Lucian pushed himself up. The cloth sheet and blocks of ice Celine had stacked over him fell off his shoulders with a clatter. The single lantern barely lit his surroundings, the corners of the cave still covered in shadows.
She left. The entrance blew shut, and some dust traveled through the tunnel, meaning she had sealed the cave tightly. With him inside it.
'Is this how arranged marriages work?'
Lucian reached for the pen, causing Voice to curse him, saying how he should be seeking revenge, find a better woman, and whatnot.
'She wanted to kill me because of you.'
He had survived the southern sands and the eastern waters. To a man who had repeatedly abused his body to advance his stages, a clean stab wound from the woman he adored was practically a gentle caress.
This was simply how she loved. And down to his very soul, Lucian was a merchant. He had brought her so much trouble and heartache. Her moans and smiles didn't add up, and he began subtracting the pain she had put him through to level their scales. It was the only way he could live with himself.
Lucian moved the pen over the parchment paper. He signed his name, agreeing to the terms. Being able to be himself around her was a privilege she granted him. That included being petty, or even mean if he felt like it. It comforted him like a warm hug, reminding him that he was enough.
He could be mad about the dagger, while she could be angry about the way he had treated her for years. They would meet somewhere in the middle, with their love balancing out the weight of their sins. He believed in that.
If they had to use manipulation even around themselves, then what was the point of being together? Honesty was the only freedom they had, but it wasn't easy to achieve, and it would probably take a lifetime to perfect.
While he was an excuser, she was a secret-keeper.
'Not real? How am I not real? What Lucians has she been talking to think I'm not real?'
He fantasized about his little wife all the time. She never saw it as cheating. If anything, she wanted to drill herself further into his head, and she knew he wanted the same.
There was a brief note added below her signature.
'Celine Rochefort, the one and only.'
The note felt like a threat more than anything, telling him not to fall in love with any other Celine because they were all fakes.
'Only she would have the guts to threaten a dead man…silly woman.'
Lucian grinned at the contract, reading it over again. His hand drifted to the wound on his stomach, which had already healed.
If there were a competition for unromantic gestures, Celine would be the champion.
'I should do something for her in return.'
But what? A special ceremony? A public declaration of their love? Flowers? Confetti? Or a crowd of well-wishers?
He rolled the contract back and returned it to the tube, burying it under the sheet again. Stacking the ice blocks over it, Lucian took the lantern and walked toward the entrance.
He grabbed his belt on the way, fastening it around his hips. His lighter, dagger, and vials were in the pockets. He also hid a stash of coins inside the belt's lining. Throwing the rest of his belongings over his shoulders, he found himself at the blocked entrance.
The passage was choked with massive boulders. Lucian took a deep breath, setting his lantern aside before climbing to the top of the rocks. He pressed his palms against the stone, his weight pressing down on it. The strain traveled down his arms and into his legs, his muscles bulging under the pressure.
It took longer than expected. The boulders were big, and the force he had to use to push them was immense. He was sweating by the time the light of the sun became visible through the crack he made. The hole was still small, but enough for him to get out.
He threw his belongings out first, then began crawling through the narrow gap, his shoulders scraping against the rough rocks. He reached the other side and pulled himself out, his arms and legs covered in dust and dirt.
He sat at the top of the pile of rocks, catching his breath before covering the entrance again with more rocks.
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Lucian emerged from the forest, the guards patrolling the area coming his way.
"W-what happened?!" One of them stopped a few steps away from him, staring at the dirt and dust covering him from head to toe. "Are you alright, Sir Arclight?"
"Someone wanted me dead," Lucian said, leaning closer to them, whispering, "But I managed to escape. Please keep this between us. I have yet to find the culprit."
The guards nodded, leading him to his personal tent. Lucian looked around for Celine, but she was nowhere to be seen.
'Where is she?'
The camp was in disarray. Injured soldiers were everywhere; some being carried on stretchers, others limping. The Crown Prince must have just returned from the front lines.
Lucian spotted the heroine among the crowd, her hair tied back in a ponytail, her hands stained with blood as she healed the wounded. He stopped by the supply tent, asking for fresh water. When he received a bottle, he walked up to the heroine, placing it on her shoulder. "Here. Don't forget to hydrate yourself."
"Teacher! You are safe!" Lady Bianca looked up from the injured soldier she was treating, the crease between her brows disappearing. "What happened? Why do you look like you just crawled out of a hole?"
Lucian unscrewed the cap for her. "I did. Someone didn't want me to make it out alive. Thankfully, I'm good at digging my way out of such situations."
Holding back her laughter, she wiped her hands on the rag, before taking the bottle from him. She drank it in one go and exhaled in relief.
"I heard about the peace deal between the two kingdoms."
"Yes, it's great news, isn't it? So many lives will be saved because of it…"
He observed her closely, seeing the conflict in her expression, "Are you not happy about it?"
"No, I am. It's just..." she trailed off, not knowing how to express her feelings, "I don't know how to put it...but..."
"Is there someone else you want to marry?"
Lady Bianca choked on the water, "Teacher! Please don't joke like that."
Lucian laughed, and she couldn't help but join him, her face red.
Instead of summoning Celine, it was the Crown Prince's deadly stare that fell on them. He was standing at the entrance of the camp, his armor dented and bloody. His men were helping him remove it. His eyes were on her and only her, despite the chaos around them.
'I will never get over my pettiness, will I?'