they must¡¯ve done it repeatedly for quite a while already. He tried to appease without offending her. ¡°Matters regarding servants, especially punishments, fall within the responsibilities of a butler. The madam shouldn¡¯t trouble herself for such a trifling matter. Allow me to handle the situation and I shall punish them accordingly.¡± ¡°But the victim in the incident is none other than my personal maid. By acting against her, are they not challenging my authority?¡± ¡°Madam.¡± the butler called out. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only He didn¡¯t want to escalate the situation any further, but seeing Deatrice¡¯s uncaring gaze, he knew things could spiral out of control from here if he didn¡¯t move quickly. The butler kicked out the four servants. ¡°Go out, to the servant¡¯s quarters.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Wiping their tears, the maids immediately scurried out of the door. After they were gone, the butler bowed his head deeply once more. ¡°Anger is not good for the madam¡¯s health. Please do not worry, I shall strictly educate these maids until you are satisfied.¡± Chapter 39 She scoffed. ¡°How can disciplining servants be none of my concern? Even if I¡¯m being treated as an outsider, you ought to remember that I am still the lady of this manor.¡± ¡°I dare not treat the madam as one.¡± answered the bewildered butler. Deatrice uttered sarcastically. ¡°Come now, Lucius might¡¯ve ordered you to fake obedience, but there¡¯s no need to pretend any longer. Nevertheless, I shall display my authority as a master of this house despite being given little to no power. ¡°Madam, you must have misunderstood the lord¡¯s intentions.¡± the butler hurriedly interjected. ¡°He did not grant you more authority because he was worried about your well-being. Recently, your health hasn¡¯t been very good and¡ª¡± He glanced at the sandwich she hadn¡¯t even touched, as if to look back on Deatrice starving herself for the past few days. ¡°¡ªthe master said he didn¡¯t want you to carry heavy burdens until your health gets better.¡± Deatrice¡¯s brows creased together, and she muttered in confusion. ¡°So¡­¡± As if to allay her worries, the butler smiled. ¡°Yes, madam. What I¡¯m saying is the truth.¡± He had a delighted expression on his face after having resolved a misunderstanding. But it only served to make Deatrice feel even more absurd. Only a stupid person would believe in such a flimsy excuse. She didn¡¯t think she could understand how some people could be so harsh. He managed to make her appear as a sickly woman who couldn¡¯t lift a finger. In doing this, he was inwardly conspiring and ostracizing Deatrice by excluding her. A long time had passed since the butler had left, but Deatrice could still feel a strong sense of deceit lingering in the air. ¡°What a coward.¡± she muttered. But at that very moment, Deatrice had a thought. She couldn¡¯t even see a single strand of Lucius¡¯ hair, let alone talk to him. But if he was truly so worried about her, even if it was only for appearances¡¯ sake¡­ Wouldn¡¯t he show up all on his own once she lied about being severely ill? *** The season was gradually shifting. Sunlight and summer winds intensified the temperatures, and it made a person incredibly drowsy. The hills had pieces of cloth spread around them and were already full of sleeping people who had gone out for a picnic. There were even some that had leisurely leaned against walls or rested under the cool shade of trees whilst fanning themselves. If the ordinary people were already like that, how would the knights wearing full armor fare any better? However, they had already been seasoned by war and had experienced gruesome training under the scorching sun. So, this bit of extra sweat didn¡¯t terrify them. Right now, they actually feel more relaxed and even joked with each other, excited about their commander¡¯s marital status. ¡°Is she really that pretty? Rumor has it that in the capital, there hadn¡¯t been a young lady like her for several years.¡± ¡°I know, right? Someone told me that she had been an Odduiante for quite a long time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an Odduiante?¡± ¡°Oh, is that the woman who received the highest number of gifts during a hunting contest?¡± ¡°Hm. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me that much. She¡¯s the daughter of a duke after all. People must have given her that honor to curry favor with her father. But of course, it might be because she¡¯s beautiful as well¡­¡± ¡°Still, the commander wouldn¡¯t have married just by simply looking at her face. Rumors have it that they have some kind of past between them¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked if she was pretty! She managed to make the commander fall in love with her a second time despite having that kind of past.¡± Lucius smirked. Right now, his love story was a hot topic among his subordinates, and even though he had a lot of money, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be paying these brawny men for their ¡®useful contributions¡¯ to the rumors he had spread. Under the heat of the sun, the knights were animatedly talking to each other, most of which were just gibberish nonsense. ¡°You guys must be planning on doing this for the next few hours¡­¡± he muttered to himself. And he was right. Two hours later, these knights still weren¡¯t able to shut up about the issue, even while on a battlefield. Slash! ¡°¡­oi! Did the commander make a mistake? His wedding was held at the duke¡¯s house. Why weren¡¯t we invited?¡± Shiiiing. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Blood splattered on the ground. ¡°M¡¯lord, are you embarrassed of us?¡± Watching them coolly, Lucius breathed out. ¡°Why should I show you my wife¡¯s face? Stop spouting nonsense.¡± ¡°Eh? Why so reluctant?¡± ¡°No matter how blinded you are by love, you shouldn¡¯t forget your old comrades! How many years have we been together?!¡± Lucius¡¯ face curled up in contempt. ¡°Take a good look at yourselves. Are you even worthy?¡± They paused, then after some time, they looked at each other¡¯s faces and sniffed downwards imperceptibly. They nodded to themselves. ¡°Right, right!¡± ¡°She¡¯s the duke¡¯s daughter. She might disdain seeing small people like us¡­¡± Those last words were uttered by a large, brawny man. The others chimed in with annoyance lacing their voices. Afterwards, they cleaned up their weapons and began marching towards a certain direction. Along the way, they speculated and gossiped about Deatrice once more. Unsuccessful in his attempts to shut them up, Lucius got tired of hearing about ¡®Deatrice this¡¯ and ¡®Deatrice that¡¯. In the end, he simply kicked their asses. ¡°Shut. Up.¡± He said to them, one by one. Carefully enunciating each word. They quickly scrambled into attention after being kicked once, only to be hit on their rear right after they got back up. Another full ten minutes had passed, and he had almost finished kicking all of their sorry behinds. It was then that he saw someone riding a horse from the direction of the manor. ¡°Master!¡± Lucius recognized him to be one of the servants working for him. Seeing the man gasping for air and saying ¡®Madam, Madam¡¯ breathlessly, it was clear that something had happened to Deatrice. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. The knights, who had been face-planted on the ground, suddenly heard the commotion and went back on their feet. ¡°What happened to the miss?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the miss anymore, but the lady. Or madam.¡± ¡°Ah, because she¡¯s married?¡± Ignoring the clamor behind him, Lucius asked again, ¡°Alright, so tell me what happened?¡± He knew Deatrice¡¯s patience at this time might already be wearing thin. Maybe she had even lost her temper and finally exploded. His predictions were that Deatrice would make some kind of a fuss. However, the servant¡¯s next words weren¡¯t in line with his expectations. ¡°It seems that she is sick. Today, even the day before, she hadn¡¯t eaten anything. She had locked herself up in her room, refusing to come out and wouldn¡¯t let anyone inside either.¡± The servant hesitated. ¡°Master, I¡­ I heard a thud, like a person falling to the floor¡­¡± Lucius frowned, ¡°Are you saying she passed out?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not that! I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. She wouldn¡¯t let me in.¡± ¡°Did you at least call for a doctor?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°I did, m¡¯lord, but she refused to meet him. She even said to not inform you¡­ of her¡­ situation¡­¡± The servant¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller because the lord¡¯s face was getting colder and colder. Irritated, Lucius asked with a brooding expression. ¡°And you decided to just¡­ let her be?¡± The servant panicked, ¡°Y-yes. But because I couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°You fool!¡± Chapter 40 Lucius seldom raised his voice and scolded his people. He grabbed the reins of the servant¡¯s horse and rushed towards the manor as fast as he could. Once he reached the place, the scene that greeted him was bizarre. A doctor was pacing outside Deatrice¡¯s door, unable to do anything, while the others were simply standing with lost expressions. Lucius wondered why he didn¡¯t anticipate this outcome. After all, he said it himself, Deatrice was weak. So weak that if you just gave her just a bit of stress, she would fall sick. How could he forget? Even during the years when they were still genuinely together, didn¡¯t she have a fever every few days? She had even gotten ill on the way here just not too long ago¡­ I¡¯ll have to arrange for her to have an appointment with a doctor. Every single day. Lucius thought nervously. He looked around the attendants and finally thought to ask, ¡°Since when has she been like that?¡± ¡°This morning, m¡¯lord.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t report it to me right away?¡± The servant immediately became anxious. ¡°The madam didn¡¯t want to call you¡ª¡± ¡°What can a sick person even do to you?¡± he angrily cut off. ¡°From now on, you must call for me directly when something like this happens. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, master!¡± After glaring at the servants, Lucius knocked on her door. ¡°Deatrice, I¡¯m here. Let me in.¡± He received no answer. Decisively, he broke the doorknob and strode into the room. He first scanned the floors to see if she was lying unconscious somewhere, then he sighed a little in relief. Fortunately, he couldn¡¯t see her anywhere on the ground. He headed towards her bedroom, but he noticed that he couldn¡¯t find her there either. Panicking, he abruptly halted his steps and whirled his head from side to side trying to see if he could spot her figure. Where is she? He glanced at the terrace doors and wondered if she had run away¡­ At that moment, an amused laughter suddenly rang out. Lucius pivoted his gaze towards the origin of that sound and soon found her sitting calmly on the sofa. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fall for such a shallow trick.¡± he heard her say. Smiling, Deatrice casually shifted her gaze from him to the book she was holding. Lucius chuckled despite himself and walked towards where she sat. ¡°Hm. You faked a commotion just so you could see me?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Yes.¡± she calmly replied. Then she smiled, ¡°Because you ¡®love¡¯ me, don¡¯t you? You would¡¯ve had no choice but to come.¡± ¡°They think you¡¯ve collapsed.¡± She flipped a page, ¡°That¡¯s why I yell at them from time to time, so they wouldn¡¯t barge in and ruin my plans.¡± ¡°Telling them not to come in, and to not call for me¡­¡± ¡°It sounds exactly the same as ¡®you should call your master because I¡¯m already close to dying¡¯, right?¡± Deatrice took her eyes off the book and looked up at him defiantly. Lucius looked into her eyes. Now, he could see that she was truly angry. After all, she, who values dignity the most, must¡¯ve felt like her previous action of faking sickness was unbefitting of her status. He said as softly as he could to try and ease her anger, ¡°You know, you can still meet me even without doing this.¡± Deatrice slammed the book shut. ¡°You¡¯ve already promised to meet with me countless times. When have you ever showed up?¡± ¡°I was busy.¡± he defended, ¡°But know that there¡¯s no reason for me to avoid you.¡± She scoffed. ¡°No reason to avoid me?¡± Glaring up at him, she fiercely rebuked, ¡°You¡¯ve denied me authority, kept locked up in this room, left your servants to deal with me, and now you¡¯re telling me that you ¡®have no reason to avoid me¡¯?¡± ¡°Deatrice, stop, you¡¯re just too agitated.¡± ¡°Am I, now?¡± He extended his arm out and tried to grab her hand, but Deatrice pulled it out of his reach and added, ¡°You told me before that I needed to mind my place. Did you marry me just so I could be some useless vase?¡± The moment she got too serious, a brief moment of silence passed. Then he couldn¡¯t stop himself and he chuckled. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± The corners of his lips raised into a smile, ¡°Well, can¡¯t really say that this isn¡¯t funny¡­¡± She clenched her fists at his insensitive attitude. ¡°This look may seem funny to you, but to humiliate me¡ª¡± ¡°How am I humiliating you?¡± he asked earnestly, as if wanting to understand something. ¡°You want to know what¡¯s humiliating? Having to ask permission from your sister to change a painting in my house and feeling like my status is inferior to that of your attendant.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Deatrice unconsciously crumpled a page of the book and put it down. ¡°I¡¯m already your wife and now have the authority to govern this house as I please, so those issues shouldn¡¯t have existed in the first place! If you simply see me as an outsider or a guest, then you shouldn¡¯t have married me!¡± Lucius raised a brow and was quick to refute her words, ¡°Authority is cognizantly given by the husband to his wife. It isn¡¯t automatically granted right after marriage.¡± Disbelief appeared on her face. She wanted to wipe that smug expression off his face with her fist. ¡°Who in today¡¯s world is such an old-fashioned¡ª¡± ¡°Old-fashioned or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. After all, I am the head of this family, and my decisions are final.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Seeing a vacant seat, Lucius sat down. Up until now, Deatrice thought that the patriarchal attitude to be the most unlikely characteristic Lucius would possess. But now that she knew, she realized they wouldn¡¯t get along that well. When she had gone silent, Lucius, who had been staring at her for a good few seconds, said with a smile on his face. ¡°Three million shills¡ªthat¡¯s your allowance. It is, by no means, a small amount, but I don¡¯t really care what you do with it. So I¡¯m offering you a generous suggestion: you simply need to eat, sleep, and splurge. You¡¯re free to do whatever you want, I don¡¯t require anything from you.¡± Deatrice already knew that he had changed. But staring at him now, she felt that the change had even affected the core of his very nature. At their wedding, he was awfully too friendly, and when they arrived here, he had insisted on calling a doctor to see her. But after she had called him ¡®Lucy¡¯, he left the room and basically stripped her of all her rights. Even if that wasn¡¯t true, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that way. She opened her mouth, ¡°If I have done something wrong towards you¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy for more. I¡¯ve already made such a generous offer.¡± He cut off her words and looked pointedly at her. She pursed her lips. ¡°Was this your purpose from the start?¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± ¡°When you decided to marry me,¡± she clarified, ¡°was this what you had planned?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know such an insignificant detail?¡± ¡°So that I know the extent of your pettiness.¡± she answered simply. Lucius scoffed in response. ¡°My pettiness?¡± She said, looking him straight in the eye, ¡°Yes, because you married me with the primary intention of getting revenge on me¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± he cut off her words. ¡°I¡¯m not as consumed by revenge as you may think, and I¡¯m not demented enough to actively act against someone like you. It¡¯s just that I still don¡¯t trust you, and I don¡¯t know whether your loyalty still lies with the duke.¡± While saying those words, Lucius had never broken eye contact with her. ¡°I¡¯ll never know if you hand over confidential information to him and betray me a second time.¡± ¡°What does that¡ª¡± ¡°Also¡­¡± Lucius got up slowly and walked over to her. He slowly lowered his body and positioned both of his hands on both sides of the sofa, trapping Deatrice in between. ¡°Even if our marriage, as decreed by the emperor, is truly my revenge in disguise¡­¡± He uttered in a soft, almost whisper-like tone, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you endure it, my lovely bride?¡± A rebellious glint flashed across her eye. ¡°Am I even really your bride?¡± Deatrice said, looking up at his languid red eyes that looked as if they were ridiculing her. A smile escaped from Lucius¡¯ lips and he kissed the tip of her nose, finding her question quite cute. ¡°Yes. Otherwise, why would I even be here with you?¡± If we weren¡¯t married, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to see me. