Chapter 38. Lucy
Grand Duke Bayern’s sudden visit greatly shook the Lopez mansion.
By principle, the hostess of the house should greet him, but Baroness Lopez was not in a state to do so.
Therefore, it fell solely on the butler to entertain the Grand Duke.
The butler, chosen simply because he was the oldest among the few servants in the mansion, was somewhat clumsy in the etiquette of dealing with distinguished guests.
Especially to this man in front of him, Grand Duke Bayern…… just looking at him made the butler tremble and his mind go blank. The butler, frozen like a fool, swallowed dryly and finally spoke.
“There, there is a cat in this mansion…… did Miss Ellenore ask you to come?”
“Who else would have asked me?”
Hearing his cold reply, the butler felt his heart shrink and quickly bowed his head. He feared something terrible might happen if he angered this dangerous guest.
“I, I see. I’ll go to the kitchen and bring the cat. Please wait a moment, Your Highness.”
The butler, retreating slowly, soon ran to the kitchen, and Enoch put his hands in his pockets and leisurely looked around the entrance.
Though it was a small and old mansion, traces of the faded glory before the decline of the Lopez family were still visible everywhere. It was easy to see why Baron Lopez clung to maintaining the family, unable to let go of his attachment to the past.
But how long could a half-noble family, with no taxes collected from their territory or loyal knights, sustain itself?
It would be hard to maintain the family’s dignity with just the insignificant position of a court diplomat held by the head of the family. Even the title they held would soon be shaken.
But well, before that happens…….
I’ll destroy it myself.
Enoch’s lips curved into a cool line. It was not a kind smile. He could be as cruel as he needed to punish the trash. Even if it meant dealing with the legal family of the woman he was about to marry.
“Your Highness…… the Grand Duke?”
Enoch turned his head at the voice coming from somewhere. It was Melissa Lopez, one of Ellenore’s stepsisters. And next to her was…… her half-brother, Anthony, if he remembered correctly.
“Ah, hello……. What brings you to the Lopez mansion……. Father is at work right now, and Mother has been bedridden since that day…….”
Melissa Lopez spoke slowly, hesitantly. Anthony Lopez, pale, barely greeted Enoch, while Melissa wore a servile smile, glancing at Enoch.
……Hmm. Enoch let out a long nasal sound.
This timid-looking woman was the one who had caught and handed over Ellen to Anderson that day.
She pretended to be harmless, but her eyes gave her away. This woman was not sane. And quite severely so.
As for Anthony Lopez…… Enoch glanced at the boy. He was a pathetic creature not worth paying attention to.
Before answering Melissa Lopez’s question, Enoch pondered for a moment on how to deal with this insidious woman.
Should I crush and threaten her as I did to Margot Lopez? It would make things easier, but it wouldn’t be very fun. Enoch was curious about how insane Melissa Lopez was. It was a cruel curiosity.
Life, especially the monotonous routine without any particular events, was boring and tedious for him, and thus he always needed stimulation. So it was a perfectly reasonable conclusion that Enoch Bayern decided to ‘play around a little’ with Melissa Lopez.
“Hello, Miss Melissa Lopez. And next to you is Anthony Lopez, right? I don’t think we’ve met before.”
He deliberately spoke kindly, not forgetting to give a sweet smile like dripping honey. Warm and merciful. If he acted as if he would forgive any sin, how far would they dare to climb up? Not knowing that they would eventually fall from the cliff they climbed.
“……Last time we met…… you seemed very angry, so I was worried…… Have you calmed down?”
“Well, what do you think?”
“……I’m sorry, I asked an impertinent question…….”
“No, it’s fine.”
Melissa seemed a bit relieved by Enoch’s gentle demeanor. Her timid eyes looking up at him had a peculiar sparkle. Hope, or perhaps expectation. Noticing this, one corner of Enoch’s mouth twisted slightly.
“I’m surprisingly generous, Miss Melissa. You can look forward to it.”
“That, that’s really…… a kind thing to say, Your Highness……”
The smile that appeared on Melissa’s lips felt gloomy and damp. Just as Enoch, who had been staring at her awkward expression, was about to add a bit more hope to what she was expecting, the butler’s voice echoed through the entrance.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought the cat.”
