Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince
Chapter 34 — Go on a Date With Me

Chapter 34: 34 — Go on a Date With Me

"I heard from my maid that you wanted to meet me. What made you finally think of me, Your Highness?" Cynthia demanded, crossing her arms as she stared at the young man before her.

"What made me think about you?" Lucian thought bitterly.

Like hell I would’ve, if it weren’t for your brothers dragging me to visit you every day, hoping you’d regain consciousness. I barely escaped earlier today because Glain gave me an excuse to leave your room before your brother noticed.

Though he wanted to say all of this, Lucian held his tongue.

It didn’t matter now—what was in the past was in the past.

What mattered to him now was finding out more about the monster. It was the first time such a strange creature had appeared, and if he didn’t catch it soon, the lives of his people would be at risk.

"I wanted to ask you about what happened that night," he finally said.

"I..." Cynthia hesitated for a moment before continuing with a playful tone, "won’t tell you."

She flashed a grin when Lucian briefly lifted his piercing gaze to meet hers, only to look away with a deep sigh.

Her smile annoyed him. What’s so funny? He couldn’t understand why she was always smiling at him, especially when there was nothing to smile about. In fact, shouldn’t she be frowning, given that she was married to a man she despised?

"Alright. You may leave."

Given an unexpected answer, Cynthia was dumbfounded.

"Wait, excuse me?"

"Yes, you may leave. Unless you have something else to discuss about."

"At least try to take the information from me. Cynthia sighed.

This husband of mine... Seriously! How does he even treat criminals that he investigates? Letting people go without even properly interrogating them.

Subconsciously, Cynthia clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Are you disappointed about something, Your Highness?" Lucian demanded, his tone firm.

"Oh, no. Of course not. I just wanted to make you do something before I tell you the answers to your questions."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

What does she want me to do? Perhaps fire a maid she dislikes? Or, perhaps, arrange a torture chamber for her strange habits? Or perhaps murder someone?

Somehow Lucian’s anticipation escalated from bad to worse subconsciously. However, he didn’t regret it. After all, what else could she ask from him if not such villainous favours?

Ah, but is it even a favour? She’s merely making a deal. She tells me everything she knows and in exchange, I do something for her.

"I want you to go on a date with me."

Taken aback by her sudden request, Lucian tilted his head to the side, looking up at Cynthia.

"Oh, you’re finally looking at me!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"What did you?.." Lucian was unable to comprehend.

How could his guesses be wrong? He was always right whenever it came to judging a person’s character so... how come she was not making the requests he anticipated her to?

"I said I want to go on a date with you. Let’s meet at the entrance tomorrow morning. I will leave now," with a thud, Cynthia abruptly rose from the chair and rushed towards the exit. "Oh! And don’t be late. I despise latecomers.

Having said so, the silver-haired young woman left the study room.

"Going on a date with this woman? I’d rather die!" Lucian slicked his bangs back to his forehead, shaking his head.

The next day -

Cynthia strolled through the hallways, her gaze drifting over the walls, still mostly bare and lacking decorations.

"Maybe it’s because he’s been away for so long? His tastes must’ve changed after the war, and he discarded everything," Cynthia mused, reflecting on her own experience after returning from battle.

Behind her, the maids followed, visibly pleased with the outfit they had selected for the grand duchess. She wore a simple dark blue dress, as she had requested, adorned with delicate floral patterns along the hem. Her hair was braided to one side, lending her an air of maturity beyond her years.

As she reached the mansion’s entrance, her eyes widened at the sight of the tall, muscular figure standing before her, dressed in a black shirt with silver accents.

A familiar sound of laughter caught Lucian’s attention, and he turned slowly.

"What’s so amusing?" Lucian demanded.

Cynthia didn’t respond right away. Instead, she bowed respectfully before lifting her head to meet Lucian’s piercing emerald gaze.

"Well... I wasn’t expecting you to be here at all," she began with a playful smile. "And the fact that you arrived before me? It’s... surprising. Did I scare you off when I said I hated latecomers?"

She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, mimicking the shy, demure gestures she had seen other noblewomen use to charm men.

"I despise latecomers as well," Lucian replied coldly, glancing away.

Cynthia’s lips curled into a wry smile as she moved toward the wooden carriage, shocking Lucian. He had prepared the grand duke’s luxurious carriage, anticipating that she would complain about the ordinary one being unfit for a princess of her stature.

Perplexed, Lucian followed and seated himself opposite her.

"Are you sure you want to take this wagon instead of the carriage?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and gesturing toward the grander carriage a few meters away.

"Hmmm, I prefer this," Cynthia replied simply, turning to watch the scenery as the carriage began moving.

She closed her eyes, savouring the cool breeze against her skin. It felt liberating compared to the stifling confinement of the mansion.

In her past life, she had been trapped within palace walls or the grand duke’s estate, only allowed out for banquets, which were always at night.

She had loved the night view, but the daytime—this vibrant, sunlit world—was entirely different. Watching the colourful trees of Erion, which were a rare sight, blur past as they neared the forest was something she had always dreamed of experiencing.

Lucian who watched her strangely pleased complexion was unable to come to a conclusion to her odd demeanour.

Isn’t she the kind of woman who would go for the most expensive things? Why is she riding this shabby wagon?... and just why did she want to come here?

As the dark-haired man wondered, he watched Cynthia, her eyes closed with a smile on her face.

Had it not been for her being an Eldorian...

Lucian gasped, frowning at his thoughts.

"Had she not been one... then what?" He wondered, unable to comprehend his own thoughts.