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks For Deatrice, it sounded something like that. Previously, she would have mistaken such a thought to be a tender and sweet gesture, but she knew better now. Yes, he wasn¡¯t that eager to take revenge on her, or so he had said. But¡­ He can, and he just might. His true feelings were hidden behind such a blunt statement, and the truth remains that the person he hates the most¡ª ¡ªwas her. He hated her so much that he couldn¡¯t even tolerate his own feelings towards her, and that made him hate her even more. *** Lucius loathed her. And if push comes to shove, he would retaliate against her. It was one of the worst possibilities she could have imagined. But instead of feeling dread, Deatrice actually felt refreshed when she realized it. Yes, this is how things should be. Clear. She didn¡¯t have to be anxious if he had some sort of hidden agenda towards her, because he had practically said it himself. He was willing to take revenge. His voice asking her to call him that nickname again, his worried gaze, his friendly smile, and those tender eyes¡ªall of them were built upon lies. These things had confused her mind for many months, but now that everything was clear, it felt rather freeing. When Lucius vaguely said that he had no feelings towards her, she felt heavy with guilt. But when his attitude took a sharp detour and openly expressed his hatred, she felt like she had been freed by the feeling of guilt because it¡¯s like she¡¯s receiving what she deserved. So, Deatrice thought about his offer and whether or not to accept. Considering the mistakes she did to him in the past, she should have accepted it. It¡¯s just that¡­ she was utterly reluctant to accept it so meekly and helplessly, without even putting up a fight. Her future was at stake, and above all else, what he had done so far felt very disrespectful. It¡¯s because he¡¯s worried about you¡­ Why doesn¡¯t the madam acknowledge the master¡¯s heartfelt intentions? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only What a sorry excuse. After the commotion that day, the pair had half-locked themselves up under the pretext of being sick and taking care of the sick. There were, of course, servants who served them their food and monitored four types of medication that had to be ingested after each meal. At first, Deatrice vehemently refused, but after hearing the convincing words of a dedicated maid, she too, became quiet and decided to simply let the doctor inside. She thought that the maid was sincere and genuinely wanted to help her get better. Then, she had another thought. What would happen to him if I recognized his sincerity and repented from my mistakes? Chapter 42 Chapter 42 What Lucius wanted was for Deatrice to keep to herself, pretend to be sick, and then be gradually forgotten by the people around them. But what if she truly reflected on her past and gave him a genuine apology? Even the ¡®Lucius¡¯ who doesn¡¯t love her would be able to forgive her, right? Deatrice got up from her bed, put on her slippers, and asked the maid who was preparing breakfast. ¡°Where is Lucius?¡± The maid was startled by her voice and became a little weary of her question, but she recovered quickly and responded in a polite manner. ¡°The master is out riding, madam. He will be inspecting the estate afterwards.¡± ¡°Oh, is there anything else?¡± ¡°None, madam.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Deatrice answered. She lowered her eyes and glanced at the floor. Soon, she felt how the room had quietened significantly. The maid¡¯s gaze focused on her, and Deatrice raised her hand to cover her face. The servant suddenly appeared nervous about her actions. Carefully, she approached, ¡°Madam, are you alright? Do you feel ill?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just¡­¡± Deatrice sighed and lifted her head. Her pale cheeks and eyes were bathed in the morning light, making her look lonely and pitiful. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that I¡¯ve been bothering Lucius too much lately. I guess, I must¡¯ve done it unknowingly because I was too pressured to do well right after I moved here.¡± She wiped the tears that flowed down her cheeks and touched her wedding ring wistfully. ¡°It doesn¡¯t actually matter to me if I¡¯m doing something or nothing, but if I can¡¯t even do a simple task, people will think poorly of me and that would extend to Lucius too. I love him too much; I don¡¯t want to make him look bad in front of others.¡± ¡°Oh, madam¡­¡± Convinced by her acting, the maid soon knelt at her feet and took her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sure the master knows your heart¡¯s good intentions.¡± Deatrice nodded lightly. ¡°I know, and he has shown his love for me even when we¡¯re arguing or whenever I¡¯m acting recklessly. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more determined to do something for him¡­¡± She let out a sniffle, ¡°I just want to help my husband. Is that so wrong?¡± ¡°Poor madam.¡± the maid consoled, feeling touched. ¡°What¡¯s there to cry about? You can just help him starting now.¡± ¡°But how? Lucius has told me to not do anything.¡± Oftentimes, Deatrice¡¯s gray eyes appeared cold and unfeeling. But they could sometimes be very alluring, just like now. Enveloped by sympathy, the maid continued comforting her without ever realizing that she was reacting exactly just as Deatrice had wished for. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, madam. The master will be immensely pleased even if you simply ate together with him. Greeting him when he comes back or sending him off is also a good way to express your feelings.¡± ¡°Really? Then¡­ Can we have lunch together today?¡± Suddenly, Deatrice frowned and sighed regretfully, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. Lucius is very busy, we might not see each other until tomorrow.¡± Sensing her mood turning downcast once more, the maid hastily said. ¡°Not to worry madam! After inspecting the estate, the lord usually stops by the manor, so he will probably be here later. I¡¯ll notify you when he¡¯s back.¡± Her face brightened a little and she uttered a soft ¡®thank you¡¯ in response. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Don¡¯t cry, now. Please wait here while I call for Miss Rosalynn.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± The maid smiled, and she had only left after making sure that the madam was okay. With only her left alone in the room, Deatrice slowly wiped away her tears. Of course, she wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that these tears were enough to grant her the position that she wanted. But for the meantime, it was enough. She wanted to move the servants¡¯ hearts and sway their opinion of her. She will not let things go his way. Deatrice wanted to see him get in trouble because of her, and her little scheme proved to be effective. The madam¡¯s tears and the reason behind them had spread rumors among the servants and their attitude towards her softened a little. When Lucius had a meal with her, he also noticed this subtle change and he looked at her intently. However, Deatrice ignored his gaze and continued eating her food in peace. The grilled quail, salad, and all kinds of food laid out today were quite tasty. Thinking she was having a proper meal for the first time, she sliced a thin piece of meat and put it in her mouth. It was the first time they saw each other again after ¡®that¡¯ conversation. It was because Deatrice had been half locked up in the room the whole time and had avoided meeting him. She didn¡¯t want to see him until she had made up her mind to mess with him like she was doing now. In the end, Lucius opened his mouth first. ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± She replied with a calm face. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m feeling better already and much more comfortable now that I don¡¯t have to suffer from the wedding preparations. Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he replied, ¡°Are you taking your medicine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± How can I not take them? Your attendant watches me like a dog and won¡¯t leave until I finish drinking those awful concoctions. But Deatrice held down the words on her tongue and smiled. Lucius didn¡¯t want to think too deeply about her actions and simply thought that Deatrice¡¯s cool mood was due to the constant medication and the mild season. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re doing good.¡± ¡°What about you? Still too busy with work?¡± ¡°Mn. It has always been like that¡ªendless reports on my desk, and then training with my men who hardly ever listens to me.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lucius remembered how his subordinates begged him to introduce his wife to them when he had the chance and was moved. But he hesitated, thinking she wouldn¡¯t be interested at all. Smiling, he tried to bring back his focus to his meal when he heard a friendly voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the stories of you and your knights and learned that you¡¯ve been with them for so long. Since the war, perhaps? Then, you must be very close to them¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She continued, pretending not to see Lucius¡¯ bewildered face. ¡°I¡¯m just very curious. I feel like wanting to hear stories about all those hurdles you went through with them.¡± At that moment, doubt filled Lucius¡¯ eyes. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Deatrice was largely uninterested in others¡¯ affairs and that didn¡¯t change much even after she became his lover. When they were dating, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to what he did like knowing the social clubs he went to or who were the friends he had made. As Lucius glanced at her without saying a word, she spoke in a slightly trembling voice, as if reading into his suspicions. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been indifferent all this time. But as you said, we are a couple, and we have to nurture a good relationship with each other.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Skepticism still remained on his face. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m reminded of the fact that I shouldn¡¯t have to always rely on you, and you shouldn¡¯t be the only one putting in the effort.¡± Maybe he should¡¯ve remained dubious of her intentions even after she had said those words. However, Lucius trusted his own judgment and fell into the illusion that he knew her all too well. To him, Deatrice was still the inexperienced lover of six years ago and the arrogant daughter of a duke. He thought that she wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who would do such a troublesome thing with hidden intentions because it was beneath her. Furthermore, she must¡¯ve given up because she was also tired of fighting with him. Therefore, Lucius¡¯ doubts were dispelled, and he believed Deatrice¡¯s words. He lowered his guard and began talking about the Knights Templar, what kind of men they were, and some major things that happened on the battlefield. He chose the topics he assumed that ladies and young girls liked the most. While speaking, Lucius would check Deatrice¡¯s reaction from time to time and found that she was still listening to him without showing any signs of boredom. Because of this, it naturally led him to delve deeper into his storytelling and even discussed with her heavy subjects such as territories as well as the future direction of his knights. In this regard, Deatrice actually gave some pretty helpful advice. Lucius barely even realized that they were walking further away from the table when all of a sudden, her hand touched his cheek and he finally saw that they were already near the main entrance. Deatrice gave him a radiant smile, ¡°Come back safely.¡± She was seeing him off¡­ Soon, she lifted her heels and pulled his head lower. Then she kissed him on the cheek. Lucius felt the soft touch of her lips and soon, her scent and warmth engulfed his senses. He tried to place his hand on her waist out of habit, but then he abruptly clenched his fists. ¡°What is this¡­¡± He said with a frown. She blinked twice, signaling him to look around. It was only due to that small gaze that he realized she had done this because the servants¡¯ gazes were pinned on them. He should play along and give them a natural performance like he usually does, like showing her a loving smile and being affectionate with his actions. But it didn¡¯t work out the way he wanted. After several attempts, his face remained stiff, and his smile was awkward to say the least. He could only blurt out three words without his usual flattery. ¡°Sure, I will.¡± But as he closed the door and went down the stairs, Lucius thought about her brief kiss and how natural it felt to want to grab her by the waist. Like how they were six years ago. Meanwhile, Deatrice watched Lucius moving away and muttered to herself. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Fool.¡± She simply wanted to upgrade her acting to another level to better deceive others, she just didn¡¯t expect that even Lucius would fall for it. Hm¡­ It must be possible for him to accept her, even if she had changed so quickly without rhyme or reason. He must¡¯ve concluded that there was no real reason for her to get revenge. Mhm. He didn¡¯t take into account that possibility at all. Well, there¡¯s nothing really bad about it if he chose to believe me. Deatrice thought, and then waved her hands to his back with a smile, like the loving wife that most people expected of her. *** It¡¯s been some time since Deatrice¡¯s ¡®kind revenge¡¯ began. The couple ate together every day now and talked about how each other¡¯s day went. He would speak about knights and estates; she would talk about books she had read and her leisurely walks. No one would initiate to probe further into a deeper topic, but anyway, this type of conversation was comforting to the both of them. Lucius quickly adapted to these harmless changes. Deatrice also felt that the servants looked at her differently day by day and thought that things were going smoothly according to her plan. But at the same time, when the relationship between him and her was going so well, she felt confused. Did she really want revenge or a genuine restoration of their marriage? At one point in time, Lucius was feeling puzzled as well, so he had told her this during one of their meals and Deatrice recalled it at this moment. ¡°If you¡¯re unsure of a relationship, then¡ª¡± She inhaled sharply. He was respectful to her and even publicly wooed her, but Deatrice still felt uncertain at times and pushed him away. Like what was happening right now. Lucius, with the sweetest face in the world, was kneeling at her feet and holding her hand, saying, ¡°If you¡¯re confused, we can just kiss.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just let our lips touch ever so lightly. It¡¯s not too difficult.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± At his absurd suggestion, Deatrice put her hand against his chest and pushed him away. But with the graceful smile still plastered on his handsome face, Lucius appeared confident. For him, rather than a gimmick, it felt like some plausible theory that he would be able to reach her now. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only If you¡¯re unsure of a relationship, then go for a kiss¡­ He continued persuading her, ¡°How about this. If we feel nothing even after we kiss each other, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Isn¡¯t that a wonderful opportunity to push me out completely?¡± ¡°But kissing on the lips is something you do with a person you love.¡± she hesitated, ¡°On top of that, the two of us are in a pretend marriage. I can barely even call you a friend.¡± ¡°A pretend marriage still means we¡¯re married. Therefore, it isn¡¯t so wrong to kiss my lawfully wedded wife, right? Besides, we¡¯re the only ones here¡­¡± Lucius said as servants took elusive glances at them from inconspicuous locations. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 When he gave her a soft smile, Deatrice felt herself momentarily shaken by it. Then, she felt a headache coming her way. Although she liked him, she wasn¡¯t sure if she loved him. ¡°Will a kiss really make my feelings for you certain?¡± she asked pensively. Her father may not be vocal right now, but she was sure he was definitely against their union. She didn¡¯t want to have to confront his objections if she, by chance, realized that she actually felt something for him. ¡°Every drop of blood in your body would feel electrified.¡± His voice brought her mind back to the present. It might¡¯ve sounded arrogant, but because of his deep gaze, those words sounded like a lover¡¯s passionate declaration. A promise of what¡¯s to come. Deatrice met with those eager eyes and closed hers. She felt herself sink into his shadow. She imagined her hand touching his cheek, feeling the comfort of his warmth, and the tingling that might course through her veins once his soft lips touched hers. Go for a kiss when you¡¯re unsure¡­ As shameless as it may sound, what he said had some substance to them. The flames of love might be gone, but are they really? If Deatrice truly felt sorry for Lucius and wanted their marriage to be a genuine one, would she really know from just this simple kiss? So, she agreed. That was until she felt that a kiss on the lips in front of other people was too much, so she turned her head away at the last moment. The thought that Lucius¡¯s face would turn increasingly unpleasant after every second that they kissed¡­ She would rather not want to see it. In the end, she gave him another short kiss on the cheek while sending him off. Which was enough to cover the absence¡ªor presence? ¡ª of regret in her heart. If not revenge, then what did she really want? Some sort of petty and meaningless agenda of getting even with him? Deatrice decided not to think any further. But, for the meantime, she was satisfied. What she didn¡¯t expect was that there was someone who intuitively noticed the intent behind her actions. Tom stood in front of Lucius, who was currently looking at some documents with a displeased expression, and said, ¡°Are you really going to let her be?¡± Lucius asked with a sigh as he wrote his signature. