Chapter 777 - 774 Step

Chapter 777: Chapter 774 Step

Towards evening, inside the castle of Sedona City.

In the study, after dinner, Lucas was writing something. Mina was sitting on a chair, bored out of her mind, with a lollipop in her mouth.

"Phew..." Lucas stretched and looked at the cat-eared girl beside him, then at the candy wrapper on the desk.

"Did you steal Annie’s lollipop again?" Lucas recognized the lollipop in Mina’s mouth at a glance; it was the birthday gift Helen had given Annie.

Mina’s eyes darted around, her face slightly flushed as she stammered, "N-no, I didn’t. I bought this at the Market."

Since when did the Market sell carrot-flavored lollipops? How come he didn’t know about it?

"Heh..." Lucas chuckled lightly, deciding not to expose her lie.

Looking at Mina’s slightly reddened face, he suddenly said, "Let me taste it."

"Here! Just one bite." The blush on Mina’s face deepened as she took the lollipop out of her mouth and handed it over.

The corners of Lucas’s mouth lifted slightly. He looked at the carrot-colored lollipop, then at Mina’s lips.

"W-what? Didn’t you want a taste, master?" Mina fidgeted, her cat tail swishing as if she had sensed something.

"This is the best way to eat a lollipop." Lucas suddenly grabbed the cat-eared girl’s hand, pulling her entire body against him, and kissed her squarely on her red lips.

"Mmph, master... ah..." Mina’s eyes widened slightly before fluttering shut.

Although this wasn’t her first time, the sensation still made Mina nervous, yet deeply infatuated.

After a long while, their lips parted, a thin, transparent thread of saliva connecting them.

"Master, we’re in the study~~" Mina’s voice was soft and sweet, her cheeks flushed crimson, and her eyes were misty.

"It’s fine..." Lucas only got halfway through his sentence before being interrupted.

Knock, knock, knock...

A series of knocks echoed from the door, forcing Lucas to swallow the rest of his words.

Mina was startled as well. She jumped off Lucas’s lap and back onto the desk, hastily smoothing out her dress. Her eyes darted toward the window, trying to hide her blushing face.

...

A few minutes prior, outside the study door. Catherine had been standing there for a while. As she stared at the door, a trace of hesitation colored her face.

After a long moment of silence, Catherine finally knocked on the study door.

Knock, knock, knock... "Lucas, can I come in?" Catherine’s crisp voice called out.

After leaving the Security Department, she wandered around the city. Before she knew it, the sky had turned dark. After dinner, she subconsciously found herself standing in front of Lucas’s study.

"Come in," Lucas’s voice rang out.

"Phew..." Catherine took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Creak...

Upon entering, Catherine looked at the slightly awkward pair and froze for a moment. However, preoccupied with her own thoughts, she didn’t read too much into it.

"Catherine, is something the matter?" Lucas’s eyes flickered. Looking at her, he could tell she seemed a bit down.

Catherine hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I went to see my father today."

Lucas nodded. The Security Department had already sent him a report in advance. The dungeon was heavily monitored so they could eavesdrop and gather intelligence.

A transcript of the conversation between Kerrac and Catherine had been placed on Lucas’s desk earlier today. After reading it, he had fully expected Catherine to come looking for him.

"It’s alright. Just say whatever is on your mind," Lucas comforted her gently, knowing she needed someone to confide in.

Mina had composed herself and was sitting quietly. She felt genuine sympathy for Catherine’s family struggles.

"..." Catherine was quiet for a moment before she slowly spoke. "When I was little, my father gave me a lute. I was so happy."

"Because of that... I went out of my way to learn how to play it. And from that moment on, I fell in love with musical instruments..."

Catherine seemed to be reminiscing about the past, her eyes growing slightly distant.

"But as I gradually grew up and matured, I understood more and more. And that was when I realized my father was only raising me like a piece of merchandise—something he could trade away for his own benefit."

A bitter smile touched the corners of Catherine’s lips. She said hoarsely, "Later... for the sake of the family’s interests, my father wanted to marry me off to the First Prince, Lucia, to secure profit and status."

"I originally thought I had no choice but to accept my fate. I never expected that you would be the one to save me, Lucas." A trace of a smile appeared on Catherine’s poignant, beautiful face. The gaze she directed at Lucas held threads of deep affection.

"You are my friend, aren’t you?" A heartwarming smile appeared on Lucas’s face.

"That’s right," Mina chimed in softly. "As long as you are our friend, the master would never just stand by and do nothing."

"Mhm!!" Catherine nodded emphatically.

Deep down, she felt incredibly fortunate that she had followed Dahlia to Sedona City and met Lucas. Otherwise, she might have already been married off to the First Prince, becoming a sacrificial lamb for political gain.

"..." The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. All three of them quieted down.

"Lu, Lucas... I..."

Catherine suddenly thought of what happened earlier today. Her eyes grew red, and she choked out, "When I went to see him today, he said... he said he was sorry for failing me."

Sigh. Lucas let out a sigh. He stood up, walked over to Catherine, and used his handkerchief to gently wipe away the tears falling from her eyes.

"Don’t cry," Lucas consoled her gently.

Sob, sob...

Those simple words were the straw that broke the camel’s back. Catherine burst into loud sobs, throwing her arms around Lucas’s waist and burying her face in his chest.

"Shh, stop crying." Lucas was a bit at a loss. He really didn’t have much experience dealing with a sobbing woman, so he could only reach out and pat Catherine’s back.

Seeing this, Mina’s eyes contracted slightly. Her cat tail stood up straight, then slowly lowered back down. She didn’t say anything, just watching them quietly.

After quite a while, Catherine’s loud sobs gradually faded, leaving only faint hiccups.

"I’m sorry, I lost my composure," Catherine said, suddenly realizing what she was doing. She hastily let go of Lucas, her face completely flushed.

She hadn’t expected to lose control and cry so suddenly. But Lucas’s chest truly felt incredibly warm and safe—it made her a little reluctant to let go.

"It’s fine, it’s good to cry it out," Lucas said softly. Keeping it bottled up wasn’t healthy; sometimes, a good cry was the best relief.

"Lucas... my father and the others... could you not send them to the mines?" Catherine asked, feeling embarrassed.

She knew this request was asking a bit much, but...

"Don’t worry, they won’t be sent to the mines." Lucas shook his head. Given Kerrac’s old age, he probably wouldn’t last a single day doing hard labor in the mines.

It was much more practical to send him to glue matchboxes.

"Thank you," Catherine said with profound gratitude.

"I already promised you before," Lucas said with a faint smile. He never intended to send Kerrac to the mines in the first place. If word got out that he did that to surrendered nobles, it would deter future enemies from surrendering, which wouldn’t be good.

"Mhm..." Catherine suddenly stood on her tiptoes, leaned forward, and planted a quick kiss on Lucas’s cheek. Then, with a bright red face, she turned and ran out.

Step, step, step...

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