The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-721

When Lucy arrived at the cemetery gates, the sun was still yet to rise in the sky completely, and the colours in the sky were still changing to turn into blue. The forest around her was quiet except for the birds singing their morning song.

Instead of carrying a bunch of bouquets, Lucy this time carried four roses with long stems. As Lucy continued to walk where the graves were located, she first placed the flowers at her parents graves before moving to spend time with Ruby. While she stood there in silence, she heard the crunching sound of the leaves on the ground.

"Old habits don't die, do they."

Lucy turned her head to the side before turning entirely and she saw Theodore, who stood not too far away from her.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Lucy before turning back to face Ruby's grave.

"To do the same as you," replied Theodore, and Lucy heard his footsteps. With every step he took, his shoes crushed the dry leaves that were spread on the ground, letting Lucy know which direction he was walking.

Lucy couldn't believe that Theodore was here at the same time when she was trying to get away from the castle and him. In all these years, she had never known there was someone lying in the cemetery whom Theodore cared for. But she should have known, thought Lucy to herself. It was hard to tell who was in the grave and who wasn't.

Not that it mattered as many of the graves were decades old, and they were people who didn't have visitors. Calhoun had turned their grandfather's pureblooded royal vampire cemetery into his personalized cemetery.

Lucy didn't have to guess too much to know who was in the grave that Theodore had come to visit. But why was he here today and at this time?

"Did you follow me from the castle?" Lucy asked Theodore when she was done with paying her respects to the dead who deserved it while standing a few steps behind Theodore.

Theodore turned around to meet her eyes, "I wouldn't dare, milady, especially after you clearly stated you are capable of taking care of yourself," he said in a calm voice, but Lucy didn't believe him.

Lucy noticed Theodore didn't wear his glasses right now, and his face looked familiar to how it was in the past. Seemed like there was no one for him to impress here, therefore he had kept it away for now.

"I find it rather strange that you showed up at the same time when I am here," stated Lucy.

"If it makes you feel better, I was here even before you entered the cemetery. It would be more appropriate to say that it is the other way around," he bowed his head and started to walk away from the grave.

Her eyes widened before narrowing when his words sunk in and she said, "It seems like you have turned quite brave to not worry about your head being part of the body by insinuating something like this."

Theodore stopped walking and when he turned, he offered her a smile that she was not pleased to see. "Is that so? I don't think I realized it, but if you have said it, it must be true. And may I add, it was you who said I was following you."

Lucy was not sure if Theodore was following her or not, but she had stepped out of the castle for some peace of mind.

"I thought with the years that have passed, your hate would have reduced a little."

"Why should it?" asked Lucy, her eyes not leaving his as they stared at each other. A light breeze passed through the cemetery, picking up the leaves before putting them down. "Why should I stop hating you?"

For quite a long time, Theodore had been watching Lucy from a far distance, and though she put a smile on her lips, it didn't reach the way it did in the past. Some part of her innocence had been lost, and he knew he was partly responsible for it.

"Aren't you happy with the Duke, Lady Lucy?" Theodore asked her directly.

Lucy was taken aback by his question, and for a moment, she felt lost before retorting back, "Of course I am happy with Samuel! What kind of absurd question is that?" she demanded. "Samuel is so much better than how you are and what you did to me. Someone who takes care of me, and makes sure he knows what I care and what I don't like. Keeping my feelings in"

"I don't understand why you would be angry at me then," stated Theodore, putting his hand in his pocket to pull out the golden framed glass.

Theodore didn't like hearing what Lucy said, and somewhere even as twisted as the situation was, he wanted her to confess to him that she was sad and unhappy in Samuel's company. Even though she didn't tell anyone, Theodore could tell that her heart was as lonely as his.

He had posed the question to her, hoping she would give in, but Lucy was stubborn and her emotions were controlled by hatred and anger towards him. Many times, Theodore had wanted to break down the news about Samuel's debauchery to her, but Lucy spoke so highly of the man that Theodore decided to keep the information to himself a little longer before he would let her know.

Caught off guard by Theodore's words, Lucy now blinked at him. His words did make sense, but it was right!

She lifted her chin, "I don't need you to tell me what I should and I shouldn't do."

Theodore bowed his head in acknowledgement and said to her, "If I have the permission to speak to you, milady-" What was he doing until now? asked Lucy in her mind, "-isn't it better if we dissolve the old hatred and start afresh?"

If Lucy said no, it would let Theodore know that she was not happy in her marriage with Samuel, and Lucy would not show it to him. But at the same time, she didn't know if she could see Theodore in a place where her heart wasn't involved.

Lucy hadn't forgiven Theodore for leading her on in the past before telling her to marry Samuel. The bitter pain continued to linger in her heart, but being from the Hawthrone family, she had her own pride to uphold and she said,

"It is getting late. I should head back to the castle."

She walked past him, when he said, "Milady, you wouldn't mind giving me a ride in the carriage, would you?"

Frowning, she asked, "You didn't come in your own carriage?"

Theodore shook his head with a gentle smile that threw her off guard, "I came here by walk. I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't following you."

Lucy didn't want to spend more time with Theodore, but she didn't have a mean bone in her body. Even if she did, it was because of Theodore. "You can ride in the carriage I came here," said Lucy before walking towards the carriage and Theodore smiled, following her.