The Crown's Obsession

Lucy watched him get back to the chair he was previously sitting, her heart felt full just by the sight of him. Gone was the combed hair which was neat in the morning. His hair now was dishevelled, and his glasses in his pocket.

"Did you enjoy the wedding?" he asked her.

"Um," Lucy nodded her head. "Calhoun is finally married. I was married. Are you going to marry too?"

"Do you want me to?" asked Theodore, his gaze fixed on hers.

Lucy shook her head, "It is up to you, isn't it," she whispered to him. "Who was that woman in blue dress with pearls around her neck."

"Lady Paulina. Why do you ask?" Theodore kept his tone to be nonchalant. Running his finger round and round on the rim of the glass.

"You seemed to be glued to her, that's all," replied Lucy, bringing the glass back to her lips before she took a sip without meeting Theodore's eyes.

Theodore could tell she was bothered by that particular woman, and he said, "She's not of any importance. Just a guest who happened to be glued to me."

"It's not like I care," Lucy said in between her sips, and Theodore couldn't help but internally smile.

"Of course, I totally know that," he responded to her words. "You seem to have spent quite an awful amount of time with Mr. Moryett. You enjoy his company."

Lucy nodded her head, "I do. What's not there to enjoy. He is a good man, very sweet," and she sighed in the end. "I didn't know," a small frown came to settle on her forehead.

She then had a look of confusion, "I didn't understand though...by what he meant it wouldn't have worked even if he tried. You know what he meant, don't you?" she asked, her eyes slightly drooped, and she tried to focus on Theodore.

"Your family must have disapproved of the idea of him marrying you," replied Theodore, and Lucy nodded her head. And even if Ethan did propose to her that time, Lucy's heart had already been occupied by Theodore. In the end, it would not have worked.

"My family…" Lucy looked slightly lost in her thoughts, "It was a mess. I keep wondering why I don't hate brother Calhoun as much as I hate you...Then I wonder if it is because I had the feeling of hate and remorse towards my parents, knowing what they did to people and to me...But you!" her voice turned high as she narrowed her eyes at him, and she then turned to a wilted flower, silence once again filling the room.

"I believed you would never hurt me. In this world of Hell, you were my guardian angel, Theo," she whispered as her eyes started to blur.

Theodore's heart turned heavy hearing her words, "I did hurt you…"

"You did," a faint smile appeared on her lips. "I know you told me the right things that would hurt me. I hate you for it. You were so mean to me. I am a nice person, why did you have to-" a hiccup escaped her lips.

Theodore placed the glass down before moving near Lucy, and he wiped the tears that slipped down from her eyes.

"You regarded me too highly, Lucy. I am not the guardian angel but a demon," said Theodore. Right now, Lucy looked like a child.

"I know you are a demon. I am such a sweet girl," said Lucy in between the sniffles and hiccups. "You even let me marry someone whom I didn't love! I would have run away from the castle and no one would have known. You poured alcohol on my plan!"

Theodore continued to wipe her tears, a sigh escaping his lips, "Running away doesn't help in the long run, Lucy. I didn't want you dead, I wanted you alive," he spoke to her in a gentle voice. "You are running away again."

Lucy looked at him, "I am sitting right here. I cannot believe I am crying in front of you."

"It isn't something that I have never seen before," stated Theodore, and he picked up her glass to pour the water that was in the bottle he had brought earlier. "Here."

"Thank you," muttered Lucy, bringing the glass to her lips, and when she drank it, she pulled away and stared at it. "This doesn't taste like the previous one. It tastes like...water."

"It is a special alcohol that tastes similar to water," answered Theodore before making her drink some more so that her head wouldn't hurt when she would wake up tomorrow.

"You hate me, yet you came to my room with a first aid box," he caressed her cheek. "I know you won't remember anything tomorrow, but for what it is worth…" he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"You think such a small gesture is going to fix things?" asked Lucy, unhappy with the peck.

Theodore's lips twitched, "I think it is sufficient for now. If you remember about our time here tomorrow, I shall kiss you in the morning," saying this, his finger brushed across her lips before it went to his side.

He wasn't going to kiss her when she was drunk because there were high chances of her getting angry if she found out that he had kissed her whilst she was in her drunken state.

"Mm," Lucy hummed in response. A yawn escaped from her lips.

"Do you want to drink more or would you like to go to bed?" asked Theodore, ready to make her drink some more water if she chose to drink some more liquor.

"Bed," replied Lucy and Theodore gave her a nod.

"A wise choice, come on," he said, ready to see her climb down the table so that she could start walking. But Lucy stared at him. "What is it?"

Lucy offered him a sweet smile, one that belonged to her past when she was still innocent where her current pain didn't burden her.

Two minutes later, they were away from the cellar room and in the corridor. Theodore carried Lucy on his back with her arms around his neck. "Such a comfortable ride," murmured Lucy while she had placed one side of her face on his shoulder.