"I'm not a w-whore," Celine sniffled a fake tear, "I'm not... a whore," she repeated, "H-hic—but I will try my best... h-hic..."
"Try your best to be a whore?" he finished for her, and she nodded. This little snot. Bringing herself down while throwing taunts and jabs at him, making him feel responsible for her actions. "For... what? To make me spend my money on you?"
She nodded again. "Your actions say you prefer the company of whores than of your own fiancee, so..." she paused, "It seems like free love doesn't interest you, so I will try my best to sell it to you."
"..." Did she forget about how she planned to give him a cold shoulder just a few hours ago and how it should be his turn to chase after her for a change? Not that he was complaining, "About the date we were supp—mpf!"
She pressed a cookie against his mouth, "Eat your feelings away, they say it's good to let go sometimes," she said, and when he took the treat in his mouth, she pulled another snack from her pocket and nibbled on it. It was as if she was trying to compensate herself for the dinner they were supposed to have, "You can stand me up all you want. It's not like you can escape me, anyway."
"..." Lucian's eyes teared up from the sweetness overload. "What makes you think that I want to escape you? I just wanted to stay away from you long enough for you to start missing me."
Celine stopped eating and looked up at him, "I've missed you before you even left."
He almost choked on the cookie, covering his mouth to not spit crumbs at her. The alcohol was slowly doing its job, the warmth in his chest spreading to the rest of his body. Whether the Celine before him was trying to act cutely pitiful or not, he created some distance just in case his mind was playing tricks on him.
"..." Celine's frustration was rising with every step Lucian took back. She eventually checked her pocket watch and called out, "Come in."
The door opened, and her aides stepped inside. Graham began pouring dark liquid on the ground, smearing it all over. Maya was holding a new dress for Celine to change into and motioned for Lucian to turn around.
"Do you plan to frame me for murder?" he asked, turning around.
"Pfft," Celine laughed at the idea, "No, silly. It's just a warning to all the ladies who plan to steal you from me. And to all the men who try to push someone else on you. Disrespecting the Rochefort house comes with a price, and I promised Father to keep his precious reputation safe. I hope that you don't mind."
"Of course not," Lucian said, his smile widening, "I love it. It's like you are marking me as yours."
"..." Celine's smirk fell, and the rouge on her cheeks became more vibrant, "It's not like I'm forbidding you from having mistresses. It's normal for men to have them. Even my father has some, so... just keep it a secret. Don't bring them in front of my face and pretend that you are not seeing anyone else."
"I'm not planning to have any," Lucian said.
"Right," she said, "and I'm the Goddess of Love. What are you going to do when I'm not around?"
"Not look at other women?" Lucian said, and Celine glared at him, "What?"
Wearing a new dress, the freshened Celine grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the door, "Let's meet Father before you sober up. I can't miss the opportunity to show off how whipped you are for me."
Lucian stumbled after her, getting into the carriage with her, "I'm not whipped. It's called having self-control," he said when she let go and the carriage door behind them closed, "I can resist the temptation of a beautiful woman easily. It's a matter of discipline and will power," he babbled while staring at her cleavage like it offended his ancestors. "See? Not whipped."
Celine bit her lip to prevent herself from strangling him. She rested her cheek against her fist and looked at the window, her mood souring with every mile they passed.
Lucian sighed and turned to his own window. Upsetting her should have felt a lot more satisfying than it did. He nudged her shoe with his, and then patted his thigh.
She glanced at his lap, "..." then at his face, "..." and back to the window. Her expectations were so low that she had to look down to see them, and his actions still managed to disappoint her, "You don't have to try so hard to convince me. Yes, I know you won't react even if I were to sit on your lap and rub myself all over you. I get it."
Lucian coughed and pretended to look at the window. Spotting her in the reflection, she was biting her thumb nervously, and her expression seemed as if she was about to cry again. He reached into his vest's inner pocket and pulled out a pouch of pearls. She noticed him playing with one and eyed it like a hawk.
He held the pouch out to her, "A little something for the Lady."
"..." She narrowed her eyes at him, but her hand was already extended to take it before he could change his mind, "And you say you are not whipped," she snickered, instantly switching her mood to cheerful. "I'm going to accept it, but I will not thank you. I deserve it," she said.
"Of course," Lucian said and leaned back into the seat. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't doing this to cheer her up. It was to keep her guessing and on edge. Yes, that was it. His eyes fell on the window, but instead of looking outside, he found himself watching her in the reflection again.
"Perfectly spherical and uniform in size, color, and luster, with no visible surface flaws..." She examined each pearl through the magnifying glass she carried inside her carriage.
She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't even notice when the carriage stopped, and the driver called out to them.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked.
"It is a gentleman's courtesy to assist a lady in getting off her carriage," she said.
"A gentleman? Where?" he asked, looking around the cabin.