Chapter 68 - 67: He Likes to See Her Jealous

Chapter 68: Chapter 67: He Likes to See Her Jealous

The carriage stopped downstairs at an apartment building in the East District.

Lilia, draped in Lucian’s coat, was carried out of the carriage by him. Having rested for so long during the ride, she had pretty much regained her strength. Walking a few steps would certainly not be a problem.

But Lucian didn’t put her down.

From the moment they got out of the carriage, Lilia had been pulling his coat up to cover her face. This behavior—much like an ostrich burying its head in the sand—made Lucian want to laugh.

Lilia’s shoulders were pressed tightly against his chest. She could clearly feel the vibration of his chest cavity, as if it were resonating with her breathing and heartbeat.

Lilia pinched his arm.

Lucian feigned pain and said as he walked toward the stairwell, "Don’t worry. It’s so late; there won’t be anyone outside."

"I hope so."

Muffled by the coat, Lilia’s voice sounded exceptionally cute.

Lucian chuckled and carried her into an apartment. He pushed open the master bedroom door and placed Lilia on the bed.

Lucian squatted down to help her take off her shoes. "I’ll get you some clothes. Go take a hot bath first."

He had already helped her wipe down briefly in the carriage, but Lilia had been soaking in the rain in the woods for so long. She would easily catch a cold without a hot bath.

Lilia nodded obediently at first, then thought of something. "You have women’s sleepwear here?"

At this hour, most shops were already closed, except for special places like bars. Since he couldn’t buy any from outside, they must have already been in this house. Thinking of this, Lilia’s tone took on a hint of interrogation. "Confess."

"It’s my turn this quickly? How the tables have turned." Lucian smiled and brought her a pair of slippers. "They’re clean."

Lilia scoffed. "It’s your own fault for having a history. Besides, it’s a two-way street—you can’t be the only one allowed to keep tabs on me, right?"

"Of course not. I understand; trust and honesty are mutual." Lucian looked at her with a smile.

After he said those words in the carriage, Lilia hadn’t given him a direct answer; instead, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

Lucian knew he shouldn’t have indulged in that kiss. He should have gripped her shoulders, pushed her away, and demanded a clear answer with a straight face.

But he didn’t. Instead, he took that kiss as a resounding yes.

Sometimes, Lucian wondered if he was being a bit too easy. He had agonized over it in his heart for so long, yet he had forgiven her so effortlessly just because of a kiss...

However, matters of the heart were just that unreasonable. No matter what Lilia had with Caius in the past, at least now, at this very moment... she chose him. That was enough.

Lucian stood up and brushed the knuckle of his index finger against Lilia’s cheek. "Who said I was going to get you a woman’s nightgown?"

Lilia understood. "Wear yours? Won’t that be too big?"

"It will." Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise, should I get you my dress shirt? Tied with a belt, it should fit just right."

"...I’ll stick with the nightgown," Lilia said.

A shirt...

Perhaps her mind was just in the gutter, but she felt that wearing his shirt... would be a bit weird.

"Alright," Lucian smiled. "But when you get out of the bath, you’d better explain what you mean by ’track record.’ If I remember correctly, I already solemnly explained that my supposed popularity with women is just a rumor. Or..." He leaned down, closing the distance between them. "Do you actually believe Caius’s provocations more than my assurances?"

Lilia pressed her lips together, remaining completely silent.

This guy... was truly cunning. She was supposed to be the one interrogating him, yet the flames had somehow turned around to burn her instead.

Refusing to argue with him any further, she mumbled a vague, "I suppose I believe you," before hastily padding off to the bathroom in her slippers.

PATTER PATTER. The sound of her hurried footsteps was shut out behind the closed door.

Watching her beat a hasty retreat, the corners of Lucian’s mouth couldn’t help but curve up into a smile.

Half an hour later, Lilia emerged from the bathroom.

The hot water had steamed the chill out of her body, leaving her feeling wonderfully warm. If she hadn’t been a bit hungry from not eating for so long, she probably would have just flopped onto the bed and fallen into a cozy slumber.

Opening the bathroom door, she glanced around. There was no sign of Lucian in the bedroom.

Lilia stepped out barefoot and picked up the sleepwear Lucian had just left on a stool outside the door. She raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t his bathrobe; it was a nightdress in her exact size, with a clean set of underwear folded on top.

Lilia slipped the clothes on and walked out of the bedroom.

The apartment was a standard two-bedroom layout with a living room. It wasn’t very large, so naturally, it couldn’t hide much noise. Standing in the bedroom doorway, Lilia could see Lucian busying himself in the kitchen.

He was wearing only a white dress shirt, and his rain-dampened hair wasn’t even fully dried. However, he clearly didn’t have the energy to freshen himself up right now; all of his attention was focused on the iron pan in his hand.

Lilia approached silently. She tried to keep her footsteps as light as possible, but she still prompted Lucian to turn his head.

"Done washing up?" He looked her up and down. "Why aren’t you wearing shoes?"

"They got wet, so I couldn’t wear them."

"There are clean shoes in the cabinet by the entryway... Never mind, I’ll get them for you." Lucian turned off the stove and brought her a pair of cotton slippers.

"You look nice. Is the size alright?" Lucian asked.

"It’s a perfect fit," Lilia said. "Where did these clothes..."

"Laura dropped them off," Lucian said. "I couldn’t just let you wear a bathrobe."

Lilia nodded. That made sense.

However, since Laura was able to deliver the clothes so promptly, it meant he had actually prepared in advance. Perhaps he had already arranged everything the moment he found her in the woods. He clearly could have explained himself when she interrogated him, yet he deliberately chose to say nothing. It was as if he thoroughly enjoyed watching her get jealous.

This guy was not only cunning but also wicked. She couldn’t help but wonder how she had never noticed this side of him before.

Oblivious to Lilia’s inner thoughts, Lucian pulled out a chair at the dining table and asked her to sit and wait for a moment.

He returned to the kitchen. Half a minute later, he placed a porcelain plate in front of Lilia. On it was a rather crudely made sandwich: two slices of toasted bread, a fried egg, a few strips of bacon, and a whole leaf of lettuce.

Lilia picked it up and took a bite.

Hmm.

It didn’t look like much, and the actual taste wasn’t great either. It was obvious that Lucian was very bad at cooking.

Sitting across from her, Lucian clearly knew his own skill level as well. "If it doesn’t taste good, I can have someone make a new one and send it over..."

"There’s no need." Lilia took another bite. "It’s not that bad."

Not that bad...

Lucian chuckled softly and pushed a cup of hot milk toward her hand. "My fault. I’ll take you out for a proper feast tomorrow."