"Lut."
It wasn't until he heard a noise that he came to. She hurried back and unexpectedly released him. Looking around in embarrassment, he immediately made eye contact with the waiter who was standing there. The man who collided with him was looking at him with a contemplative face. He seemed terrified that she might get angry and push him. He hurriedly shook his head and said.
"Oh, okay. I couldn't see ahead. I'm sorry."
When he first apologized, he was visibly relieved, they apologized together, and he left in a hurry. He stayed behind, averted his eyes from her quickly disappearing back, and returned to the starting point. Lucien was still standing there. He stared at him blankly, puzzled by the unexpected encounter.
"What......You came."
Looking at him, who couldn't utter a sentence, I replied nonchalantly.
"They invited me. I came with my parents, just like you."
"With your parents?"
He asked again, doubting his ears. In his head, he clearly remembered John Hurst, relentlessly slapping Lucien's face. He looked around casually, but couldn't see the Hurst couple. Lucien said as if he had looked into her thoughts.
"My parents are greeting other people. I have come to say hello because I have seen you."
"Oh really?"
He was forced to stutter. I couldn't think of what the situation was. Did Mr. and Mrs. Hurst bring Lucien to a place like this?
It was hard to believe, but he couldn't deny the reality before him. She looked up at him with a distant blink. Lucien smiled, cocking his head as if asking her what was wrong. What the hell had happened? It's only been a month since it happened, and Lucien's behavior now seems as if nothing ever happened. As if he had a dream.
"...... are you OK?"
He couldn't resist asking. Lucien looked at him in astonishment. In a voice full of nervousness, he held his breath and continued.
"How did you get here? I mean, is it true that Mr. Hurst brought you here? For no reason? Is everything okay?"
From what he had seen, he couldn't relax at all. She wasn't going to slap Lucien in front of so many people, but in fact, it was hard to be optimistic when she remembered John Hurst, who invited his family over and relentlessly slapped his son. Lucien smiled wryly and opened his mouth as if he had locked onto her heart.
"Nothing happened, Dilly. I'm telling you."
She spoke calmly as she looked up, unable to hide her suspicious expression.
"It's just time. I'll have to live as a member of this world, so I'll have to widen my feet."
"Uh......"
He was not wrong. It's time for the so-called "social world debut". Better said, it's over. Lucien should have attended a party like this a long time ago and made his face known, but he was so hidden that he only heard of the youngest son of the Hurst family until he met him at school. Although the reason was understandable when he saw it for real, considering Lucien's treatment in the Hurst family, he was still reluctant to do so.
"Luth......"
"Oh, there you are."
He was going to talk to him, but suddenly someone spoke to him. At the same time, the bank president, who knew his face, opened his mouth with a smile.
"I've been looking for you for a while. Because my daughter couldn't say hello before......."
Oh yeah?
He soon realized that the girl was standing behind the bank president, embarrassed. It is common for intentional presentations to be made in a place like this. Many people go to parties to find a suitable match for their children, so this scenario was not uncommon. This time the same thing will happen.
She had a lot to ask Lucien, but now was not a good time. You better get out of the way for now. I thought we would find Emilio first, so I prepared to sneak back.
"Then I'll be on my way, Luth. I'll talk to you later......."
It was when he gave him a brief greeting and tried to turn around. Lucien startled him suddenly, about to take a step back. When he stopped in surprise, he smiled at the bank president and said,
"Hello, Mr. Schulche. It's a pleasure to meet you."
As he greeted the bank president's daughter, he grabbed her arm and did not let go. He felt embarrassed by the awkward situation, but even if he tried to wriggle his arm out, he couldn't even move the strength he had. It might have been possible if he resisted as long as he could, but if you did, he would catch the gazes of the people around him at a glance. He can still feel the stares, but he couldn't run such an adventure. Inevitably, he had to stay as he was and just aim at the timing nervously.
.... oh.
Lucien's voice came suddenly into her ears as she stood looking at him. The well-established bass sound seemed to have completely finished its growth. The smiling face, the soft way of speaking, the clear pronunciation and the accent were typical of the children of an elite family that had been properly brought up in a good family.
"It's so bright it's scary."
One day he remembered what Brad said. It was then that he thought about it. What changed Lucien's appearance? Maybe people won't even guess. How he is treated in the Hurst family. It's so perfect on the outside.
John Hurst must know.
Maybe that's why he brought it to the party. He thought it was "training" enough to put him out there. That makes sense. Also, Lucien is such a perfect man of word and behavior towards people.......
"It was nice to see you then. Until next time, Lucien. May I call you Luth?"
The girl's thin, high-pitched voice woke him up. The girl's face was flushed red as she looked at Lucien. Lucien smiled softly at the girl who seemed to be completely in love with Lucien.
"As much as you want. Bye, Ellen. Merry Christmas."
