Who is the Villain?

Chapter -37

It wasn't every day to see someone appearing at Lucien's chamber apart from the consorts. When Rosetta announced that Sir Ivan was here to meet her, she was silent for a moment. All she could think of was, 'did I do something wrong?'

Lucien wasn't ready yet to entertain anyone this morning when she was just getting started for her day. She told Rosetta to send him away for now and maybe, meet him later. However, Ivan was reluctant to leave any minute.

'Why is he so persistent?'

Annoyingly, she lets him in, excusing the other maids to leave them alone.

"Good morning, my lady,"

Ivan greets as he walks into the living room.

Lucien was seated with a cup in her hand. "What can I help you with this morning?" And simply questioned.  "Please join me." She gestures for him to seat for tea.

"I am pleased about the invitation, however, I have to deny it today for I came here for other work." He stood not too far away from her and rather spoke with a coherent tone with nothing but uneasy.

Lucien placed her cup on the table and sat with a straight posture, "is this something about me?"

Ivan stood silent which only made Lucien more frustrated. Every passing day, she was losing the touch of the original character of the antagonist with exposure to strange people behaving around her.

Ivan suddenly bowed, "please forgive this man who was unable to see the certainty about yesterday."

"W-what?"

"Yesterday, after what had occurred, I looked into it and found that you were innocent and wrongly blamed." He stood straight with an unbearable gaze. "It was my fault for not conducting it rightfully when I had a doubt."

"You doubted that it was wasn't me?" Lucien surprisingly questioned with a little tilted head.

"Yes, I felt something was wrong when that maid said she saw you ripping the page," Ivan explains after he was finally able to find the truth. He was able to confront everyone and was found guilty. It was some other person who did those and left without letting anyone know.

"It turns out that lady and Lady Merle had a misunderstanding. And that maid," Ivan sighs as though a headache had formed unexpectedly. "Lady Dorothy has detained her in her room for a week and I couldn't approach her."

'What?'

Lucien internally questions in surprise. 'She is definitely trying to hide her from speaking the truth. Uggg!! This lady.'

"Anyway, I've asked whoever has condemned you to seek an apology from you." Ivan continued with a stern voice. "And as from me, I apologize as well for blaming you, Lady Lucien. I hope you'll forgive this man."

Lucien sighs crossing her legs, "it doesn't matter now. Whatever has happened, it has happened. There is no need for you to apologize." 'Though I want to see them grovel their head on the floor.' 

"I forgive you."

Lucien easily forgave him.  He wasn't the person she wants to see begging for an apology, however.

"I refused."

"Huh?"

"I refused your forgiveness," Ivan sternly responded.

"What?"

Lucien puts back her leg with a light tap of a barefoot hitting against the smooth floor. "How can you reject my forgiveness? Weren't you here to apologize?"

"I am, nevertheless," Ivan seems unbothered and calmly answers. "I cannot acknowledge your forgiveness that effortlessly after what I have done to you."

Lucien scuffs, her tongue rolling against her inner cheeks hoping not to show her irritation. 'Is he stupid or am I getting stupid?' "As I've said before, forget about everything that had happened, it doesn't matter to me now."  She repeated after a deep breath.

However, Ivan wasn't still willing to accept. It only made Lucien more annoyed. She regrets letting him into her chamber. "If you are not going to accept my forgiveness, please take your leave. I'll be glad not to forgive you as well. Hold your grudge as long as you want."

"Lady Lucien," Ivan called after a moment of silence. His stare locks on her. "How can you easily forgive someone as though it was nothing?" Ivan was expecting something in return for her to express her anger however, it didn't turn out that way which made him more annoyed. Anyone would be demanding something in return which happened a lot.

'Is that the problem?'

Lucien gazed at him back with an unpleasant look. "I do not wish to be stuck in the past. I despise dragging the past to the present as though it will be returned. What is taken off, it's gone, simply look at the present and assemble for the future." Lucien sat straight with folded arms around her chest. "Are you satisfied with my reasons?"

Ivan stayed silent, however, smiles significantly with a sigh. He gave up. "Lady Lucien, I hope you remember your word when you told me you would reward me if I reach your expectation."

"Huh?" Lucien thought for a moment and it brightens up. "Oh yes, I do. Does it have anything to do now?"

"Specifically, it does." His lips spread into a little curve as though a favorable thing was about to happen.

'I thought he was going to take more time to think about it.'

"As an apology of mine, please accept a cup of evening tea with me in the garden."

'ANOTHER TEAAA!!!!'

Lucien's eyebrow twitches at the suggestion. 'Does this world simply love tea or does the author has something to do with it?' And it didn't seem like Ivan was about to leave anytime unless she gave her answers. Reluctantly, she agrees to an evening tea later.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Later in the evening.

"Lady Lucien, I did ask for an evening tea, however, I never expected to have two guests with us."

Truly, Ivan was looking forward to an evening tea with Lucien and maybe, he got a little carried away. Lucien had arrived at the right place and time but he didn't expect to see two uninvited guests at the table.

"Pardon me for not letting you know ahead, Sir Ivan," Lucien gracefully bows as Ivan arrived. "I just thought having more companions would make our evening tea more lively. I hope it wouldn't be a bother." She never planned to go alone from the beginning. Thus, she promptly makes her way to Alina and Renee's chamber even if she had to drag one of them who was unwilling to come.

"I apologize for unexpectedly appearing here without any proposal." Renee quickly stood up and bowed in embarrassment feeling flustered for suddenly coming when she or Alina wasn't invited. "P-please forgive us."

"A-ahh,No...no..no...not at all." Ivan quickly confronts her with nervousness. "I'm quite okay with it. The more, the mirthfulness."

Alina as well apologizes for intruding as an uninvited guest, though she solely blames everything on Lucien if something humiliating happens. Not wanting to feel the burden, she bought some cookies and cupcakes she baked just this morning.

Consorts weren't allowed to do any manual or any other work except to pampered their skin, however, Alina found a way to make herself baked in the royal kitchen.

Soon enough, things turned better after a little bit of introduction. The awkward atmosphere was no more replaced with laughter and snickering.

The place where they were on their evening tea, was at the top of the Library balcony.

Lucien was surprised when she saw the sight of the balcony.  It was filled with flowers and bushes, and some blooming trees where its flowers hung down either like grapes or wisteria. It was a sight to behold, the breathtaking beauty. And she just remembered something.

'Was this supposed to be a secret place where Ivan took Renee, alone?' She wonders sipping her tea calmly ignoring that little voice saying, 'it is.'

'I need to write down some important scene or I might forget and mess it up.'

Lucien reminded herself nodding her head inwardly.