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The lady, of course! Why are you letting her do whatever she wants?¡± After calling Deatrice as nothing else but the duke¡¯s daughter in front of Lucius and being severely scolded afterwards, Tom reluctantly began to call her lady. ¡°What else is Deatrice doing aside from obediently taking her medicine and not causing a fuss?¡± Lucius replied sternly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem!¡± Tom shouted. ¡°Do you know what rumors are circulating among the servants these days? At first, I didn¡¯t pay much heed to it, but now they say that the lady is worthy to be loved! Positive rumors like that are going to ruin our plans!¡± ¡°Worthy to be loved?¡± Lucius mused. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°By who¡ª¡± he corrected himself as his eyes softened ever so slightly. ¡°I mean, why?¡± ¡°Ah? That is¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Tom thought he looked somehow wistful, but he thought it was impossible, so he shook his head and answered. ¡°That¡¯s because they know now that the lady was simply thinking of the master¡¯s well-being. The poor servants were taken aback when they found out and felt guilty. But I¡¯m sure you know that it¡¯s all an act to get what she wants, right?¡± ¡°Well, that kiss¡ª¡± Was an act too. His mind echoed. Lucius felt his throat being choked. He couldn¡¯t finish his words and smelling a familiar fragrance hadn¡¯t helped him in the slightest. Roses. It was the same exact scent she exuded. He soon realized that it emanated from her garden where she usually lounged around and wrote in her journal. ¡°Close the window.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tom was confused, ¡°But it¡¯s so hot?¡± ¡°Just close it.¡± At his master¡¯s unsettled voice, Tom closed the window, but he didn¡¯t forget to grumble while doing it. Lucius quickly untied his cravat as the temperature inside the room began to rise. Tom watched his master work. With his nape exposed and his hair all tousled, in many ways, he simply looked like an indulgent youth of nobility or a charismatic young knight rather than a lord with many responsibilities. He shrugged and asked, ¡°Well?¡± Hearing his attendant¡¯s probing question, Lucius put down his pen. ¡°Can¡¯t it be because she¡¯s too lazy to fight with me anymore? I know Deatrice better than you. She¡¯s not the type of person to scheme. She¡¯s too proud for that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°And would it really make that much of a difference if all of her recent actions were just part of a more elaborate ploy?¡± Hearing his master¡¯s carefree words, Tom beat his chest in frustration. ¡°It makes a huge difference! It¡¯s good for us if there¡¯s bad rumors about her!¡± ¡°Human minds are too fickle. We can simply create a bad rumor when we need one that would ruin her efforts.¡± ¡°For example?¡± Lucius frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Should I really think about it now?¡± ¡°If not now, then when?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty and leave Deatrice alone.¡± he warned. ¡°I still haven¡¯t even received the edict yet.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Leave her alone? I haven¡¯t even done anything to her!¡± he defended. Although Lucius had outwardly displayed his dissatisfaction with Deatrice, he felt that the person who posed the real danger was Tom, his own attendant. He might still be acting like that due to prejudice, but Lucius hoped that one day he would change his mind and accept Deatrice as she is. But for Tom, it was clear as day to him that Lucius would be betrayed yet again after accepting her once more. The master, ignorant of the servant¡¯s concerns, waved his hand recklessly and ordered him to leave with the finished documents. Tom gave out a long sigh and went out the door, papers in hand. Chapter 45 Chapter 44 Chapter 43 Chapter 42 Chapter 41 Chapter 40 Chapter 39 Chapter 38 Chapter 37 Chapter 36 Chapter 35 Chapter 34 Chapter 33 Chapter 32 Chapter 31 Chapter 30 Chapter 29 Chapter 28 Chapter 27 Chapter 26 Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Chapter 21 Chapter 20 Chapter 19 Chapter 18 Chapter 17 Chapter 16 Chapter 15 Chapter 14 Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Chapter 11 Chapter 10 Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 As soon as the unrestrained servant went out, the room immediately became quiet. Lucius glanced at the bed of roses through the glass of his closed window. As it was summer, those flowers blossomed vibrantly and the fragrance they suffused had only become even stronger. Why is her smell so similar to that garden? It didn¡¯t look like she had been walking in the garden for long periods of time for her clothes to soak in all of its scent. So, could it be that her terrace is always open, and that was how the smell of roses had permeated her body? Lucius narrowed his eyebrows and was immersed in useless thoughts when suddenly, a brunette maid holding a wicker basket appeared. Then, she began plucking some roses. Seeing that only the most beautiful flowers with healthy-looking petals were selected, it must be because she was preparing it for the bath water. At that moment, Lucius felt as if the riddle in his head had been solved. So, the scent from her body came from her bath¡­ The window was still closed and there was nothing but hot air across his skin, but it felt like her scent was dominating his senses once more. At the same time, his thoughts wandered. Touch of her lips against his cheek, her body that touched him closely, and her waist that can be embraced with one hand, the few strands of hair running along her face, and her slender neck¡­ Lucius scowled. Annoyed at himself for reliving the memories, he vigorously shook his head. But it was futile. After seeing the maid picking flower petals, strange pictures kept popping up in his head¡ªa maid cleaning rose petals, scattering them inside the bathtub and pouring perfume afterwards¡­ Then, the image of Deatrice¡¯s delicate body gradually lowering itself into the bathwater caused him to curse out loud. Why am I thinking of this? I¡¯m not even horny! However, the imagination started, he could no longer stop thinking about it. The sensation of holding Deatrice¡¯s twisted ankle during their wedding reminded him that he saw the pale skin of her legs under her skirt. He didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but why now, did it feel as if he was on fire? That night after their wedding, even in his drunkenness, he could clearly recall Deatrice wearing those flimsy nightclothes. He could see the hazy outline of her shapely body when it was exposed by the candles behind her. Now, Lucius¡¯ roving mind imagined her to be wearing the exact same thing as she slowly soaked herself into that rose-scented bath water. Those petals clung to her smooth shoulders and a few of them slowly slid down from her collarbone onto her bulging chest. He felt like a pervert, but he simply couldn¡¯t stop himself from imagining. He couldn¡¯t. The smell of roses finally pervaded into his study and another image of Deatrice passionately kissing him instantly surfaced in his head. Bang! It¡¯s been a long time since he had an erection just by imagining something that had never actually happened, and Lucius finally had no choice but to hit his head against the desk. He also had to get rid of the thought of that brunette maid wiping every inch of Deatrice¡¯s naked body with a towel¡­ *** Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Meanwhile¡­ Presently, Deatrice had her hair braided, and was reading a book with one elbow resting on a desk. Warm sunlight illuminated the inside, and the pleasant smell of garden roses subtly permeated within the room. Before, she felt terrible about the fact that the only things she got from this marriage were the ring and this room. But now, she would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t attached to it. This room was smaller and less dazzling than her room back at her paternal home, but it had its own charm. ¡°Is it done?¡± Deatrice spoke and raised her head to look at her maidservant. Rosalynn looked outside through the window, nodded her head, then grabbed Deatrice¡¯s gloves and hat from a coat rack. She silently placed a glove on her mistress¡¯s hand, but she paused. Eyes half-closed, Deatrice could see Rosalynn¡¯s expression and recognized that she was hesitating. ¡°What is it? Just say it.¡± As if waiting for her words, Rosalynn raised her head with a face full of worry. ¡°M¡¯lady, must you go today?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I overheard servants gossiping. They said that Sir Elliot¡ªno¡ªthe master hasn¡¯t been himself for the past two days. He had always been friendly, so the servants were flustered seeing him acting so differently.¡± Rosalynn lowered her voice, ¡°I also managed to get a glimpse of his face once. It looked so cold it felt like he could freeze me to death with a single glance.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t hear anything about that.¡± Rosalynn nodded. ¡°Yes. They also say it doesn¡¯t even look like a problem from his territories or his knights¡­¡± And what else could the cause be if not for ¡®that¡¯? Did he figure out my intentions? Deatrice bowed her head while pondering Rosalynn¡¯s unfinished words. Except for the territory and the knights in Lucius¡¯ life, all that was left was the manor. And aside from him (and his sister), the only one who could mess with that place was Deatrice. Of course, Deatrice knew she did nothing wrong in the past two days, but she thought it was suspicious that he was avoiding meeting with her. ¡°What if it¡¯s really because of me? I need to set things straight.¡± ¡°But if you suddenly visit the Knights Templar without prior notice, won¡¯t he be mad?¡± Deatrice smiled brightly and giggled, ¡°It¡¯s romantic and sweet, why on earth would he be mad?¡± That smile showed her unbending stubbornness. Although she hadn¡¯t made a fuss these days, Rosalynn knew better than anyone that Deatrice was planning something twisted. Probably because of the ill-treatment she had received here, and the feelings of heartache from having to lower her stature in order to face him. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only With her mistress¡¯s actions justified in her heart, Rosalynn decisively tied the hat on Deatrice with a thick blue ribbon.Taking a step back, she saw Deatrice grabbing her parasol and sauntered her way out the door, then she subsequently trailed behind her. They brought small tokens and snacks with them to be given to those knights and put them in the carriage. Even if her husband was the commander of the Knights Templar, women shouldn¡¯t show up there unannounced as it would be deemed very unladylike. But Deatrice thought it would be very fitting for her to go there, especially since these knights had already been through a life and death battle with him, so it shouldn¡¯t be that big of a big deal. Moreover, she wanted to see Lucius with a confused look on his face. When she arrived, it wasn¡¯t so easy to get in. But that didn¡¯t stop her from walking straight forward without even a pause in her steps. Chapter 46 Because the location of the training grounds was on the mountainside, the carriage ride on the way there was too bumpy. Deatrice suffered a lot and had felt dizzy multiple times, but she couldn¡¯t get out. She chose this, after all, so she had to endure. When she sat in front of the gray building and listened to the men¡¯s gruff voices and their swords clanging against each other, she was instantly reminded of Rosalynn¡¯s words and felt worried. ¡°I also managed to get a glimpse of his face once. It looked so cold it felt like he could freeze me to death with a single glance.¡± She had decided to disturb Lucius today, but right now she hesitated, thinking it might spark another exhausting war of nerves between the two of them. After deliberating for some time, Deatrice told Rosalynn that she would go for a walk around the area by herself. Partly to get some air and get rid of this annoying motion sickness, but mostly to prepare for the fight that just might be coming after her little stunt. Birds chirped loudly, and there were the occasional squeaking sounds of small animals. Because of the shade of the trees, the mountain air felt cool against her skin. Walking down the slope, wearing a light dress and gazing at the lush greenery; Deatrice actually felt refreshed, her headache subsiding a little. She felt anticipation when she imagined how Lucius¡¯ expression would look when he saw her. Right. Let¡¯s go back now and disturb him. A fleeting thought passed through her mind: that she was simply doing this because she was bored and had nothing else to do instead of it being for the sake of revenge. She abruptly shook her head and quickly erased those doubts. As she was about to continue forward, she suddenly heard a cry. But rather than a loud weeping, it sounded more like a suppressed sob and Deatrice wondered who it was. She walked cautiously, planning to take a peek at the person¡¯s face. Soon, she found a man by the creek, washing a bundle of thick clothes with his face dripping with tears. He had a pretty face with his dark blue hair. Judging by his appearance, he seemed like someone who had just passed his puberty. Normally, she would have just walked away, but since the men¡¯s clothes were familiar uniforms, Deatrice simply remained standing there. When he finally looked up and saw her figure a short distance away, he was almost startled to death. He quickly stood up and wiped his tears. ¡°How did you find this place? Are you lost?¡± he asked with wide eyes. After a moment of silence, Deatrice asked. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± The man¡¯s face lit up, but then his expression turned despondent once more. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. But¡­ my mother¡­¡± his voice croaked. He couldn¡¯t hold back his tears and it streamed back down onto his cheeks. Seeing him crying so sadly, Deatrice thought that his mother had passed away. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks He hurriedly wiped his cheeks with palms all wrinkled after being soaked in the water too long. ¡°My mother sent me a letter, saying she wanted to see me. Her health isn¡¯t good these days, so¡ªsniff¡ªI¡¯m just a little worried¡­¡± Deatrice stared at his face filled with snots and tears. ¡°A ¡®little¡¯?¡± Embarrassed, his reply came a little too quickly. ¡°I-I¡¯m just the type of person who cries a lot.¡± She chuckled, feeling as if she was talking to a younger brother, and with the corners of her lips raised nicely, her face had that quality to it that appeared quite different from her usual cold face. The man looked at her smiling face, charmed. ¡°M-my name is Jerry Atkins. Pardon me, but¡­ may I ask what your name is?¡± It was common for names to be exchanged in situations where they are interested in the other party, whether it be solely as a friend or something more. Silence fell at the end of his words. Deatrice had already seen his cute and vulnerable side so she thought there was nothing wrong with letting him know. But at the same time, since he was a member of the Knights of Lucius, it was obvious that he would be terrified once he knew her identity and would apologize that he didn¡¯t recognize her sooner. She didn¡¯t want to go through a situation that would just happen a little later anyway. Therefore, Deatrice smiled slightly and responded politely. ¡°I need to go.¡± Atkins blushed and nodded. She was about to walk away, when she abruptly stopped and turned back to ask him. ¡°If you want to see your mother, why not take a leave of absence? Don¡¯t they allow it under these kinds of circumstances?¡± ¡°They do.¡± he said, then added weakly, ¡°But it has only been a short while since I came back¡­¡± ¡°So? Don¡¯t you still need to go?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°To your mother.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Deatrice uttered, as clearly as possible, ¡°The future is full of uncertainties. If you¡¯re this worried and crying for her sake, I think it¡¯s only right to go and see her.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Atkins¡¯ eyes accidentally met with Deatrice¡¯s unswerving gaze and the rest of his words were swallowed back into his throat. Then, he nodded his head obediently and said, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Deatrice smiled, thinking he was still too pure and naive. Then she left. Chapter 47 Later on, Atkins realized something after remembering his senior¡¯s words. ¡°Rumor has it that in the capital, there hadn¡¯t been a young lady like her for several years¡­¡± He had naturally come to the conclusion that the woman he had just met must be none other than the commander¡¯s rumored wife and the duke¡¯s controversial daughter. While Atkins was left to his own thoughts, Deatrice, having been revitalized by that short walk, headed to the training center without delay. She saw knights in the middle of a practice session with the sandy ground crunching beneath their boots. Carrying a dainty parasol, she slowly trudged on the unstable ground. Behind her were servants all lined up with gifts and food on their hands. The men stopped at her sudden entrance and watched this peculiar scene with bewildered expressions. ¡°Lucy!¡± she called out in a sweet and familiar manner. The knights immediately broke into low, incoherent murmurs. Upon seeing her figure, Lucius frowned. Soon enough, Deatrice had reached him and was now standing in front of him. She even took the time to notice how his blonde hair shimmered flawlessly under the sun. Lucius looked at her, feeling a slight force on his chin that emanated from his gritted teeth. ¡°What is all of this?¡± he asked. Deatrice reached out her hands towards him, but Lucius grabbed her hand and repeated his words. ¡°Let me ask you again¡ªwhat is all of this?