░18░ The Gorgeous Young Man ~ Lucius

"I'm glad that I've found you that night. If not, I wouldn't know that the one who had saved me from almost bumping to the carriages. That he would be lying on the path towards our house cause you kind of look creepy, honestly at first sight," Iris said starting a conversation with Lucius in the dining area. It’s where Grey was already eating his food which is apples for breakfast while Lucius was the one who peeled them earlier

She was pouring their glasses with water on their jag. Then, Iris started a conversation with Lucius again after a long silence. There, after pouring water on the glass, she immediately handed Lucius and Grey a glass of water. She put it down near her the glass of water she'll drink. Lucius, upon hearing such words, from Iris after being silent for a while, looked up to her with an unbothered expression. Iris, in return sat in front of Lucius as she looked brightly smiling at him after realizing that he's a nice guy after he talked with her little brother

"It's alright, I just used to save people from danger," Lucius said, averting his gaze from Iris as he took the glass she offered him earlier and gulped a sip. Upon hearing such an angelic and soft voice that Iris never heard before, she suddenly looked at the guy in front of him. Her heart started beating faster making her face redden from the sudden warmth she was feeling inside her body

'Why am I suddenly feeling hot? Goodness! His voice was gorgeous just like his appearance!'

She thought fanning herself with her hands. Her gestures looked like she wanted to drool just by looking at how gorgeously - handsome Lucius was in front of her. His upper pale body only being clothed by the white cloth she wear on him last night - as well as his muscles on his hands. Everything about him seems perfectly gorgeous and that's what Iris thought about him. From the way, he took a sip from the water she gave to the way he’s gulping was making Iris feel hot again. Like there was something inside of her that she wanted to get out

A few seconds later, she felt like there was some fluid coming out of her - from her private part but she shrugged the thought. She was squeezing her legs in between like pretending not to be influenced by how gorgeous he was in the beginning. But when Lucius suddenly looked at Iris who was having unexplainable expressions, he suddenly smirked at her. Then put the glass of water down on the table with such graceful movements making Iris imagine that if he were a noble then he'd be a perfect prince charming for every girl

Iris saw how Lucius smirked that's the time she averted her gaze. Yet she was continuing her feelings to be hot until she decided to take her bath. When she was about to take a step forward after standing up, she suddenly twisted her ankle making her lose her balance. She was about to hit the table that they'll be eating breakfast later. Closing her eyes for the impact and pain but seconds later she didn't felt anything. That was because of a pair of hands holding her tiny waist again for the third time Lucius saved her again

Feeling a pair of hands holding her tiny waist she immediately opened her eyes. Only to see how close their faces were nearly inches from kissing each other. There, he gently fixed their position while Iris remained wide-eyed. Until Grey said something for them to move a meter away from each other

"Wah! You guys! You're still children! Pweeeeaseeee!" Grey shouted closing his eyes as he put down those apples he was eating. Then, he immediately put his hands to his eyes making a disgusting face as the two looked at each other. Iris suddenly calmed down at her brother’s expressions and immediately laughed afterward

That sudden action made Lucius look at her with such curious eyes. Then, at the same time, he unconsciously smiled at how the gorgeous lady been saved by him for three times already. He remembered he saved her from the carriages. He held her waist earlier from falling to the floor of her room. Now, the third time, she was about to stumble herself hitting the table that Grey was eating apples on. That scenario made Lucius look differently at the lady in front of him making him feel something warm inside him that he never felt before.