After an informal greeting, he turned with his father and walked away. No wonder she glanced back a couple of times as she quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Lucien finally looked at him when there were barely two left. Late numbness made her face twist. Lucien looked at his arm and muttered in a slightly bitter voice, as if he had seen it.
"......sorry, you were going to leave."
He apologized, but still held her arm. On top of that, it sounded like she was blaming him for some reason. Like she was trying to get away from him.
I guess I'm exaggerating.
He soon abandoned his thoughts and opened his mouth. He tried to return to the subject from earlier, but as soon as he met Lucien's eyes on him, he couldn't speak.
Don't get involved.
A warning sounded from the depths of his heart. It's not like you're in charge of Luth's life. Anyway, he can't do anything without his parents. What are you going to do? Don't do anything you can't take responsibility for. What will you do next if you call the agency? Are you sure everything will be okay with Luth leaving that house? What if you provoke John Hurst and get worse results for Luth?
It is crueler to make you have useless expectations.
Dilly.
Lucien's sudden voice brought him back to himself. When she looked up, she was looking at him smiling as before. Suddenly, he saw that it was tilting downward. His entire body froze for a moment. The heavy air of pheromones pouring through her body revived and she gasped of her own. Lucien whispered in her ear as she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to overcome her fear.
"Hey, Emilio is coming."
"That?"
His eyes widened at the sudden conversation. He could see people talking loudly in front of his eyes. Then came the familiar noise of the party, and then reality dawned on him.
Ohhh, he inadvertently breathed a sigh of relief, and Lucien looked at him strangely. He wasn't going to say anything, but someone grabbed his arm in a hurry.
"Dilly!"
Turning her head towards a crying voice, she felt her face go slack by itself. Emilio looked at him with a tearful face.
"I've been looking for you for a while..."...why are you here?"
"I'm sorry, Emma."
He felt ashamed and apologized to her. He wanted to hug Emilio tight and calm him down, but he couldn't.
"I ran into Luth all of a sudden......I was going to meet you."
Hearing her words, Emilio turned to look at Lucien. Lucien smiled at the look, but Emilio didn't smile. For some reason, there was a suspicious tension.
"Good good."
He coughed hastily to get attention. Emilio paused and looked at him again. He deliberately smiled at her and said.
"I was just talking about how he's been doing. You haven't seen Luth in a while, have you?"
"Oh yeah."
Emilio nodded reluctantly and looked at Lucien. I was embarrassed by the obvious signs of discomfort. It was the first time that Emilio had this reaction. He was so nice to everyone that he even misread their minds for a while, but he couldn't believe he openly expressed his disapproval.
But Lucien's attitude, on the other hand, seemed very comfortable. He spoke to Emilio with a smile on his face as he greeted before as the president of the bank.
"How are you, Emilio? I didn't expect to see you like this again. I'm glad you still look good."
"Uh......yes, you too."
Emilio was lukewarm again this time. He even seemed hurt that he couldn't wait to leave that place, but Lucien continued despite everything.
"I also said hello to Mr. Diaz earlier. He said you were at the same school, so I was surprised to find out you were on the rowing team."
He hesitated at the word. Did you greet Emilio's parents? I haven't done it yet.
It was one of the usual social events at parties, but it still felt strange. Perhaps because of his parents' story, Emilio's expression hardened and he soon reacted sensitively to Lucien's words.
"Because I'm not talking about home school....... So what else did you talk about?"
Lucien continued, looking genuinely curious. There wasn't much to say either, like Emilio's friendship and school life. But Lucien seemed to have praised Emilio highly.
However, Emilio remained attentive at all times. Lucien smiled as he continued to speak clearly to him in a soft tone, and he continued to look doubtfully at Lucien.
"......that's all. Your father really cares about you, Emilio. I envy you for having good parents."
Maybe he's sincere. I felt sorry for Lucien, but Emilio, of course, had no idea. Emilio, who was still looking at Lucien like a furry cat, opened his mouth.
"That's all?"
"If that is all."
Emilio fell silent again after confirming that there wasn't much to talk about. For Dylan it was enough. It was when he was about to say something to change the mood.
"How are you feeling, Luth? You must have rested well."
Emilio asked. Words that didn't feel much emotion, seemed just to be polite. But somehow he felt a strange undertone there. Lucien seemed to have noticed as well.
"Yes, I've rested well. I did Dilly a lot of wrong last time. I'm sorry, Dilly."
"Oh no, it's fine."
He hastily shook his head. So far, everything was going well. However, he got careless and made a mistake.
"You apologized last time. That's enough, don't worry. I'm glad you look good."
Haha, Lucien smirked. Emilio was the only one who didn't laugh.
"What do you mean last time?"
Oh, wow.
Realizing the mistake for a moment, she lowered her gaze in embarrassment. But Emilio was already looking at him with suspicious eyes.