¡± ¡°What are you implying? I just brought some snacks and a few tokens of apology for your men since they couldn¡¯t be present during our wedding.¡± She shook off his hand, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because I know you have a very close relationship with them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± he suddenly frowned when he saw Deatrice proudly raising her chin and looking around her, making eye contact with some of the knights. Lucius soon realized what she meant. A doting husband shouldn¡¯t be upset that his beloved wife brought him food and gifts, and if he openly scolded Deatrice in front of them, it would be as if he was cutting his own flesh. But he wasn¡¯t able to change his mood right away. He just slightly pulled the corners of his mouth into a terse smile. Deatrice, whom he had been actively avoiding after feeling excited by the image of her that he didn¡¯t really want to recall because it irritated him, was currently standing in front of him with a sullen expression. Teasing him. Taking a glance at the servant, indicating him to leave, Lucius dragged Deatrice¡¯s arm and they disappeared. The knights exchanged meaningful glances with each other and began chatting, all the while chaotically receiving the gifts distributed by the attendants. When they were in a quiet place, only then did Lucius let go of Deatrice¡¯s hand. He couldn¡¯t stand even a brief touch, and his hands just lay stiffly by his side. He tried to speak calmly, but Deatrice had easily riled up his temper. ¡±What are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already explained it to you: I want to apologize for not inviting them to the wedding¡ª¡± He cut off her words. ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that.¡± There was this slight nervousness in his voice at the explanation that came from her mouth. ¡°We both know you¡¯re not the kind of person who would care about the Templar. So just be honest with me, why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± she asked, thinking it was strange. When she showed changes in her behavior, he didn¡¯t seem to care. But out of the blue, he was suddenly questioning her intentions for changing. Lucius uttered in a frustrated manner, ¡°Yes, the things you¡ª¡± Kiss. He paused. If he continued his words, then Deatrice would immediately understand why he was in so much pain. He hastily replaced the end of his sentence with other words. ¡°The things you¡¯re doing to me. What are you plotting against me?¡± ¡°Plotting against you?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Deatrice scrutinized his face. They said that Lucius was a sensitive person. But the ¡®him¡¯ right now appeared far from sensitive. It was like he had lost reason and simply looked like an agitated child. Like a child who¡¯s annoyed because he couldn¡¯t get what he wanted. People in this state tend to be easy to deal with. Therefore, Deatrice took one step closer to him and in a panic, he dodged and backed away. Looking intently at him, his skin flushed, and he hurriedly avoided her gaze. She spoke. ¡°I struggled a bit because the rumors about me in the mansion weren¡¯t good. Especially my maid, Rosalynn. So I thought about trying to win people¡¯s hearts by showing them how good I am to you.¡± Deatrice slightly tilted her head. ¡°And isn¡¯t this what you wanted? To build up our image as affectionate newlyweds?¡± It¡¯s always effective to say half-truth and half-lie. Lucius had no choice but to believe her. In addition, it was because he said that he knew Deatrice wouldn¡¯t do such a lowly act of revenge in the first place. However, he inhaled a lungful of air because he couldn¡¯t stand the urge to slap his past self. It was like he had dug his own grave. It obviously didn¡¯t matter at first, but all of a sudden, their positions had changed completely. He ruffled his hair, trying to stay calm. He was also aware that Deatrice¡¯s gaze was looking at him, and he was fully aware that he was behaving strangely. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. ¡°I understand. But from now on, please don¡¯t approach me like this, and you don¡¯t have to always show people that you¡¯re touching me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± she took one more step towards him. The room they came into in a hurry was filled with various desks and chairs. Hence, when Lucius moved his foot a step back, he hit his heel against the foot of a chair. Deatrice looked up at him with an ambiguous smile. ¡°You already said it first. There won¡¯t be anything real going on between us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It felt hot inside. There was little to no ventilation inside the room because the windows were closed. Lucius gulped and looked down at Deatrice who took another step closer. He sniffed the air. That damn rose scent again! He eyed her square-fronted dress that barely even revealed the skin of her neck and collarbone. How can I fall for this woman again? Half of him simply wanted to die. Would it be better if he just struck his head somewhere? Even during the war where everyone was buying women left and right, he didn¡¯t feel this kind of immoral impulse. Lucius firmly decided he would never let the woman in front of him find out about this situation. Being at the receiving end of her tenacious gaze, he was able to hold his head straight and look down at her. But no matter how hard he tried to conceal it, it was gradually noticed. ¡°Lucius, you seem a little strange.¡± Deatrice furrowed her brows a little and said, ¡°Your face is red¡­ Do you have a fever? Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± he dissuaded. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Let me touch your forehead.¡± Lucius turned his body away, avoiding her touch. Her whisper-like tone even sounded sweet. But maybe it was just his ears playing tricks on him. ¡°It¡¯s not that, now go back.¡± ¡°Then why are you avoiding me?¡± ¡°Since when did I?¡± ¡°Countless times already.¡± she countered. ¡°Lucius, why are you being so weird? If you¡¯re not sick, then what the hell is going on?¡± Chapter 48 Lucius regretted his words. He could¡¯ve just pretended he was sick, but at the time, he wasn¡¯t really in the right frame of mind to think clearly. Seemingly small and trivial sensations were magnified as his head spun and his vision turned hazy, like it was obscured by mist. He kept imagining things that weren¡¯t real, so he diverted his attention elsewhere. The nape of her neck, her cheeks, her eyes, and his hot breath blowing against the tendrils of her hair that went all the way down to her collarbone¡­ His fingertips turned numb. After staring blankly at her gray eyes, he finally raised his hand and covered his expression. Because his face was hidden, the tips of his blushing ears and the nape of his neck were exceptionally visible. Noticing that small change, Deatrice recalled a moment in the past. It was when she twisted her ankle and spoke to him for the first time. During that brief meeting, she discovered that Lucius knew she was secretly stealing glances at him, and he also managed to address her own feelings about the duchess¡¯s death when she had never even talked about them to anyone. After she had gotten home that night, she had regretted the things she had said to him and therefore, couldn¡¯t sleep until daylight came. However, the next time she saw Lucius, he just gave her a friendly smile like nothing happened. He never requested her for a dance or asked her personally to meet with him outside. But whenever she was alone, he would always approach her with a low-alcohol cocktail in one hand. She would then listen to the music from the hall with him without saying much. But if not that, then she would either go out for a walk or have a heated discussion with him. She couldn¡¯t remember what they¡¯d discussed back then, but she could recall that when the cocktail glass was empty and their small chat was over, she would feel a bit special. Before he departed, Deatrice would usually see Lucius smiling, almost like a smirk. Either way, she loved that smile on his handsome face. Slightly indistinct as it was shrouded by the hall lights under the dark night sky. She would think of that smile before going to sleep, and when she woke up in the morning, she could hardly wait for night to come so she could attend a ball. There were even many instances when she was out in the garden, waiting for him to come. But at the same time, there¡¯s always this thought at the back of her head, that this brief meeting between them was just a bubble waiting to burst and disappear. That when the next season comes, the two of them will exchange awkward smiles just as they did before. For that reason, Deatrice headed to Victoria More¡¯s house impulsively, pretending to be sick and simply leaving a letter to her father that said she needed her aunt¡¯s comfort as a ¡®mother¡¯. Thankfully, she was able to gain Aunt Victoria¡¯s full support right before she got back home. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks But even if Elwood More and Lucius were close friends, there was a very slim chance of seeing him again at the More¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t have any hopes for it either, but there was still the slightest expectation that Elwood just might be able to receive a letter from Lucius. He really has no ambition to see me¡­ She made up her mind to leave when that thought occurred to her. But after a while, she caught wind of the news that Lucius Fenry was in a villa near the More¡¯s mansion. The young Deatrice took a deep breath and covered her face with a folding fan, hiding her agitation. It was then that she realized how badly she wanted to meet him. In Lucius¡¯ case, he thought that Deatrice coming to the More¡¯s mansion almost every day must¡¯ve been an outright signal for him to come to her. Later on, the two saw each other again and Deatrice¡¯s worries were finally eased. He was still polite and docile in front of others, but when the two of them were alone, his attitude would change into a more familiar one. Soon enough, she quickly became absorbed in spending the ripe summer season with Charlie, Elwood and Lucius as they freely enjoyed the sceneries of nearby forests and lakes. She just wanted to have a happy time. With him. I wish the season would stay like this forever¡ªus spending it together, even if it means we always must hide our feelings for each other. Deatrice thought. However, unlike her feelings which were a little sentimental and passive, his were much more serious and he wanted certainty. When he leaned against the bookshelf and talked about a book, when he pulled out a book near her finger and rubbed against her skin, when their eyes widened a little and he just stared at her gloved hands for a long time without saying a word¡­ After so much tension had gone on between the two of them, Lucius finally confessed. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only He wanted her to marry him. However, Deatrice did not have the courage to fight against her father, so she turned him down. But after a long time, she finally fell for his foolish ¡®kiss to convince¡¯. They had a secret engagement. Soon enough, she revealed it to Victoria, and although the older woman had nagged at her endlessly while she endured, nothing could stop the young woman from falling in love. She was truly happy, until she had to return to the duke¡¯s residence. Chapter 49 Deatrice assumed that her father would be against it, but only at first. After all, Lucius¡¯ family wasn¡¯t that bad. She held onto that belief and thought to try something. That day was one of those days when she truly believed that she would get to marry him, and this engagement was only proof of that. She didn¡¯t know how it started, but slowly, they started telling each other more things about themselves, but it wasn¡¯t anything too grand. Like how Lucius told her that he could hold his breath for a long time and then went silent without saying anything. When she noticed his chest wasn¡¯t moving after a long time, she became terrified. What if he dies? She knew it was a heedless worry, but that was a time when she was afraid that even a single needle might hurt her lover. With a serious and weeping face, she said these words. ¡°Breathe, Lucy!¡± It wasn¡¯t until she was almost crying that he suddenly burst into a laughing fit and hugged her. She wanted to get back at him for that. ¡°You know, I learned to dance from a young age, so I have a very good sense of balance.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Saying that, she led him to a log bridge she had seen once. As soon as Lucius saw the piece of wood, he recognized her intentions and grabbed her hand. ¡°Deatrice, don¡¯t tell me you¡ª¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I believe in you. But¡ª¡± He inhaled sharply, cutting off his last words. But she was already a little happy with the anxious tone of his voice. She pressed the corners of her lips together and gave him a rather serious look. ¡°So? Aren¡¯t we showing each other what we¡¯re good at?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I want to show you something.¡± After she said that, he finally let go. It wasn¡¯t a lie that Deatrice had a good balance. The ballet she learned from her childhood helped her to keep her balance even on narrow and slippery roads. She climbed onto the log and began to assume a pose. She gracefully moved one arm to her side, and the other one above her. One leg stood straight, supporting her weight, and the other one had its foot pointed towards the back. ¡°This is called a Crois¨¦. Follow after me, Lucy¡ªCrois¨¦.¡± Deatrice slowly raised the foot behind her into the air. It wasn¡¯t easy for Lucius to pronounce the word accurately, but he hoped this would be over soon, so he decided to grant her wish. ¡°Alright. Cro¡­is¨¦¡­¡± Then she smiled and jumped, switched her weight from one leg to another, and leaned forward. Using the sound of leaves swaying in the wind as her musical accompaniment, she began a series of movements like water on a gentle stream¡ªsoft and fluid. Deatrice turned to her side. ¡°And this is a Pas de Bourree.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks By now, he too, had no choice but to watch her move like a floating butterfly. He stared blankly at her, barely recognizing that there was one log on the ground. ¡°¡­and this is a pirouette¡­¡± She spoke, took a ready position and spun. On her second turn, she staggered and eventually fell into the water. ¡°Deatrice!¡± Lucius¡¯ heart sank and he tried to jump into the water to rescue her, but was soon stopped by Deatrice¡¯s roaring laughter as she pulled her face out of the water. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me in, Lucy. I can¡¯t let you get wet with me.¡± He jumped in surprise for a moment, but Lucius also knew that Deatrice was as good at swimming as she was with ballet. He sat down, frowning as he waited for her to come to him. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Deatrice laughed at the obvious displeasure in his voice. ¡°Nothing.¡± The words she had once said echoed in his ears again, ¡®I¡¯ve always lived unpredictably, just like this¡¯. Lucius was freed from his thoughts upon seeing the look of joy on her face. It¡¯s just that¡­ As soon as she came ashore, her clothes clung to her skin so tightly, revealing the outline of her body, and his expression hardened. She casually passed by him and wrung the hem of her clothes. She was evidently clumsy as she never had to do anything like this before since she had servants to take care of her. She thought that Lucius, who had been taking care of her so tenderly, would come and volunteer to help her as he had always done, but he was nowhere to be seen. Deatrice called him when her clothes were only wrinkled, and the water didn¡¯t drain properly. ¡°Lucy?¡± But there was no answer from him. She turned around and saw him rigidly rooted on one spot, with one knee on the floor just. The same position he was in a couple of minutes ago. She started walking towards him ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± He sprung up and hastily passed by her. But it looked like he was hurting since his head was bowed and his face was buried in his hands. Deatrice was convinced he was suffering from having some dust or spores stuck in his eyes since she had seen it happen before when she had previously visited this place. ¡°Here, let me remove it for you.¡± As soon as she approached him, he moved away. When she approached him again, he moved even further away. Deatrice glanced at him with a strange expression. ¡°Is there something wrong, Lucy?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only He didn¡¯t answer. Deatrice wondered if he was angry at her when Lucius unexpectedly took off his jacket, walked briskly towards her, and immediately wrapped his clothes around her. She panicked and tried to pull herself out, but his strength was too much for her to contend with. She couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°There¡¯s still water in my clothes¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please wait a moment.