NARRATOR POV
Lucian and Dahlia had moved away from Lucian's carriage to a place suitable for their conversation. Right now, they were standing on the inner front porch, a few meters away from the main entrance.
"My Lord, I didn't expect you would be here as you hate gatherings such as this. I guess you are close to the Beaumonts".
Lucian's lips twitched, as if wanting to say something but he ended up saying nothing. He simply nodded in response, letting his words remain his thoughts.
He had wanted to tell her that he had come here for her. That he didn't want to be away from her. He wanted to spend every day, every night, every second with her.
But how could he do that? She was someone else's wife. He was the Lord and a married man. He couldn't afford coveting another man's wife, no matter how much he wanted to.
Lucian dismissed his shameful thoughts and said, "Well, the Beaumonts have helped me in quite a lot of things so its only right to be there for them when they request my presence".
Dahlia made an 'O' as she nodded with understanding . "That's true. You care about your people a lot, Luci-— I mean, My Lord".
Lucian's lips curved into a barely noticeable smirk at her slip of tongue. How delightful it would be for her to call him by his name. If she did, he was sure he would sleep well tonight.
"It's alright, Lady Dahlia. You can call me-—"
"Lucian."
Lucian bit his tongue to stop himself from what he was about to do. Whoever it was that called out to him, he was thankful to them. He was about to flirt with a Duke's wife and his.... sister-in-law.
Who even did call him?
"Lady Catherine ", he heard Dahlia say.
He turned slightly and saw Catherine walking towards them. Her posture as trained as ever, her head held high and her taste, impeccable as always.
'Looking like a true Lady', Lucian thought.
Catherine smiled as she approached Lucian. She ignored Dahlia as she majestically slid between them, shoving Dahlia mildly away in the process.
Lucian blinked as he glanced at his mildly outstretched hand and then at Catherine. 'This girl', he thought. He would've been able to grab Dahlia if only Catherine wasn't in the way.
He knew exactly what she was trying to do. And he couldn't say he wasn't pissed about it. But then what could he do? This girl had always been very protective of him. Or perhaps, the position she thought she'd get by marrying him.
But there was no denying that, she was the closest thing to a friend he had, even though it was all based on something. But that didn't mean she didn't irk him just like the other girls.
The only thing he preferred about her was that she was direct about her intentions from the very beginning. He remembered her words when they were kids.
FLASHBACK
A young Lucian and a young girl with blonde hair and crystal blue eyes who seemed a year younger than him could be seen lying on the grass in the garden of the Blackthorne Manor.
The girl's eyes were filled with determination as she looked at the boy lying beside her. His hair was messy and his clothes unkempt. He looked like he had just come back from a hunt. His dark blue eyes were empty, void of emotion as he looked at the sky.
But that didn't affect his charm as the girl beside him was beyond lovestruck.
'Lucian Blackthorne, we're both gonna get married when we grow older!', Catherine declared.
Lucian simply blinked and replied without moving a muscle to look back at her, "Why?"
Catherine blinked, clearly confused by his answer which was a question.
She crawled closer to him, using her elbows against the soft grass, "What do you mean why? Do people need a reason to get married?"
Lucian simply sighed and replied, "Of course they need a reason. People don't just get married on a whim. That marriage would be baseless and false because there was no reason. The people involved would be foolish to engage in such acts".
Catherine nodded, signifying she agreed. But then, she pouted her lips, "Do I need a reason then?" Lucian nodded.
"Well, we have to get married because my dad said so!" Catherine answered with certainty. Lucian gave her a side glance and said, "That's not a good enough reason" .
"Why?"
"Because it's your marriage, not your dad's. Besides I don't like that reason".
"Then, why do people get married?"
Lucian returned his gaze to the moving clouds. He went silent as he thought for a few seconds in order to give Catherine a valid and reasonable answer.
After a while, he spoke, "Well, people usually get married because they love each other".
Catherine blinked innocently and replied, "Love? Then, I'll marry you because I love you!" Lucian shook his head, "No".
Catherine rose immediately and put both her hands on her hips, taking tge position of a mother scolding her son.
"What?! But that's a valid reason! You said so!"
"Nah-uh, it's not one for me. It's also foolish. Because love isn't a dependable thing. It can let you down and leave you stranded. It's unplanned. And I hate unplanned events", Lucian replied.
Catherine moved to kneel at his side and stared at him from above. Now, they were both looking into each other's eyes, with Lucian laying on his back.
"Then, what's your valid reason?"
Lucian smirked, "Nothing. Because I don't want to marry you". Suddenly, he stood up, making Catherine fall on her bottom. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked with a cracked voice,"Why?!"
But Lucian was already walking away. He replied as he waved at her without looking back, "Cuz I don't want to".
Catherine hit both her fists on the ground and flailed her legs, "No fair! You're mean, Lucian! Mean!!".
But all that was left behind was Lucian's cheeky chuckle, with Lucian nowhere in sight.
.....
PRESENT TIME
Lucian frowned as he recalled the vivid memory. At that time, he had said love was a foolish thing because it was unplanned and wasn't dependable. He had said he hated unplanned events.
Back then, he had even sworn to never fall in love nor get married. But here he was now in love with one sister and married to the other. Wasn't life ironic? Wasn't the universe being too cruel?
Lucian sighed and Catherine noticed his frustration. She placed her arm on his shoulders intending to ask if he was okay. But someone had beat her to it.
"Are you okay, Lucian?" Dahlia asked.
But in the next second, even before Lucian could reply, Dahlia felt something wet on her back and then her dress became extremely sticky.
She turned around and saw Lady Genevieve Wallis holding a half emptied glass of wine, looking extremely shocked as someone held her left elbow.
Dahlia's eyes widened as she realised the rest of the wine content had been dumped on her dress on her back!
"MY DRESS!!"