My Vengeful Former Lover

She deep down hoped Lucius won’t misunderstand her as a bystander.
But, contrary to her impatience, she experienced the cold atmosphere.

“Is it true that he is an illegitimate child?”

Someone raised their voice to answer the question.
“Obviously Mrs Anise said that she had lived with her child until he was six years old.
He might be knowing.”

On receiving no response, that same person looked at Lucius directly and said, “Mr Fenry, you heard me? What will you say on this? Is that true? Is she your mother?”

There was a brief silence.
Now, all of them looked at Lucius.
He tore apart his gaze away from Deatrice to face the people.
He spoke in a suppressed voice, “I don’t really remember if she is my mother, but it is true that I am not currently living with my family.
The last I remember staying with them was when I was six years old,” Lucius spit out the words that soon became affirmations.

“Oh my gosh!”

The duke stood up and cleaned up the messy living room, but he couldn’t hear what Lucius was saying.
Perhaps for a definitive end, Mrs Anise will be questioned and her claims would be matched with the Count’s situation.
After that, she would be referred to the nobility law.

That was the end of it.

Even though Deatrice did not pass out, her memory ended there.

Lucius disappeared after that.
Deatrice knew nothing of his whereabouts until he came to visit her once more.

Despite pretending to be different, Deatrice was the same inside as the nobles present there.

She no longer found herself loving him or choosing him, nowhere near to how deeply she once used to.
And left no stone unturned to vehemently refuse to the plan of her eloping with him.
She cared more of her status and her family’s name sake.

When Lucius was stripped of his successor status, he lost all the rights to the last name of Fenry.
Lucius Eden Fenry went to the battlefield as Lucius Fenry Elliot, and since then, it has been the same.

After he returned from the war, Deatrice had seen him in the crowds.
She felt them as nothing but strangers.
When Lucius came to visit her, it was the first time they were meeting alone since the time things went wrong.

* * *

The greenhouse was warmer than the garden.
It already gave away the feelings of summer.

Deatrice feared her reunion with Lucius.
The scorching hot weather made her heart sink heavily.
Was it guilt? Or remorse?

Even before his victories in the war and home returning as a hero, she used to casually fantasize about these encounters.
This warm greenhouse, him waiting for her, their exclusive space, his blonde hair dazzling in the light peeping through the window!

But she imagined only that far.
Despite longing for his presence, she never envisioned what would unfold after their reunion.

Maybe because it was obvious.
Her heart already knew what would be happening after their meet.
The resentment will come running.
Besides the feeling of contempt for the betrayal and easy abandoning of the one and only lover will pop up.
The complete list of complaints might be, in fact, way longer.

She couldn’t help but wonder: After reuniting with her today, will Lucius release his grudges from the past? Or will he talk about the vain command- marriage, as if there was never a past between them?

With the uncountable thoughts pestering her, she was walking with her head down.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice, “What are you doing over there?” It was so soft that the stakes of not hearing the spoken words were high.

As she raised her head blankly, her eyes caught the glimpse of bright blonde hair.
It was Lucius’ trademark.
He had a clean face and a gentle demeanour.
For anyone meeting him the first time, it would be a revolting fact that he had been to the battlefield.

In an instant, she felt herself time travelling to the past.
Hence, she answered him without getting awkward, “I… was just wondering what I should be doing.”

He laughed at her honest words.

Her gaze travelled to the corners of his lips, going up.

“Yeah, I can understand.
You too shall be finding this situation awkward.
Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.

He further explained, “Your butler has set up a table for us, but it’s better to walk than sit face to face and talk.”

She could neither believe her eyes nor ears.
This all seemed unrealistic.
His appearance was close to how she had imagined.
Was he honestly not setting up any wall against her?

Returning from the war, after six long years, he was leaving no chance in treating her with respect wherever he faced her.
It was as if, for him, their past had been erased.

It would be a lie if she says she wasn’t hurt by his cold and distant attitude.
But back then, at least, she didn’t have to go through the series of complicated thoughts to find out the intent behind his actions.

Lost in her thoughts, Deatrice barely answered his questions.

“I wonder if I should be your guide?”

“That’s not needed, I guess.
We can just go.
I still remember this place, even if it’s a little.”

He smiled and went ahead.
As he walked further, she followed him silently.

On the outside, when looking at the greenhouse, Lucius seemed cheerful and pure.
He picked a few flowers from the ground of the garden and threw them away one after another like an immature boy.
Deatrice followed him, stepping on the petals he had picked and discarded.

Lucius turned around and suddenly asked, “How have you been?”