¡± He hugged her. Chapter 50 She felt the urgency of his gesture, so she had innocently hugged him back then. But in her mind, she couldn¡¯t figure out why he was doing this. Showing her naked body to her maids was a normal thing to her, so she couldn¡¯t find any fault with just letting him see her in wet clothing. After being hugged for a while, she turned her head in frustration and only then did she see the flushed skin on his ears and at the back of his neck. It was glaringly obvious as it contrasted against his pale skin. Deatrice had even thought that everyone who looked at him from afar could still practically see it. But for Lucius, this was the color of a lover¡¯s desire. Desire that he had felt for the first time¡­ And now, in front of her, his earlobes and the nape of his neck were dyed the same color she had once seen on him in the past. Deatrice took a step back and frowned. ¡°Lucius, are you¡­¡± ¡­do you want me now? The question did not come out of her mouth. But with that brief and somewhat contemptuous call, it was as if Lucius knew what she meant. He neither denied nor affirmed her suspicions and just kept his face within his hands. Deatrice looked at him for a moment. She didn¡¯t know what to feel. ¡°Today, or any day in the future, I will not sleep with you¡­¡±¡¯ Should she be happy by the fact that he had fallen prey to his desires? Or should she be disgusted by the fact that the person who desired her wasn¡¯t even her lover? The room became so silent, they could practically hear each other¡¯s heartbeat. Then they heard somebody knock. She silently moved from her position and made a motion to twist the knob. Deatrice didn¡¯t know how she found out they were here, but Rosalynn was the one behind the door, ¡°M¡¯lady, I think we should go back.¡± In response to the maid¡¯s urgent words, Lucius asked instead, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Rosalynn looked at him for a moment, then spoke to Deatrice again. ¡°There¡¯s a guest, m¡¯lady.¡± Lucius recognized Rosalynn¡¯s unwillingness to recognize him and subsequently left the room after seeing that Deatrice wasn¡¯t responding. After he left, she took a few steps forwards, but stumbled slightly. ¡°Are you alright, lady?¡± the maid asked, worried. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Rosalynn looked at her, thinking that there might be trouble soon. If her mistress had been in a bad mood before this time, things might take a turn for the worst. Especially if she didn¡¯t like the person who arrived. Walking forward and looking from a distance, Deatrice finally saw who it was. The guest was Dixie Belle. *** Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Of course, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising to her. The fact that the lord¡¯s sister would be visiting was something all the servants in the manor had been talking about. They even used to say that, whenever they¡¯re faced with an impossible problem, as long as Dixie came, everything would be alright. But every time they said something like that, Deatrice just smirked and dismissed it as nonsense. When the masters have a fight, it is usually up to the mother or sister of the husband to intervene, making it quite a normal occurrence in various households. Deatrice treated her arrival as such. However, Dixie was one of those people who had always gotten on her nerves for the past six years, except for that single moment when she shouted at the ballroom to shut people¡¯s mouths. She knew that the brunette¡¯s enmity with her was one that burned more intensely than that of Lucius¡¯. It could even be said that since her marriage with Lucius, Dixie must¡¯ve prepared some cards and had been looking forward to the moment when she could finally use it against her. But no matter what, the weapon Dixie would choose would definitely be ¡®that¡¯. ¡°Who is with her?¡± Deatrice asked Hearing her question, Rosalynn put on a look of disappointment. ¡°Berry Spurt.¡± ¡°Hm. Berry Spurt¡­¡± Deatrice quietly muttered the name. It was the young girl whom Lucius had a ¡®friendly relationship¡¯ with for a short while before eventually getting engaged to Deatrice. After they had gotten married, there was no longer any contact between them at all, so she thought their relationship would end at that. Of all people, why would Dixie bring her? Deatrice took off her hat and went down the corridor where the two guests were, the carpeted stairs silencing her footsteps. As she had gotten nearer, their voices gradually became clearer. ¡°¡­this is something I¡¯ve really worked so hard to find because my older brother liked the artist. My brother insisted he liked anything I gave him, but I was stubborn and forced him to bring this picture in. Thankfully, when this piece was put up for auction, Roy was out of the country and thus, I was able to get it. I¡¯m so glad I succeeded, and now I have something to admire when I walk in front of the corridors. Isn¡¯t it so?¡± ¡°Mhm. I can¡¯t see the image very well from here, but I do know that it is very special. Oh, by the way, Sir Elliot likes the artist behind this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ rather than liking it, it¡¯s best to say that he¡¯s only mildly interested in him. He easily gets bored with everything, you know? And he isn¡¯t that keen on art.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s like he always has his thoughts wandering elsewhere¡­¡± Deatrice suddenly stopped walking. Because Berry Spurt¡¯s words were so similar to what Deatrice once said to Lucius. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°I¡­ I would sometimes see you deep in thought, very much unlike your usual cheerful appearance.¡± Afterwards, she expressed that Lucius was unique. Deatrice remained motionless, thinking to herself that it was obvious as to why Dixie had brought Berry Spurt because the lady was two years younger than her. But she contemplated a bit more on what the latter¡¯s intentions were for following Dixie to this place. Disregarding that thought, from what she knew, Lucius¡¯ and Spurt¡¯s relationship had been nothing more than a simple crush. There was no way Lucius would¡¯ve left room for rumors to spread about having an affair with Berry Spurt. He didn¡¯t even have a property to his name at that time, much less pursue someone. So did Spurt spread those rumors intentionally? Was there something else between them that she was unaware of? Chapter 51 Deatrice halted her train of thought. So what if something actually happened between those two? It would already be in the past. Moreover, they were husband and wife only in name. When she arrived, Dixie turned around at just the right time to see her. Deatrice didn¡¯t know whether she had heard her steps, or if someone told her she would be here soon. Dixie had no problems managing her facial expressions, it was crucial if one wanted to survive the upper society. But this sister-in-law never really tried to hide her hostility for her brother¡¯s ¡®wife¡¯. Bending her knees ever-so-slightly that she may as well still be standing, she said perfunctorily, ¡°May the blessings of Iel be with you.¡± Iel was a god of marriage. Deatrice nodded gratefully and slightly bent her knees in return. This was the first time that Berry Spurt encountered Deatrice. The moment she saw her face, she suddenly remembered where she was and who might be in front of her. Her cheeks flushed as she curtsied to the Marquess, ¡°I congratulate you on your marriage, Lady Elliot.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Spurt. Are you enjoying yourself here?¡± ¡°Yes, m¡¯lady. Lady Belle had already thoroughly explained things to me.¡± Deatrice smiled lightly and looked at Dixie. ¡°Lady Belle knows this place better than I do. Thanks to her efforts, I also get to admire the decorations on the hallways every morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you are well.¡± Dixie smiled calmly, not wanting to say any further. Deatrice pretended to look around. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, should we go to the guest room?¡± At those words, two pairs of eyes swiveled towards Berry Spurt. Caught off guard by the two women¡¯s gaze, the young lady had no choice but to nod her head. They entered the first guest room they saw after ascending the flight of stairs. Deatrice had an inkling that this room would also play a part in the other party¡¯s plans. Dixie looked around and sat down with a triumphant smile. ¡°It¡¯s still the same.¡± Deatrice knew immediately that there would soon be a verbal attack, but she still managed to respond with a casual smile. ¡°It was decorated so beautifully, so I decided to leave it like this for a little while longer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too generous with your praise.¡± Dixie chuckled and covered her mouth with her fingers, ¡°I know that your workmanship is so much better than mine who had barely even scratched the surface.¡± ¡°I also heard stories about how beautiful the duke¡¯s mansion was.¡± Berry Spurt, who didn¡¯t know the two were already having a war with words, suddenly intervened with a shy smile. Deatrice faced her and curved her lips upwards. ¡°I¡¯m a newly-wedded wife. I didn¡¯t feel the need to make huge changes right from the start. But now that I think about it, people might assume I was simply being too lazy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re lazy.¡± Dixie uttered in a cooing voice. Then she added, ¡°I heard you went to the Knights Templar today to take care of my brother and his knights?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Deatrice blushed slightly. She was ashamed to hear her actions of childish revenge from other people¡¯s mouths. Fortunately, her reddened cheeks perfectly fit the response of a shy yet loving wife. Berry Spurt felt her smile slowly vanish from her face as she witnessed Deatrice¡¯s reactions, like a woman living a happily married life. But Dixie only faced Deatrice as if holding something from her weapon. ¡°I feel embarrassed. I only visited him there because I didn¡¯t think guests would come here so unexpectedly.¡± Deatrice opened her mouth with a sheepishly innocent expression, ¡°Can we talk about something else?¡± ¡°Of course. I had no intention of harassing you. However, why didn¡¯t my brother come with you? You said you went to the Knights Templar, so I reckoned he would come back with you.¡± Dixie subtly raised a perfectly-shaped brow. ¡°Lucius is¡­¡± Deatrice smiled awkwardly. It was obviously Rosalynn¡¯s mistake for not telling Lucius that his sister was in his manor, probably because she knew Berry Spurt would be present too. But if Lucius came home and saw that his sister was here, then wouldn¡¯t it look like she deliberately hid Dixie¡¯s arrival from him? Deatrice said, trying to keep a smile, ¡°Lucius decided to come home a while later because I abruptly interfered with their work.¡± ¡°Hmm. No worries, I have a lot of time on my hands. I can wait for him.¡± Without even consulting her plans with Deatrice, she had already decided to stay here for a long time like she was the master of the place. Deatrice lightly dug her fingernails into her palms, pushing down her nettled feelings. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you for your welcome. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to ask my brother to take some time out from work so that he can escort me when I take a stroll with Miss Spurt. Oh! Of course, you¡¯ll be there too, right?¡± Deatrice smiled and answered. ¡°Yes, I will. Thanks to Lady Belle, I might get to see something nice. When we¡¯re all free, why don¡¯t we explore the nearby forest and lakes together? In any case, Lucius had already made a similar promise to me.¡± ¡°Thanks to me?¡± Dixie let out a laugh with a slightly aggressive tone to it. Even Berry Spurt was startled like a small animal. Deatrice looked at Dixie with somber eyes, but the latter didn¡¯t speak until her laughter faded away. ¡°I never thought the day would come that I would hear Marquess Elliot thanking me. Who knew it would be like this, right?¡± Dixie looked at the younger woman sitting beside her, covertly seeking her consensus. Unfortunately, Berry Spurt couldn¡¯t keep up with their hidden meanings and the suffocating atmosphere, so she just awkwardly nodded her head. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Of course.¡± She didn¡¯t even know what she was agreeing to. Deatrice laughed soundlessly, almost ridiculing as she struggled internally. She clenched her fists. Somehow, it occurred to her that Dixie must¡¯ve known not only the kind of status she had in this manor, but also the hidden reason behind Deatrice¡¯s marriage with her brother. Chapter 52 Lucius managed to come back only when their meal was almost over. He strode inside unhesitatingly. When Lucius saw his sister and Berry Spurt sitting at the table, he calmly greeted them without showing any signs of surprise and apologized for being a little late. He spoke. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Spurt. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. And you¡­¡± her voice trailed off. ¡°Ah, right, you¡¯ve definitely been well these past few days.¡± Berry Spurt spoke with a hint of embarrassment, always forgetting that the person in front of her was now a married man. Lucius smiled softly, then turned his head to look at his sister. ¡°Dixie, how did you become acquainted with Miss Spurt? And what about Roy?¡± She giggled. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already told you in the letter I sent? Miss Spurt and I became friends a few months ago.¡± ¡°Really? And you chose to deepen your friendship with her in your brother¡¯s house?¡± he replied with a questioning brow. Dixie laughed at his teasing remark. ¡°Why? Are you sad that we¡¯re interrupting your honeymoon?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m more than happy to see you here.¡± He didn¡¯t exactly mean it, but when his handsome face smiled, it appeared to them like he was expressing his feelings sincerely. Deatrice took a sip of her wine, looking intently at her sister-in-law¡¯s face. Catching her gaze, Dixie uttered all of a sudden. ¡°Give me some time tomorrow.¡± When Lucius looked at her with an inquisitive gaze, she added, switching her gaze from Deatrice to Miss Spurt, ¡°The two of us are going out together tomorrow. Since we¡¯re guests, shouldn¡¯t it make sense for the owner to come with us?¡± Lucius sat on a vacant seat and leaned against its back, ¡°Where do you plan on going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± she gave a pondering look. Then she glanced at him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you be our guide? I heard that you and your wife have already toured the area.¡± Lucius suddenly raised his gaze and looked at his wife. It wasn¡¯t until she met with his red eyes that Deatrice realized that this was the first time he had looked at her this whole evening. He was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s summer, so it¡¯d be nice to go boating by the lakes and exploring the forests nearby.¡± ¡°Great! Then let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°That sounds nice!¡± Dixie and Miss Spurt answered in chorus. When Deatrice didn¡¯t say anything, Dixie Bell glanced at her with her eyebrows raised. Looking to ask if she was really alright with this arrangement. Deatrice smiled, nodded her head, and delicately took another sip of her wine. Even if all of these were not to her liking, she had no choice but to follow. Afterwards, they had brief conversations about paintings, famous novels, and the overall situation about society. Moving to the guest room, they played a popular card game and spent the rest of the evening playing the piano. Berry Spurt had a good voice and sang quite beautifully, even Deatrice herself sang for a few minutes. When Dixie felt sleepy, she stood up and told them she would retire to her room. Since her friend was about to leave, Spurt had to leave as well. Soon, there were only two people left in the drawing room. Lucius and Deatrice. An awkward atmosphere covered them. It wasn¡¯t because of her actions, but because Lucius stood ramrod straight and kept avoiding her gaze. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The candle flickered, illuminating his impeccable blonde hair. Lucius shook his head out of the blue. He opened his mouth, then hesitated, until he ultimately said, ¡°Were you surprised because of Dixie?¡± ¡°Hm. Not because of Dixie.¡± ¡°Then?¡± You know who. Deatrice thought to herself as she tilted her head and looked at Lucius, who had his eyebrow quirked up slightly as he looked back at her. Feeling incredulous, he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is it because of Spurt?¡± ¡°I know what happened between you and her.¡± ¡°We only ever talked about work. I have nothing in common with her.¡± He answered in a flustered and bewildered tone. But like a man who was unfairly accused, Lucius uttered in defense. ¡°And even if something really happened between us, what is it to you?¡± Deatrice had some rebuttal to that. She could pour out replies like how ridiculous it would be if rumors spread that he cheated on her with Spurt. A ¡®loving husband¡¯ like him would look like a clown. But even if they had an argument like this, she was at a disadvantage. But wait a minute. What if¡­ he confessed that he desired her? She couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen after that admission. Deatrice persevered and calmly addressed the matter. ¡°Even if your relationship with Berry Spurt isn¡¯t a big deal to you, the presence of those rumors meant that people are paying attention to her. What¡¯s more, Dixie brought her here. Do you have any idea what that implies?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Maybe she just wanted to annoy you.¡± Then he turned his head away. Deatrice abruptly got up from the piano stool, walked over to him, and grabbed his wrist. Lucius looked down in astonishment. She whispered as she bored into his widened eyes. ¡°Be honest, Lucius, did you tell Dixie about my condition and the truth behind this marriage?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Dixie seems to know something. Are sure that¡ª¡± she pulled his wrist down. His hand suddenly came closer to her waist, and Lucius had to clench his fist to avoid the impulse of involuntarily grabbing her. His jaw tightened, thinking that the color of her eyes looking down at him was darker than usual. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only One end of Deatrice¡¯s lips rose up. ¡°¡ªyou did not tell Dixie to annoy me?¡± She mimicked his words. Lucius looked up at Deatrice with force in his chin and pushed her away. