e and Lu never walked in the open like this. With people trailing behind them, watg their every move, a, no one dared to question them or stop them.

  Lu couldn't front her with so many ears around, and e couldn't talk to him without feeling like she utting on a show.

  "Are we going to wander around until the sun goes down?" Lu asked.

  "Why? Do you have more important things to do?"

  "I thought you would," Lu said, causio stop walking and look up at him.

  "How could I be more busy than Lord Arclight?" she asked, c her cheeks with her palm, pretending to be moved, "You must think so highly of me, I'm fttered. That's the first real pliment I've received from someone in years."

  "..." Lu noticed how her aides’ eyes bulged slightly, shocked by her shift in behavior. She alut on a show as if being genuine was a fn cept, and she rarely approached a man she already dissed ohen you won't miealing more of your time? Since I'm already a bother and a headache, what's a little more, hm?"

  "Oh," e looked away, her tourning shy, "You are being so bold, Lord Arclight. We hardly know each other and here you are, asking to steal my time and keep me by your side."

  Lu coughed, his neck felt hot, "Let's not cause a misuanding here, Lady Rochefort. You were the one who asked for my pany, not the other way around."

  "Ah," e covered her lips, and preteo look shocked, "You kept gng my way and looked so lonely, so I thought you wanted me to cheer you up. Was I wrong?"

  She wasly wrong, and he had nothing to refute her with. So instead, he leaned in slightly and asked, "How far are we taking this, Lady Rochefort? Are you just here to lift my spirits, or should I expect a kiss by the end of the day, too?”

  "Huh?" e blinked, going through his words one more time, which caused a soft pink to dust her cheeks. She hadn't expected him to py along, let alo like a real suitor.

  "That's a nice shade of pink," Lu noted, ign the heat creeping up his own ears, "It brings out your eyes, too."

  e quickly covered her face, shaking away the sudden image of them kissing, “Where did you learn to be so brazen, Lord Arclight? Or is this how you normally behave when you have a woman in front of you?"

  "Didn’t learn it anywhere," he admitted easily. "But I’m open t hings, and you seem like the best practice dummy, Lady Rochefort. No matter what I say, you won't take it to heart, right? After all, you've already made up your mind about me and my iions, haven't you? So I should practice as much as possible before you go and badmouth me to everyone else."

  “...” e silently dropped onto a nearby tree trunk, hiding her fa her palms, pting whatever mask she should put o. She couldn't allow him to practi her. She was called a slut so many times, that she was afraid Lu might start thinking she was one if she didn't act appropriately.

  Lu's shoulders trembled, his ughter was hidden behind a fake cough. He crouched in front of her, trying to get a look at her expression, “Are you alright?”

  "..." e slowly moved her fingers, her eyes peekiween them, meeting his amused ones. 'Don't look at me like that! You are making it worse!’ She smacked away the dirty images, but they returenfold. Messier, more intense, more vivid.

  "I'm not alright," e shook her head, “Don't bring up such vulgar topito our versation again, Lord Arclight. I'm a noblewoman, and my virtue is the most precious thing I offer to my future husband."

  "I see. Five me for overstepping," he smiled, " I at least pliment you without making you unfortable? You look really cute with that expression, and I'd hate for it to disappear."

  "..."

  "It's like looking at a tomato."

  "..."

  "A really red tomato."

  "..."

  "Maybe even a strawberry."

  "..."

  "Are you not going to pick me up? You are supposed to pick me up," she stopped him, blinking in expectations, "It's the rule. If I trip and fall, it's the gentleman's duty to help me. That's basic chivalry. How are you supposed to be a good lord if you 't even help a dy in distress?"

  Lu didn't move, "Chivalry?" he repeated, and then chuckled, "Do I look like a noble gentleman to you, Lady Rochefort?"

  e felt the sudden hostility. She wasn't aware of it at first, but his body nguage ged, and so did his smile.

  He was hum her, and was not genuinely enjoying their little bahe cold words which followed were proof of it.

  "Had enough fun, my Lady? I wasn't sure what yoal is here, but if you wao follow you around like a pdog, and treat you as a queen, then, you will have to do a lot better. Your performance assable, though, so gratutions. You did mao get a rea out of me, and I hope this satisfied you, because I am doertaining you."

  "..." e sat still, stunned.

  Lu got back up, dusted off his pants, and was about to return to his pce when he felt something peck his leg. He looked down at the raven. It was gring at him, and he gred back.

  e snatched the bird, holding it protectively as if he would do something to harm it.

