Chapter 30: Sword Training and Other Forms of Torture

[CONTINUATION — LUCIELLE’S POV — SNOWY TRAINING FIELD]

My heart was beating so loudly that I was beginning to suspect the knights could hear it.

THUMP.

I swallowed.

THUMP. THUMP.

What was happening to me? I genuinely couldn’t understand how the original Lucielle had managed to spend so much time around Cassian without losing her mind.

Actually, forget losing her mind.

How had she managed to look at this man every single day and continue being devoted to her childhood love? Because standing this close to Cassian was beginning to feel like a personal attack against my nervous system.

The man was simply too attractive... It was medically concerning. He had the kind of face that could probably cause neurological problems if observed for too long And now he was standing directly in front of me, his hands still covering mine, his blue eyes looking straight into mine.

How was I supposed to function? How was anyone supposed to function?

If one man could make me, a person who had spent years convinced that romance was an unnecessary complication, start questioning my entire understanding of myself...

How many hearts was this man casually destroying every day?

Probably hundreds, maybe thousands. There should be a warning label on him.

CAUTION: PROLONGED EYE CONTACT MAY RESULT IN EMOTIONAL DAMAGE.

I was still staring at him when his lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Am I TRIGGERING your heart, beloved?"

My brain stopped.

. . .

He had heard my thoughts.

Obviously not. But somehow, he had still managed to ask the exact question I was desperately trying not to answer.

I blinked; he blinked back, as there was amusement in his eyes now. That tiny smile became slightly more obvious.

My entire face immediately caught fire. I turned my head so quickly that I nearly pulled something in my neck.

"You—" I cleared my throat. "You’re thinking too much."

Cassian gave a quiet chuckle.

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps you should tell me why your face has suddenly become so red."

I froze; my hands were still trapped between his. I could feel the heat climbing all the way up my neck. I immediately pulled one hand free and covered my face.

"It’s because of the weather."

He was silent as I peeked through my fingers. Cassian was staring at me. "The weather?"

I nodded very seriously.

"Yes."

He glanced around; snow was falling gently around us. The temperature was freezing, and his expression became increasingly amused.

"I see, the cold weather made you blush?"

"Yes."

He nodded slowly, as though considering this very important scientific discovery. "Interesting."

I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t sound so suspicious."

"I’m not. I’m merely learning something new about my wife."

I lowered my hands. "What?"

He leaned slightly closer. "You apparently become warmer when you’re embarrassed."

My mouth opened; nothing came out because...this man. This absolute menace. He was enjoying this, and I could see it in his eyes.

"You know, you’re becoming very annoying."

His smile softened. "And yet you continue looking at me."

I immediately looked away. "I was not looking. I was looking at the sword."

"The sword is in my hand."

"I know."

"Then why were you looking at me?"

"I—"

My brain searched desperately for an answer, but nothing. Absolutely nothing, as the system had crashed again.

"Let’s continue training."

Cassian laughed softly. "Very well."

He finally released my hands. I immediately felt the cold return to my fingers, and for some reason, I missed the warmth. That realization made me panic all over again.

No...absolutely not. We were not doing this. I was here to learn swordsmanship. I was here for self-defense. I was here for my monthly allowance.

Money.

That was the goal. Money was safe. Money didn’t make my heart beat strangely. Money didn’t look at me with blue eyes. Money didn’t smile like that.

I tightened my grip around the sword, and he stepped behind me again.

My entire body tensed as his hand settled lightly over mine, guiding my grip. "Relax your shoulders."

I tried. "Like this?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Now move your foot forward."

I did.

"Not so far."

I corrected my stance. "Like that?"

"Better."

His voice was calm and patient; nothing about him suggested that he had any idea what was happening inside my head.

Which was probably for the best. Because inside my head, there was currently a full-scale emergency meeting.

MINATO: We need to remain calm.

COMMON SENSE: Agreed.

HEART: I would like to kiss him.

COMMON SENSE: Sit down.

HEART: No.

MINATO: Why are we like this?

I took a deep breath. Cassian’s voice came softly beside my ear. "Focus, beloved."

I nearly dropped the sword. "I am focusing!"

"You’re holding the sword backward."

I looked down.

. . .

I was.

I slowly turned it around. "That was intentional."

Cassian laughed. "It was?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

I stared at the sword. "To confuse my enemy."

He looked amused, and he actually laughed this time. I glared at him. "Stop laughing."

"I apologize."

I sighed, and somehow...despite my embarrassment, despite my confused heart, despite the fact that I was beginning to suspect my husband was deliberately enjoying my suffering...

I smiled.

Maybe sword training wasn’t entirely terrible. Maybe having Cassian this close wasn’t either. That thought made my heart thump again.

I immediately blamed the weather, obviously. It was definitely the snow.

Definitely.

