Discuss with the Bride

Lucien shouldn’t have any reason to go along with Giselle’s wiles this time around, but here he was.

Working for the marquessate had kept Lucien occupied all this time ever since the ball, but the work that he had been doing was like an internship at best. He hadn’t been assigned important jobs by his father because the marquess didn’t deem it necessary yet. Marquess Renand was still of the opinion that as long as he was healthy and able enough to work, he wouldn’t let his children work a bone.

Also, after graduating the academy at eighteen, children of nobility typically only started working full force after turning twenty. Most of them wouldn’t inherit the house until they were in their late 20s either. Since Lucien wasn’t even twenty yet, the marquess still considered him too young to join him full-time.

That was why Lucien was sure his parents would approve of this.

“Sure. That sounds like it would be a good experience for you,” the marquess said nonchalantly.

Lucien wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not. He expected it, but it did come as quite a shock when he said it so casually, as if he didn’t particularly care.

“Now hold on a second,” the marchioness interrupted. “The princess? Again?”

At least his mother seemed to be worried. She shot a quick glare at her husband before turning to Lucien in concern.

“Are you sure you’re not being threatened?” she asked.

Lucien shook his head and smiled to reassure his mother.

“I’m not. I really want to do it,” he said. And it was true.

The main reason he went along with Giselle’s whims was because he was bored. He had been feeling like he was on an extended vacation for a while now, so having this job from Giselle was God-sent. It was definitely not because he was a pushover, he would like to think.

And there was another reason—curiosity.

He had never met anyone like Giselle before. Which was a given, since she was the only princess in the empire, but he was also just really curious about what was going on in her little head.

He had a feeling he would find the answer to his questions if he went along with her. After all, Lucien was only another human who was attracted to things that he couldn’t understand.

“But Lucien, you’ve never been to the north. I’m worried about you,” the marchioness said, her hands squeezing Lucien’s. “What if you get lost?”

Lucien chuckled. His mother really liked to worry needlessly. How old was he now? There was no way he would ever get lost.

“It will be fine, Mother. Lord Karron is going to be assisting us throughout the preparation,” he said.

By Lord Karron, Lucien was referring to the younger brother of the previous duke and Siegfried’s paternal uncle. He was someone who had played a pivotal role in raising Siegfried and assisting him with the management of the duchy after his parents passed away. It was common knowledge that Siegfried viewed him in a really high regard and considered him a father figure.

That’s why it should be fine, he thought. Should be easy.

It was not.

Clara and Siegfried’s engagement ceremony was happening in a month, and Giselle only took over now. It was a given that they would be rushing in a lot of ways. So far, Lucien had accompanied her to survey the food, decorations, and the attires that the couple would be wearing.

“I think it would be great if we could get the cook of the Benois household to provide some food as well,” Lucien suggested while they were discussing what kind of food should be served at the party.

“Ridiculous. How do you think the Karron household’s cook is going to feel?” Giselle instantly dismissed the suggestion.

Anyone could tell that this wasn’t the first time their opinions clashed with the way Lucien glared at Giselle. He was not even pretending to be courteous around her anymore.

“Think about it, Your Highness. We will get to introduce the Benois land’s cuisine this way,” he said while tapping the papers containing menus with the back of his hand. “In turn, that will help boost the Benois land’s economy!”

Being stubborn for no reason, Giselle turned away despite Lucien’s passionate speech.

“I’m not convinced,” she said while crossing her arms.

“Why not?! Don’t think I didn’t notice that Your Highness was chomping down on the food the last time you visited the Benois residence!” Lucien slammed his hands on the coffee table, his upper body leaning over to Giselle’s direction. To that, Giselle just stayed still and acted like she didn’t hear him.

Lucien was so close to blowing up like a boiled kettle when someone else suddenly cut into their conversation.

“Uhm…”

Giselle and Lucien turned to the blonde-haired woman at the same time.

“If I may have a say…?” Clara said while raising a hand up in a timid way. Her sky blue eyes nervously shifted between Giselle and Lucien.

This was Clara’s first time joining Giselle and Lucien in their discussion. They were gathered in one of the sitting rooms within the imperial palace. She shouldn’t have to get permission to speak up since this was about her engagement ceremony, but it seemed like she just couldn’t help but do it with how intense the air was.

“Speak,” Giselle said in her usual haughty way. Clara gulped.

“I think Her Highness has a point… I’m an outsider there, so I wouldn’t want them to think badly of me and the people of Benois…” she said.

Giselle looked pompous as she turned her nose up at Lucien as if she was saying “See?” without saying a word. It was pissing him off. He pulled up some related documents to show the two ladies what he was talking about.

“Now, see here—”

It took him ages and ages of talking before he finally managed to convince them to make it a joint effort between the Karron’s family cook and the Benois’s family cook. Giselle still looked doubtful, but it didn’t matter to Lucien. The one whose opinions truly mattered was Clara, the center of the event, herself.