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± She brushed off her wrinkled clothes as she had been pushed aside and said in an indifferent voice. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then sleep with me tonight.¡± Chapter 53 ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sleep in my room. Your sister might be suspicious of us.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± He barely resisted the urge to say the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He had no intention of reporting all these situations to her. But he didn¡¯t understand how she could make a request to sleep in the same room with him in a calm manner. She must¡¯ve noticed. Is she testing my restraints? Eventually, Lucius bit the inside of his cheek. He had no choice but to respond in a low voice. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wash up first.¡± then he subsequently left the room. Deatrice drank the rest of the wine as she stared at his retreating back. Sitting on a small chair on the open terrace, she read a book as she twirled a traitorous strand of hair that was braided to one side. The summer nights felt cool to the skin. Usually, reading a book in a slow breeze like this would give her a sense of relaxation, but this time it didn¡¯t work as well as before. She couldn¡¯t read more than two paragraphs because kept looking towards the door. Curiously, he used to grow up here, but Deatrice couldn¡¯t help but be more nervous because she knew she was in a dangerous situation. She had already seen how reckless he could be when they were in the same room back then. Looking back at the door three more times, the knob finally began to twist. With his hair still dripping wet, Lucius¡¯ eyes met with hers as soon as he entered, his face full of question. She pretended not to notice the meaning in his gaze and simply closed her book. Standing up, Deatrice said as she pointed to the sofa. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep there.¡± He looked down at the said furniture, already provided with a thin blanket and a pillow, and he burst into a short laughter. When he sleeps with her in the same room, she would always cutely prepare a separate sleeping space. He grinned at her, then he calmly turned around and went towards the bed. She cried out in surprise. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Sitting on the mattress, he said with a slightly cold face. ¡°I am already here as per your wish, but that doesn¡¯t mean I agreed to sleep uncomfortably.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a knight?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s related to this.¡± he pretended. Deatrice tried to figure out if he was doing this just for the sake of arguing or if he was trying to get her out of bed. She squinted her eyes, but he looked at her with a calm, merciless face. No matter how much she assessed, his words seemed sincere. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Dumbfounded, she folded her arms as she gave a childish retort. ¡°I am the owner of this room!¡± Her face immediately heated up at her immature response. But she reasoned to herself that he was the one who acted childish first. Lucius laughed and expressed, ¡°Then you should sleep in the bed too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why? You have the gall to ask, but not the guts to do?¡± he tilted his head, ¡°It¡¯s your room.¡± Deatrice glared at him She did have the guts. Still giving him the stink-eye, Deatrice took off her robe. As the gown fell, a night dress that showed off her thin body was revealed. She walked slowly and laid down on the other side of the bed he was sitting on. In any case, he did swear that he wouldn¡¯t touch her no matter what. No matter how rotten he might be, it didn¡¯t seem like he would go back on his words. Seeing her raise the blanket to her chin, Lucius remained motionless. After a while, he got up and snuffed out the candles. In the darkened room, only the sound of each other¡¯s breathing could be heard. Deatrice looked straight at the ceiling, feeling the mattress sink with his weight as well as the duvet making rustling sounds when he went underneath them. She didn¡¯t know how far Lucius was from her or what his posture was. Is his back against me, or is he looking at the ceiling like me¡­ ¡°Deatrice.¡± He whispered. Deatrice realized after hearing his voice that his body was close to her, and he was looking at her. But he didn¡¯t say anything after that. He just called her name. Lucius himself didn¡¯t even know if he really had nothing to say, or if he was just holding back what he had to say. Deatrice blinked her eyes and spent hours stuck beside his unfamiliar presence. But in the end, it was her that fell asleep first. Lucius watched her sleep with eyes accustomed to darkness and slowly stretched his arms. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only His finger, which had been hovering above her nose for a few seconds, slowly retreated once he felt that the rhythm of her breaths was even, as if to truly confirm that she was asleep. His hand, which was just a few inches above her skin, began descending down from her neck to her bulging chest, and then towards her stomach¡­ Lucius froze. He clenched his hand into a tight fist. Then he buried his face into the pillow and cursed at himself. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 They went out in the middle of the day. Even though she wore a hat and fanned herself without stopping, it wasn¡¯t enough to beat the heat of the summer. Fortunately, there was a soft breeze passing through her sweaty nape from time to time. Dixie¡¯s face was filled with interest as it was her first time seeing her brother¡¯s estate. Deatrice looked at this sister-in-law¡¯s side profile, who, in spite of the heat, held her arm and kept herself from falling so far. Originally though, Deatrice had to walk the streets with Lucius, Dixie, and Miss Spurt. But this morning, Dixie apologized, and this was what happened. Miss Spurt was still asleep when Lucius went out for early morning training. Descending the stairs, Dixie saw Deatrice reading the newspaper, seemingly finished with some light breakfast. She didn¡¯t seem too surprised to see her alone in the parlor, then said as she clasped her hands in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Could you spare some time to have a little chat with me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Deatrice folded the newspaper down and Dixie sat across from her. Dixie was silent for a moment, as if she was preparing something to say, then pulled up her lips and she spoke with a formal smile. ¡°As you may know, we are already family. I think it¡¯s time to forget the past and start our relationship anew¡ªlet bygones be bygones. Perhaps we can start by calling each other¡¯s first names and spending time with each other? What do you think?¡± Her words were similar to what Lucius had told her back then, that he wanted a fresh start. Truly siblings in every sense of the word. But Deatrice wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe the words that came out of his mouth before, and now, she isn¡¯t stupid enough to believe Dixie. She brought another lady with her who was linked to her husband through rumors, there¡¯s definitely a motive behind it. Despite finding her words hard to believe, Deatrice smiled and nodded her head. ¡°That would be wonderful.¡± It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to figure out her intentions, but because she genuinely wanted to give Dixie a small chance. In any case, she still had some guilt towards the woman and wanted to make it up to her somehow. Once all of them were ready and waiting outside, instead of Miss Spurt¡¯s, Dixie held onto Deatrice¡¯s arm. Deatrice looked at her with an unreadable expression while Dixie gave a sunny smile as she addressed the two other people with them. ¡°Today, we would like to strengthen our familial bonds.¡± Directing her gaze to the younger woman, she said, ¡°Sadly, that means you¡¯ll have to go with my brother, Miss Spurt. You won¡¯t feel sad if I won¡¯t be able to accompany you, right?¡± After listening to her, Lucius frowned, but Deatrice just let her be. He looked at his wife, but she nodded her head, indicating him to follow his sister¡¯s arrangements. Berry Spurt seemed a little bashful about this new development, but she couldn¡¯t hide the glee from her face. With a hint of excitement, Miss Spurt¡¯s voice could be heard whispering softly from behind. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I last enjoyed looking at beautiful summer sceneries and it makes me feel so energized. I think it¡¯s because nature can really help refresh people¡¯s minds.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lucius politely responded. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you feel so too?¡± she answered, delighted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re always focused on training and inspecting your territory. So, how do you feel about going for an outing in nature today?¡± He put on a pondering expression, then he answered in a sweet voice. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s definitely been a while since I went out to have some fun.¡± Deatrice unconsciously compared his voice from yesterday. ¡°¡­and even if something really happened between us, what is it to you?¡± They were nothing, and that should be nothing to her as well. Engrossed in her thoughts, Deatrice barely heard when Dixie spoke about her child. ¡°¡­they say a child is the most troublesome when he¡¯s three. That¡¯s why Philip is such a handful these days. He could hardly remain still, has a short attention span, and throws some wild tantrums. He doesn¡¯t even feel like my own child because he clings to the nanny and doesn¡¯t want to be separated from her, especially when he¡¯s sleepy.¡± At first, Dixie seemed to have brought up the topic because she had nothing else to say and just wanted to make idle conversation. But as she spoke, she became absorbed by her own words and continued endlessly. ¡°Roy says that being too close or obsessed with children isn¡¯t very aristocratic at all, but he¡¯s still a child that I carried and gave birth to¡­¡± Deatrice was still thinking of why she was doing this, therefore Dixie¡¯s words about her nephew went from one ear and out of the other. It was as clear as day that the reason Dixie said she wanted to repair their relationship was for Miss Spurt and Lucius to have alone time together. Why the effort, though? Her purpose was to hurt Deatrice, nothing more and nothing less. ¡°She may just want to annoy you.¡± She remembered Lucius¡¯ unsure and light-hearted tone when he said those. Maybe he was really right, but she felt strange to take it so nonchalantly. Throughout the day, Dixie¡¯s persistence in getting Lucius to spend time with Miss Spurt never ceased, like the time when they had lunch together under the canopy and cloth was spread on the grass. Lucius and Deatrice were seated at one end, opposite of each other with Dixie and Miss Spurt seated in the middle. ¡°Times like these, it¡¯s like I¡¯m suddenly taken back to my maiden days.¡± Dixie spoke and sighed wistfully. ¡°I haven¡¯t had this kind of leisure since I married and had Philip.¡± ¡°Is Roy behaving badly?¡± After Lucius spoke, Dixie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s behaving badly, but because my schedule is fuIl. Wives have stuff to do too, you know? Whether it¡¯s Roy or Phillip¡­¡± she sighed once more. ¡°You don¡¯t know how busy I am. Some unmarried girls are like this too, am I correct, Miss Spurt?¡± She hummed in agreement. ¡°Yes, but others just refer to it as a pastime. However, regardless of that, I think there is always something to do no matter where you are.¡± Lucius took a brief glance at Deatrice, who was currently biting into a plum fruit. Outwardly, she didn¡¯t look distracted, but she also didn¡¯t look particularly excited when they went out. She appeared fine with the fact that her husband was escorting other maidens. She wasn¡¯t like that six years ago, because Deatrice had even gone so far as to say: ¡°If you let the same thing happen twice, you will never see me again.¡± And this was only when a girl simply set her foot on the sofa he was sitting on. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 At that moment, Deatrice felt Lucius¡¯ gaze and turned her head. Lucius naturally turned his head just in time to look at Spurt who was presently saying something with a cheerful voice. The moment he looked at her with a gentle smile, Spurt smiled, as if having suddenly found her courage and then uttered, ¡°I think we should go up the mountains instead of the lake for today¡¯s outing.¡± ¡°Why? Is the sun too hot?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I read a book in the library yesterday and it says that there¡¯s a mountain nearby connected to the mountain range of Buhelchios.¡± ¡°Buhelchios? The legendary mountain?¡± Dixie asked. Spurt blushed shyly. ¡°Yes. The mountain where fairies like Banplenatos and Enkal existed.¡± Lucius gave a passing comment. ¡°You must know a lot about fairies.¡± Spurt nodded her head passionately. ¡°I¡¯ve been interested in them since I was young and have always looked for books about them. As a matter of fact, did you notice that sometimes there are patterns left on trees in those mountains?¡± ¡°Patterns?¡± ¡°Yes! The fairies made it.¡± ¡°Then let us go see it.¡± Surprisingly, it was Deatrice, not Dixie, who willingly said those words. Languidly waving her fan with her palms behind her back, Lucius, who had seen Deatrice shoving red berries into her lips, wouldn¡¯t have known any better. She said she agreed because she was bored. Spurt looked at Dixie and then at Lucius, her eyes twinkling in great joy that her suggestion had been accepted. She said in a persuasive tone, ¡°I¡¯ve already looked into it before. We would first pass through a forest before we could get to the foot of the mountain. The journey wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Moreover, if we go there, the wind will be much cooler than that of the lake¡¯s.¡± Lucius wanted to refuse, saying that a mountain that had not been fully explored is dangerous, but at the same time, he thought that going boating like this would result in either him having a bad time with Spurt or enduring a suffocating time with Deatrice. Well, I guess the forest would be a better choice if we¡¯re only going to stay by the outskirts. In any case, I¡¯ve already scouted portions of it yesterday. Lucius deemed it to be a safe mountain where nothing dangerous would happen. Hence, they entered the forest with his consent. As soon as they entered and stepped on the shadow of the trees; they could smell the scent of fresh wood, the earthy soil, and the mild grass. Deatrice came first, followed by Dixie, Spurt with Lucius at the rear position. But even then, he was looking at Deatrice¡¯s exposed neck while walking. It was because her hair was currently tied up where it slowly flowed down and curled by the nape of her neck. He could even notice that the tips of her ears were slightly tinted red. Lucius clenched and unclenched his fists. Even though the forest seemed more ordinary than she had expected, Spurt wasn¡¯t disappointed by its appearance. Instead, she shared what she knew about the forest, like what type of fairy it might¡¯ve had in the past and the status of its ecosystem. However, despite such enthusiastic and vivid explanations, the forest continued to show an unexceptional appearance and the party became increasingly bored. They seemed to be paying attention to each other on who would want to go back first. Lucius felt a little fidgety and he wished his sister would ask him if he wanted to go back. In this way, it wouldn¡¯t burden either him or Deatrice. But then, Deatrice, who seemed to be indifferent to anyone, suddenly came forward. ¡°I¡¯ve come all the way here. I still want to find the fairy¡¯s footsteps.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Spurt said with a frown. ¡°Yes. I heard good luck will be bestowed to those who find it, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a bad idea to go on a reckless treasure hunt like this. As Dixie said, it¡¯s like we¡¯re taken back to our younger days by doing impulsive things.¡± She smiled, ¡°Tell me, Miss Spurt, are there any clues to find traces of the fairy?¡± ¡°Oh? Oh! Of course!¡± Spurt sat down and drew a pattern on the floor with a stone. ¡°If you look at a place where the water grass is tangled by the waterside or on a tree with round grass, you might be able to see the traces of the pattern that the fairy left behind.¡± Lucius did not understand why Deatrice would go along with such a foolish thing, but soon realized her intentions in the words that followed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the creek. Dixie, Miss Spurt, and Lucius look for the trail of the tree.¡± It was clear that she wanted to be alone and away from others. Lucius immediately opposed. ¡°No. It¡¯s dangerous, Deatrice.¡± But Deatrice did not give up easily. ¡°There¡¯s nothing dangerous. All I have to do is go near the creek.¡± ¡°Brother, let her do it her way.¡± Even Dixie supported her decision. Lucius thought for a second and spoke. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. The creek is still dangerous, no matter how harmless it may seem.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. I¡¯ll come back soon enough.¡± Deatrice, who resolutely refused, immediately left as soon as she finished her words. Lucius frowned at the feeling of nervousness that persisted in his chest for some reason. It was something that had been going on since he looked at her back as she walked and when he saw her thoughtfully put a red fruit between her lips. Yes. Maybe she¡¯d rather want to be away from him for a while, and she had all the reasons for it. After all, it was him who had thoughts about sleeping with her. Lucius concluded that it would be better for him to hurry up and find the trace of this so-called fairy or something just so they could return home faster. The treasure hunt ensued, along with Miss Spurts soft humming. Dixie plucked a few flowers and proceeded to walk through the forest while Lucius rummaged through the grass. He furrowed his eyebrows. