The Villainess's Wicked Charm

Every time lady Celine returned for the holidays, it was a happy occasion, a chance for Lucian and her to meet and reconnect.

Everything he did was with the goal of being with her. He had worked himself to the bone, tirelessly, doing everything in his power to rise above his humble beginnings, all for her.

She taught him how to read, and he studied during the night until his eyes hurt. In order to learn how to wield a weapon, he would sneak into the guard's barracks.

All this was with the hope of one day being worthy enough to stand by her side.

His parents had passed away when he was young, leaving him orphaned, alone, and starving. Growing up in the streets, he would sell flowers and whatever else he could get his hands on.

Then, he met her, a little girl who dropped a pile of drawings before him. The daughter of the most powerful man in the dukedom had her allowance taken away, and wouldn't get it back unless she learned the vocabulary of the foreign language she had been studying.

At the tender age of eight, Celine Rochefort had managed to convince Lucian to sell her art, telling him he'd be a fool to turn down the opportunity of selling a painting made by a Rochefort.

It spread quickly through the lower levels of the dukedom. The paintings fetched a pretty penny, and people started to come looking for him, offering him coins, food, anything they could spare in exchange for one of Celine's drawings.

Unfortunately, the duke found out about her scheme and her first stream of income became the family's business. She got back her allowance, but lost a friend in the process.

Her schedule became packed, from the moment she woke up until the time she went to sleep.

Lucian couldn't commit full-time to her estate when he had other plans in mind, and started with trying to make a name for himself as the best gardener.

As his fame grew, and the gardens he took care of became more elaborate and beautiful, the higher class started to take notice.

Eventually, the duke's estate was added to the list of places he had tended to.

And it was there that he had been reunited with Celine.

He had seen her a few times while he worked in the garden, and his heart had leaped every time he had spotted her. She had matured since their last encounter, and had developed an attitude that was very becoming of her.

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A few years later...

"You've never learned etiquette, yet you have become so refined and elegant," she told him, a small smile playing on her lips.

"It is the company I keep. Your grace has rubbed off on me."

"Is that so?" she laughed, "I have been trying to rub on you for years."

He flushed bright red at her innuendo. She had always been a naughty girl, "Celine."

She looked away, her smile disappearing, "Well, it's about time we end this charade, don't you think so? Our acting is great, but we shouldn't abuse our luck."

"Celine…?"

"It's getting annoying," she said, "Practicing my seduction techniques on you was fun, but I'll need to use them on another man soon. You're not actually supposed to believe there's anything between us. How delusional can you be, honestly."

He blinked, unable to comprehend what he had just heard, "Pardon me?"

"You are not the only one with plans for the future," she told him, her words sharp like daggers, "I can't let my father's power and connections go to waste, can I? I have a lot to gain if I marry the right man, and a lot to lose if I marry the wrong one."

"But you said─"

"I lied."

He had spent years dreaming of a future where they were together, and in a few seconds, those dreams had crumbled to dust.

"This must be a joke," he said, forcing a smile on his lips, cupping her face, "Is someone threatening you? Is something forcing you to say these things?"

"No," she pushed him away, standing up and brushing the dirt off her dress, "I've always been a liar. You've always been the idiot that believed everything I told you."

"Celine," he whispered, taking a step closer. God, what was happening to her?

"Guards!" she shouted. "Guards! Help!"

"Celine!" Lucian raised his voice, catching her by the wrist and spinning her around to face him, "Are you out of your mind?!Stop scaring me," he begged, bringing her palm to his cheek, "What's wrong?"

"Touch me again, and I'll have you whipped!" she yanked her hand away, her tone full of disgust and her gaze cold and unfeeling. "Guards!" she called again."Hurry and get this lowlife away from me!"

He flinched, her words feeling like physical blows. Even worse, sounds of hurried footsteps approached them. He would be hanged for touching a noble lady without her consent, but at that moment, he didn't care. He couldn't let her go away.

Getting on his knees, he pleaded, "Celine, please. Don't do this to me." When she turned around and started walking, he latched onto her ankle, "Please, Celine," he whispered her name like a prayer, "I'll do anything for you, anything. Please, tell them it's not what it looks like. Please, ugh-!"

Her shoe came down on his head, her heel digging into his skull, "How dare you call me by my name, you lowly rat! Do you want to frame me for whoring around with a gardener?!"

Two guards hurried over, taking hold of his arms and yanking him up to his feet.

Lucian's golden eyes, now dull and lifeless, stared blankly at Celine, as if seeing her for the first time.

The blood on his forehead had turned his blond hair crimson. The liquid trickled down his face like tears. It was as though his body was bleeding from the same wounds that had been inflicted on his heart, revealing the raw pain that lay within.