The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 723: Lucian and Erin

As if his feet had a mind of their own, Lucian walked forward, crossing the part of the residence that connected both sides of the vast square-shaped manor. The person he was approaching was unaware of his presence as he moved closer from behind.

Under the starry sky, illuminated by the soft light of the full moon, she stood quietly, looking up at it. Her long hair was tucked inside the warm coat she was wearing, but the short, loose ends swayed gently with the cold breeze.

She exuded an aura of solitude, seeming completely at peace in her own quiet world.

Lucian’s gaze remained fixed on her, and he found himself wondering, What is she thinking about? Does she like staring at the starry sky as much as I do?

For the first time, he had so many questions for her, and found himself grow curious about her.

But at the same time, it felt as if, despite being right in front of him, she was still so far away. An inexplicable unease settled in his heart, one he couldn’t quite understand.

He stopped a few steps behind her, and she finally sensed his presence when his shadow fell on the ground near her feet. She hesitated, wondering who it could be, and then slowly turned around. The sight of him took her by surprise, making her heart almost skip a beat.

This man, the only one who could ever truly move her heart, was standing right there in front of her, but she found herself at a loss for words.

If it had been in the past, she would have admired how handsome he looked, and she wouldn’t have been able to tear her gaze away. But now, she forced herself to lower her eyes and bowed politely to greet him.

"Lord Rainier."

Lucian didn’t respond to her greeting. Instead, he continued to stare at her intently.

When she looked back up at him, her gaze meeting his once more, all he wanted to do was keep looking at her. She was beautiful—her delicate face glowing softly under the moonlight, and her eyes... had he never noticed before how beautiful they were? Everything about her seemed exquisitely breathtaking.

How had he missed seeing it all while being by her side for so long?

Seeing him staring at her wordlessly, she felt a bit puzzled. "I shall take my leave then." She lowered her head in a slight bow before turning to go, but...

Lucian stepped closer, catching her by surprise.

She looked up at him, wanting to step back, but his hands were already reaching out to the hood of her winter coat, pulling it over her head.

"You should cover your nose and ears while standing out in such cold weather," she heard him say as he adjusted the hood for her.

Then, he moved to the thick scarf around her neck, pulling it up to cover her nose. "Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold. People from the capital aren’t used to this kind of chill."

He stared at her face, where only her eyes were visible and she looked adorable. She had always been feisty, but seeing her like so submissive, this felt something different. He had an urge to reach out to her, caress her cold cheeks with his warm hands make her feel warm, but...he had never done this before.

Erin felt her heart waver once more, but she managed to steady herself and took a step back. "Thank... you, Lord Rainier. It’s really cold. I should head back now." She turned to leave.

"Lady Erin," he called softly, his deep voice sounding like music to her ears. She stopped but didn’t turn to face him, her heart racing, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"You once mentioned that you don’t like the North and that you’d prefer to be closer to your family. So, why did you agree to come here?"

Erin blinked, surprised. She vaguely remembered saying that to her servant a few times before. She had almost forgotten about it herself, but he remembered.

"Things don’t always go the way we want, Lord Rainier," she replied calmly. "Sometimes we say things on a whim, not understanding the other side. But now that I’m here, I see that the North isn’t so bad. It’s actually beautiful and peaceful."

Lucian simply stared at her, unsure of what more to say. Erin turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, watching her retreating figure. He wasn’t certain what he was feeling, only that it was strange and unfamiliar.

He moved to stand exactly where she had been moments ago and looked up at the starry sky and the full moon overhead. It’s indeed peaceful, he thought.

-----

Erin returned to her chamber in a hurry, wanting to get as far away from Lucian’s presence as possible. She closed the door and leaned against it, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

I can’t let him affect me like this again. What was he even doing there alone? Why did he have to be there?

She moved to her bed and buried herself under the blanket. Maybe once Lord Wynter is here, I’ll spend more time with him, and everything will feel normal again. Lucian will always be around... I just need to get used to his presence.

-----

Meanwhile, the others reached the terrace where Lucian was still standing alone, staring up at the sky.

"Lucian, who did you follow up here and leave us behind for?" a familiar teasing voice asked.

Lucian, already aware of their presence, turned to look at them—particularly at the man who had asked the question: Rowan.

"Lady Erin," he answered without hesitation.

Rowan looked directly into his eyes as he walked closer to the man who stood there, seemingly unaffected. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Lucian, I’ll let it slide this time because you were once her bodyguard and she knows you. But if it had been some random man, his head would be rolling on the ground by now."

"I don’t follow random women either," Lucian replied.

The two men stood there, face to face, staring straight into each other’s eyes as if issuing a silent challenge. The air around them shifted, charged with tension, and anything but calm.