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Lucius was busy himself. Nevertheless, when he had time, his gaze would follow Deatrice’s figure.
Rosy cheeks and slightly matted hair on her forehead, and yet she seemed to be full of pleasant excitement and liveliness. She looked genuinely happy as there seemed to be no way the smile could be extricated from her pretty little face.
She also danced with him a couple of times. The first one was to prompt the start of the ball and the second was to thwart a young man’s pompous advances when he asked her whom she was dancing with next.
Lucius knew that he had become a shield, but he was a satisfied shield. Even though Deatrice would constantly flutter from one place to another, she would stay in his arms for a period of time. He didn’t think too deeply about why she chose to dance with him.
The air was warm because there were so many people, but Deatrice didn’t even smell of sweat even though a lot of time had already passed. Once, Lucius had even mentioned that sometimes, when he looked at her, she didn’t seem human. Instead, she felt like someone otherworldly, like a nymph personally crafted by the world.
As he looked into her face, he remembered that they had spent the night together again. Her face, which was heated with a red tinge and grimaced slightly when Lucius unconsciously gripped her hand tighter. He only released her when he saw her puzzled gaze.
After the dance, he grabbed a glass of champagne and sipped, trying to get out of the place quickly. But Deatrice caught his sleeve.
“Stay with me.”
“…”
She whispered. “Even if you don’t like me, just stay for a while. It’s hard for me too.”
Lucius looked down at her silently, thinking he couldn’t figure out how she had connected his wanting to leave to him getting away from her. He didn’t look in the mirror when he came out today. Did he look so appalling that someone might reject his company?
Lucius held out the cup he was holding like an idiot. He didn’t even deign to get a new one. Deatrice looked up at Lucius with her gray eyes for a moment, then drank from the glass he handed to her.
Where his lips touched, so did hers.
Lucius found a vacant seat and led her to it. Then he sat down in front of her and gently touched her messy hair. “Your cheeks are red.”
“It’s because I’m feeling hot.”
As he sat face to face with her and exchanged these private words, he felt his emotions controlling his body.
Sans Palo’s Piano Sonata No. 3 was playing in the ballroom. Lucius kissed the back of Deatrice’s hand involuntarily at the soft, melodious melody that soaked the summer night.
“Have a bit of rest first.”
Deatrice looked at him, who naturally caressed her without saying a word.
Because there were many eyes looking at them, it’s possible he was acting again. But it somehow felt different from the way he pretended before when that usual, yet fake soft smile that could melt a lady’s heart wasn’t present. He simply looked at her with a doting expression, as if sincerely comforting her.
Just like the nights they spent together.
Someone said that once a couple spent the night together, the next steps would be easy. Because they instinctively knew what kind of pleasure their partner can give them. A sense of closeness they couldn’t easily deny.
Deatrice could not agree more with that sentiment at this moment.
On one hand, she wanted to strangle his neck because of his selfish behavior, but on the other hand, she just wanted to get drunk with the tenderness he gives during rare moments like this.
She must’ve gone mad. It was clear as day that she could easily be hurt again later on. But her heart simply wouldn’t listen to reason.
With the piano melody in the background, the two of them gazed at each other for a long time. If someone hadn’t called Lucius’ name, their staring would’ve lasted longer.
Lucius turned his head to check who called him, then got up and kissed her on the head.
“Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”
She nodded.
But she knew he wouldn’t return. Nevertheless, she sat for a while and waited for him, having an amicable expression as she rejected those who wanted to initiate a conversation with her.
A self-deprecating smile surfaced on her lips.
Of course, he didn’t come back.
***
“Find out more about Alhen’s Temple.” Rosalynn was knitting when she heard her lady’s sudden words. She raised her head.
Deatrice rested her chin on one palm and thumbed the spines of the books on her shelf. Seeing the servant’s questioning gaze, she clarified.
“They told me to bring the money when I leave the country. But after thinking about it for some time, I would be wasting my divine powers like that. Becoming a priestess doesn’t seem so bad anymore after everything’s over. You would need to escape my father’s clutches and I’d be out of my father’s reach. I believe this is what the Heavens had planned for me.”
“B-but, Miss…” Rosalynn mistakenly addressed her again because she was anxious.
“Now that I’ve made up my mind, don’t think about changing it. Just do what I tell you to do. Am I understood?”
There was much she wanted to say, but Rosalynn also knew the price Deatrice had to pay when she recklessly moved on her own. On the day she found out that the master and his wife had spent the night together, she spent the day without eating and felt uncomfortable in her stomach all day.
There was nothing she could do. It will probably still be the case today as well.
In the end, as a person who cares for Deatrice, the best thing Rosalynn could do was to take good care of her. She had no choice but to say yes and leave.
Shortly after her maidservant left, another servant knocked on the door.
“M’lady, the master is calling for you to go down.”