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Suddenly, a scream was heard from where Spurt had disappeared to, along with another strange sound. Lucius hurriedly rushed towards the spot where she went and saw that standing in front of a crouching Miss Spurt, three abnormal-looking wolves were growling menacingly at her. Berry Spurt was on the ground, shivering intensely as she covered her ears and shut her eyes. He carefully drew his sword. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for him to deal with these wolves, but it would be tricky if he had to do it while protecting someone else. A wolf started rushing towards her and he immediately ran towards it, piercing its nape and impaling it onto the ground. Blood splattered, and the other two attacked as soon as they saw the intruder. Lucius directed the fight farther away from Miss Spurt so he wouldn¡¯t have to split his attention. Once he deemed that she was in a safer position, he quickly dealt a killing blow to the wolves by cleanly slicing their heads off. After the situation was over, Spurt was still sitting there, shocked. Lucius clicked his tongue and called his sister. ¡°Dixie! Come here!¡± Dixie arrived shortly thereafter. Fortunately, his sister was fine. Seeing the blood, the wolves¡¯ corpses and Spurt in a crouching position, Dixie was aghast. ¡°Heavens! What happened?!¡± Lucius frowned as he wiped the blood from the sword. ¡°Check Miss Spurt¡¯s wounds. I need to go find Deatrice.¡± But then Spurt grabbed the hem of Lucius¡¯ clothes. ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Miss Spurt, I know you¡¯re in shock. But¡ª¡± ¡°Just for a moment¡­ Just for a moment, please stay by my side.¡± She lowered her head, as if remembering a terrible nightmare. ¡°When I saw those wolves, I was so frightened that I couldn¡¯t even move my legs. The moment they rushed towards me, I¡­ I¡­ they were going to eat me¡­¡± Her voice faltered and Dixie stroked her shoulder to comfort her. ¡°She¡¯s right brother, you should stay with her at least for a few moments. Besides, there weren¡¯t any wolves from where I was. Deatrice is probably fine.¡± But to Lucius, who¡¯s currently feeling nervous and agitated, crying like this only had only irritated him further. However, he held back his temper and wiped the blood from his face. ¡°If I stay here anyway, it wouldn¡¯t help much. Besides, I have an obligation to make sure my wife is safe.¡± ¡°But she¡¯ll definitely be fine!¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Dixie saw that Lucius¡¯ expression had turned cold, but Spurt didn¡¯t recognize the change. With her face reddened with excitement, she said. ¡°When a revolt broke out in Galaba, rumors had it that it was the marquess herself who retrieved Prince Fredhi from the battlefield and sent him on a ship. Therefore, she wouldn¡¯t be intimidated by a trivial thing like this.¡± ¡°Miss Spurt!¡± Dixie called her out in surprise. It was obviously a mistake for Berry Spurt to bring up the name of Deatrice¡¯s former fianc¨¦e in the presence of her husband, even if it could be reasoned that she was scared out of her wits and couldn¡¯t think straight after her encounter with the wolves. Spurt unconsciously bit her lip. Lucius turned his body and stared at her coldly. She wasted more of his time for nothing, and it made his heart even more anxious. Then, showing his back to her and walking towards where Deatrice was, he called out her name. ¡°Deatrice! Where are you?!¡± Because the forest was too dense, the sound didn¡¯t travel as far as he would¡¯ve liked, and it soon disappeared. He ruffled his hair and puffed out a breath. ¡°Deatrice!¡± It was then that he saw. In the distance, a large beast could be seen stalking her as she stumbled on a rock. Lucius felt his head turn white. His instincts quickly took over and he sprinted so fast he didn¡¯t think it was possible for him before today. Quickly overtaking the beast¡¯s speed, he forcefully thrusted his sword underneath its open maws and penetrated it up into its skull. His body had moved so aggressively, but his mind was blank. After removing his sword from the beast¡¯s dead body and making sure it wouldn¡¯t fall on top of her, Lucius asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Then he saw Deatrice¡¯s pale face looking up at him. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± she said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. Rivulets of blood covered her forearms as it bled from the lacerated wounds. Lucius¡¯ lips turned into a thin line and knelt in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small scratch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. You¡¯re bleeding heavily.¡± Deatrice thought it was a little funny to hear the man who had just stabbed a wolf to death say something like that. But her train of thought abruptly halted when she saw the trembling of his hand as he tore the hem of his clothes and covered her wound. When her face twisted in pain, Lucius muttered. ¡°¡­that damn woman.¡± Deatrice thought it was strange to see a wretched expression on his features, almost looking angry. Why is he so mad about her being hurt? As she thought about it with a cool mind, he made her stand up. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± He apologized regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not coming earlier. Someone decided to grab my clothes to speak bullsh*t and waste my time.¡± It was only then that Deatrice realized that the ¡®damned woman¡¯ Lucius had referred to was most probably Spurt because he definitely wouldn¡¯t call her sister that. ¡°There¡¯s blood on your clothes.¡± she commented. ¡°Were there wolves there too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Three.¡± Lucius answered with a face that didn¡¯t want to talk much. He asked again while looking at her, ¡°Are you really alright?¡± ¡°I told you, I am. Let¡¯s go.¡± She was about to take one step forward when Lucius turned around and bent his knees. ¡°Hop on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. my legs are not hurt.¡± ¡°Deatrice¡ª¡± ¡°Why, ¡®Lucy¡¯?¡± she uttered meaningfully. ¡°¡­¡± Indignant, he asked, ¡°¡­can¡¯t you just let me carry you?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°No.¡± Deatrice said with a stern tone. She knew what bothered him. He must be thinking he should¡¯ve arrived earlier, and that if he had come any later than he did, she would¡¯ve been mauled to pieces. Therefore, he¡¯s probably doing this to relieve his own guilt. But she didn¡¯t want to lighten the burden on his mind by being carried by him. Not when her legs worked perfectly fine. A silent battle ensued. Deatrice expected that he would soon realize her reluctance and eventually back down. But he looked down and suddenly grabbed her uninjured arm. Startled, she cried out. ¡°What are you doing!¡± But he just quietly embraced her without looking directly at her. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to be carried.¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°Are you going to struggle like this in front of my sister?¡± ¡°Why are you using Belle as an excuse?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯ll be here any second now.¡± Just as Lucius had said, the two other ladies showed up not long after. Dixie was supporting Miss Spurt and was startled by the sight of Deatrice who appeared to be injured in multiple places. Letting go of Spurt¡¯s hand, she hurriedly walked over to them. ¡°Oh my! Are you hurt, Deatrice?¡± Without giving her a chance to answer, Lucius answered instead. ¡°Quick! We need to leave.¡± Dixie asked, looking at Lucius with a worried face. ¡°Is she badly hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was such a quick and anxious-sounding answer and Deatrice couldn¡¯t even deny it since Lucius swiftly strode away from them. Then she saw Spurt¡¯s pale face in passing and quickly forgot about it. Now being carried like a handicap, Deatrice just treated it as another performance. But even after getting on and off the carriage, he didn¡¯t drop the act. When the master and his wife returned both covered in blood, the manor was in uproar. Arriving in a room, Lucius urged the attendants to quickly summon a doctor. Even after it was confirmed that her wounds were not deep, the servants didn¡¯t stop talking because it was still quite shocking to see their madam return with blood all over. The rumors grew bigger and bigger, and things that only the four people should¡¯ve known, quickly spread to other people like wildfire. They were puzzled as to why these people who were supposed to be boating by a lake, had an accident in the forest. They also didn¡¯t know why, but among the servants, rumors circulated that the cause of their madam¡¯s injury was Miss Spurt. On the second day after returning, Dixie visited her brother for the sake of the guest she had brought. Reading a boring poetry book for the second time, she saw Lucius enter the guest room. ¡°I heard you were looking for me.¡± He spoke indifferently as he flopped down on the sofa. When Dixie put down her book, the servants came in thinking they would ask for refreshments. However, Lucius waved his hand towards the servants to send them away. ¡°There¡¯s no need. She won¡¯t be here for long.¡± Then, he fixed his gaze towards her, ¡°Whatever you have to say, keep it short because I have more important matters to attend to.¡± ¡°What matters?¡± ¡°I¡¯m investigating the incident.¡± She frowned, ¡°Is there really a need for an investigation? Isn¡¯t it just wolves?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way a wolf would just come out in the middle of the day near the outskirts. And they weren¡¯t just any wolves, but beast wolves and I find it suspicious. That¡¯s why I need to investigate.¡± ¡°What do you mean beasts? I thought those only came from Archen?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to gather more intel to see how things came to be. Furthermore, this is confidential information, so do not breathe a word about this to anyone.¡± Crossing his arms, he leaned backwards and tilted his head. ¡°So, what exactly do you want to say?¡± Dixie thought that her brother¡¯s face looked particularly sassy today. Nevertheless, she answered. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to forgive Miss Spurt.¡± ¡°Forgive?¡± His tone was vague and he had a gentle expression, as if he was never angry at Miss Spurt from the beginning. But to Dixie, who had been with him for a long time, that expression wouldn¡¯t confound her as much. She already knew that Lucius disliked Miss Spurt very much since the young lady made a mistake with her words. ¡°Even if Deatrice is injured, we mustn¡¯t forget that Miss Spurt is a guest. No matter how you look at it, the guest suffered a lot in an estate managed by you. Of course, we can reason out that Miss Spurt was the one who asked us to go to the mountains so that we¡¯re not the ones at fault. But we¡¯re still the host and it would reflect badly on us.¡± ¡°Did Miss Spurt ask me for forgiveness? Do you think that is something easily given just because someone asked for it?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± Dixie called out, indicating him to stop. Lucius rested his elbows on the armrests and crooked his chin. His form, especially with his leg crossed over his thigh, appeared very arrogant. Dixie spoke again when she felt Lucius¡¯ negative emotions subsided a little. ¡°You know that Miss Spurt hasn¡¯t taken a step out of her room for days. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s been punished enough?¡± ¡°Deatrice was hurt.¡± ¡°But I heard that she wasn¡¯t seriously hurt.¡± Lucius¡¯ face hardened. ¡°Had I arrived a little later, had I listened to you and stayed by that woman¡¯s side; Deatrice would¡¯ve been dead by now.¡± He said, looking at his sister with steely eyes. ¡°And don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. Do you really think such a lowly woman would be able to catch my attention?¡± ¡°Oh, please.¡± Dixie abruptly got up from her seat, ¡°Could you stop acting now? It¡¯s making me nauseous.¡± ¡°Acting?¡± ¡°Yes¡ªacting. It was entertaining for a while, but now it¡¯s turned into a drag. So just stop. I already know.¡± Dixie seemed to appeal in a nervous tone. However, Lucius deliberately kept his distance and asked indifferently. ¡°What do you know?¡± Dixie wasn¡¯t foolish enough to fall for that ignorance. ¡°It means,¡± she looked pointedly at him, ¡°that I know why you proposed to Deatrice. That the Emperor ordered you to marry her so you could have the estate. I can¡¯t stomach seeing you act so lovingly towards her. So please, just stop.¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Her remarks contained a hint of grievance. However, the moment the secret came out of her mouth, Lucius¡¯ already arctic face turned several degrees colder. ¡°How did you know?¡± Dixie was a little embarrassed by her brother¡¯s change in attitude, but she raised her chin anyway. ¡°Your attendant approached me.¡± ¡°Tom?¡± ¡°Yes. Saying that said that after receiving the property, you intend to annul the marriage. He even asked me for advice on how to deal with Deatrice in the future.¡± Then she looked at her brother curiously, ¡°How do you act so naturally towards her when you¡¯re thinking like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The expression on Lucius¡¯s face completely disappeared and he turned stoic. Dixie, feeling an unusual energy, sat down apprehensively and made excuses for his attendant¡¯s behavior. ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone and I have no intention of telling anyone. These days, the relationship between you and Deatrice is going strangely well. Of course, I know that it¡¯s all for show and you don¡¯t really care for Deatrice. But Tom didn¡¯t think that way so he was worried. But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let him go too far.¡± She paused, gauging his reaction, ¡°I hope you understand why I¡¯m doing this. I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll give your heart and get hurt by that woman again¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up. Dixie.¡± An emotionless voice cut her off. Dixie closed her mouth with an uncomfortable look and let out a sigh. But she soon became impatient and grumbled. ¡°You could¡¯ve just said so, why hide it from me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to broadcast this to the whole society.¡± Her words just now sounded like the childish grudges kids have towards their own siblings when they played a game without her. Lucius felt even more insulted by such an attitude. But then, he could feel shame burning on the nape of his neck and he was doing his best to get rid of it. It didn¡¯t sound so mean when it was in my head¡­ ¡°Even after I¡¯ve successfully received this property, its foundation would be weak, so I would have no choice but to annul this marriage to obtain other benefits. The emperor himself told me there was no need to carry this marriage to the end, just long enough to be able to ask help from Deatrice¡¯s family. So¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, that means I¡¯m helpless about this situation.¡± ¡°Brother, what are you making excuses for? I¡¯m on your side so I naturally agree with you.¡± ¡°Excuse¡­?¡± Lucius suddenly realized how he sounded to her. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this now. I trust you. You¡¯re not foolish enough to do anything that would ruin you, nor would you be swayed by mere regrets.¡± Dixie turned around with a clumsy smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be going soon, go ask Miss Spirt if she¡¯s okay.¡± However, Lucius brought up the topic again. As if obsessively immersed in the same thoughts, he looked rather dazed on the outside. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m being too much to Deatrice?¡± Dixie thought for a moment that he looked just like when Deatrice abandoned him six years ago. ¡°What¡¯s the point in asking?It¡¯s not like you were a saint in the first place.¡± She responded angrily and Lucius thought that he may have really become stupid. He had done countless things against his conscience in order to survive for the past six years. Ironically, he felt ashamed of such a small decision today. It must be because he would sometimes look at Deatrice in vain, and cherish some leftover desires for her. Had all of the blood gone between his loins that he couldn¡¯t think straight now? Feeling disgusted, Lucius touched his forehead. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Then Dixie immediately got up with a bright smile on her face, went behind Lucius and tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Good choice.¡± However, despite his sister¡¯s consolation, Lucius¡¯s mood still did not improve. The annulment is almost a regular occurence in the social world, but it would be a great insult to Deatrice. For their future annulment to go smoothly, Lucius had to scheme meticulously so that it wouldn¡¯t appear that the reason their marriage broke apart was because of him. The reason he didn¡¯t give her authority was to prove her incompetence to the court and incapability to manage things. This would make his position more advantageous. From the time he proposed to Deatrice, he had no intention of stretching his marriage with her for a long time. But why was he feeling this burning shame deep into his chest¡­ Lucius sat on the sofa and thought about the words he had once said to Deatrice. ¡°I am not that unreasonable to still hold a grudge up to this day. You say I hate you? My wife, it¡¯s already been six years.