Chapter 5.
"Did he do this to you because I spoke with you?" Effie forcefully slammed the splintered table, making it seem even more miserable.
Despite her words, she felt a sense of relief, as she was uncertain about what her wild, ignorant husband might do if he found out that her conversations with Lucien were not just friendly but also had a sexual attraction behind them.
On the other hand, Lucien, who was somewhat attuned to Effie's emotions, decided to take advantage of them, as it was the only way to fulfill his predecessor's final wishes.
"Hey, what have you done? That kind of hit on the table could hurt your hand." Lucien reached Effie's side and took hold of her hand.
Still seen as a lost puppy in Miss Effie's eyes, he aimed to win her over by maintaining that same persona.
Lucien commented, "Oh no, it's quite swollen," as he examined Effie's pale palm, which had a hint of red. Following his role perfectly, he asked, "I don't have anything to treat it, what should I do?" and then went a step further by blowing on Effie's palm.
Oh my~
Effie, watching this unfold before her, groaned as she bit her lip and pulled her hand back, feeling the warmth of Lucien's breath lingering on her skin.
"It's fine. You don't need to worry, my hand is okay." Effie stepped back, her heart racing wildly, her cheeks as red as peppers.
But how could Lucien let such a wonderful chance slip away? He quickly moved closer, gently holding Effie's hand, and then, looking at her face—the only part of her body not covered by the black cloak—spoke softly, "Please, your hand got hurt because of me, so this is the least I can do."
Hearing this, Effie hesitated to pull her hand back. She gazed into Lucien's eyes, trying to decipher his expression while her heartbeat quickened, pounding like a drum in her ears.
She felt the heat rising in her cheeks and wondered, 'This is the same innocent puppy Lucien, so why is my heart racing so much all of a sudden?'
Lost in these thoughts, enjoying Lucien's concern for her, she suddenly realized that she was allowing an innocent man, who likely didn't even understand love, to dominate her. She interrupted her thoughts, placed her other hand on Lucien's cheek, lifted his head, and spoke in a soft voice, "It's alright now, the pain has subsided."
While focused on his plan, Lucien inadvertently found himself ensnared. He had hoped to ensnare Miss Effie in his web of deceit, but with just a few words from her, he found himself captivated by her gaze.
His attention then shifted to her pearly teeth, visible between her luscious, red lips, which further highlighted the exquisite beauty of her face.
'Kiss those lips.' Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, which he momentarily deemed justified. He had never seen such juicy, rose-colored lips, but recalling his ultimate goal, he gradually distanced himself from his instincts and stepped back from Effie, adding with a heavy sigh, "Thank goodness, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself for you hurting those delicate hands for me."
"Don't blame yourself too much. More importantly, I should be the one apologizing here. He wouldn't have had a reason to go after you if I hadn't approached you in front of those lackeys of my foolish husband." With a heartfelt apology, she placed her palm on Lucien's right cheek, meeting his gaze.
Instinctively, both knew that if either made a move, the other wouldn't object. However, since neither had the courage to cross that line just yet, nothing ultimately happened, and a good opportunity was lost.
"Ahem... Anyway, have you eaten yet?" Effie abruptly changed the subject, cleared her throat, removed her pale hand from Lucien's, and asked.
"No, not yet," Lucien replied, scratching his cheek and looking away.
Effie's lips curled into a smile upon hearing his answer, "Well, that settles it. I'll make it up to you by cooking for you today. Besides, my foolish husband is currently out of town handling important matters for the Battalion Commander, so even if I were to spend the night with you, he wouldn't find out and bother you later."
"Cough... there's no need for that." Upon hearing this, Lucian choked on his own saliva and started coughing.
"Haha... look at your puppy's face turning red; if you want me to stay with you that badly, I don't mind." With a big smile and a playful pinch on Lucian's cheek, Effie asked, "Anyway, where's the kitchen? It's been so long since I cooked for someone." Then she moved ahead.
Since her foolish husband is a level 3 swordsman and a lackey of the battalion commander, he is naturally well-off, so living in that prison-like house, she hardly did anything, as that man had hired everyone else to work in the house. She had even occasionally wished he would hire a wife as well, just to set her free, but that wish had yet to come true.
Meanwhile, Lucian, who thought Effie was teasing him too much, replied, "No, I was just surprised, that's all. Furthermore, Miss Effie, I don't really need you to cook for me—just having your company and being able to talk with you is enough for someone like me."
"But that's not what I want to do. Will you now show me where the kitchen is or not?" With a sudden change in demeanor, Effie turned back to Lucian and dropped her black cloak, revealing a lavender pegged strappy outfit that gave her an ethereal beauty.
Although her outward expression suggested anger, a completely different narrative was playing out in her mind.