Chapter 79 I Do Things I Wish I Shouldn’t
“Have I mentioned how you never cease to amaze me?”
“You have such a small imagination. You will need to widen your horizons, dear best friend. Could you pass me that flask?”
One would never have imagined that they would be alone, in the only empty room in the estate while Maeve sat behind a telescope with gloves and goggles in her hand as she stared at the pen that had been placed on an extremely large petri dish on it but here they were, doing exactly that. “Did this as I told you to, yeah?”
“I was with you when you did your first prototype and I know what I went though. Do you think I would mess something else up on purpose?”
“Touché.”
Now, Maeve was far from being a scientist, but she had a working brain. “I’m surprised this is even working honestly. Probably because this world will always curate towards Isabella’s needs.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She adjusted one of the dials on the telescope, each glass which was made directly from stones that Maeve had the Mercantile Guild smuggle in through Lucian for her, magnifying over the pen closer.
You know, Cassian’s pen.
Maeve was aware of her theatrics in the previous chapter. One would think she had… reasonable feelings for Cassian. She did not. She had to stake a claim somehow, especially after Adrian’s newfound anger towards her.
And if it meant manipulating Cassian Wyeth into thinking that they both had a partnership thing going on, then so be it.
“Pass Amir’s handkerchief.”
Lucien did as he was told, his voice coming immediately after. “I have not seen him on the estate for a while now. Is he alright?”
“Who knows? Is anyone really?” An uncomfortable feeling rose in her chest but she quickly buried it away.
She replaced the pen on the stage with the handkerchief, her eyebrows furrowing as she notices what’s on it before she looks away, her focus back to Lucien. “Have I asked how everything with you has been going?”
“I am not certain if this is an honest question since you have me running everywhere, sending messages and what nots to almost every person that you know.”
“Can’t trust the maids not to intercept the contents. Plus, things are so delicate now. With the future wedding and all,” Then she made a waving gesture with her hand. “Plus, you’re my guy. You’re my dude. My bro—”
“You can stop with your nonsensical… nonsense and afford me the decency of knowing what this scheme is about.” He was behind her now. “We spent quite a lot on this. Are you sure you do not want to see the account—?”
“I trust you.” Maeve said, waving a hand in the air. “How much do you know about the happenings around Aeltherra?”
Lucien’s face turned serious. “Not so… much. I barely have time to leave the estate, especially since I am always with you now. I am still your guard, remember?”
“Right… right. There’s a… plague moving around. Sort of.”
“A plague?”
She shrugged. The last thing Maeve could do was show Lucien that somehow, all of this affected her. He would panic. She knew that. He had to not know the severity. “Not a… plague, you know. More like a… sickness thing. Sure you haven’t heard about it?”
“Maybe the maids down below speak about it, but I do not hear.” Ah. Yes. Lucien did avoid everyone that wasn’t her. “Please, do not tell me you want to… ‘cure’ whatever this is. The one with the elves, I understood, but this? This is an entirely different thing. If you think this is a matter of concern, I will round them up, and send a message to the palace—”
“Oh, no, no, no, nope.” Maeve was already riding from the floor. “Did you just threaten me with the popo?”
Lucien sighed. “I have no idea what you just said, but I will not be letting you put yourself at risk again. Stop looking at me like I grew extra heads.”
“Well, you did. Clearly. Lucien would have never spoken to me like that before.”
“I changed.” He said, deadpan. “Maybe I am done with being a willing accomplice and taking your role as best friend and personal knight more seriously. No. Stop. I will not let you involve yourself personally in this anymore. You have far too much you are trying to carry all on your own. I will not let you add one more.”
And if you do anything else behind my back, I will know eventually, and I will be very hurt.
He did not say those words but Maeve heard it loud and clear.
It made things… uncomfortable. She liked shielding Lucien, she always would. This was something she would always do no matter the responses he gave. She also didn’t care if this put her risk with their relationship then so be it.
He was her tether, somehow. With him… she could stay afloat in the madness of everything. He never asked her too many questions, and he was the only one who had somehow made her feel less… no. Less. That was it.
Her first real friend.
Maeve would protect that with her life. “Ever been on an ice cream date?”
“That word again—”
“We should go down to the kitchen, I think I can make them do it— this time. I watch.” She added that part as she took off her gloves and goggles. “And then we go on a stroll again. Hopefully, this time a lovely girl will catch your eyes and you will stop hovering around and the way you do now.”
“I cannot recall complaining.”
“Lucien. If you refuse to follow me right now, I will most definitely stay here and start the work for the gymnasium. Might even order in a new set of poverty while I’m at oh. And you know how that stresses me out—”
“Alright.”
“Yayyy—!”
“But if I find out that you are continuing this project somehow behind my knowledge all on your own,” Lucien cut in, his voice low. “I will not forgive you for it.”
Maeve wanted to call it a bluff, tell him that it was crazy for him to not add ‘soon’ or ‘easily’ but she could tell somehow that he meant it, and it stirred something inside her that she didn’t like.
She walked up to him and wrapped her arm around it. “Sure. Sure. Whatever you say, big guy. Come on.”
As she rose from the stool, her chest hurting from the voices ringing through her head, a sound of someone knocking on the door echoed before the maid walked in, her face holding slight confusion, “My Lady. Duke Adrian… he’s here. And he claims he must see you.”