¡± ¡°¡­perhaps not everything has been completely forgotten. There are those certain times when I would think about the past and feel inevitable resentment towards you, but that feeling would only last for a brief moment before it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Besides, we¡¯re already married. Shouldn¡¯t we both get away from our murky past and start our relationship anew?¡± He had so many things humbly back then. Of course, what he said was not entirely false. When he first made the decision to annul the marriage, it wasn¡¯t out of resentment for their bitter past. Rather, it was for the benefits he would get out of it. But looking back now, he wondered if there really wasn¡¯t any resentment that influenced his decision. He acted as if he had no regrets for Deatrice, but he often found himself reminiscing and feeling resentful after getting married. Like his pent up regrets were slowly revealing themselves. Six years have already passed. It¡¯s not even the woman¡¯s fault, and he wanted to marry her while still holding a grudge towards her, only to annul their marriage shortly after¡­ Almost like disposing garbage once he was through with it. As he looked down, he saw a complex pattern sewn on the sofa. Lucius ruffled his flowing blonde hair and sighed. *** Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Deatrice laid on the bed and stared at her bandaged arm. On the first day that she was injured, a priest was summoned, and after that, servants applied expensive medicine to her skin. The wound healed surprisingly quickly, only leaving traces that it was ever there and would soon vanish too. But Lucius would still come every morning and change the bandages himself.. She had asked him. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± After examining the wound with a focused expression on his face and after applying the bandages, he monotonously replied. ¡°Who else should do it, if not me?¡± The reaction when she first got hurt was so great that it wasn¡¯t surprising that he would insist on changing the bandages himself. Deatrice, too, remembered his reaction to seeing her wounded and the trembling of his hands when he dressed her wound. But no matter how guilty he may have possibly felt or how sorry he was for her injuries, Deatrice still felt that his present attitude was burdensome. He had even reiterated that he wouldn¡¯t sleep with her. But it didn¡¯t look so believable when the tips of his ears were dyed red as calmly changed her bandages like an obedient servant. ¡°He¡¯s doing everything.¡± Deatrice muttered and sighed and lowered her arms again. The bandaging was always done early in the morning when she was not awake. It was because Lucius had to leave earlier than usual. He had been very busy lately after it was revealed that what came out of the forest wasn¡¯t an ordinary wolf, but a beast monster. Today though, she woke up after feeling an uncomfortable sensation. Then, her eyes suddenly met with his. ¡°You woke up?¡± he asked, lighting up a candle and then went back to tying the bandage on her arm. ¡°Sorry. I tried to do it as slowly as I could.¡± Saying so, he turned her head over, kissed her cheek, and whispered that it was over. Then he told her to go back to sleep. Maybe Deatrice should¡¯ve been angry from the first day he had sneaked into her room and touched her while she was asleep, even if he had good intentions. But then, she would just mumble a low sound of agreement to him. Goodbye, she would say, and then subsequently fall asleep. It was always after waking up a second time that she would completely realize how ridiculous they were. No one was watching them, and yet they greeted each other as if they were a real couple? What the hell? After a few nights, she realized that she was helpless about it. Hence, she simply acted as if they had returned to when they were lovers. She would conform to his kisses and casually accept his tenderness. It¡¯s not really because she misses those days, it¡¯s just that she reacts in a way that¡¯s almost like a reflex, especially after she was still groggy and disoriented after being woken so early. When Deatrice thought about it, she concluded that his occasional sweet talk and blushing just may be a habit of his that he could never shake off because that¡¯s part of his ¡®charming¡¯ self. Shouldn¡¯t we both get away from our murky past and start our relationship anew? He said those to her, but is it really possible? Sighing, Deatrice stood up and put on a shawl. When she opened her door and walked out, Rosalynn, who was just going up the stairs, saw Deatrice and hastily told her to return to her room. She had on a very urgent expression and exaggerated gestures as if something bad had happened. Behind her maidservant, a few servants and a few knights followed. ¡°What is it?¡± When she asked about something unusual, the knight behind Rosalynn went up to the door and said, ¡°Replying to the Marquess, it¡¯s people from Pekka, they¡¯re here. The risks have not been properly determined, but the commander sent us here just in case.¡± ¡°From Pekka? What happened?¡± ¡°The commander has personally gone to meet Count Miller, supposedly to cooperate with him. But upon knowing that the commander was gone, people recklessly came over.¡± The knight blurted out the end of his speech, troubled. Count Miller was an elderly, middle-aged man and a conservative aristocrat. He was one of those people who hated seeing lowranks like Lucius gain power more than anyone else. He owned Pekka, which was an estate that was right next to the estate that Lucius was in charge of. Today, however, he asked Lucius for help. ¡°Did someone break into Pekka?¡± The knight shook his head, looking troubled for the second time. ¡°That¡¯s not it. However, they received news that the monsters appeared last night.¡± ¡°Monsters?¡± He nodded. ¡°Many private houses have already been attacked whereas the knights continue to fight them off, but reports say that the location sustained significant damage.¡± Monster. If it was so, then the monsters who came out of the forest last time weren¡¯t because of coincidence? ¡°Did they come from Archen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say, but we¡¯re doing our utmost to search for answers. However, it doesn¡¯t look so easy to trace their origins.¡± After saying that, the knight kept his mouth shut and focused on standing guard. Deatrice couldn¡¯t even change clothes. Therefore, she idled in the room while reading books. The door did not open except for servants delivering her daily meals and an occasional snack. Each time they brought food, a short message came along with it and the knights would whisper amongst themselves. Then they would summarize the contents of the letter and deliver it to her briefly. Deatrice was somehow imprisoned until the moment Lucius returned by midnight. She then left the tedious room and went downstairs to meet him. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 As people started to gather, a loud noise came from below. When Deatrice descended the stairs, the knights from when she had visited the Knights Templar were currently occupying the guest room and the lobby. Apparently they hadn¡¯t eaten before they came, which was why they were sitting together in a cramped space with soup in one hand and bread on the other. The moment they saw her, they stood up to greet her. But Deatrice just told to sit back down and enjoy the meal and it was then she noticed the man she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where is Lucius?¡± She asked a passing servant. ¡°The master had gone up to his room.¡± ¡°His room? All by himself?¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Deatrice mused for a short second, and then sent the servant away. ¡°Alright, you may go.¡± Lucius¡¯ room was on the second floor, right next to his office. Deatrice left the lobby and went there, expecting to receive an explanation about what happened. She stood in front of the door, knocked, and waited. It didn¡¯t take long for an answer to come. ¡°Come in.¡± It was uttered in a low and cursory tone, as if he thought she was probably just a servant who came to bring his meal. As Deatrice opened the door and entered, Lucius, who was just about to take off his coat, drew his gaze towards her figure and was startled. ¡°Deatrice?¡± Deatrice took a closer look at his skin that was exposed at the hem of his lifted robe. She only looked away after she had confirmed that there was no bleeding from wounds on his body. Lucius looked at her with his eyes frowned slightly, his face wondering why she was looking at him that way, but she nonetheless remained unfazed by his questioning gaze. He continued glancing at her as he turned around and removed his jacket, wiping off dried blood from his hands with a damp cloth. The sound of cloth rustling was particularly loud in the silent room. He spoke. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Deatrice looked at the door for a moment, then faced him again. But when her line of sight was received by him, she felt as if her words had disappeared inside her throat. A little speechless, what she said afterwards came out awkwardly. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be returning immediately after meeting with Count Miller, but you¡¯re late¡­ Did something happen?¡± ¡°Fought some monsters, per the emperor decrees.¡± ¡°He told you to help Miller?¡±she frowned. The emperor was usually one who was perpetually displeased with the aristocracy. Why would he bother with a conservative aristocrat he didn¡¯t like? Especially one that acted against his favored knight, Lucius. No¡­ The real question was, why was he so amenable to the idea of using Lucius when had imperial knights at his beck and call? When she thought about it that far, Deatrice thought again that perhaps he was just the kind of talented knight whom the emperor chose. ¡°Yes.¡± Lucius nodded his head and threw the wet cloth into a basin. ¡°He seemed to know that the monsters would start to appear early on. Preparing counter strategies wouldn¡¯t simply take a day or two, so I guess that¡¯s why he sent me here so I would just deal with it when it comes.¡± When he said those last words, Deatrice noticed he sounded kind of annoyed and impatient. ¡°Then the thing with the land¡­¡± her voice trailed away. ¡°I suppose he¡¯s going to use it as a reward for this work.¡± Looking tired, Lucius lowered his head and glanced at her. When she noticed how his pretty eyes appeared so weary, Deatrice thought she should move away, but she wasn¡¯t able to do so. The emperor used Lucius as much as he could in all kinds of battlefields. She clearly remembered Lucius being summoned into the capital city where the emperor said he would give him a break this time. But now, it appears he wasn¡¯t exactly being truthful because Lucius has to deal with monsters again so soon. Even Deatrice, who isn¡¯t completely aware of the situation, was able to foresee that her husband would become a monster hunter. If another monster popped out somewhere again, he¡¯d just send Lucius to do the work. Deatrice stood, engulfed in an unpleasant feeling for some reason, and raised her head. He was just sitting there, unmoving. She chose to ask about what was happening. ¡°Is the situation very bad?¡± ¡°You can say so. But I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s that hard yet. After all, only a day has passed.¡± He stretched his upper body and buried himself on the sofa. ¡°Did you feel uncomfortable? ¡° He suddenly asked in a friendly voice. ¡°Huh?¡± She didn¡¯t know he would ask about her feelings, so she was taken aback. He shook his head. ¡°I mean today. I heard you were locked up in the room all day. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to do that, but things were happening too fast and I didn¡¯t know what else would take place. It¡¯s not like I could force people to leave so abruptly.¡± Of course, an exception was when there was truly an invasion in their territory. ¡°Was it uncomfortable for you?¡± he asked again. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°Compared to what you¡¯ve experienced, all I can say is that it was peaceful.¡± Deatrice didn¡¯t want to exaggerate and say that she was tormented. ¡°So, does this mean you would constantly leave the house for the time being?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, until a conclusion is reached or if there¡¯s something worth reporting. You¡¯ll be free to go out tomorrow, so don¡¯t be afraid. Just follow my orders, and I suggest a knight to protect you temporarily.¡± Saying so, he passed by her and opened the door. He had answered everything she asked and Lucius seemed convinced that she had come to him because of today¡¯s confinement. Deatrice subsequently went out as well. She followed Lucius back down the lobby and as soon as a few knights saw Lucius¡¯ face, they stopped whatever they were doing and stood in attention. Deatrice was still two steps above the stairs than Lucius, but she looked at them from the same eye-level as him. One by one, Lucius introduced the knights to Deatrice. ¡°This is Vice Commander, Joseph Spencer. The three behind him are Matthew Pinter, Gordon Selby, and Jerry Atkins. They are the people who will protect and escort you starting tomorrow.¡± When he finished speaking, the knights greeted her and bowed. But Deatrice remained silent for a while without receiving their salutations. Even at a time when Lucius had to fight the infested monsters, she still had her doubts. Would they really just protect her only? No other hidden agenda? Deatrice grabbed Lucius¡¯ sleeve and pulled it. ¡°We need to talk.¡± ¡°So suddenly?¡± Even as he said so, he was pulled along without much resistance. Deatrice went into an empty pantry and closed the door. Lucius said, looking curiously at the food stored in the tightly packed shelves. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a place like this in our home¡ª¡± ¡°You! What in the world are you planning?¡± She narrowed her eyes at him and Lucius stared back at her with a languid gaze. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, I saw them back at the training grounds. Why would you hand over these knights when they play an important role in your squad? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°I have no intention of lying. Yes, they are important people, but that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m giving them to you. ¡± Deatrice¡¯s face turned grave. ¡°What will happen to you if you don¡¯t have them with you?¡± Despite her seriousness, Lucius had a somewhat bored countenance. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but being short of four people isn¡¯t enough to make my knights as miserable as you make them seem. Furthermore, it¡¯s not an exaggerated number. Almost everyone keeps this number of guards by their side at times like this. So don¡¯t be stubborn and just accept it.¡± She still protested. ¡°There¡¯s no need to have four people to protect me. You¡¯ve already increased the number of guards protecting the manor anyway.¡± ¡°Defending the manor is different from your guard¡¯s priority of protecting you at all costs.¡± ¡°Lucius.¡± Deatrice called out his name with a sigh. Lucius had no intention of making concessions in this matter anyway, so he just stood tall, half-listening to her call. But Deatrice¡¯s tone was enough to shake him. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll get hurt under my watch and I¡¯d have to feel guilty over it.¡± Lucius said, seemingly in an exasperated manner. ¡°Why would you even feel guilty?¡± ¡°You¡¯d get hurt because of me.¡± Lucius suddenly frowned and pursed his lips. His red eyes darkened as if he had realized the identity of something disturbing. He asked in a low, disconcerting voice. ¡°Are you worried for me?¡± Despite his rapid switch in attitude, she wasn¡¯t all surprised and simply focused on convincing him. ¡°You go out hunting monsters, but I¡¯m stuck here¡­¡± However, Lucius was no longer interested in her words. His thoughts had only been confirmed when he looked into her eyes and analyzed her face. He murmured lowly, ¡°Do you really think you can unsettle me with a simple word of concern?¡± Deatrice was immediately confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you think that I like you?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep up with the flow of conversation. Why would worrying mean that she wanted his affection? He even spoke as if Deatrice was taking advantage of that matter to get close to him! Lost for words, Deatrice just stared at him with a dumb expression. ¡°What on earth are you going on about?¡± ¡°Because the way you¡¯re behaving right now is the same as when I was courting you.¡± Lucius looked at her with a half-lidded gaze. ¡°Is this your scheme? To gain the upper hand in our relationship and make me fall in love with you again by acting so concerned over me?¡± Hip red eyes narrowed into slits, piercing her with his gaze. Deatrice bit her lip and swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth. But she was still confused. His ears are red¡­ For a moment, it occurred to her that she could use it as ammunition and fight back. But it was a double-edged sword, she didn¡¯t know the outcome if he truly confirmed his desires for her. Deatrice tried to lower her voice, as if to placate him. ¡°I never thought of that, Lucius. I¡¯m just worried about you. I wouldn¡¯t oppose it if the four of them take turns protecting me, but only two at a time. The other two can stay back at the Templar and attend to other more important matters while waiting for their turn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Also,¡± she added, ¡°don¡¯t be so mean if you feel like you¡¯ve got the upper hand. You never know, your conclusions just might be wrong¡­¡± Then she giggled. It didn¡¯t seem like it would make any sense to continue talking. Therefore, Deatrice opened the door and left. However, she still felt bitter because she was just being genuinely worried about him. He wouldn¡¯t easily change his mind either way.