Chapter 27: Can't Stop Teasing Her

Then, with a soft gaze, he asked, "So, Lithira, would you allow me to court you?"

Lithira was taken aback, her gaze fixed on the man before her. He towered over her, his long blonde locks resembling molten gold cascading around him. His crimson eyes held her captive, as did his striking features.

Lithira never met someone that has confidence as he did.

But for some reason, she couldn't deny his charm and didn't have a choice but to blush. So she turns her face away.

"I... I..." she stammered, grappling for a response.

Suddenly, Lucien chuckled, causing Lithira to glance back at him, her embarrassment deepening.

Was he playing around with her?

"Your hair... Flowers grow from it," Lucien remarked with another laugh.

It was the first time he saw something like that. It was beautiful though, the flowers looked like a pin surrounding Lithira's small horns.

Lithira instinctively covered the flowers and stepped back, only to lose her footing as she inadvertently stomped on something hissing at her—it was her cat.

She cursed that hateful cat in her heart.

Seeing her stumble, Lucien swiftly reached out, steadying her by the waist. "Careful," he cautioned.

Her waist was small in his hand, but he knows that she has big hips and those long feet that couldn't be hidden because of how she uses a two-sides slit dress.

Lithira was a thick woman.

The closer he was to her, the more he noticed every detail of her body—the ample curves, the flower tattoos adorning her arms and thighs, and how he felt like he couldn't hold himself back.

Lucien couldn't help to see those full and plump lips opening and suddenly Lithira pushed him away. She looked so nervous and her face was as red as a tomato.

"Th... Thank you!" she said.

"It's fine," Lucien reassured her with a smile, finding her adorable.

"But it seems your cat needs some attention," he remarked, pointing towards the white cat with heterochromatic eyes perched atop the Golem Rune Matrix.

Lithira's eyes widened in panic as she hurriedly approached the cat and scolded it, "Bad! Bad! Mr. Cloud!"

The cat just hissed at her and got off the table. Lithira sighed in relief. But then feel awkward again because she remembered Lucien's question and the way she didn't know what to answer.

She turned her attention back to Lucien, her tone flustered. "I'm... busy with this golem. Can you just sit down somewhere?" she implored, attempting to distance herself from him.

Lucien smirked. "No... I'm fine right here." he enjoyed her reaction to every move she made, so if he could, he wanted to see it more closely.

Lithira pouted but resigned herself to let him stay. He wasn't really disrupting her, but his mere presence was enough to make her uneasy.

Should she say yes?

Lucien seemed like a decent guy, someone who knew how to treat women. Though, she admitted to herself, that her judgment might be biased since she was basing it solely on his appearance.

Peeking at him, she noticed Lucien resting at the desk, his hand serving as a support as he focused intently on the matrix.

Her gaze drifted to the tribal tattoo on the back of his hand, which was made by her mother as a sign that Lucien was her mother's possession.

"What's wrong? You seem troubled," Lucien's sudden question startled Lithira.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, avoiding his gaze.

But Lucien arched a brow, sensing her discomfort as she kept her head lowered. "Are you sad? Disappointed?" he pressed gently.

Lithira shook her head, surprised at Lucien's perceptiveness. "No, it's fine," she insisted, though deep down, she was indeed disappointed.

She didn't want to cross her mother, so she couldn't accept Lucien's proposal. She needs to shake that feeling off.

Lithira needs to be focused on her work like she always did.

She then pulled a middle part of the Golem Rune Matrix, placing the lid down before retrieving a purple crystal from the nearby red pouch, about the size of her pinky.

After that, she put the crystal inside the Golem Rune, and put the lid back again in the same place.

Lucien, curious, inquired, "What is that crystal?"

Lithira furrowed her brows, the more Lucien asked about something, the more she knew how weird he was. It was common knowledge, a person should have known what it was.

How could he didn't?

"It's crystal mana. It is used as a power for the golem so it can move and perform its tasks." Although a little bit reluctant, she explained.

