090. Warning (2)
“It’s urgent.”
Edward calmly responded to Lucia’s question.
His smoothly raised lips were chilling.
“You wanted to have a conversation. I came here in person just to hear what you have to say.”
Lucia folded the fan leisurely, the movement of the black feather fan’s folds was graceful.
“Speak. If you dared to touch my people, there must be a reason. If not, you should apologize.”
A crimson hostility reflected in Lucia’s red eyes.
Meeting her gaze, Edward smiled happily.
“I thought as much.”
While he still exuded a snake-like chill and fierceness, his joy seemed genuine.
Seeing Edward in such a state, Lucia remained silent as he continued.
“Since I first saw you, Lucia, I suspected. You are a person similar to me.”
His contorted gaze was peculiar, with a cool and strange conviction akin to a snake’s skin.
Though fear might have arisen from it, Lucia simply chuckled briefly, as if dismissing it.
“Viscount Selleed, I never gave you permission to address me by my first name.”
“Ah… Is that so? Even that was pleasing.”
His response carried a hint of ecstasy.
Finding Young Master Selleed’s reaction amusing, Lucia tilted her head slightly.
“It seems you have a habit of attributing importance to trivial matters.”
“Do you think so?”
Edward and Lucia’s gazes met.
Rage and anger filled Lucia’s crimson eyes, while Edward’s brown eyes held dark obsession and madness.
“Or perhaps you enjoy being mistaken.”
Lucia chuckled mysteriously, unfolding the fan once more.
With a rustle, the unfolded fan covered her nose and mouth.
“It seems the ball is about to begin. People are coming in.”
Partially obscured, she gestured towards the nobles entering the ballroom.
Edward did not follow Lucia’s gaze.
As he did initially, he only gazed at Lucia.
With a chilling gaze akin to a viper coiling its body.
“It’s Young Master’s sister’s birthday. You should go congratulate her.”
Despite recognizing the emotions behind the gaze, Lucia calmly addressed Edward.
Edward only murmured as he gazed at Lucia.
“You are well aware, milady. Noble siblings are not so close. Just because she’s a sister doesn’t mean she truly is.”
“Oh my, Louis and I are just ordinary siblings.”
At the mention of Louis and Lucia’s discord, Lucia clicked her tongue.
“It’s regrettable that Selleed Young Lady and you aren’t on good terms. It seems Viscount Selleed Young Lady has ambitions within the family.”
“Anything in excess leads to ruin. One should not turn people into enemies over family, should they?”
Edward’s point was this.
Since Lucia announced the breakup, Hannah, Edward’s sister, believed it was a slight against the Selleed family.
As Hannah began to resent Lucia for this reason, their relationship soured.
“Now, Young Master is the same. It would be fine to get along from now on.”
Lucia lightly fluttered the fan as she added her words.
Edward, like Hanna, also viewed Lucia as an enemy, so the two exchanged jabs while being in sync.
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”
Edward somewhat grasped Lucia’s point, but he didn’t know the exact reason, so he raised an eyebrow.
“You touched my people, so I can’t help but think that way.”
Lucia bit her tongue inwardly, looking at Edward, who didn’t understand.
Indeed, Lord Celid, Youngsik, thought that humans were not worthy.
Causing breathing difficulties, rashes, fever, and making a person with allergies eat nuts, only to think nothing of it, was incomprehensible.
It seemed like he valued human life no more than a stone on the roadside.
While one accumulates things to use in life, it’s said that humans selfishly exploit them, but…
This way was not acceptable.
“You said Youngsik has no one to lose. He doesn’t give affection.”
Lucia glanced around the noisy banquet hall and moved towards the wall.
With each step, Edward furrowed his brow but followed Lucia.
Click, click.
The black high heels made a consistent sound as they hit the marble floor.
When they reached the wall, Lucia swiftly turned her body.
Her red hair swayed with her movement.
“Even if Youngsik has no one to lose, there may be many things to lose, right?”
“….”
Edward, who had been tracking the fluttering red hair, shifted his gaze to the approaching voice.
Lucia, illuminated by the lights of the banquet hall, was dazzling.
Although he didn’t like the black dress she wore, even that surprisingly suited Lucia perfectly.
Edward could assert.
There would be no other being in this world as perfect and beautiful as Lucia.
