Who is the Villain?

Chapter-34

Unexpectedly, there were more people than she had expected in the library this time. As always, they were busy trying to grab Ivan's attention. Ignoring everyone around she made her way to her usual seat.

Just as she made it to the stairs, a lady ran down bumping her shoulder. The lady was drenched in tears when she made eye contact with Lucien. She apologizes and walks out of the library.

She wasn't the kind of character who would run after a crying person to comfort her or ask her what had happened or be her companion. She wasn't interested in other people's lives therefore, she ignored them and continued her walk. Rosetta had left to get her next schedule ready.

Her usual desk wasn't empty but rather filled with books and torn pages from a half-written diary.  Ignoring the book, she made her way to the other empty table.

A few minutes later, a lady approached in front of her table. "P-pardon me but, were you here the entire time?"

Lucien averted her gaze from the book and looks up with a confused expression. "Yes, but not too long."

"Then were you the one who took my quill from the table?"

"Pardon me?" Lucien sends another confused look to the lady who was about to burst out in tears.

"No one appeared here, except for you and I." The lady continued with a slightly trembling voice, her hands clutching tight against her gown.

"I apologize but you might have been mistaken, I–"

"Please... p-please return my quill. It's extremely important to me."

Lucien was flabbergasted. She couldn't even respond when the lady was unwilling to listen to her.

"I beg of you, it's extremely dear to me. I'll compensate you anything you want Lady Lucien."

She was already sobbing which made Lucien more startled.

"Look lady, I–"

"Can't you merely return what you took from the table?" An unexpected voice appeared from behind and Lucien didn't like that.

"I notice when I only came to take a book." It was no other than Yana.

"What?"

"It's not right to pour your anger on someone when the emperor let you leave on the evening tea." Yana walked forward with an annoying look.

"Huh?"

'What the hell is she talking about? And where did she appear?' As far as Lucien remembers, Yana was the complete opposite character of Dorothy who accused someone to the front without guilt.

"You were cast out from the gazebo for an evening tea when my lady was present. You even dare to break the cup when your maid bought it for you." Yana continued, lifting the pitch of her voice.

'Oii!! Oii!! Is she talking about last week's incident? Seriously? These people, why do they keep on dragging the past to the present?'

"And you even dare to tear those pages from that diary." She pointed towards the open book on the table which was ripped off pages.

"You are greatly mistaken here, it was already–"

"You even dare to lie?" Yana cuts Lucien's sentence, expressing with a bewildered look as though she was alarmed. "After all, I've discerned everything right in front of me?"

"Pardon me, but–"

Before Lucien could encounter back, that sobbing lady rushed towards her and grabbed both of her arms.

"WHY?? WHY?? WHAT DID I EVEN DO THAT YOU'VE TO DO THAT TO ME?"

Her gripped was hard, digging her nails into her skin. Lucien couldn't even budge her when she was clenching her too hard nor she was willing to listen.

"Wait, stop Lady Merly, constraint yourself." And as always Dorothy appeared out of the blue and had managed to pull the sobbing lady away from Lucien. However, her grasped had lightly ripped her shoulder sleeves.

'Why does she keeps on appearing wherever I go? Is she spying on me?'

Lucien ignored the wincing pain in her shoulder when some other ladies appeared along with Ivan. 'What now?'

"What is going on?"

Ivan strictly questioned silencing every murmur except for the sobbing lady.

Yana pointed her finger again toward Lucien and began to speak as though she was one of the victims along with Merly.

"Even if I've witnessed it, Lady Lucien even dare to deny that she stole an extremely valuable thing from her even to the degree of ripping the pages from her diary."

Everyone murmured again sending a suspicious glance towards Lucien.

"I didn't, they are–"

"Lady Lucien, if it's a lie, prove it to them," Ivan stated with a stern look towards Lucien. Her sentence was cut again and she was getting pissed.

