Knock Knock
"Co in."
Vivienne gave the permission, the door to the training hall opened and Lucian walked in with his usual, shit-eating grin on his face.
His hand had now returned, all his other injuries had healed as well, even the exhaustion was gone.
It was a complete recovery, that too, in just three hours.
"I was told to co here."
He spoke with a cheeky smile as he shut the door behind him.
"Yes, I called you."
Vivienne was sitting on a chair, with one leg on top of the other and the sa unreadable expression on her face.
"Oh?"
Lucian’s smile beca annoyingly bright.
"To personally call when you know I should be leaving.
Did you miss already? I am touched."
He placed a hand over his chest and Vivienne—
The woman just stared at him and Lucian imdiately placed a finger over his own mouth.
"Right, silence, excellent choice.
I was thinking the sa."
Vivienne continued to stare at him, Lucian lowered his hand, the smile on his face remained but it was more... careful now.
He was playful, yes.
But he was not stupid.
Vivienne watched him for a few seconds.
His energy had recovered, his posture was loose again, the spark in his eyes had returned as well, aning he was no longer using Red Quiet to hold himself together.
He was fine.
And once she confird that with her own eyes.
She jumped to the second reason she called him here.
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
Lucian frowned.
"Why did you save that girl instead of following orders?"
She questioned directly and the next instant, Lucian’s smile faded away. Vivienne didn’t care, she stood up and started walking towards him.
"You knew the consequences.
You may be reckless, arrogant, and irritating.
But you are not stupid."
"Do I... take it as a complint?"
Lucian asked with an unsure look on his face, Vivienne stared at him and he quickly placed a finger on his lips again.
Vivienne then continued—
"You knew the machine contained important evidence, you knew destroying it would ruin your first evaluation, you knew Darius would report you and then the Enclave would question your judgnt.
You knew all that.
You knew following orders, preserving evidence and completing the mission was important and yet..."
Vivienne paused for a mont, observing Lucian whose smile was now completely gone.
"And yet you chose her."
She couldn’t understand.
Why would he do it?
"Was it attachnt?"
Vivienne asked, as if looking for an answer on his face.
"Desire?"
Lucian’s eyes shifted back to her at those words.
Vivienne didn’t react to that, she just listed out one more possibility.
"Or was it... simply because she was a beautiful woman in front of you?"
Lucian stared at her for a mont, looking for the slightest hints of jealousy, he sighed when he couldn’t find any, then he answered her question—
"It is because of what you told before."
"What I told you...?"
Vivienne frowned and Lucian nodded.
"You told the Enclave would never fully trust ."
"That is true."
"You also said letting them see I was still human would help."
Those words made Vivienne narrow her eyes and Lucian—
His smile returned, however this ti, it was far more calculative than playful.
"So I showed them sothing human.
Humans make mistakes when their emotions take control, right?
They ignore logic.
They choose one person in front of them over so unknown number in the future. They act because they feel sothing and then deal with the consequences later."
His violet eyes looked directly into hers.
"So I made a human mistake."
Vivienne stared at him as he said those words.
"So you defied a direct order and destroyed critical evidence because you were acting like a human?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"If you put it like that..."
"You do realise that only makes you more demon, correct?"
And the instant she said those words, Lucian’s smile widened.
Light in Vivienne’s eyes flickered.
There it was.
No guilt.
No sha.
No... denial.
Just that... amusent, as if he was waiting for her to say those exact words.
"Well..."
He paused for a small mont, then, shifted the entire bla on her.
"You did tell I was a demon and that I should act like one.
So I will."
His violet eyes shone brightly.
"I will do everything I can to get what I want.
I will be as selfish as I have to be.
If acting human helps , I will act human.
If being a monster helps , I will be a monster."
Vivienne watched him and she...
She could not find the lie hidden behind the wall of truth.
Did he really save that girl because it was useful? Because it made him look human, which would help him gain the Enclave’s trust?
Or...
Did he save her because he was unable to watch another life be ruined by anything related to a demon and was now trying to justify it?
Perhaps even he did not know the truth.
And that made him... more human than he realised.
"Then why are you saying any of this?"
Vivienne asked curiously.
"Even if you were only acting like a human, why would you reveal the truth to ? You do realise that I too, am part of the Enclave you are trying to fool."
"Bleehhhh~"
Lucian made a disgusted face.
"Please don’t speak such an obvious lie in front of , Lady Vivienne. It hurts more than the direct insults you throw at ."
Then, he just shrugged.
"As if you care about this place."
Vivienne’s eyes sharpened at those words and Lucian leaned towards her with a cheeky smile on his face.
"You are on my side, aren’t you?"
For a mont, the entire hall turned silent.
Then—
"Tsk."
Vivienne snorted.
And that only made Lucian’s grin wider.
"I will take that as a yes."
"Take it as I find you mildly amusing and entertaining, so I keep you around."
"Also acceptable."
Lucian shrugged.
Vivienne looked at him for a mont.
Arrogant.
Reckless.
Too clever when he wanted to be.
Too emotional when he pretended not to be.
Too demonic to be trusted completely.
Too... human to be discarded easily.
Her eyes moved to his restored hand, then back to his face and—
"You did well."
She praised and Lucian froze, unable to process those words coming from her.
But the next mont, his grin appeared, so quickly that Vivienne regretted her words almost instantly.
"I did?"
"Do not make that face."
Vivienne warned.
"Hmmmm? What face?"
Lucian feigned ignorance.
"That one."
"I have many faces."
"And I dislike most of them."
"That ans there are so you do like."
Lucian’s eyes shone and Vivienne—
"Lucian."
Her eyes turned cold and the next instant, Lucian’s grin disappeared.
"Alright, alright."
He took a step forward, not pushing his luck any further. Vivienne looked at him one last ti, then, she turned and returned to her chair.
"Leave."
"That is it?"
Lucian blinked.
"You have University."
"You rembered."
Vivienne stared at him, Lucian laughed a little and turned silent.
Then, he bowed his head and—
"Then I’ll take my leave, Lady Vivienne."
Vivienne didn’t say anything. Lucian just smiled as he then turned around and left, leaving Vivienne alone.
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