“Honor, status, wealth, and power, even businesses. Youngsik has too much.”
Her unassuming voice was pleasant to hear.
Her lower, husky voice, lower than the other ladies’, was always full of confidence.
“Is it okay to act so recklessly?”
Tick, the folded fan touched Edward’s chin.
Lucia lightly pushed up his chin with the fan.
Although the force of the well-folded fan wasn’t strong, Edward obediently lifted his chin as Lucia wanted.
“Do you dare turn Edelt and Verdine into enemies and think you won’t lose anything?”
Quietly observing Lucia, Edward let out a long breath when the name Verdine came out of her mouth.
Then, he calmly closed his eyes and moved away from the fan.
“Lucia. Of course, I have a lot. That’s why I have a lot to lose.”
Edward admitted smoothly.
As Lucia said, he was a person with much to lose.
As much as he profited from illegal businesses, he was also a person with many weaknesses.
But…
“But who would care so much about a mere maid’s life?”
What Edward had done this time was just play a prank on a maid’s food.
While working as a cooking assistant at the Edelt Marquis, there was someone who frequented Edward’s illegal gambling den.
Not having been there long, he hadn’t incurred any debts yet, but the gambling den was illegal.
So, when he mentioned that he would tell his family and the Edelt Marquis about it, he had agreed to do anything.
Noble families don’t employ staff with flaws.
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And it was hard to find a job that paid as well to servants as noble families did.
If it became known that he had been fired, it would be difficult to find employment due to the bad rumors circulating.
So, just playing a little prank on the maid’s meal using the trembling cooking assistant.
But Lucia was furious.
It meant she didn’t like her people being touched.
“To attack the Marquis just because a maid died, isn’t that truly meaningless?”
Selfish and knowing how to act out of necessity, a person who took great care of their own people.
That was truly good.
If she became his person, knowing that she would be the one to get angry on his behalf was thrillingly good.
“Lucia.”
Edward took a long breath and narrowed the distance with Lucia.
The gap, which had been about three steps apart, narrowed to two footprints.
“I’m the only one who can fully understand you.”
A strange conviction arose in his brown eyes.
Edward was very confident in what I said.
“Duke Verdin is an outstanding knight, a businessman, and he bears the name Verdin. He seems to imitate affection quite well… Perhaps because he considers Lucia his equal.”
Owen and Lucia are different kinds of people.
As different as Owen and Edward are.
However, Edward thought Lucia was similar to him.
“So, do you think that person can love all of you? Even your selfish and lacking parts?”
Lucia has lacking parts.
She was someone who obsessed, coveted, and had to have whatever she desired.
Edward thought as he observed such aspects of Lucia.
There is no one who understands me as well as she does.
“I can understand all of you. Because I am like you.”
Lucia smiled softly at Edward’s assertion.
Her laughter, covered by a fan, was clear and resonant.
“How amusing.”
After her laughter ceased, Lucia spoke.
“You seem to know more than you think. Why I love him.”
The long tone was clearly mocking.
Edward’s expression distorted in an instant.
The return of disregard for words spoken sincerely seemed to bother him.
“It’s a pity that you’re still arrogant.”
Lucia continued speaking without caring about Edward’s reaction.
Her acting of looking pitiful was remarkable.
She looked at Edward with eyes full of pity, wearing a disdainful expression.
“You can’t even imitate that affectionate person.”
Despite her warm face, her voice was cold.
Cold enough to chill the heart.
“Affectionate tone, voice, words. You know well that you can’t do any of those.”
“…My lady.”
A low, growling voice was heard.
It was a voice holding back anger.
Lucia smiled at him mockingly.
“Look at that. Even with a minor criticism, emotions show so plainly. How could you imitate affection?”
“…”
Brown eyes gazed silently at Lucia.
Lucia let out a light laugh and pushed Edward to his limit.
“You know me well, don’t you? How can you claim to love all of me without knowing anything about me?”
“I was once your fiancé.”
“That was in the past. It’s been years.”
Lucia lightly countered Edward’s low reply.
Then, Edward exhaled deeply and grabbed Lucia’s wrist.
“Let’s go to the terrace.”
Lucia looked down at her wrist in his grip.
The forceful pull was unkind.
But she decided to comply willingly.
Edward wanted to see how far she would go.
So he could bring him down in one fell swoop.