"Again. Thank you," Iris said smiling at Lucius shyly. That made his unconscious smile fades as he was reminded of the reality. The reality that he was only tasked to stay in their house for recovery. That made him lucky that his father - the duke of Maxwell - have left the empire for some urgent meeting with the neighboring empire because of business-related making him recover at the house of Victor the man behind the information he's gathering from the nobles

"It's never a problem with me, do you have anywhere to go today? If yes then I'll be babysitting Grey for the day,"

"Are you sure? It's alright and you should just recover. Grey is not silly enough though," Iris said eyeing Grey who was now looking at the two people in front of him like a scene of two lovers. Making his mouth open wider than before when he was eating his favorite food which is apple

"Is it alright if it takes a long time to recover here? Don't worry I'll reimburse you for the expenses when I get better," Lucius said with that angelic voice again making Iris squeeze her legs in between. Upon observing Iris, Lucius saw how her legs squeeze from the moment he finished talking. That only made him confused and curious. When Iris felt he saw what he did she immediately smiled at him

"Maybe I should call you Lucius from now on," Iris said making his eyes avert at her squeezing legs. Then, she successfully gained his attention making him see her beaming smile with that gorgeous golden blonde hair she had. Then, the locks being seen down to her neck. For a moment, Lucius held his breathe

"Yes, you should," Lucius said as he sadly smiled at the young woman in front of him – who was beaming widely.

'She's the complete opposite of me. She has family that loves her while I did have a family who never loved me in the first place. They’re only using me as a tool in exchange for living with them. From my perspective, she's someone who belongs to the light and I'm the one who belongs at the dark'

Lucius thought still sadly smiling at her. While she went nearer to him and suddenly held his long pale soft hands

"From now on, we'll be friends! And don't hesitate to share your pain and happiness with me, alright and call me Iris from now on too!" Iris said beaming in front of Lucius as she was holding his hands.

That made him feels warmth just by feeling her pale soft hands against him. Yet, Lucius was surprised at the sudden act of the young woman in front of him. However, because it was new to him, he paused never knowing how to react. That only made her second friend after Damon – for a long time

A few seconds later, he sadly smiled and said "Yes, sure," with a soft like whispery voice but Iris still heard what he said making her beam wider than usual. There, she gently removed her hands from his and pat his shoulders looking seriously afterward

"Oh, and by the way, I have a part-time job to do today! So just look for Grey and recover yourself inside the house!" Iris said pausing for a while as she immediately ran into her room and get ready for the job she'll be doing for the day. There, she thought about Selby as well as El - who's originally Damon - being early at the shop

'Selby will truly be angry at how tardy I am today, most especially that this day is El's first day in the shop'

Iris thought as she prepared herself gently shoving Lucius away from her. She was about to prepare when, she again, for the third time today almost fell when her feet slide down on the floor – only making Lucius catch her again for the third time in a row

"You know that you truly need to be careful," Lucius said making Iris's heart beat faster again.

Now, his face was nearer to her than before. But a fake cough made them gently remove each other from their grasps and built imagination

"Ehem, sister I need Lucius by my side, you should truly be careful from walking or running especially for your part-time job," Grey, her cute little brother said as he emphasized Lucius' name making them look at each other's eyes as Iris started laughing

"Don't worry I'll be taking care of him as my elder brother!" Grey exclaimed cheerfully looking at both of them

"Yeah Grey you should," with that, Iris took another glance at Lucius and beamed as she went to get ready carefully this time around

***

"Your highness this is the place where the imperial family household was connected to the market," Nigel respectfully said to Wilhelm when they were already outside of the tunnel-like secret place underground the basement of the imperial household

"Very well, I assign you to gather much information about the living status of the people around here. Leave me here, I'll probably be conducting on my own. Don’t worry I know how to handle myself," Wilhelm seriously said and Nigel wanted to protest but looking at how serious Wilhelm looked, he hesitated but immediately bowed and left him in the place

Wilhelm adjusted the coat Nigel gave him earlier. Then, he looked around until he found a young woman who was cornered by the bad guys in the narrow alley just beside him

'That's not my problem anymore. She put herself in that kind of situation so why should I help her?'

He thought as he passed the narrow alley and was about to take another step when he heard someone shouting from behind. When he turned around to look for who the person was, the person was also a young woman. She’s a young woman who acts boyish and enters the narrow alley alone.

He became annoyed at the sudden young woman who suddenly shouted but he can't avert his eyes when he looked inside.

'So all in all those bastards just want to trick someone to save the lady they cornered when in fact they're partners in crime, huh?'