"What are you talking about? Had they met?"
What am I supposed to do?
He hesitated and finally was honest.
"I was invited by the Hurst family. I'm not the only one who went, my whole family. Mr. Hurst, I mean, Lucien's father invited us. He said he wanted to apologize for it. So I got an apology from Lucien."
Emily said nothing. He just looked at Lucien and Dylan by turns in silence. As if that was all. Lucien smiled at Emilio's look. It was a harmless and kind smile, but Emilio suddenly grabbed his arm and crossed his arms as if the expression had occurred to him. He clung to it, which was pulled by chance, and made a sudden bombshell statement.
"We are leaving".
The sudden confession startled him and his eyes hardened. Lucien also had big eyes. After two or three seconds, he hurried to look around. Fortunately, no one seemed to hear him because inside the party there was a lot of noise. Except Lucian. But with that, Emilio's purpose has been fully achieved.
"Emi, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"
he silently shouted in embarrassment, but Emilio looked back at him with a serious face and asked seriously.
"What do you mean? Luth needs to know. Have I said something wrong?"
"No, is not that."
Taking a step back, he sighed and touched his forehead. Where do I begin?
"I've already told Luth. So there's nothing wrong with that......, why are you talking about it all of a sudden?"
What are you going to do if someone hears it?
Emilio was confident, unlike him, who was anxious. This time, he looked at Lucien and added firmly.
"Sorry if I misunderstood. But just in case."
Lucien asked with a smile. in a leisurely tone
"You know?"
Emilio said to Lucien, who exactly repeated Emilio's words.
"If you like my boyfriend, I thought it would be better to tell you in advance. I'm sorry if I misunderstood."
It was a tone never heard for an apology. Emilio was convinced of his guess, and to his dismay it was true.
How do you know?
He felt like a cold sweat ran down his back. He hasn't seen any sign of that so far, have I made a mistake? Lucien's attack on me would have ended with a pheromone binge.
"Why, why did you think of that?"
I stutter without realizing it. He was cursing himself, and Emilio kept looking at Lucien and answering him.
"I thought it was weird for a long time. I've been looking at you all the time, because I like you. Of course, I can't help but see it."
He frowned, bringing up the questions he had buried in his heart.
"Luth is totally into you."
She glanced at Lucien without realizing it. But Lucien continued to look at Emilio with an expressionless face. Emily continued.
"But I was wondering. I thought I was wrong because I like you......"
Saying that, she bit her bottom lip. Only then did I notice Emilio's anxiety. I misunderstood that there might have been something between Lucien and me. It annoyed me to be questioned about my feelings towards him and I felt sorry for Lucien, who had hit himself against the wall so much, because he seemed to have made me listen to nonsense.
"Emi, that's what you think wrong."
He felt cornered. He should have said he was wrong, but he wasn't lying. He hurried.
"That's in the past...... It's different now. We don't think about it anymore. Right, Luth?"
I asked Lucien with my heart to quickly overcome this crisis. With this, everything will be clearly in its place. I thought so, but I made a mistake.
"Now?"
Suddenly, Emilio grabbed him by the tail. He kept asking, which hardened for a moment.
"What does that mean?" So it wasn't like that before? Are you saying that I'm right? That I'm right? Luth liked you, right?"
"Hey, Emmy."
He felt so embarrassed by Emilio's sudden retort that he couldn't answer him. She saw Lucien's face, but he was just looking at Emilio in silence and couldn't figure out what he was thinking.
Is Luth panicking too?
He rushed his brain to try to escape from this situation, guessing. Anyway, isn't Emilio and my heart what matters? Lucien would understand now, and he doesn't have to prove it this way. He wanted to stop talking, but the opportunity did not come. Lucien opened his mouth.
"And?"
When she stopped and looked at him again, Lucien continued, staring at Emilio.
"If I told you that I like Dilly, what would you do?"
"Lucian!"
Emilio said: "What's wrong with you again?" and he replied with fierce eyes at his side holding my head.
"It's good that you give up, too, because I'm the one Dilly chose."
For a moment, I felt a chill down my spine. Lucien's expression didn't take long to appear as he looked away, feeling the color drain from his face. How can a person's face turn so pale? I noticed for the first time. When I thought it was like looking at a dead body.
Suddenly, the lights in the party room suddenly went out. There were screams here and there, and he too felt embarrassed and hardened. But it didn't take long. Someone grabbed him and jerked him away. By an oversight, I dragged him and hit his face somewhere.
Dilly.
There was a whisper from above. Later, he realized that Lucien was hugging him. She could hear firecrackers all around her and her eyes lit up for a moment. They soon went dark. Lucien's face was reflected in the light. She looked at him and whispered softly.
"Do you know we're under the mistletoe?"
"That?"
I spit it out without realizing it, but it's too late. Lucien hugs her tightly around the waist and overlaps her lips.
