"If staying away is what you truly want, I will oblige," he said, stepping back to create so distance. "Now tell , what has angered you?"
She stared at him in disbelief. "How would you even understand? For soone like you, such behavior must be normal." She took a step forward and held the door. "Go ahead and have as many won as you like, but don’t think for a second that I will ever be one of them. I will never be the wife of a man like you!"
Before she could close the door, Lucian stopped it with his hand. His gaze was steady as he said, "I don’t know what’s on your mind, but one thing is certain and will never change: the only wife I will ever have is you."
Her eyes t his determined gaze, and for a mont, she felt herself waver. But then she rembered the young woman from earlier, thanking him for accepting her, and her anger flared again. ’What a Liar!’
"I won’t marry you," she retorted angrily. "Tomorrow, I’m moving to the Wynters. I’ll stay in the chamber ant for Aaron’s wife—because that’s who I am going to be!"
Lucian simply stared at her, his gaze unwavering. He held the door firmly and said, "You are going to be my wife. Keep that in mind until we are officially wedded. Do not speak of marrying another man."
Though his tone was calm and composed, like an immovable rock, his gaze betrayed a flicker of impatience and coldness that made her uneasy.
"Are you going to force to marry you?" she asked, trying to keep her tone steady.
"No. You will marry willingly," he replied.
"Why do you think so?" she asked in disbelief.
"That’s a question you should ask yourself. You’ll find the answer," he said, his gaze softening into an unsettling calm. "Sleep well. As you wish, I’ll keep my distance. But don’t think for a mont that my intentions toward you have changed. Whatever it takes, you will be the only woman I marry. And for you, I am the only man. We are ant to be together."
Erin felt a mix of helplessness and unease. His calm deanor was usually unshakable, but today, for a fleeting mont, it carried a subtle but unmistakable threat.
"Good night," she said, closing the door as Lucian finally released it. She stood still behind the door, straining to hear his footsteps.
Is he still here? she wondered.
She waited for a while, but there was no sound. Slowly, she opened the door and peered out, only to find the hallway empty.
He’s truly a ghost, she thought, walking as if he’s floating in the air—no sound at all.
Then, his words echoed in her mind: his insistence that they were ant to be together and that he would marry no one else. Her thoughts turned stubborn. He just left like that. Didn’t even try to insist or explain himself. If I ever marry, I’ll never allow my husband to have a mistress. No way
-----
The next day, at the Wynter residence, Erin and her brothers discussed visiting the city market while the lords of both estates attended to their morning duties.
"Erin, what would you like to buy?" Rowan asked, studying his sister, who didn’t seem like herself. "Your brother here is ready to spend all his wealth on you."
"I’m not really in the mood, Brother," she replied. "Just get what you want for yourself."
"My sister, who loves shopping more than anyone, isn’t in the mood today? That’s so unlike you," Rowan remarked, raising an eyebrow.
Rafal, noticing Erin’s unusual deanor, chid in, "You’ve been unusually quiet since this morning. What’s wrong? You can share with your brothers."
Erin hadn’t told her brothers about what was happening between her and Lucian. She also didn’t know that they were already aware of everything but had chosen not to ntion it.
"Yes, we can’t see you like this. You need to tell us," Rowan insisted gently.
Erin sighed helplessly, deciding to share. She recounted what Lucian had said about his determination to marry her and everything else she felt was worth ntioning.
When she finished, Rowan asked, "So, what do you plan to do? I an, you liked him too, didn’t you?"
She looked at him sharply. "Brother, how can I marry a man who openly plans to have mistresses? Didn’t you see what’s going on at the Rainier estate? He’s already entertaining his future mistress while being adamant about marrying . So many fallen families have approached him—what’s next? Is he going to accept daughters from all those families too? How can he behave like this? Does he even love , or does he just think I’m suitable to be the lady of his estate?"
"Maybe he does like you..." Rafal started, but Erin cut him off.
"If he liked , he would have said so at least once, but he hasn’t. All he cares about is marrying —that’s his goal. He doesn’t even consider how I feel when I see him with another woman. He’s... truly emotionally challenged. He can’t feel anything at all."
Rowan and Rafal exchanged a glance before Rowan gently asked, "Erin, do you still feel the sa for him as you used to?"
Erin lowered her gaze and nodded slightly. "I could marry Aaron, but sohow, I can’t get Lucian out of my mind. Even when I feel frustrated and angry with him, I can’t bring myself to hate him. The more I try to hate him, the more it hurts . It’s as if, no matter how much of a flawed man he is, I’m still drawn to him." She buried her face in her hands. "Why am I like this, Brother? Why am I so helpless? I don’t feel as strong as I used to. That man... he’s truly made weak, and I don’t know what to do."
Just then, Arthur entered the room. "So, are you all ready to leave for the market?" He paused when he noticed Erin with her head lowered, looking visibly upset.
Arthur silently gestured toward Rowan, asking what was wrong. Rowan responded with a slight nod in the direction of the Rainier estate. At that mont, Aaron entered the room as well.
"Oh, so you finally have ti to join us?" Arthur said, settling into a chair and pouring himself so tea. "I went to Lucian to ask if he’d co along, but that young lord is so busy—busier than even you, Aaron."
"He must have important work," Aaron replied, defending his brother.
"Work? More like busy with the young woman who’s entered his life," Arthur comnted dryly. "I saw him personally escorting her to his official study. They seed to be having a pleasant conversation—almost like a couple. It seems he’s taken quite a liking to her. He can’t even leave her alone and took her to his study, even when he claims to have so much work. Such a bad friend he is, forgetting about his friends for the sake of a woman."
"What are you talking about?" Aaron asked coldly, while Rowan and Rafal turned their attention to Erin, who was clutching her dress tightly with both hands.
"You don’t know your brother, Aaron, but these days, he seems to have taken a liking to a damsel in distress. I’m sure he’ll end up marrying her," Arthur said casually, not bothering to watch his words.
"Arthur, don’t talk nonsense," Aaron warned, his tone sharp.
At that mont, they all saw Erin abruptly stand up, her face filled with anger, and storm out. Without a word, she headed straight to Arthur’s horse, which was still tied up outside. She climbed onto it and rode off toward the Rainier estate, her patience completely spent.
The others quickly moved to their horses, which the butler had already prepared for their planned trip to the market.
"She didn’t take any of our swords with her, thankfully," Rowan remarked as they mounted their horses and rode off after her.
Erin, riding at full speed, reached the Rainier estate and stopped in front of Lucian’s study. Dismounting quickly, she ignored the servant outside, who bowed to her, and pushed the door to the study open with force.
Lucian, seated behind his work table, looked up, surprised to see her. Before he could say anything, she strode toward him, her eyes blazing, and grabbed the sword lying on his desk—his own sword.
Lucian stood up just as Erin pointed the blade directly at his heart, her expression full of fury.
"Erin?" he said, his voice uncertain.
"Don’t say my na, you rascal!" she spat, her voice trembling with anger. "You dare say you want to marry , yet here you are, entertaining a mistress? What do you take for?"
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