"Why are you looking at me like that? Why are you looking at me with such eyes?"
Lucien took a step closer to Ivy.
"What eyes?" Ivy bit her lip, asking. Of course, she wouldn't admit to his face that she was disgusted by his actions, that in this moment, she was very afraid of him. She took a step back as he approached her.
Lucien chuckled slightly at her reaction.
"I can tell you're lying from the look in your eyes."
Lucien chuckled again, moving forward and taking a seat on her bed with his leg crossed, his hand resting on his thigh as he leaned back, a smirk forming on his lips.
Ivy raised a brow, watching his actions. Why was he sitting on her bed? It seemed he didn't want to leave... well. This was her opportunity to get closer to him and carry out her mission of seducing the villain.
"I'm not lying," she cleared her throat, also moving forward and sitting next to him.
"Bunny, you cannot lie to me. Because if you lie, I can read all your lies in your eyes."
Lucien chuckled, covering her hands with his and trailing his fingers along her nose. His action caught Ivy off guard, making her slightly stiff for a moment, but she quickly adjusted her expression, smiling cutely at him.
Lucien raised a brow at her sudden smile. It seemed she was learning how to hide many of her secrets very well. If it had been before, she would have already exposed herself.
"You cannot read my secrets. And besides, what secrets could I possibly keep from my lovely husband?" Ivy giggled, suddenly wrapping her arms around him.
Lucien's body instinctively wanted to react, to push her away harshly, but he stopped himself. She clung to him like glue, refusing to let go. His face burned, his expression almost filled with anger and annoyance. She was pestering him again. This woman didn't know how to stop pestering him.
"Look at who was scared of the assassins before, and now you're all over me, speaking as if you're a different person," Lucien said, pushing her small head away, causing Ivy to fall back, bouncing on the bed.
Ivy rolled over and sat up, looking at him with unkind eyes. Her cheeks puffed slightly, as if she were angry.
"And who told you I was afraid of the assassins? I wasn't afraid of them! Did you see how I defeated them? With my mind and body full of courage!" Ivy flexed her arms in demonstration and raised an eyebrow at him, as if begging for praise.
Lucien smirked, looking at her like she was a fool. He wasn't blind. He saw how scared she had been, how awkwardly she had battled with the masked assassins. It was as if she hadn't learned her magic properly since she was twelve.
Yes, because in the kingdom, when every child turned twelve, they were sent to the Elemental Academy to learn how to master their powers, magic, and elements.
And yet, Ivy now looked like someone who had only trained for a month instead of years.
Suspicion crossed his mind briefly, but he dismissed it just as quickly.
"Lucien, I'm telling the truth! Really, I wasn't scared of the assassins!"
Ivy suddenly zoomed in front of Lucien, clutching his shoulders and pressing on them as she nodded her head vigorously, her eyes wide open, practically begging him to believe her.
Lucien was once again surprised by her boldness.
"You're not scared of those assassins? You're totally lying."
And with that, he flipped her over, pinning her down beneath him.
"Let me tell you something, bunny," he said, gripping her chin and tilting it upward so she would look at him.
"I am scarier than the assassins who tried to kill you. The person you find shelter in is far scarier than those men. Do you get it, Bunny?"
Lucien's lips curled into a dirty smirk as he saw Ivy's eyes widen, as though she were shocked—or scared—by his words.
Ivy gulped, her heart pounding as his words echoed in her mind.
Of course, she knew Lucien was scarier than those assassins. But Lucien was her mission target, not those assassins. The system hadn't alerted her to any danger, and if Lucien truly wanted to kill her, she would have been warned.
How could she complete her mission if she was afraid of her target?
It wasn't reasonable to be scared of Lucien.
And yet, she couldn't deny it.
In that moment, as he destroyed the masked assassin with his overwhelming power, she had been terrified of him.
"I don't care. You are my husband. You can be as scary as you want, but I still won't leave you."
Ivy giggled, taking the chance, wrapping her arms around Lucien's neck.
Lucien's smiling expression paused as he looked at her deeply.
"Are you sure that it is not a lie? You are not afraid of me?"
He stopped between his words, his hazel-like eyes looking at her. His expression had turned into a subtle one, filled only with emotions that brought Ivy out of her playfulness, making her stare at him.
"Swear that you will not leave me," Lucien said suddenly, leaning closer to her, and Ivy could not guess what he was thinking.
For a moment, she felt that her answer would decide her survival at this moment.
What answer to say… what not to say?
"I swear that I'll never leave you… I'll never be afraid of you."
Ivy let go of her bottom lip that she was biting and answered him, blinking twice as if it would show her sincerity.
She observed Lucien's expression to see if she could read something from it.
His gaze on her had turned more serious when he heard her answer.
She wouldn't be afraid of him... She wouldn't escape from him and leave him.
She wouldn't be weak like the others and let him go easily.
"Ha ha ha, honey. I don't know what you are saying, but I will keep my word to what I have said."
Ivy laughed, cupping his face.
"I am very happy right now," Lucien suddenly said. "Let me give you what you have always wanted."
His words—his second phrase—also got her confused.
"What I have always wanted?" she unconsciously voiced her thoughts.
"Let me give you what you have been craving for."
Ivy's eyes widened when she realized what he was talking about.