The Duke's Passion

Chater 682  I want to go home

"He — he's not my type."

The door that was opening stopped as Lilou's voice echoed across the entire lobby. Tilly, Fabian, and even Rufus could only look at her with conflict, rendered speechless by her claim. Rufus, who was standing by the window, glanced at the door and nearly cringed.

Lilou huffed as she lowered her eyes, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. After a minute of nothing but silence, she glanced at Tilly and Fabian. The latter's eyes even showed and his smile finally came off of his face.

"My…" Fabian was the first to recover from his shock, snapping his eyes at the door. "That is quite the blow."

"You just killed Samael a hundred times." Tilly also voiced out, gazing at the ajar door.

Their shift of attention forced Lilou to follow the direction they were looking at. Her eyes slowly dilated as her breath hitched, seeing the shadow stretching from outside through the short gap in the door.

"I didn't know that's what you felt back then," Rufus mumbled as he looked away, pursing his lips into a thin line to suppress the laughter, tempting to escape his mouth. He knew he shouldn't be laughing, but he couldn't help it. Lilou's reasoning was hilarious and not a single one of them had ever thought Lilou would say such a claim.

"Hold your laughter Rufus until you die." A minute had passed and Samael's dark voice reached everyone's ears, followed by the loud creak from the door as he entered the mansion. His eyes glinted as he set them to Fabian.

"You too, Fabian. If I hear even the slightest giggle, that'll be your last."

Fabian bit his tongue as he lowered his eyes, pressing his wrist, which was behind him, to stop himself from laughing. Meanwhile, Tilly looked at Samael as if he wronged her.

"What about me, Samael?" she pointed at herself. "Won't you warn me as well? I feel left out."

"How I wish I can, Tilly, but you don't know how to laugh." Samael waved as he faced them, letting out a deep exhale as he set his eyes on his wife. He placed his hand on his hips, sighing once again.

Now that she mentioned it, he couldn't help but wonder. Was that the reason Lilou kept refusing his proposal in the past? Although he knew it was because of their racial difference, he never actually thought Lilou didn't like his face.

"Where's my son?" he asked, glancing at Fabian. The latter cleared his throat before he replied.

"He is resting, Your Grace, since it was quite a journey," Fabian explained and his response was enough for Samael to know his son had yet to meet his mother. It was for the better, though. Lilou still didn't know them and it would be hurtful to Law, knowing how emotional he could be.

"Rest for tonight." Samael waved.

"What about Prince Heliot?" asked Rufus almost instantly to confirm what he had already guessed.

"He is busy dealing with Zero's men." Samael glanced over his shoulder. "He'll deal with Tilly later."

"Well, it can't be helped since we were running out of time." Fabian rocked his head since it was easier to deal with powerhouses like Heliot if Tilly handled them.

With that being said, Fabian gestured for Tilly to rise from her seat, which she did. She glanced at him and nodded before leaving the lobby without a word aside from that ringing bell tied around her white hair. Fabian offered Lilou a smile as he cleaned the coffee table and placed all the untouched snacks and teas back on the trolley tray nearby.

When he was done, Fabian walked away while pushing the trolley. Rufus, on the other hand, didn't move from his leaning position, eyes outside the window.

As everyone left except Rufus, Lilou kept her mouth shut and eyes on Samael. The latter was also staring at her with his hands still on his lap.

"Let's talk, Love," he suggested gently — almost begging her to listen. "I know you have a lot of questions —"

"I do have questions," she replied even before he could finish his sentence. "But they were questions I didn't want answers to… at least, not for now."

Lilou slowly rose from her seat and held her chin up. "I already know you're the Duke of Grimsbanne, the third prince of the Heart's Kingdom, the future Emperor of the Empire, and… my husband, in a few years." She gripped her hand to stop it from shaking, keeping her false bravado as she stood on her ground.

"You might know me and we might've shared things — genuine and happy things, memories. But I don't recall any of those." She breathed out as she lowered her eyes. "I might have been happy during those times, but those times… that person in your memory is not the current me. Right now, I only know your name and a little bit of your story, nothing else."

"I might regret all these words in the future, but I am not your wife right now," she added, which felt like knives in her ears as she felt another pain in her heart while speaking her honest thoughts aloud. Still, she ignored it as she mustered her courage to draw the lines.

"Please, let me go home." She pleaded as she bowed, hoping he would listen to her despite slamming him down even before they could talk. "And let me live my life the way I want it, not the way you remembered it."

Samael's face crumbled, watching her bow at him as she requested what she wanted. He had always known Lilou was stubborn and it would be a problem. Not because he knew it was hard for her to believe him, but the problem would arise if she requested something like this.

He loved her to the point he couldn't say no to her. Even if her request would devastate him, he wouldn't say no.

"Lilou," he breathed out, taking a step but stopping when she raised her head. Her eyes were clear and determined, staring at him straight in the eye.

"Please. If I am truly important to you and you truly know who I was, you will understand me," she continued, swallowing down the frustrating tension in her throat. "I want to go home."