The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 729: Getting On The Nerves

"Lucian, please keep your distance," she mumbled, struggling to move under the thick blanket wrapped around her like a heavy sack.

He remained unaffected and instead asked, "First, answer me."

"Lucian..."

"Why is it so difficult for you to answer a simple question?"

Just then, they heard voices from outside. The others had returned.

"...Seems like they’re hiding inside because of the cold," said Arthur.

"I need to check on Erin," Rafal added.

"Lucian is with Erin, Rina. Don’t worry," Nathaniel’s voice reassured them.

Erin quickly pulled her hand out from under the blanket and pushed Lucian away in a panic, managing to move a little further from him.

Lucian stared at her wordlessly for a moment before standing up.

The others entered the drawing room to find Lucian arranging woodblocks by the fireplace while Erin sat close to it, her back facing them.

Erin felt relieved that they couldn’t see her face at that moment. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. Lucian could certainly affect her in ways she never expected.

Rowan observed the unusually quiet atmosphere between the two. His sister would have normally turned to greet them and welcomed them back, but she hadn’t moved a muscle, as if frozen in place.

He walked over to Erin, knelt beside her, and wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if she were a bundle of cotton inside that thick, soft blanket. "It seems my sister is feeling too cold. Let me warm you up."

Erin was used to such antics from her brother and remained silent while Rowan glanced at Lucian. "Looks like you failed to take care of my sister in my absence and let her freeze."

Lucian’s gaze turned icy as he looked at the two, his eyes narrowing at the way Rowan held Erin so close. "I’m sure she’s warm enough. I did everything I could. If you want me to do more, you’ll have to move away from her first."

Erin’s heart skipped a beat in worry as she looked at Lucian, sensing the tension between the two men.

Rowan raised a brow, and the others were visibly shocked by Lucian’s reply, which clearly showed annoyance—maybe even anger. The usually calm and composed Lucian was reacting differently, no longer displaying his aloof demeanor.

And it wasn’t the first time. Since the moment he had arrived Nathaniel’s estate, he was acting different.

"Is something wrong between these two?" Arthur whispered to Nathaniel. "It feels like if this continues, they might end up at each other’s throats."

"I’m not sure either," Nathaniel replied before turning to Rafal. "What’s going on?"

Rafal sighed. "You know how Rowan loves to annoy people." He stepped forward and addressed Rowan, "Rowan, she’s not a child anymore. She’s fine."

"Brother, I really am fine," Erin added.

"But I’m cold," Rowan insisted, tightening his arms around her and settling himself comfortably next to her. "Let me get some warmth from you."

Lucian added more wood to the fire, intensifying the flames, and glanced at Rowan. "You should be fine now. Move closer to the fire."

"I prefer it like this—holding my little sister like a soft pillow," Rowan countered, offering a mocking smile as he rested his head on Erin’s shoulder. "She doesn’t mind either. She used to sleep with me every winter once in a while until she became an adult. You have a sister too, so you should know this is nothing unusual."

Lucian’s jaw tightened as he threw more wood into the fire. He looked at Erin for a moment, then abruptly walked out of the drawing room.

Erin felt as if she had committed some kind of crime, given how Lucian reacted.

Surprised by his sudden departure, the others moved closer to the fireplace to warm themselves and turned to Rowan.

"What did you do to get on his nerves?" Arthur asked.

"Go ask him yourself. I’m not sure either," Rowan said, closing his eyes and getting comfortable with his head still resting on Erin’s shoulder.

Rafal remained silent, not wanting anyone to know about what Erin used to feel for Lucian, or what she might still feel—especially when she was supposed to marry Aron. He glared at Rowan, who offered him a playful smile in return. Rafal was certain that Rowan would end up making things worse for his sister. He silently wished their elder brother were present.

"Where’s the little cat?" Arthur asked.

"She’s sleeping here," Imbert, who was seated in the chair next to the sofa, answered. Rina was still sleeping soundly.

"Why are you sitting over there, Imbert? Aren’t you cold?" Arthur asked, still warming his hands by the fire.

"I’m fine," the cold and aloof man replied.

"He doesn’t like crowded places full of men like us," Nathaniel chuckled. "Unless a certain someone was here to balance it out."

"That reminds me—Azer Brayden must be free now since Drayce and Seren left somewhere, just like Arlan and Oriana," Arthur commented, throwing a teasing look at Imbert, who acted as if he hadn’t heard anything.

"What do you think, Rafal?" Arthur asked.

"The Brayden family is probably looking for a lady for him now that he’s free," Rafal replied as he sat next to his sister. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Shall we kidnap him and bring him here?" Arthur suggested with a grin. "He might keep our Commander Loyset company."

Nathaniel looked at Imbert. "What do you think?"

Imbert remained impassive. "Watch your mouths, or you might find yourselves inside that fireplace."

"The angry young lord of the Loyset family," Arthur laughed. "Let’s not mess with him."

"We need to prepare a meal," Nathaniel announced. "I didn’t bring servants here because you all insisted on doing everything yourselves."

"It’s like those forest trips we used to have when we were kids. What’s the point if we bring servants and act like lords here too?" Rowan commented. "My sister and I are hungry. Go and cook for us."

"This shameless bastard," Nathaniel muttered as he stood up. "Let’s go outside."

Imbert glanced out the window. "Lucian has already started cleaning the game we brought in," he said before leaving the drawing room.

"Lucian is truly a man of action," Arthur remarked, following the others outside.

Once everyone had gone, Rowan moved away from Erin and looked at her. "What were you two talking about before we arrived?"

Erin glanced at Rowan hesitantly. "It was nothing."

"You know you can’t hide anything from me," Rowan’s gaze turned serious.

Erin hesitated before answering, "It seems like he wants me to reconsider marrying Aron."

Rowan raised a brow, a smirk appearing on his lips. "That was fast."

Erin didn’t understand what her brother meant, lost in her own thoughts. "I think... after he rejected me, he doesn’t find it appropriate for me to marry into his family. He must feel awkward having me in his family—the woman he once rejected."

Rowan looked at his sister and let out a small laugh.

"What?" she asked, confused.

He gently pushed her forehead with his forefinger and replied, "You’re usually smart, but there are indeed moments when my clever sister can be a bit of an idiot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we should go out and watch them prepare a tasty meal for us," he said, standing up and offering her his hand. "It’s not every day that we get to see those high-and-mighty lords cooking for us."

"It’s cold outside," she murmured.

"Yes, but it’s beautiful too."

Erin quietly stood up, and Rowan grabbed the blanket for her before they headed outside together.