'How?' Lucien's mind echoed. 'Everyone around here is supporting one after the other.' In the end, Lucien couldn't respond or prove it. It wasn't like there was a camera installed here and magic wasn't allowed here. It was futile in the end.

"I do not have substantial prove however, I did not do anything to be called a culprit." Lucien boldly responded. It was going to be okay if she was to speak to that lady called Merly, and inquired again and maybe, help her however, with this situation, it wasn't going to work.

"Lady Lucien, please return it before we disclose it in your hand," Yana spoke before Ivan could. "You could have bought yourself with the wealth you had however, it isn't right to act in this way."

Lucien was more annoyed and pissed now. 'Where the hell am I going to give it to her when I didn't take it in the first place?'

"If you regardlessly stay silent, I'll assume that they are telling the truth and I'll have to wield my ability by any measure."

Lucien stayed silent as Ivan continued to speak. Even when she repeated the same answer, no one was willing to believe it. 

Ivan stretch her hand up and with a flick, a quill appeared from Lucien's hidden pocket from her gown.

'When? How?'

Lucien had nothing to say when she saw what was happening. 'Who?' Was what she thought when Marly had snatched the quill as she kneels, sobbing more than before.

"What do you have to say about this?" Yana questioned with a smirk, folding her arms and delighted.

Lucien now remembers that the quill was in her pocket when she bump into that lady on the stairs. That was the only way she could think of.

"Lady Lucien, your act has not only undermined someone but it has even disrupted the trust from me. I am at shame to say, however, for what you've done you'll not be permitted to this library again until you apologize to each and everyone here." Ivan spoke in a stern voice with a tiny bit of disappointment across his eyes. There were smirks all over everyone's faces.

If only there weren't too much of things for her to take care of, she wouldn't mind walking forward and spitting on their face or maybe, slapped a little hard on their face with the gloves she was wearing.

Lucien sighs controlling her inner rage which was still hovering over her chest. Calmly, she breathed in and out and spoke. "I apologize," she slightly bowed. "However, I refused to apologize to these people."

*gasp!!*

Everyone whispered in surprise. Either slanging from the back or sending a disgusted look toward her. Nonetheless, it didn't bother Lucien. The floor was too clean for her to spit on it as to show her response of contempt.

"Lady Lucien."

Ivan was as well surprised by what she had just spoken. She was too bold.

"I mean what I've said, Sir Ivan." Lucien directed her strong acknowledgment without any hesitation.

"Lady Lucien, how dare you." Yana retorted in an irritated manner.

"Yana is your name I presume without the last name, right?" Lucien didn't bother to listen to what she or the others were speaking about.

"What?"

"Merely because you are serving under a higher noble in the Galatians Empire, don't presume that you can speak in that way to a consort whom the emperor has chosen." Yana shuts her lips when Lucien began to speak. "Neither your lady nor any of us have been chosen yet and for a maid not to understand from where she stood, they should be banished from the empire."

"Y-you..." Yana only did was grit under her teeth. No one was able to speak nor was able to look directly at her.

"Lady Lucien, please forgive my maid for her behavior." Dorothy appeared and bowed 60°. "It was I who have failed to guide her appropriately. I'll look after her action as onwards."

Lucien gazed down at her and walks passed her, ignoring her presence. "Sir Ivan, I wouldn't be apologizing to anyone for I was not wrong. I'll still say again that even if you've found the quill in my pocket, I am as well astounded."

"Lady Lucien, this isn't right. Your behavior will likely make you unable to let yourself in here anymore."

"Then I accept." Lucien interrupts Ivan who wanted to sought things out before it gets too complicated. "I rather not step my foot here anymore than apologize to these people who know only how to look down on people." And she left even without bothering to listen to Ivan or any of it.

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'Who is following me?'

Lucien's mind echoed as she walks down the stairs. 'And how did Dorothy even able to appear wherever I go? Is she using her magic to spy on me?'

She pinched between her eyebrows. 'She is more problematic than the emperor. If I find the spy, I'll be sure to never let that person see the sun again.'