Chapter 44 - Who's coming with me? (part 1)

"You are so stubborn! If you continue like that, you will never be happy and will end up like mom... A person who never smiles..." Marie remembered her sister's harsh words as she looked at an untouched cup of coffee.

"You're just like him, sister..." Marie whispered as she thought Lucien was a lot like her sister. Someone who did what they wanted and didn't care about right or wrong.

Marie hated Lucien the first time she saw him. He was n.a.k.e.d! Then he killed the mercenaries without mercy. Of course, she didn't like the mercenaries and hated Brian, but she didn't want him to do a massacre.

She hated people who didn't care about life and killed indiscriminately. Her sister was just as Lucien, and Maire hated them. But he saved her twice and suffered severe injuries to defend her...

An internal struggle was destroying Marie. Her brain told her to stay away from Lucien, but her heart said she should be beside him.

The more Lucien acted like a devil, more Marie thought she should leave the Portgreen, but at the same time, he acted so lovingly with Mia... Marie did not know how to deal with her conflicting feelings.

Marie looked at Anne, who was in front of her. They were at a table in the guild refectory. Anne also looked at an untouched cup of coffee, but instead of a confused expression like Marie, she had a silly smile on her face.

Marie thought about making fun of her best friend. "Look, Lucien!!!"

"Lucien!!!"

"Where?!?!?"

When Marie said she saw Lucien, Anne shouted his name excitedly and stood up. But someone else asked where he was, making Marie look back and see Jeanne, who was also at a table just like them.

Anne realized that Marie was making fun of her when she started laughing. Anne couldn't help but laugh too, but Jeanne was still looking for Lucien, making them laugh even more.

"Marie was kidding, Jeanne. Lucien did not return yet. Come on, join us." Anne had to explain the situation to the desperate Jeanne. She understood it was just a joke and calmed down while sitting down at the table with the girls.

Jeanne looked at Anne with an inquiring look and couldn't resist asking. "Why did you excitedly shout his name?"

Anne was embarrassed as she stammered. "I-I w-was not e-excited!!!"

"Hahaha... Is it not obvious? She is in love with him. But you? Why were you so worried when you heard his name?" Marie laughed at the blushing Anne and asked Jeanne.

Before Jeanne could say anything, Anne tried to defend herself. "I'm not in love with him! You know that I had to promise my body to him to save you, Marie! I will keep my words, so I better be on good terms with him... That's all..."

Anne's words made Marie sad. Anne was right; Lucien saved them in exchange for their bodies, and Marie accepted it but had not yet done her part... She wanted it to be easy to have s.e.x with him and then each one to go on with their lives, but it was not that simple.

Half of Marie already thought Lucien was excellent and kind, so if she had s.e.x with him, she would fall in love with him completely. Marie wasn't sure if she wanted to fall in love with the devil...

Jeanne saw Anne's flushed face and knew she wasn't being honest about not being in love with Lucien, but she couldn't believe it... "How can you like someone like him?!?!"

Anne didn't like the tone Jeanne used to talk about Lucien. "Someone like him? Do you mean someone who protects his friends? Someone who doesn't let others harm his woman? Someone so handsome and kind? Why shouldn't I like him?"

Marie could not deny any of Anne's words and also felt like praising Lucien.

"She is right. Everything Lucien did was for us and then for Mia. If I remember correctly, he did nothing against the archer who shot him or your nephew, who ordered the stupid attack. He just acted out of anger because of Mia..."

Jeanne knew she was wrong. After all, they attacked Lucien first, and even though he was cruel, it was not without reason. "Yes, he is not that bad... I'm sorry."

Anne drank some of her coffee, which was already cold, while staring at Jeanne. "On the contrary, he is fantastic... But I still suggest that you stay away from him."

Marie and Jeanne were confused by Anne's words and asked her why.

Anne gave them a mischievous smile as she spoke calmly. "I'm going to have to share him with Mia and maybe Marie, so I want him to have as fewer women as possible to have more Lucien for me, of course."

"Hahahaha..." Jeanne and Marie started to laugh at Anne's serious words. She already looked like a jealous little wife, but her relationship with Lucien was almost at stage zero yet.

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Lucien was at the inn, conversing with his women on how to proceed.

"So, let's get out of town for a while. Astrid, I'm going to the guild with you, but the others have to leave now, I don't want to take any risks of the mercenaries discovering you before we can leave the city."

Cassidy and Mia wanted to go with Lucien, but moving