"YOU CAN'T DIE!!!"
Graham and Seb drew their weapons, shielding Maya and Patch against the other group. They rushed toward the carriage, desperate to reach Celine.
With his back pressed against the carriage, Lucian held Celine tightly, one arm around her waist and the other gripping her shoulder.
Currently, he looked no different from a rabid dog, staring murderously at anyone who dared to approach him.
Maya lunged toward Lucian, her fist flying toward his face.
Lucian's body reacted faster than his mind. His arm shot up, blocking her punch with his arm, and his leg kicked out, sending her crashing out. He was confused by Celine's unresponsive state, and almost thought that he killed her by some accident.
Panic overtook him. He ignored his own wounds as he called out to her, "Come on, stop fooling around. You've had your revenge, now wake up, and we will talk like civilized adults... just open your eyes."
"Move out of the way, Lord Arclight. It's clearly you who is dying here," Patch said.
At the mention of "physician," Lucian grabbed Patch by the collar, pulling him closer.
Patch's eyes widened in surprise, Lucian's intense gaze locking onto him.
"Make her wake up," Lucian paused, breathing through clenched teeth. "I'll... I'll pay you double to remove whatever spell or potion she's under. Triple if it works in a minute."
The paranoia crept back into Lucian's mind. It was incredibly hard to trust anyone, especially after placing his faith in the one person who had betrayed him so completely.
Patch didn't move, buying enough time for Maya to sneak around and strike Lucian's back through the carriage's window. The impact made him grunt in pain; his grip on Patch faltered, loosening just enough for the physician to break free.
Maya wrapped her arm around Lucian's neck while Patch worked on Celine, checking her pulse and her breathing before pulling her away from Lucian, out of the carriage. "She's alright. There is no external damage," he informed.
The Rochefort's soldiers kept their weapons up, sighing in relief. "On the ground! All of you, now! Hands behind your heads!" they commanded the other group. Their expressions remained grim, their bodies ready to jump into action at any moment.
The men Lucian had hired, the ones he thought he could count on for these types of situations, surrendered without a fight at the face of a mightier opponent and the sight of his condition.
There was no sting. Just a brutal, empty truth. It wasn't a betrayal; it was a cruel confirmation: There was no one worth trusting. Not a single soul.
He coughed a mouthful of blood, his hand holding the bleeding hole in his stomach. The adrenaline rush faded after he confirmed that Celine was alright.
"Don't kill him, Maya," Seb ordered.
"But—"
"That's an order. Our Lady seems to want him alive."
Maya clicked her tongue and released her grip around Lucian's neck, slowly dragging him towards Graham and Seb. She knew some first aid, and applied pressure on the wound, helping him slow down the bleeding.
───────────────────────────
Celine's servants set up a tent, and carried their master inside.
Lucian groaned, his eyes squeezed shut, teeth grinding together.
Maya kept watch outside while Graham and Seb lay him on the ground inside the tent, removing his jacket and the vest.
Their eyes widened when they saw the multiple whip marks on Lord Arclight's back and his chest. Keeping their opinion to themselves, they focused on bandaging him and stopping the blood loss.
Patch soon appeared by their side, ready to remove the bullet and stitch up the wound, "The bullet didn't pierce a vital organ, but the amount of blood loss is worrisome."
After being treated, Lucian stayed awake and alert the whole time, not uttering a single word or complaining, his gaze fixed on the unconscious woman behind the curtains.
Their second meeting, and she had fainted. Again. Conveniently.
Even if it was fake, even if she was the best liar in the world, he still found himself worrying. Like she didn't do the same with the Crown Prince a thousand times before. And that was the most pathetic part of all.
"You are all females, right?" Lucian asked when most of her attendants were present, his voice a little hoarse as he reached toward his shirt, but his wound protested and made him wince.
The trio exchanged glances and laughed.
"Is it because of the way we look?" Seb asked, his expression amused, "We get that a lot."