The butler’s voice was relatively calmer than before. Enoch glanced at Melissa and Anthony once more before slowly turning around. As he approached, the butler flinched slightly, but fortunately, he didn’t drop the cat in his arms.
“Is this the cat?”
“Yes, if it’s a cat in this mansion, it’s this one…….”
“It’s ugly.”
The butler involuntarily paused at the indifferent remark. Lucy was objectively a very pretty long-haired cat. She had a beautiful mix of three colors on her white fur, and her irises were as clear and clean as a turquoise sea.
For Lucy to be called ugly, either the Grand Duke’s eyes were wrong…… or he was a very spiteful person.
“Come here, cat.”
“Meow.”
“It responds even though it’s just a cat.”
“Meow.”
Enoch forcibly picked up the cat, who was flicking its tail in displeasure. When he said, ‘I’m taking you to Ellen,’ the cat surprisingly calmed down. Can it understand human speech? Enoch, raising an eyebrow, stared at the cat before clicking his tongue and looking back at the butler.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes, yes. Please feel free to command.”
“There should be Ellen’s belongings left in this mansion. I’ll send someone to pick them up this evening, so be prepared.”
“Ah, understood……”
Enoch left the Lopez mansion with the cat in his arms. Until the moment he got into the carriage parked by the roadside, a dark and sticky gaze followed him. Without needing to confirm, it was undoubtedly Melissa Lopez. A meaningful smile spread on Enoch’s lips.
I’m curious to see what kind of shoots the seeds I planted will sprout…….
Melissa Lopez didn’t seem active enough to do something on her own. But there’s always a chance. The backlash of the kindness I showed on a whim might come back in an unexpected form in the distant future.
Enoch thought, lightly humming, that it would be nice if it were something enjoyable enough to forget the boredom of life.
* * *
“Lucy!”
Seeing Ellen welcoming the cat more enthusiastically than him, Enoch felt a slight twinge of indifference. What’s so great about this ugly cat? When he handed over the cat, Ellen smiled brightly as if she had the whole world. It was a strangely captivating smile.
“Lucy, have you been well? Did you eat well?”
“Meow.”
“We’ll be together from now on. Isn’t that nice?”
“Meow.”
The cat, which had been sulking the whole way, turned affectionate, meowing softly as soon as it met Ellen.
Enoch clicked his tongue at the behavior that clearly showed favoritism. It was the first time in his life he had been discriminated against by a cat.
“Do you like cats that much?”
“I like all cats, but Lucy is especially special.”
Even to his irritated question, Ellen answered with a bright smile and a soft voice. It was a reaction that showed how happy she was.
She looks cute with that silly, relaxed expression…… I guess wanting to be mean is just because I have a bad personality. Enoch decided to follow his heart, admitting it honestly. After all, he was someone who would be considerate if he wanted to and throw away consideration if he didn’t.
“Shouldn’t you like your fiancé more than a cat? Hmm?”
When he reached out and stroked Ellen’s exposed nape, she flinched slightly and stiffened. Her wide eyes seemed to ask why he was doing this. Enoch enjoyed the sight of her embarrassed eyes.
“……Of course, I like Lucy more than Your Highness. I’m really sorry……”
“Why did you ask me to love you then?”
“As I said, it wasn’t a very romantic request.”
“Were you curious to see if I, in love, would grovel before you?”
“……Maybe.”
Enoch laughed cynically and grabbed Ellen’s chin, pulling her closer. Their lips were almost touching. The cat in Ellen’s arms cried out as if it was cursing him. Of course, Enoch ignored it completely.
“That’s unfortunate, fiancée.”
“……”
“Your great magic of love won’t be able to subdue me.”
It was arrogance based on complete self-assurance. He had never wavered or made exceptions when it came to controlling himself. His reason always triumphed, no matter the emotion.
After lingering, seemingly to kiss her, Enoch let her go without hesitation. With a cruel and mischievous smile, he turned and left. Not once did he stop his steps.
* * *
Enoch Bayern caused another incident.
That was Henry’s impression upon hearing the sudden news of Enoch’s engagement.
- ianthe
remember to support the authors everyone~ (๑'ᵕ'๑)⸝*
NourElhouda
I think he’s right, the magic will not work on him, he’ll truly fall in love. We’ll see 👀