Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 80
The term “hypnotic eyes” must have been coined for people like him. Adeline knew what kind of “character” Lucian was, so she wasn’t swayed, but most people, regardless of gender, would fall for it. Falling for him was a bottomless pit—it’s just best not to get involved from the start.
Lucian valued people based on how interesting they were. His calculations were meticulous. In his world, there were only fun and numbers.
That’s why Adeline found Lucian comfortable.
Without expecting any affection, he could provide something similar to comfort even in nonsense.
‘It feels like talking to an AI… and just as competent….’
Lucian spoke.
“Alright. Let’s just put this on your tab.”
“Wow, scary…”
“Looking at it, it seems you can resolve the grudge of having my face stomped on by a boot. Just the fact that you told me things you didn’t tell your parents or siblings is enough to twist my insides.”
“What did I only tell you…? …Curses?”
“You cursed?”
“…Only in my head.”
This guy’s a mind reader too.
***
Lloyd took on the task of seeing Lucian out. Adeline tried to follow but was stopped.
“If you want to announce to your parents and siblings that you called me, I won’t stop you.”
“Oh, goodbye. I won’t go far.”
Lucian and Lloyd were the type who could go anywhere if they wanted and couldn’t be found if they chose to hide. No matter how strict the surveillance, avoiding people’s eyes was easier than breathing for them.
“Please pass on what I asked for through Lloyd soon. Thank you.”
Adeline said she was going to bed and disappeared into her bedroom. Lucian, left behind, muttered.
“She really is unfair.”
“My master does have such tendencies, but she is not deserving of your reproach, Lord Lucian.”
“Seems like you’ve learned to talk like a loyal dog.”
“…….”
Lloyd’s face twisted as if he had just heard the greatest insult of his life. Lucian found it amusing and laughed brightly. If Adeline had seen it, she would have been horrified.
“Is Adeline planning to run away again? That would be interesting.”
“Would you help her then?”
“Who knows… It would be fun. Just the thought sends chills down my spine.”
Given that Lucian often risked his life out of boredom, this seemed quite possible.
“You are surprisingly generous to my master. It’s unlike you.”
“What do you know about me?”
“I have ears and eyes, so I’ve heard and seen enough.”
“You talk well. I should have raised you myself.”
Lucian’s fox-like eyes glinted as he looked Lloyd up and down.
“It was you who abandoned me first, Lucian.”
“Get your facts straight. I threw you off a cliff to see if you’d climb up, but Adeline snatched you up right away.”
“…….”
“I won’t tell anyone that you were originally mine, so there’s no need to be scared.”
Lloyd didn’t respond, but his sharp brown eyes conveyed his thoughts clearly. Lucian decided to back off instead of provoking Adeline’s cherished servant.
Lloyd was usually compliant but very sensitive about his past.
He didn’t want Adeline to know that he had learned how to kill from Lucian.
‘She probably already knows everything, though.’
Lucian shrugged. It didn’t matter to him whether the kid wandered or worried. Especially if it was pointless.
But he had been curious about Adeline for a long time.
How could the beloved youngest daughter of a marquis know so much about the underworld as if she had seen it all?
Unless she knew something, that girl couldn’t have shown up in the alley just in time like she was waiting for him.
It seemed like she knew everything, yet nothing at all.
At least the young girl who had come to the dark alley, not knowing fear, clearly didn’t fully understand what kind of man she was reaching out to with her pale, soft hand.
That’s why she kept extending her hand to him.
What exactly was in her head?
Lucian liked things that were interesting. He liked things that intrigued him and hated boredom. He would rather die than live a dull life and didn’t mind risking his life to satisfy his curiosity. He still hadn’t satisfied his curiosity about Adeline.
Lucian hummed a tune as he melted into the darkness, thinking back to a certain day five years ago.
