"..." Lucian cleared his throat, "...Some mistakes can't be fixed. Staying loyal is a choice, and if you don't choose it, then it's not a mistake, it's a decision."

Celine made a cute, grumpy sound at him, which made him want to indulge her fantasies, maybe even some of his own.

"Alright… I should make you wish to have never left me instead," he corrected himself, thinking about what he would want to do but would never dare, "I will make you so miserable that you will regret ever looking at someone else."

He loved her too much to hurt her in such a way. Celine would have to mess up a lot for him to get to that point. She wouldn't be that stupid to risk it, would she?

Celine huffed happily, "Now, we are talking. That's the spirit."

Mm, she was smarter than that. Look, she was already testing the waters in case he ever did stray, using herself as an example. Instead of accusing his future self of adultery and making him defensive, she created a scenario where she was the one who would have an affair.

She was basically saying: You can get away with everything, including infidelity. I will make you miserable for a little while, nothing too serious, because I love you. Whether your lovers die lies entirely in your hands though.

She would rather trust the statistics and prepare for them than trust his loyalty. She never depended on promises, her faith lied in taking precautions.

He was a little worried about her falling for her own demons. Maybe he should give her a little angel to play with, let it sit on her shoulder and whisper sweet nothings into her ears?

"I was joking, Celine. It was a joke. I would never hurt you," Lucian summoned his own imaginary angel to his shoulder in hope she would get influenced by it, "I'm a good man, not some possessive freak who would kill others to keep his woman for himself... My loved ones are to be protected and cherished, not controlled and caged."

"Heh, of course," Celine grinned and let go of his head before putting more pressure on his shoulders, "You should joke like that more often, it makes your eyes twinkle in a cute manner."

"I'm being serious, Celine... It's my dream to make you happy, so if you are happier with somebody else, then I will be happy for you," he defended himself, not letting her poke holes into his image. "I will even help you get the guy. That's how good and supportive I am, and no matter how much it will pain me, I will put your happiness above mine. I'm a good, selfless man, you know?"

Celine made a gagging sound, and then a retching one followed, "Say that to the mirror every night before bed and maybe you will start to believe in yourself."

"..." Lucian looked at her, "I do. Every morning after waking up too. And before I sleep, I say it backwards."

She burst out laughing, her claws sinking into his shoulders, "Let me use your goodness then. Sacrifice yourself to my cause like a selfless man you claim to be. I will use you to the bone until there's nothing left to squeeze out of you."

"..." Lucian fled her grasp and ran around the table in frustration, "You were supposed to get infected by my kindness and want to be a good and kind person as well, not make me your slave."

His heart pounded hard against his chest as she hunted him around the office while calling him a cheap liar.

"Alright, alright , you got me," he stopped running, "I have my selfish moments, and I would rather die than watch you be with another man. I'll support your happiness, but only if it's me who is making you happy."

She tackled him to the floor and used him as a bed to lay on top of. The desk hid them from the view of the rest of the room.

Lucian was trapped between her thighs, and she had a firm grip on his shoulders to keep him down.

Her smirk was a triumphant one, breathing heavily from the chase.

She leaned down to press her forehead against his, her eyes staring into his soul.

His image was reflected in her eyes, and he felt like he was looking into a mirror.

They say the opposite attracts.

What about those who were alike in the worst of ways?

What attraction was there in that?

"Good boy," she cooed, patting his cheek, "You are finally learning how to be honest."

"..." That was not the type of goodness Lucian had in mind. Her fingers caressed his neck, and he swallowed nervously.

"You returned to me," she smiled, her nose brushing against his, "Does it mean you don't mind how I treat others that get in the way of us?"

It started small, the things she did. The pink haired girl was probably the first victim. Then the rest of the noble houses' daughters. She was turning him into a womanizer, who had to be kept away from the female staff by their mistresses (her "friends").

"I don't know how I will keep their paws off you once your title raises above theirs," she spoke about her circle of friends who had yet to pay their attention to him, "Small steps at a time...I guess. Yes, I won't let some statistics get the better of me."

Lucian sighed at the thought of her bullying innocent people. The subtle blackmailing she threw his way as a warning would have been unnecessary if she just trusted him, "It feels like I'm committing a crime against humanity by condoning your behavior."

"And yet, you are still here," she whispered, her grin widening, "Stay good all you want, but you can't deny that a part of you enjoys it. You get to play a gentleman, save all the damsels in distress, and get praised for it."

She paused to look at his reaction. Lucian tried to hide it, but she could see the guilt in his eyes. But instead of being bashed for being a trickster and a deceiver, Celine didn't seem to mind it at all.

Her fingers slid up to his jaw, her thumb tracing his lips, "An opportunist, through and through."

Lucian's eyes moved to her lips as her wicked charm kicked the little angel off his shoulder. It landed on the floor and rolled under the desk. He no longer paid any attention to it, his focus solely on her.

Her eyes followed his gaze, and she bit her bottom lip when she sensed his desires.

Lucian missed the hungry wolf that would devour him at a moment's notice. This patient one, who was taking her time to take a bite out of him, was a bit frustrating to deal with. How much more did she plan to evolve?

Her lips parted, enticing him to fill the gap between them first.

The angel tried to crawl out from under the desk and back to its rightful place on his shoulder, but Celine flicked her finger, and the little thing flew across the room, slamming against a wall.

Her lips continued to call for him to ravish them, to bruise them until they were red and swollen.

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╔═══ Author's note ════╗

In the previous chapters, we saw Celine's reasons for the break up (the possibility of him cheating, her disgust by her own behavior of the dog in heat that she'd become because of him, his decision of letting her go without a fight when the time comes, etc.). The separation made her realize that she couldn't give him up even if he strayed. ‎If Lucian didn't return by himself, she would have found other methods to get him back (she would have blackened even more).

This time, we saw Lucian's reasons. Why he went along with Celine's decision to end things without much protest at first. She didn't trust his loyalty, became cruel to others, and he didn't want to be a party to it. His upbringing and conscience couldn't allow it. He felt disrespected in a way.

After Celine revealed that he cared more about his image than the people he defended, he realized that she was not the only one who was messed up in the head.

His methods of trying to "fix" her and turning her into a better person were half assed at best. He doesn't really want to change her, just like how she doesn't try to stop him from being a gentleman.

There's lots of manipulation going on in their relationship, but it's not malicious. They are both aware of it, and it's almost a form of confession to each other. A weird way of opening up to one another, and a silent plea for help.

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