Chapter 45 - 44: Declaring Sovereignty

Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Declaring Sovereignty

"I. Still. Have. To. Wait. For. Caius."

The moment she said that, even though Lucian had reminded himself countless times that their relationship was merely a partnership bound by mutual interests with absolutely no emotional foundation... he couldn’t help but feel so irritated he almost laughed.

How should he put it?

It was the cuckolded feeling of having just made things official with a lover, only to watch her turn around and throw herself into another man’s arms.

At this moment, Lucian actually somewhat understood how Caius had felt last night. When he and Lilia had walked side by side out of the Duke Mansion, only to turn and find Caius standing right at the door... that sour jealousy, that urgent desire to declare ownership in every conceivable way—Lucian actually felt a tiny trace of empathy for it right now.

Of course, only a tiny bit.

Lucian stood up. "Fine."

He turned to leave. Just as he was about to step out of the room, he paused. "One last question. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to."

Lilia nodded.

"Why didn’t you choose Caius?" Lucian asked. "He’s the heir to the Beaumont family. Once the Earl steps down, everything in the Beaumont family will belong to him.

"He treats you so well. As long as you stand firmly by his side, you could live a peaceful and stable life even without a marriage alliance.

"For you, he should be the best candidate."

Lilia fell silent.

It was true. If she could, she naturally would have chosen Caius. But...

Caius’s Favorability was too stable—so stable that it never went up. Ten years of spending day and night together would have been enough to melt a stone, yet he remained like a block of solid ice, showing no signs of thawing.

True, Caius treated her very well. But that kind of good treatment, rather than stemming from romantic affection, felt more like he was caring for a favorite pet. He would fulfill her requests and tolerate her occasional bad temper, but he would never ruin his own future for the sake of a pet.

Seeing her stay quiet for a long time, Lucian said, "I said, if it puts you in a difficult position, you don’t have to answer—"

"I don’t think he’s the best choice."

At the door, Lucian’s smile completely vanished. "And the reason?"

"Rather than emotions, I believe more in the binding of mutual interests," Lilia said softly. "I’ve sacrificed a lot to get to where I am today.

"Commoners aren’t like Nobles, who have countless opportunities for trial and error... I only have one path forward.

"Rather than using so-called loyalty to gamble on an illusory possibility, I’d prefer to hold the future in my own hands."

Lilia raised her head.

"Therefore, to the current me, he is not the best candidate.

"You are."

Lucian looked at her. After a long moment, he chuckled softly. "I am deeply honored."

CLICK.

The door to the infirmary ward closed. Following that came the familiar system notification chime.

[Lucian’s Favorability has increased.]

Having finally sent her partner away, Lilia leaned back against the headboard and let out a soft breath. Dealing with smart people was simply too exhausting. There was endless probing, tug-of-war, declarations of loyalty, and giving assurances... Every single word had to be carefully weighed and considered. A single conversation killed off her brain cells faster than taking an exam.

Fortunately, the outcome was perfect.

Lucian’s Favorability rose very slowly, but at least it was rising. Unlike Caius, who was as stubborn and unyielding as a rock.

At times like this, Lilia couldn’t help but miss Victor a little. He was also a smart man, but he wasn’t as deep and scheming as the other two capture targets, who insisted on thoroughly analyzing a person’s past and future decades before accepting them. With him, if he liked someone, his Favorability increased; if he didn’t, he would silently keep his distance... That idealistic purity was simply the most perfect quality for a capture target to have.

Sadly, such a person was destined to have a hard time surviving in this world.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Someone knocked on the ward door, and immediately after, Caius walked in carrying a packed lunchbox. He glanced at the chair beside the bed, clearly noting that someone had just been sitting there, before shifting his gaze to the nightstand. Besides the books he had brought Lilia, there was also a small but exquisite fruit basket sitting on it.

Caius bypassed the chair and sat directly on the edge of the bed.

"Did someone visit this morning?" he asked, opening the lunchbox to reveal a portion of golden pan-fried cod.

"Yes," Lilia nodded. "Cecie, Horn, and a few other classmates."

Caius picked up a piece of fish with a fork and brought it to her lips. "I’ll remind the doctor this afternoon. There are too many visitors. Right now, you need rest."

Lilia opened her mouth to take the bite, remaining noncommittal about his statement. After all, she had already seen the person she most wanted to see. Not letting anyone in this afternoon would actually give her some peace and quiet.

When Caius offered another piece of fish, Lilia reached out and took the fork, indicating she wanted to feed herself. Caius didn’t object. He grabbed a cloth napkin from the side, laid it on the bed, and securely placed the lunchbox on top.

Once Lilia finished eating, he packed everything up. "I’ll come pick you up tonight."

"Mhm," Lilia said. "Have a good class."

"Rest well." Caius paused for a moment, leaning forward slightly. His dark eyes locked onto Lilia, and seeing that she didn’t refuse, he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Take a nap if you’re tired. Call the doctor if you need anything, and if the doctor can’t handle it, have her find me."

Lilia gave a couple of noncommittal hums, clearly brushing him off.

Caius didn’t get angry. So what if she was brushing him off? As long as she was willing to respond to him, it was enough.

Caius turned and left, leaving the ward to return to silence once more.

Lilia let out a yawn. Now that he had mentioned it, she really did feel a bit sleepy. Although sleeping right after a meal might make her put on weight... considering the mental energy she had expended during today’s tug-of-war, she deserved a proper rest.

Lilia abandoned the thought of continuing to read, pulled up the blanket, and rolled over to lie down.

...

She slept very deeply, only waking up as the sky began to darken.

As soon as Lilia opened her eyes, she saw Caius still sitting by the bed. He seemed to have been sitting there for a long time. The curtains in the ward had been drawn at some point. The outside light was already dim, and with no lamps lit inside, her field of vision was shrouded in a hazy darkness, making it look as though it were the dead of night.

Caius reached out to help her sit up.

"Are classes over?" Lilia asked.

Caius murmured an acknowledgment and helped her put on her shoes. Then, he looked up and asked, "Can you still walk?"

Lilia could guess what he was thinking without him even saying it. "I don’t need you to carry me."

Caius lowered his eyes. Even though his face remained expressionless, he inexplicably looked somewhat disappointed.

He didn’t insist. He picked up the books he had brought and left the infirmary with Lilia.

As for the get-well gifts from unknown senders? Caius didn’t throw them away out of kindness, but because he felt that garbage wasn’t worthy of passing through his hands. Leaving it for the medical staff to handle was fine.

They walked through the corridor and out the main doors.

The Beaumont family’s carriage was already parked at the entrance. This had clearly been arranged by Caius in advance, just so Lilia could walk a little less and avoid the wind.

Caius was just about to help Lilia into the carriage. Suddenly, a smiling male voice called out from the side. "Lili."