“You’re right, Steven’s cooking should be more known to the world…!” Clara said while pumping up her fists, her gaze determined. Lucien smiled in satisfaction as he nodded.

“I hope His Grace will agree as well,” Clara said again as she turned to Lucien. He noticed her rosy cheeks when she brought up Siegfried.

“I’m sure he wi—Wait, you still call him ‘His Grace’?” Lucien stopped organizing his documents and blinked. “After all this time?”

Clara covered her flushed face with her hands. “I don’t know, it feels wrong to call him anything else!”

CLATTER.

Lucien turned to Giselle, who just stood up from her seat.

“Lead me to the washroom,” she quickly turned and said to the maid standing by, who scrambled to open the door for the princess and lead her out of the room.

When the door closed, Lucien raised an eyebrow at the door before turning back to Clara. It wasn’t the first time Giselle left without saying anything anyway, so he figured he shouldn’t pay it any mind.

“I wonder if she feels unwell,” Clara said while looking at the door with worry on her face.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m more amazed at the fact that you’re still addressing His Grace with honorifics despite being the same age AND engaged,” Lucien chuckled in a teasing manner as Clara grew red again.

“Oh, come on,” she said. “There was one time I tried to call him by his name, though…”

“And? Why don’t you?”

“Look, I just get… speechless whenever he stares at me with those gorgeous ruby eyes of his, all right?” Clara said while fanning her face with her hands.

Lucien pretended to barf when he heard her say that. He couldn’t believe she was seriously gushing in front of him.

“I’m serious here! We were just starting our relationship then, and he asked me to call him by his name while staring at me straight into my eyes. How could I, in that circumstance??” Clara puffed up her cheeks, but she looked happy as she recounted her memories.

Once again, how was she supposed to be in a “contract marriage” with Siegfried? Lucien could see plain as day that Clara had real feelings for the man.

It honestly came as a surprise to Lucien. The Clara he knew all this time was not someone who would talk about romance like this. It wasn’t as if she was that much of a tomboy, she just didn’t seem to have much interest in romantic relationships as much as Cecile was. The Clara he remembered was just a girl who liked to laugh. Moreover, compared to Lucien and Cecile, Clara was the one who least socialized outside.

So to think that she would be the first one to find love among the three of them was, in fact, quite shocking. The idea of it was foreign to him.

It was like… she became a different person after meeting Siegfried. She was no longer the Clara that only he knew.

Throb.

…? Lucien raised an eyebrow as his hands stopped flipping through the papers.

“Anyway, Lu, how about you?” Clara suddenly switched the topic. When Lucien looked up from the papers, he was greeted by her eyes twinkling with excitement. “You’re going out with Princess Giselle now? How did that happen?!”

Clara’s excited and expectant gaze felt unbearably heavy to Lucien. She seemed so genuinely happy for him that it was pricking his conscience.

“We’re not going out yet…” Lucien muttered while doing his best to not look straight into Clara’s eyes.

In the concept that Giselle came up with to make sure Lucien didn’t have to lift a finger, he was supposed to be acting hard to get while she was head over heels for him. He wasn’t quite sure that would be convincing anyone though.

“...Since it’s not a punishment this time, I trust that Your Highness will be agreeable and prepare an adequate reward?” Lucien said in a whisper as well. Giselle gave him a firm nod.

“Of course. As long as I can do something for my favorite couple.”

Lucien remembered how their conversation went when he agreed to helping her. He was actually stunned when Giselle said that with her deadpan face of hers. She really didn’t seem like she disliked Clara at all at that moment, even though he thought she found her disagreeable.

“Why not? She’s gorgeous and you’re handsome! You two are basically a match made in heaven! You’re even spending every second with her lately!” Clara said as she nodded with such conviction it was like there were flames in her eyes.

Lucien burst into laughter at how silly Clara’s logic sounded. She pouted for a second before her mouth cracked into a smile and laughed along with him.

Suddenly, the smile slowly disappeared from Clara’s face, replaced by a frown as she looked down.

“I envy you, Lu,” she muttered. “I actually… haven’t seen His Grace for more than a month now.”

Lucien blinked in surprise.

“At all?” he said in a questioning manner. He put down the papers onto the coffee table in front of them and quickly took a seat by Clara’s side.

Clara shook her head.

“We still talk through letters a lot, but whenever I said I want to meet face to face, he always refuses.”

Her eyes were filled with melancholy as she said that.

Lucien found it pretty strange that Siegfried would behave like that when he was clearly smitten with Clara the last time he saw him, but he didn’t have the leeway to dwell on it. He was saddened to see Clara so down when she was usually a pretty sunny person, so he gave her gentle pats on the back in an attempt to comfort her.

BAM!

Lucien and Clara turned to the door at the same time, where Giselle was standing with her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.