"Hm... I see. But it's small. Wouldn't that mean the golems would lose power quickly?"

Lithira sighed, feeling the need to educate him. "There are three different levels of purity in crystal mana. The blue ones are the least pure, the purple ones have moderate purity, and the golden ones are the purest," she elaborated, displaying the crystal mana in her pocket, each of varying colors.

"So, the purer it is, the more mana it contains, correct?" Lucien deduced.

Lithira nodded, "Yes, it is!" her tone was like a proud mother after knowing that her child could answer simple questions. "You are not dumb, right? How can you not know about common knowledge?"

Lucien was speechless at what Lithira said, she might be shy, but she sure didn't have a filter in every word she said.

Lucien decided to playfully tease her, "Didn't you know? I'm from another world. I used to be an Emperor until my world faced apocalypse."

"Somehow, Salacia, the Goddess of Water from your world, saved me and my family. She bestowed upon me power and tasked me with saving your world."

With a dramatic sigh, Lucien hung his head low, feigning despair, and covered his face as if mourning the loss of everything dear to him.

However, Lithira's response wasn't what he expected. Peeking through his fingers, he saw her looking genuinely saddened, on the verge of tears. He thought that she would not believe him and called him stupid.

Approaching Lucien, she gently brushed his arm and said, "I'm sorry that you have to carry such burdens. You can share your story with me if it helps alleviate your pain."

Her sincerity struck a chord with Lucien, stirring a twinge of guilt within him. But he couldn't resist continuing the charade. "Yes, please. I could use someone to talk to."

The two of them found themselves seated in a corner of the workshop, where a pair of tables and chairs offered a secluded spot.

Lithira settled beside Lucien, who leaned his arms on the table, using it as a makeshift resting place for his face as he began weaving his fabricated tale.

"That day was cold and dark. I remember being in the midst of a war with aliens who attacked our world. All we had were swords, no magic to aid us."

"But the aliens were cunning. They employed modern technology and mercilessly slaughtered us all—my family, everyone."

Lucien's voice trembled. Not because he was sad, but because he struggling to contain his laughter, especially when he glanced at the teary face of Lithira.

"And I feel so sorry for my fiance that she died protecting me. She died a hero but no one can remember her."

Lucien's hand moved to gently wipe away the tears from Lithira's cheeks. "She just looks like you. So I am sorry if I suddenly ask an embarrassing thing. I just can't stand the thought of you and my fiance, it becomes overlapped."

With his head bowed once more, Lucien's body shook with suppressed laughter, not suffering.

Lithira, now holding Lucien's hand with both of hers, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you that way. I am just nervous that you suddenly ask to court me. It doesn't mean I hate you."

Lucien's body becomes more shaky and it makes Lithira even more worried. She wanted to say something, but before that, he erupted into laughter.

He laughed so hard that he started crying and then she realized that the man in front of him was a sly, cruel, and cold-hearted man who deceived her with a sad story!

"You! How dare you fool me with that tragic story!" Lithira's face now reddened to her ears. She was more embarrassed than angry. So she hits Lucien's chest over and over again because of how pissed she was. "You cruel man!"

Lucien still giggling, especially looking at how red Lithira was, even her hard blow in his chest didn't feel hurt. It was just her cute expression in his eyes that blurred everything.

But still, he needed her to stop, cause if not, his rib would certainly be broken.

Lucien then grabbed her wrists to make her stop and said, "I can't help it. You're so cute, I wanted to tease you."

However, not as he expected, Lithira's anger and embarrassment turned into a frustrated cry and it made him panic.

"You asshole! Heartless! Mean! Ugly!" she screamed, trying to pull away from him.

"I'm sorry, please don't cry. It was just a harmless prank," Lucien pleaded, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

He gently stroked her hair as she continued to sob, occasionally cursing him and attempting to break free. But Lucien keeps her close and feels guilty cause he makes her cry.

However, he didn't regret it because of how sweet she was even when she was crying like that. So he smiled until his teeth became dry and Lithira's sob stopped.