***

[LATER — TOWARD THE CHAMBER — LUCIELLE’S POV]

Mia was dragging me down the hallway like a corpse being transported to its final resting place. My feet were moving, technically, but I could no longer feel them.

My arms were useless, my legs had resigned, my shoulders had filed for divorce, and my soul? My soul had apparently left my body somewhere on the training field and, judging by its complete lack of interest in returning, had decided to start a new life without me.

Mia tightened her grip around my arm. "Careful, Your Grace."

"Careful?" I lifted my head with the last remaining strength in my neck. "Why are you telling me to be careful? I have already seen the gates of death."

Mia’s expression immediately became worried. "Your Grace, please don’t say such things."

I dragged my feet another few steps; the hallway stretched before me like an endless road to the afterlife. Every step was torture, every breath was suffering, and every muscle in my body was screaming a very simple message:

WHY DID WE AGREE TO THIS?

I clenched my fists and my teeth ground together. "That...that stupid Grand Duke of the North. People called him the Grim Reaper; they were right. He sent my soul away, my legs are dead, my hands are dead, and my back is dead and my dignity..."

I lowered my head.

"...has been dead for several hours."

Mia looked genuinely distressed as she tightened her arms around me. "Your Grace...please stay alive."

"I don’t think I have much time."

Her eyes immediately became watery. "Don’t say that!"

"I have accepted my fate. My life has been short. I have become a casualty of employment."

Mia’s eyes filled with tears. "Please don’t say it like that!"

I leaned heavily against her shoulder.

"Mia..."

"Yes?"

"I think you need to start digging my grave."

She stopped walking, and I stopped with her; for a moment, we simply stared at each other. Then Mia’s face crumpled as she hugged me tightly.

"Your Grace! Please don’t talk like that! You won’t die!"

I patted her back weakly. "I appreciate your optimism."

"You’ll recover!"

"I don’t think so; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Mia looked like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time; before she could answer, a calm voice came from farther down the corridor.

"Greetings, Your Grace, Grand Duchess Lucielle."

I froze, and slowly, I turned around.

My movements were so stiff that I probably looked like a corpse in the process of discovering basic motor functions, and there he was.

Archmage Aurelius.

The Archmage stood at the end of the hallway, his robes immaculate, his expression pleasant, and his eyes...

Why were his eyes sparkling?

No, not sparkling.

GLITTERING.

There were practically stars in them as his smile widened. "I was looking for Your Grace."

I narrowed my eyes; that sentence alone was suspicious; people didn’t look for me. People usually found me accidentally while I was eating pastries.

Aurelius walked toward us. "If Your Grace could spare me some time, I would be delighted to have tea with you."

. . .

Tea? Now? Did this man not have eyes? Could he not see the corpse currently being held upright by Mia?

I looked down at myself; my training clothes were slightly dusty, my hair was a disaster, and my entire body felt like it had been personally beaten by every sword instructor in the North.

I looked back at Aurelius. "Can we talk later?"

His smile didn’t move. Instead, his eyes somehow became even brighter. "This matter is rather urgent, Your Grace."

Urgent?

"What kind of urgent?"

He clasped his hands behind his back. "There is something I would like to show you."

I stared. Something? What something? And why was he smiling like a man who had just won the national lottery but was waiting until everyone else arrived before screaming?

I squinted at him; the more I looked at his face, the more I realized something. Aurelius wasn’t looking at me the way people usually looked at a Grand Duchess.

There was no courtly caution; he was looking at me like...like I was a treasure map, or perhaps worse, like I was the stairs leading directly to his life’s greatest discovery.

My exhausted brain slowly started scanning his face. This was the face of a man who had discovered something shiny.

I rubbed my forehead. "How urgent is urgent?"

His smile widened. "Very."

I sighed.

Fine. Whatever it was, I was curious and honestly, after surviving sword training, I had earned the right to sit down and drink tea while listening to whatever scientific nonsense this man had cooked up.

"All right."

Aurelius’s eyes practically lit up. "Excellent."

"One hour."

He bowed. "I shall await Your Grace."

Aurelius turned and walked away. I watched him disappear around the corner, then I slowly looked at Mia.

"Did you see his face?"

Mia nodded. "He looked very happy."

"That wasn’t happiness; I can see a greed. Pure, unfiltered, academic greed."

As we walked, I couldn’t help glancing back toward the hallway where Aurelius had disappeared.

What exactly had that man found? Why was he smiling like he had a winning lottery ticket hidden beneath his robes?

And, more importantly... Why did I suddenly feel like I was about to become involved in another ridiculous Ashcroft discovery?

I sighed.

I had only wanted to become a rich, unemployed grand duchess, which currently I am. I don’t think I need anything else now.

I have money. I have a safe territory. I have a ridiculous husband who apparently wanted me alive badly enough to force me into sword training.

What else could I possibly need? Absolutely nothing. I am rich. I am unemployed. I am finally winning at life.

...So naturally, that was probably the exact moment the universe decided to ruin everything.