After washing up and changing his clothes, Lucian returned to the tavern. He supported his chin with the back of his hand, smiling as everyone tried to hook him up with Lady Bianca (after getting abandoned by the Crown Prince). She was sitting next to him, her cheeks red from trying to explain the situation.
"We are just friends and nothing more," she repeated for the tenth time.
"What's the harm in being more?" They all asked. "You and Boss look so good together. Just give it a try."
She immediately shook her head, "No. I don't like him like that. And even if I did, he is engaged, is he not?"
Lucian sighed and leaned back in his chair, sipping on his wine. "I'm engaged, yes," he confirmed, gazing out of the window with a sad smile. "You should all stop bothering Lady Bianca. We really are just friends, and that's it."
"See?" She said, and they all booed at the idea. Her smile, her words, her unyielding spirit, all made her so lovable in everyone's eyes, even Lucian had a hard time not liking her.
'What is the harm in being more?' they had asked. 'I'm asking myself the same question,' he thought as he watched her smile at him. Not everyone had a heart as strong as hers to endure what she did and still be able to smile like that. 'It's a good thing that I found her. I wouldn't know what other ways to break their engagement, if not for her.'
Lucian could have enrolled in the academy, but he would have probably been kicked out of most classes for doing his own thing or end up skipping them because of his travels. Unlike the rest, he would have to pay for his tuition. Wasting money was not something he could do at that time. Also, he couldn't watch her being all lovey-dovey with another, not right after the breakup, anyway.
And so, he sent someone to represent him instead. A new student who would catch everyone's attention; a fresh flower that would attract bees unlike any other in the field.
Celine must have been furious to have the order she had just established in the academy so quickly shattered by a new transfer student. He wanted to stall and delay her rise to power as much as possible, not expecting her to go with the more brutal route.
He was afraid that if he didn't come back soon, he would hear about her execution from some of his people one day. He was not going to leave her fate to the hands of a stranger and risk it, so he came back with his immunity not yet fully built up. And it showed.
He closed his pocket watch and continued to stare out of the window, pretending his heart wasn't racing like it was about to jump out of his chest. They should be having a dinner date right now. She should be sitting across from him, feeding him and wiping his mouth clean. Then, he would do the same to her, and it would turn into a competition of who could do a sweeter gesture until one of them broke their character.
His daydreaming was the one thing he couldn't escape, no matter where he was or who he was with.
Not even the wine could drown the sound of his heart beating for someone other than himself. He tried before, but instead of helping him forget her, it made him more immune to the alcohol's effects. His growing waistline also proved that his control over his body was slipping away.
You don't need to look good when you are dying, but you need to when you want to make your ex regret dumping you.
He should be doing it for his sake and not for someone else's approval, but it helped him to get into shape a lot quicker than he would have otherwise.
A few carriages stopped by the inn, and one after the other, young women poured inside.
Jax whistled at the sight of them, "It wouldn't be called a party without some pretty ladies, am I right?"
"Right!" the others agreed, whistling as well.
"Are they who I think they are?" Lucian asked.