Rose Coloured

Chapter 51- Rose pt.1 (NSFW)

"Lucienne?" Jude looked around the first floor of the mansion, "Où es-tu?"

"Papa? You're home early…" Lucy rushed down the stairs to greet him, "How was work?"

Jude didn't say anything as he took her face in his hands and began examining her thoroughly. As far as he could see, there was nothing out of place, but Aquarius never did specify where Lucy had apparently been hit. 

He held her at arm's length to look at every part of her skin to see if he could find anything, causing her to laugh awkwardly, "Um… Papa? What are you doing..?"

"Are you okay?" 

"Yes..?"

"Where is Ignia?"

"He decided to head into work today…" 

Lucy slowly backed away and made her way to the kitchen, "Anyways, are you hungry? I can make something to eat."

Jude watched her in confusion, she was just acting way too calm. He imagined that someone in her situation would be a bit more shaken up right now, but he also didn't think Aquarius would've lied about something like this. 

"Why did you fire Aquarius?"

"Oh," Lucy had a feeling that her father must've heard about that, "I just felt that it would be better if she didn't stay in our house with us anymore. She and Ignia really don't get along at all. I haven't fired her from the hotel, though, so it shouldn't be too big of a change."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Jude shook his head. It didn't make sense for Lucy to fire Aquarius just because Ignia doesn't like her, she's already made it clear that she doesn't care about his opinions. "Did you and him have some sort of argument?"

"Well, Ignia and I always argue, so yes." 

"...I think I've realized…" He ran his hand down his face, "All of this stress just isn't worth it."

"What?" Lucy stopped moving around the kitchen to stare at him, "What are you talking about?"

"This just keeps causing problems, and I'm sick of it. These accusations are something I simply cannot ignore. I should just let you get a divorce."

"Sérieusement!?" Lucy gasped and ran up to him, startling Jude when she suddenly engulfed him in a hug, "Do you really mean it? Oh, thank you! Thank you, Papa!"

He frowned, it just occurred to him that he's never actually seen his daughter this happy before. "I would like to talk to Ignia, though. Aquarius said some terrible things…"

"Wait… Please don't say anything to him…"

"Hm? Why not?"

"Well, um," Lucy stopped hugging her father to rub her arm awkwardly, "I want to talk to him about it myself."

"But I can't trust him around you. Aquarius told me he hit you, so I'm going to take her word for it and make sure he's in no position to hurt you again." 

Lucy decided not to confirm or deny if what Aquarius said was true, but she put on her best pout to try and convince him. Every single time he's spoken to Ignia, it's backfired on her, and she's way too close to freedom for him to mess this up now, "If you talk to him, he'll find a way to swindle himself out of this," Or he'll probably kill you… "Please, I can deal with it myself."

"Why?" Jude's normally stern voice only sounded worried at this point, and Lucy was honestly surprised.

"...This is something I need to do myself."