  The raven was like a bearer of bad omens, and the st time he heard it, things didn't end well.

  "My apologies," he said, his tone back to normal, "I fot my manners for a sed. I hope you won't hold it against me. I 't afford to get on Rochefort's bad side, I?"

  e was still gring, not moving from her spot.

  Lu sighed aended his arm, and she took it, pulling herself up. He dusted her skirt, and straightened her cloak, "There," he said, "You are presentable again. Now, shall we tinue our walk?"

  She was staring, and it was getting harder and harder to maintain eye tact with her.

  "I know you are not a noble gentleman," she muttered and followed after him, "You are more than that, which is why I am trying to be civil. And a lot oo. If you haven't noticed."

  "You say whatever you want, I have a thick skin," he said, stopping to allow her to catch up, and she did.

  She was still holding the raven, and she put her on its head, looking incredibly cute.

  It was a trap.

  He was certain it was a trap.

  A horap.

  A honey, cute, trap.

  "..." Lu cleared his throat, "Are we heading back or are we going deeper into the woods?"

  "I will follow you, since I am the dy," she said, and then added, "But you o let me set the pace, because my legs are shorter."

  She released the raven and it flew up, nding on a tree, watg the two of them.

  Lu matched her steps, "Is this acceptable?"

  "Perfect." She took a deep breath, and her shoulders rexed, "I almost misuood you, Lord Arclight. I was this close to throwing a fit, thinking you wao harm me. But thankfully, we are both reasonable adults and have a mature versation." She gestured for him to lean down, and when he did, she whispered, "I couldn't wait for our enter too, my beloved."

  Lu covered his mouth and looked at the distanot letting her see his flushed face.

  e turned her head in the opposite dire, her cheeks burning, too.

  "You really think I'll fet how you've treated me, don't you?" he asked.

  e shuddered at the low, threatening tone, and she rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling cold. The stant switches in his personality were like a whipsh, bringing her back to reality and reminding her of her pce.

  She tried to ignore her growing sense of dread, but his words only intensified it. Making her believe that he only acted o lower everyone's guard around him, so he could say these terrifying threats in her ears without anyone suspeg him.

  "I want you on your knees, begging for my fiveness," he whispered, his breath caressing the side of her face, "In front of everyone. And you will tell them that I am your beloved, and that you 't live without me. Then, we'll see what kind of mature versation you will want to have with me afterwards."

  e looked down, biting her lip in frustration. Of course he still felt a grudge against her, not that she expected anything else.

  "Don't bite your lips," he took a piece of dy from his pocket, and popped it into her mouth, "They'll bleed. You're not a wild animal, you're a dy, remember? Ladies don't bite."

  "..." e spped his hand away.

  "If you don't like the taste, I'll have it. Don't spit it on the ground. You're not a rogue either, are you? I don't like seeing people wasting food. If you 't finish it, then give it to me, I will eat it," he outstretched his hand before her mouth, waiting for her to make a decision.

  Lu could eat anything and everything, and e would throw a fit whenever she saw him eating scraps that fell on the floor like some wild dog instead of eating a full course meal she had kept behind for him.

  It was an after party for the servants, where they were allowed to eat the leftovers. He used to join them, and it was the only time they could share a meal in public (she was forced to eat his share of the meal, or he would threaten to eat moldy bread and force kiss her with a rotten mouth).

  Despite this dirty habit, he bathed more often than the nobles, and always made sure his mouth smelled and tasted inviting. His dies and mints were made with a special blend, and he was very picky with his fvors.

  e puckered her lips as if ready to spit the dy on his face.

  "Go ahead," he leaned in, daring her, "If you think you handle me being mad at you."

  She puffed her cheeks and sucked the dy into her mouth, rummaging through her shoulder bag.

  “...” Lu accepted the half eaten baguette she couldn't finish this afternoon, and ate it as they walked ba silence.

  e thought his favorite food was anything half eaten, and he never corrected her.

  At the beginning of their retionship, she would feed him like a stuffed turkey, ae whatever she gave him, never pining, always thanking, and always eating.

  Until he turned into a big fat, stuffed pillow.

  That girl would feed him and rub his belly, and call him her sweet little pig, and then would proceed to squeeze his cheeks, calling him a round ham, too. She was aremely picky eater, so while he was getting bigger, she was getting smaller.

  This couldn't tinue forever, so he began to ask for the food she liked and instead of feeding himself, he began to feed her, oing the leftovers she couldn't finish.