Chapter 355 An invitation to spend a day with Lucretia since I supposedly don't have anything better to do?
Lumiere & Lucretia Arc.
---
(POV: Lumiere)
Turning to face Lucretia, I chuckled nervously.
"Funny running into you here, isn't it?"
I know, that was an absolutely stupid response, but she came up out of nowhere.
She'll definitely give me an earful about that error.
She looks like the type at least.
Lucretia scoffed and placed her hands firmly on her hips, shooting me a glare. "Funny? How exactly is it funny, Lumiere?" she snapped, for no apparent reason. "This is my company, after all. Shouldn't you expect to see me here?"
Sometimes, I just couldn't understand why she had to be so straightforward.
It made me miss Serena.
She'd never query me so had if I made a mistake; an angel.
I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Well, you do have a point," I conceded. "I guess I wasn't thinking clearly."
Unimpressed, Lucretia crossed her arms tightly.
"Clearly," she muttered under her breath.
Then, she looked up at me, her expression softening slightly.
"By the way, have you seen Lilith since the event ended?" I asked.
I was really hoping for some good news.
I already tried to use [World Acuity] but I didn't catch any trace of her.
There should be nowhere in the entire framework of the world and beyond that I shouldn't be able to sense her.
It was either that my [World Acuity] wasn't well refined yet, or maybe she had a way to evade the sensory abilities of the skill.
But, that was highly unlikely.
Lucretia tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"No, I can't say I remember seeing her," she replied, still sounding uncertain.
I sighed. "Well that sucks..."
However, Lucretia snapped her finger; like she had just remembered something that could help.
"But during the event, she did mention that she didn't see you anywhere. She said she was going to meet up with her sister and would contact you tomorrow."
Her sister?
If that was the case, then it made sense that I couldn't t catch her presence.
I didn't exactly know where "Hell" was located, but Dendrossa and Senesica were inhabitants of the 7th layer— Tenebrous Slade.
So, it was likely that for now my [World Acuity] couldn't sense as far as that for now.
Still, it made me wonder what Lilith was going back to "Hell" to do.
Not that it was any of my business.
I looked at Lucretia back. "She really said that?" I questioned.
Lucretia rolled her eyes, already slightly irritated.
"Yes, Lumiere. I have a really good memory, you know," she retorted sarcastically. "I don't easily forget things like that."
Realizing that I didn't have much to worry about, I sighed heavily.
I didn't know whether Lilith was angry or not, but what I could at least hope that she wasn't.
"Well, in that case, I should probably head back to the university."
"Huh?" Lucretia uttered. "You're leaving... already."
"Well, yeah, there's not much else I can do at the moment."
Lucretia's annoyance was evident as she let out an exasperated sigh. "You still have a lot to worry about, you know," she said sharply, holding her head in her palm. "Leaving a woman hanging on a date? It's not a good look."
Caught off guard, I struggled to find the right words.
I simply stood there, keeping quiet and offering an awkward smile in response.
Lucretia shook her head, letting out a frustrated chuckle.
"Where was I going with this?" she mumbled to herself.
Then, she looked at me sharply. "Where exactly did you go during the event, I didn't see you even once..."
"Uh..."
Lucretia moved closer to me. "The only evidence I have that you were even at this closing ceremony is the fact that Lilith said you came with her and yeah, I guess your name was on the attendance too."
"See?! I was at the event..." I grinned.
"I don't buy it, where were you then?" Lucretia asked me.
I couldn't just tell her I was drilling my sister upstairs.
So I chose a different manner of response. "I had some bad seafood before I came here, so it really messed my tummy up... I had to look for where I could poop and oh boy, that poop was absolutely hor—"
Before I could finish, Lucretia interjected.
"You know what, nevermind... that's too much detail."
I chuckled and told her, "Sorry, just trying to be honest."
She folded her arms again and stared at me with the corner of her eyes. "Yeah, maybe a little too honest."
I sighed deeply as I stretched my arms, feeling the exhaustion settle in my muscles.
Okay, I wasn't really exhausted but I had to at least make it seem that way.
"Lucretia, I really need to get some early rest," I said wearily, knowing that I had a class to teach tomorrow. "I can't stay here for much longer."
Lucretia's eyes widened and she hurriedly approached me.
"Wait!" she called out.
I stopped in my tracks, slightly bewildered. "What's the problem?" I asked, curious as to why she seemed so flustered.
She took a moment to catch her breath before speaking.
"Are you going to be free tomorrow?" she asked.
I paused for a moment, considering my schedule, and then replied, "Definitely not. After my classes, I have plans to visit someone."
I really did.
I was planning to head out with Lucilia back to the Delia Viscounty to see how development was going.
Even if it was just for a day.
And I also wanted to see how Isadora and my child was doing. I was aware I wasn't necessarily the best father or maybe "husband" figure since I was meant to be spending every second with her, but I guess I haven't had the opportunity to really do things I wanted to do.
