"Don't look at me like that," Celine said when Lucian blinked at her in disbelief, "I told you I have my ways, didn't I? If you depended on me more, you would have known."
"..." Lucian was not used to being taken care of, so it never crossed his mind to ask for help and rely on her. Wouldn't it make him look weak and incompetent? He didn't want that, "And let you take advantage of me? No, thank you."
He knew she had been collecting loyal followers in the towns and villages she visited by helping them out of a pinch. He had rejected her offer to become her servant after all.
"..." Celine was baffled at his reaction, and the conversation turned into another one of their fights, with Edmund in the middle, again.
"I'm going to use the washroom," Edmund said, "Do whatever you want, but don't break anything."
He left them alone.
Lucian looked at her, and she looked at him, and they both looked away. The earlier confidence was gone, their cheeks burning. They were alone, and the atmosphere changed.
"So…" Lucian said, "You are not going to kill me if I try to kiss you, are you?"
Her cheeks turned even redder, "I will kill you if you don't," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Lucian leaned in and lifted her veil, his lips gently brushing against hers, "I'm sorry," he said.
He took out a small package from his pocket and slipped it into her dress pocket, "You don't have to prove you are strong to me. I'm already married to you in my head."
Her lips trembled as she tried to form a proper sentence, but nothing came out.
He continued to apologize for his behavior, but she wasn't listening anymore.
She climbed on top of him, her legs on either side of his hips, and kissed him.
Her tongue invaded his mouth, and he responded with equal passion.
His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, "Hngh...!"
Her fingers tangled in his hair, her hips grinding against his, "Hah...!"
Only when the click of the door was heard did they push each other away.
Lucian's chair flipped over from his sudden movement and he fell on his back together with the chair, while Celine crashed onto the desk, her arms flailing to maintain her balance.
The chair he was sitting in had a broken leg now, and Lucian groaned in pain. "You said you wouldn't kill me..."
She grabbed the broken leg from the floor and threatened to hit him with it, "Who told you to stop?"
"I didn't mean to," Lucian crawled on the floor away from her, "I'm sorry!" he cried out in laughter, "Help!"
Edmund quickly closed the door and rushed to stop them.
"What in the heavens is wrong with you two?" he said, taking the broken leg away from Celine, "Are you trying to destroy my office?"
Lucian hid under the desk, pumping his chest to calm down his breathing.
"I think I have a cracked rib," he called out, the double meaning not lost on her. His heart was beating too fast for his body to handle.
She kicked the desk panel, "Serves you right. Just wait when I get my hands on you. I will break all your ribs one by one."
"Alright, you two, stop it," Edmund said, looking at the two of them, "The servants are already gossiping. Let's try to keep the chaos to a minimum, shall we?"
Lucian peeked from under the desk, "You were taking too long, Young Master," he said, his voice sounding like a child complaining about his parents. "We got bored."
"I can see that," Edmund said, his voice dry, "Next time, I'll knock. And I'll bring a guard with me. Just in case."
They all laughed. It felt like they were kids again, messing around without a care in the world. And for a moment, they forgot about the barriers between them.
Lucian's visit lasted for another hour before he had to leave.
"I have to go now," he said, "Thank you for the tea."
He bowed to Edmund, who returned it with a nod.
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The Merchant Graff had left earlier, so the siblings decided to escort Lucian to the gate in the family carriage.
The curious stares of the guards and staff followed Lucian as he walked towards the main entrance, speculating his identity and relationship with the house.
Nobody was waiting for Lucian at the gates so he had to walk back to the city alone. He could have borrowed a horse, but he didn't want to impose.
'MY CLOTHES! I FORGOT MY CLOTHES!' Lucian screamed internally, remembering he had left them in the room he changed in. 'They are the best ones I own!'
It was his good luck that Celine seemed to have read his mind, because a servant on a horse came rushing towards him with a neatly folded bundle in his arms.
"Thank you," Lucian said, taking the clothes from him and handing him a few tip coins.
The servant refused to take them, saying it was his duty. Lucian insisted, and the servant finally accepted them, thanking him profusely.
It was not just his clothes. The servant left behind a horse. There was also a bag of food too. Baked goods, mostly.
'That girl…' Lucian thought, 'Isn't she taking the saying "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" too seriously?'
The air was cold as the sun began to set, but the warmth she left him with made him barely notice it.
'Do you think she will like my gift?' Lucian asked the voice as he walked back to the city, 'I hope she will.'
The pouch he slipped into her pocket contained a scent sachet with a special blend of his favorite spices and flowers, designed to help her relax. She liked shiny things, so he hid a one and a half carat yellow diamond inside the sachet as well.
The voice didn't respond to him. It was probably busy trying to erase the memory of the scene it had just witnessed.
'She's such a wolf, Voice. A cute wolf,' he sighed, rubbing his full stomach. 'And I'm her little lamb...ah no, a little rabbit. Wait... no, a little chick."
He couldn't decide what animal he wanted to be in her hands, but he knew he wanted to be in them.