A Young Lady

"Woah, I never thought he also had other agendas."

"Cece has to go through something like this because I decided to announce my status as an Archmage, huh?"

Lucifer and Roxus laughed. The two of them were eavesdropping. Roxus uses magic, and Lucifer can enhance all five of his senses with his aura. In the past, Roxus was not yet an Archmage, and Cecilia died sometime after Roxus and Ernacht went to the battlefield. But it seems this time Cecilia is alive even though she has to pay for it by getting involved with Prince Samael.

"If their discussion goes well, maybe the Prince's presence can protect Cece. That way, I don't have to deal with the Crown Prince directly to prevent him from killing Cece," Roxus spoke softly.

Of course, Lucifer realized that even if Roxus spoke softly, Samael would still be able to hear their conversation because he was also a Swordmaster. "You said you wanted to give Her Highness the Princess a dimensional magic tower, right?" asked Lucifer then.

"Luc, lately, I've been so worried about Cece that I intend to make her stay at the Croix Castle," Roxus sighed. "Tomorrow is Cece's birthday party. Should I speed up the construction of The Five Magic Towers...?"

"Then what would you do if Princess Cecilia fell in love with your brother?" asked Lucifer then.

"Huh? Isn't it strange if Princess Cecilia didn't fall for him? In the first place, who wouldn't fall in love with my little brother? Moreover, Cece likes younger men," Roxus asked.

Lucifer laughed. "I thought you would be against it," whispered the man.

"Why should I oppose it? Cece is my favourite person, and Ernacht is my favourite brother. If they like each other, what can I do?" Roxus asked then.

"Alright," Lucifer slowly embraced Roxus' waist with his left hand so that at a glance, he looked like he was hugging Roxus from behind. "If then I fell in love with Princess Cecilia, what would you do?" asked Lucifer quietly.

"You like Cece? Wow, you are very disgusting," she muttered.

Lucifer's brows twitched involuntarily. "Hearing it from you is annoying, Roxus," Lucifer said in a cold tone.

Roxus laughed softly. She held Lucifer's cheek gently with her right hand. Because they were facing the same direction, Roxus looked like she was repaying the teasing of Lucifer, who was still hugging her waist. "But I guess if you like a woman like Cece someday, I will feel much calmer," Roxus said softly.

Lucifer touched Roxus' hand on his cheek, then kissed the back of her finger. "You always act as I will fall in love one day."

"I'm being realistic," Roxus explained. "We've been together for years, and we know each other so well. Humans need other people to live, Luc, so... "

"Alright, alright. I know I can't live without you, Love. You don't need to explain anymore," Lucifer took Roxus for a walk. Roxus looked up at Lucifer. She looked at it as if Lucifer did not understand what she was saying.

"Very well," whispered Lucifer. "I won't say another word," he continued.

"Luci," Roxus stopped walking, making Lucifer stand facing her. "I wish that I could say that I love you," said Roxus.

Lucifer's cold gaze did not change, but his brows furrowed slowly. "Of course." Lucifer waved his hand. He was using his aura to block the sound waves from being heard from a distance so that no one could overhear their conversation.

"We both always say that fact is, we are not in a state where we can fall in love," Lucifer smiled slightly, though still with a flat gaze. "But what if we think of it as another form of love?"

Roxus almost shook her head, but Lucifer held her face in both hands. "In this world, no one can love you as much as I love you. This is a fact."

"But if we accept it as love, the relationship between us will become a mockery of true, pure love."

Lucifer chuckled. "And I thought you didn't care."

"Luci, we don't know if one day you and I will fall in love with someone else," Roxus sighed.

"And we don't know if someday we will fall in love with each other," Lucifer let go of his hands. "Of course, I thought, if I hadn't even fallen in love with you until now, I wouldn't possibly have fallen in love with another human."

"You can talk like this because you haven't fallen in love," Roxus said. Lucifer can fall in love with anyone. Just as long as it's not her. Even if he won't fall in love with others, she will make him. As long as she never enters his heart, everything would be okay. This fear...

Lucifer sighed softly.

"What can I do to make you willing to marry me, Roxus?" Lucifer snapped his fingers, returning his aura into his own body, no longer blocking the sound waves heard by others.

Roxus left Lucifer. Like Cecilia's special forces, those who were paying attention assumed that the two of them had just fought. They know Lucifer is blocking them from eavesdropping, and they also know that Lucifer is capable of it. Roxus leaves from Cecilia's garden. Lucifer was still standing there, with an unreadable expression as Roxus disappeared from his sight.

Roxus goes to the garden between the Crown Prince's palace and Cecilia's palace. Slowly, her steps started to slow down. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Lucifer can not fall for her, it's too much for her to handle. No. Lucifer should not fall for her. Lucifer is better off falling for someone else if he wishes to fall.

She decided to sit on one of the park benches and realized that she shouldn't be leaving Cecilia's garden. The two people she didn't want to meet were in the garden, a little further away from her. Roxus wanted to avoid them, but that would make Cecilia's special forces who were still watching her suspicious of her. That's why she decided to just sit there, hoping that the two of them wouldn't show up and come towards her. Even though she knew it was useless.

"... Lady Croix," A man's voice made Roxus turn her head. Two men were standing some distance away from her. At the front was the Crown Prince, who seemed to be leaving the man behind him, Duke Ariaster who refused to let the Crown Prince go.

Roxus stood up, then bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty the Crown Prince," she said in a formal greeting.

"...Roxus..." Ariaster walked past Leonid, approaching Roxus, who had not greeted him.

Roxus stepped back a little, causing Hamlet to stop approaching her.

"...Lord Ariaster," Roxus bowed again.

"Can we talk, Lady Croix?" asked the man quietly.

"Lord Ariaster, Lady Croix is ​​visiting Ayunda Cecilia. You disturbed her time for no reason," said Leonid coldly. He drew closer to Roxus who was staring at the two men with a confused expression.

Roxus slowly stepped back. "...Your Majesty, Lord Ariaster..."

"Do not be shy. Go back to Ayunda's Garden," Leonid insisted on making Roxus go. "You don't have to deal with an unfaithful man who cheats on your back," continued Leonid.

Roxus looked at the two sadly. "Then, I will resign."

"Lady Croix, do you know that His Eminence Leonid plans to get rid of and harm your father?" asked Ariaster. "That is the real reason why our engagement cancellation has been postponed. You must have known that the Crown Prince's faction was at a disadvantage by the Count Croix's existence, right?"

"Duke Ariaster!" Leonid snapped. "How dare you speak on an unsubstantiated accusation? This humiliation has crossed the line."

The two of them looked at Roxus who was silent. Roxus's eyes looked towards the two with a scared expression. Ariaster and Leonid fell silent. As tears rolled down Roxus's cheeks, the two of them flinched.