Lucretia's expression fell as she let out a disappointed sigh.
"Oh, I see," she muttered, a little sad.
I nodded in understanding and began walking away again, assuming our conversation was over.
However, before I could get very far, Lucretia suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
I turned around again and sighed. "What now?" I asked her.
Lucretia cleared her throat, her eyes fixed on me. "Do you really have to visit that person tomorrow?" she asked, her tone a little desperate.
I frowned slightly and nodded, saying, "Yeah, pretty much."
A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she crossed her arms.
"Well, I don't care," she declared, her voice firm. "You'll be spending most of tomorrow with me."
I was absolutely confused and it forced me to furrow my brow.
"Wait, why?" I questioned.
I couldn't quite understand her sudden insistence.
Lucretia cleared her throat once again, her eyes avoiding mine.
"I'll need your help with a lot of things in the company," she confessed, there was a slightly vulnerable tone in her voice. "And since you know a thing or two about magical engineering, your input might be a little valuable."
A little valuable? Sure.
"But I have a class to teach," I pointed out.
She waved a dismissive hand, already getting irritated again.
"You can easily skip that if you wanted. And besides, since I own a substantial portion of the university's power, my decision directly impacts your salary. So do this one thing for me and you'll get a high pay."
Her dark eyes locked onto mine, piercing me with a sly glare.
Wow, she really thinks she has me in a bind.
Ah jeez, Lucretia...
An exasperated sigh escaped my lips.
"Lucretia," I began, "I work for free."
Her intensified twitch bespoke her disbelief, and she questioned me, almost incredulous. "Wait, really?" she asked, a seething undertone hinting at her disbelief.
I smirked, shaking my head lightly. "No, duh," I retorted, rolling my eyes mockingly. "Of course, I work for free. It's not like I need the money for anything."
I really didn't.
I was wealthier than the average Viscount.
So I did have enough money to purchase a Viscounty. And that was me only using the financial information of last month's financial records.
This month, given winter and the distribution of the pyroapples from our newly planted pyroapple plantation, I had more money than I knew what to do with.
My life was going pretty well.
Lucretia's eyes narrowed, her anger was simmering already.
Without a hint of warning, she issued another threat.
"If you don't spend time with me tomorrow," she sneered, "I'll... I'll... I'll terminate your employment."
My gaze met hers, plain, and I calmly pointed out the obvious.
"With the scarcity of teachers you have on your roster, Lucretia, I highly doubt you can afford to let anyone go."
Her teeth audibly gritted together as her furious stare bore into me.
She looked like she was about to punch me.
Jeez, I was just saying the truth; and besides, she's the one who started it.
Just as the air grew unbearably tense, the sound of footsteps interrupted our escalating confrontation.
Simone appeared before us, her posture humble and respectful.
"Good evening, Sir Lumiere," she murmured softly.
A genuine smile crept onto my face as I greeted her. "Ah, Simone, it's indeed been a while," I acknowledged.
The passing of only a few days felt longer in this vast institution.
Simone shook her head in gentle disagreement. "Not really, Sir Lumiere," she rebutted.
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, contemplating her words with a playful smirk. "Is that so?"
Simone's gentle nod of agreement set the stage for the next exchange to occur.
With a slight smile, she spoke up once more. "Sir Lumiere, it would be wise not to pay too much attention to Lady Lucretia's peculiarities," she advised.
"I agree," I told her.
Lucretia didn't let that comment slide. She quickly retorted, "I don't possess bad habits, Simone."
I chuckled smugly. "But she never said anything about bad habits."
"SHUT UP!" she shouted.
Simone's expression turned thoughtful.
Her gaze shifted from Lucretia to me.
"Respectfully speaking," she began, her words laced with a subtle teasing edge, "perhaps Lady Lucretia could work on her communication skills. A habit of not knowing how to talk respectfully to men could be seen as a character flaw."
Lucretia let out an exasperated sigh, her frustration mounting.
"Whatever," she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest.
Turning her attention back to me, Simone's gaze softened.
"Sir Lumiere," she started with her sweetly gentle voice, "I'd greatly appreciate it if you could keep Lady Lucretia company tomorrow."
I let out a weary sigh. "Well, since you're the one asking, I suppose I can do that."
A grateful smile crept onto Simone's lips as she lowered her head in thanks.
Lucretia, however, couldn't resist the opportunity to inject her discontent into the conversation.
Her voice lashed out with indignation. "So, you won't listen to me, but you'll listen to Simone instead?" she shouted.
I nodded, maintaining my calm demeanor. "Simone is kind, and you, Lady Lucretia, well," I paused, letting the unspoken words hang in the air, "let's just say you could learn a thing or two from her."
"I'll teach you a thing or two!" she replied.
While it would be fun to spend time with them.
The main reason I was doing this, was to find out more about Lucretia?s business and most importantly... if she was really an Integrator.
There wasn't a better time than now.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l