Chapter 52: 2.37: Liberating Action
"I sent him on an errand, Mother," Celine responded from her seat, "He’ll be back soon."
The Duchess’ composure changed then, her expression morphing into cold fury, "You sent him on an errand?! Without my permission?"
"He needed some fresh air," Celine said, not backing down. "All the studying has been stressing him out."
The Duchess’s eyes narrowed, "And you," she said, turning to Lucian. "You are new. I don’t recognize you."
"I am, Your Grace," Lucian said, his voice steady despite the uneasiness that was coiling in his stomach.
He noticed Celine rubbing her temples at his response, and he realized he had made a mistake. He should have just bowed his head and kept his mouth shut. He should have acted like a servant, not a person.
"Have him removed," the Duchess commanded before leaving the library, her skirts swishing behind her. "New rules shall be applied starting today. I will not have just anyone roaming my halls, especially not after..." she trailed off, not finishing her sentence, "Tell Edmund to see me immediately when he returns."
"Of course, Mother," Celine said, her voice dripping with a sweetness that was as fake as the smile on her face.
As soon as the door closed, Edmund crawled out from under his sister’s dress, his face pale. He looked like a mouse that had just escaped a cat’s clutches.
"Thank you," he whispered to Celine. He kneeled on the ground, hugging her stomach tightly.
’My mom hugged and kissed me too, there’s no need to be dramatic over it,’ Lucian tried to persuade himself, but he couldn’t help but feel something strange at the sight of Edmund’s reaction.
There were instances where noble houses wanted to keep their bloodline pure and marry within their own family. It was more common in the southern kingdoms though.
"This is why I have to marry soon," Celine said, pointing at her clingy brother jokingly, "The pressure is getting to him. He is not built to take over the Rochefort legacy."
’I wouldn’t be so sure about that,’ Lucian thought, remembering the iron grip on his arm from a month ago, ’I think you are being tricked by your own brother, Celine.’
Edmund removed his hands and stood up on his own two feet, he dusted off his pants and turned away from his sister, giving Lucian a smile that was a little too wide, a little too bright.
He took a step closer to Lucian and patted his shoulder, his fingers digging into his skin, "You have my gratitude. Mother can be a bit... overprotective."
"She seems to dislike servants," Lucian said, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"She dislikes change," Edmund corrected him ambitiously, "She dislikes people who are not part of her world. She sees them as a threat. As something that could...take away what she has."
The last part was whispered in his ear, a secret shared between two men, one that made Lucian’s skin crawl.
Lucian’s fist flew out, hitting Edmund square in the stomach. The sound of his knuckles connecting with Edmund’s flesh was a satisfying thud, a sound that made his heart sing with joy.
Lucian stormed toward Celine, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him, "The next time you allow another man to hide under your skirt, we are done."
"What? What do you mean... done?" she asked, skipping along beside him, a gleam in her eyes, "Could it be... Are you...Jealous?"
"Disgusted," Lucian corrected her, shielding her with his body as he faced Edmund again, who was now rubbing his stomach, "He just implied he is in love with his sister. Is that normal for high society?"
Edmund made a strangled sound, something between a laugh and a cough. "She is my twin. She is the other half of my soul. My love for her is not something that you, with your...simple upbringing, could possibly understand."
"Simplicity is not a disease," Lucian shot back. "But what you just described sounds like one."
Celine peeked over his shoulder, her chin resting on the crook of Lucian’s neck, "He is just trying to scare you. If he wanted you dead, do you think he would have warned you first? But really, did you just hit a Rochefort?"
"I have you on my side, don’t I?" Lucian asked, "If I die, at least you will know who to suspect first."
"Ooh..." Celine hummed in agreement.
Edmund took a step back, raising his hands in mock surrender, "I would never harm my sister’s choice. I was simply...testing your character. And you passed. You are a man of action, not just words. I approve."
It was hard to tell if Edmund was being genuine or not. Which one was real? The frightened child or a cunning manipulator?
"All the Rocheforts go through rigorous training," Celine explained to Lucian, "Even the weakest one among them can deceive the most perceptive of people. Just because he fails to do his duties as the heir doesn’t mean he lacks the skills. He lacks the will."
"You speak as if I’m not in the room," Edmund said, straightening his back, "Nobody wants to be a third wheel in their own home. I don’t want to cover up for you both without getting something in return. I want to have a life, too. I want to try the commoner’s life for a few days without being recognized."
Celine pointed at Lucian, "He is hiring people all the time. I am sure he can find a place for you. Food, accommodations, the whole package."
Lucian looked from the future Duke to Celine, "I only hire people who are skilled. Does he have any skills? Other than hiding under his sister’s dress?" The last part was said in a sour tone, still annoyed at the situation.
"I can cut my wig and dye it," Celine offered, swinging Lucian’s arm in a ’grant me my wish, please’ kind of motion.
The siblings asked Lucian for assistance. It wouldn’t be possible without his help. He had to agree.
They began to pace around the library, discussing their plan.
"What does a commoner do for fun?" Edmund asked, smiling with curiosity.
"They don’t hide under their sister’s skirts," Lucian said.
A fist flew out, but it wasn’t Lucian’s. It was Edmunds’s. It connected with Lucian’s stomach. The force of the blow caused him to fly backward into the wall of books, knocking them off the shelves.
"They also seem to love punching people," Edmund said after he returned the punch, "And I’m starting to see why. It’s quite...liberating."