╔═══ Author's note ════╗
A song recommendation for the mood.
Lize - Reines (Clip officiel)
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If Celine's father discovered she had been sending her staff away to sneak in a man, he'd have her skinned. Not because of an affair of sorts, but because he would rather have her get caught in bed with a man, than caught her alone and dead.
Speaking of her father, he had announced her engagement to Lucian at the court a week ago. He sent an apology to Lucian for the life-threatening injuries his daughter caused him and offered her hand in marriage as compensation.
Some thought she had lost her father's favor, some thought he did it to reduce the Crown Prince's influence and keep the balance of power within his grasp.
Nobody would have believed that she had to kneel before her father to get married to him. She swore she had it all under control and that it was not some desperate, last resort to make Lucian hers again.
'In the end, I still had to do it myself... If I knew he would be so stubborn even after five years, I would have dragged him before my father sooner!'
'What type of revenge is he even going after? Wouldn't taking over the Rochefort House be the ultimate ending for me?'
Celine's peripheral vision caught Lucian's arm that was a few inches away from her face, keeping her trapped between him and the door, "..."
'Lucian swore he would make my life a living hell if I ever used my father's connection to get to him. He'd hate me and make sure I knew just how much... Ugh! Whatever! We are finally engaged...the rest can be dealt with along the way!'
Celine gulped, her voice growing quieter, "I'll indulge your petty little revenge fantasies. Whatever they might be. As the vow says: for better and for worse, we shall share our burdens with one another..."
When he didn't react, she pumped her head against the door like a kid being forced to face a wall and reflect on her mistake, "At least let me live until my thirtieth birthday," she whispered pitifully, "Then I'll knock on Death's door myself. I promise."
pump
pump
He grabbed her head, his fingers separating her forehead from the wood.
"Your brain is already scrambled enough, don't worsen its state," he said, leaning down until his head was next to hers. "You have memory of an elephant, so why do you always forget how to take a joke?"
"You have sense of humor of a hyena, it's funny only to you and annoying to everyone else," she grumbled. Instead of squealing in joy, she could hear a drum playing in her head, counting down to her doom.
"Telling people to fall for their death when your life is on the line makes me think you are not taking this seriously either. So don't try to spin this around and tell me you're not playing a game," he said quietly.
This man and his damned logic. Celine bit down on her lip, trying to stop herself from spitting venom.
'Just act nice, be sweet, take the higher ground, and you'll have your man,' she repeated to herself in her head like a mantra, 'That's how the storybooks work, isn't it? The good girls get the prize, the evil ones get the guillotine.'
Celine put on her prettiest smile, wait, he couldn't see her. She should be crying at this point. Big, fat tears. Women were supposed to cry when they get upset, not crack skulls. "You're right," she sniffled, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'll try to be better. Please give me another chance."
His thumb rubbed her temple, "You are doing good. Now tell me that you love me, just the way I am."
"I love you, just the way you are," she repeated, her eyes twitching slightly. She swore she wouldn't let their time together go to waste the second time around. She was ready to be the bigger person and swallow her pride, just so she could have him in her life, "I love your big ego... And your big mouth, too."
"Say it like you mean it, Celine."
"I love you, you rotten pile of rat bones," she said, sobbing a bit louder, "Please keep being your worst self, and don't bother getting better. Please stay a piece of trash, so I can throw you out one day and feel good about it. Please keep giving me reasons to hate you, so I can stop my heart from bursting in joy… whenever I see you..."
He was quiet for a moment, then patted her on the head, "Thank you, I almost thought your attempt at making up with me was out of fear, but now I see it's out of love. I'm glad."
She nodded her head like a chicken pecking at grains of corn, "Of course, I'm doing it all for you. I live and breathe for your happiness."
He chuckled at the crown of her head, "I can hear you gnashing your teeth."
"It's the butterflies. I'm stopping them from flying out of my mouth and vomiting all over your shiny boots," she muttered.
Pleasing men was a skill she never had the time to develop, and the one time she decided to try and learn, the teacher was more of an idiot than the student.
He laughed even louder. See? He was mocking her for trying her hardest. Even if she did a poor job, she should not be ridiculed for it.