Lucian wiggled his fingers a little bit more desperately, "People usually end things for more than one reason and the ones they give are not always the true ones. I would like to know what's the other reason. It will help me not to repeat my mistakes."

He used Varia language they studied together during his stays in the winter, to communicate with her, lest someone overheard their conversation.

"I'm working, and you are distracting me," Celine said, placing the document she was holding down.

Lucian tried to pick up on the hidden meaning of the sentence. He picked up a pen and wrote on a blank piece of paper: 'Distracted as in you can't stop thinking about me?'

He slid it across the table for her to see, and her eyes glanced at the paper.

Her pen scratched the paper with more force when she read the message. Did he hit the bull's eye? She probably didn't want him to know, so she threw him a bone: 'I'm not going to let love ruin my life.'

She gave her brother a hateful glance and then returned to work, "Men and their needs...tsh...disgusting...So easily seduced and tempted..."

"..." Lucian's mouth opened to defend his gender, but closed it. It was not the time to argue, "Not everyone is the same. Some only have one woman in their hearts."

Celine scoffed and then her pen moved across the paper again, "Until they get bored and go find another one to entertain them."

"I love boredom then," Lucian replied, laying back down on his arms, "I'm happy to be stuck with it forever."

She loved his sweet talking, but she knew they were just words.

Did Edmund's recent sexual cravings combined with Lucian's encounters with other women trigger her sudden need for a break up? Maybe? Who knew what other things forced her into taking those sudden actions?

Celine's expression remained stoic, but her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on the paper she was holding.

"...!!!" Lucian quickly ran around the desk to her side. Finally some tears! He came here to cheer her up when she was at her bottom, and make her change her mind after all, "What's wrong? What did I say? Did I upset you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"..." Celine's tears mixed with the ink on the paper, "I'm not crying. The paper is wet because I spit on it."

"..." Lucian's heart was stabbed by an arrow of cuteness. Her face was pressed against his waistcoat before he knew it, "Spit on me all you want. My waistcoat is thirsty."

She stifled a chuckle against his stomach, "I'm just angry I can't burn you on a stake for being a wizard. How dare you tempt me to come back to you, you cute little fiend? Undo the spell."

"..." Lucian's heart was stabbed by another arrow of cuteness. This time it was his heart that was thirsty, "There is no spell. There are no spells at all," he insisted.

"Liar," she mumbled, "I can feel the magic."

"..." Lucian was baffled at how quickly she picked on his flirting skills, and was now using them against him. His hand stroked the back of her head, and he sighed in content.

It was a short-lived moment, as her brother's snores broke the silence between them.

Celine composed herself, her eyes still red and puffy, but dry. Lucian undressed his favorite waistcoat and handed it to her to use it as her handkerchief.

She took it and used the inside of it to dab her cheeks. "I have to finish these reports," she said, returning to her work.

Lucian grabbed a book from a shelf and went back to his seat, more obediently this time. He fed them grapes from a bowl of fruit, not forgetting about the drunkard on the couch.

It was like they were playing house, where Edward was their son that had a fever. Celine was a chair ridden wife that couldn't walk, and Lucian was the loving husband that took care of them.

It was a silly thing, something they could never have, and yet, he was happy. Even if it was just pretend, he didn't care. It was enough to see her smile.

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It was when the sun set and the servants came to light the candles, that Celine finally put down the pen. She massaged her wrist and neck.

Lucian almost finished reading the book, and he was ready to put it down if she asked him to. But she didn't ask him to, she didn't say anything at all.

She went to close the windows and pull the curtain. Walking toward him, she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, pressing her forehead against the back of his head and sniffed his hair.

"Do you know what they say about things sounding too good to be true?" she asked.

"That it's not real?" he asked.

Her arms tightening around him, and her face buried in his neck, "I don't think I'll ever stop doubting you," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Lucian closed his eyes and let out a breath, "You've revealed enough of yourself to me," he said, "I know you well enough to never doubt your intentions."

"..." She was quiet for a moment, before speaking again, "You should use me to step up the social ladder," she advised, her tone becoming more serious, "Marrying into the family is the easiest way to get to the top. You'll be able to influence the kingdom's politics, and maybe even become a duke yourself."

"Easiest but the most dangerous," Lucian pointed out, "I don't know if I want to have assassins sent to kill me on a regular basis. You know my constitution isn't that great."

"I'll be the one dealing with them, not you," she said, her grip loosening, "You just sit back and enjoy the show."

Lucian wanted to be the one to protect her instead. And the best way to do that was to keep their relationship a secret, keep her off the stage, and not give anyone a reason to try and eliminate her because of him and the threat he would have posed to their interests.

"Marry me," she blurted out after she didn't get any response from him.

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