“I couldn't possibly have mistaken him. He always wears a cloak,” Lucien muttered to himself.
“Your Highness, what are you doing?” Théodore had just arrived and hurriedly put on an inquisitive expression. His eyes demanded an answer from his master.
“We'll be late if you don't finish this parade soon.”
“Wait. I definitely saw her.”
One of Théodore's brows rose. “Her? Who are you talking about?”
His eyes swept over the crowd of residents as he reached out and pressed a hand against Théodore's chest.
“That Apothecary girl. Spread out. I'm sure I can meet her today.” After saying that, he strode away quickly.
Théodore immediately relayed his master's orders to his subordinates. “You heard him? Seal every exit from this square. Search every shop and look for a girl in a black cloak. Report to me immediately.”
“Yes, Commander!”
His head held high, Théodore quickly looked around.
“Why did she disappear so fast?” His jaw clenched.
Amid the noisy sea of people, Lucien's eyes focused solely on a single dark-cloaked figure weaving through the crowd, a figure that had remained fixed in his memory.
The man ignored the adoring looks and delighted shrieks of the young women who accidentally brushed against him.
His long, steady strides hurriedly cleaved through the bustling crowd.
Lucien was certain that this time he could find the mysterious Apothecary—the person who might give him a reason to cancel the emperor's plan to marry him to the youngest daughter of Duke Victor.
After struggling through the press of people, Lucien suddenly stopped short.
His heart pounded when he saw the girl's back just a few steps ahead of him.
The man reached out and gently but firmly touched the girl's right shoulder.
“I finally found you,” Lucien said in a deep, commanding voice, fixing the girl before him with a sharp stare. “Why wouldn't you come see me?”
The girl was startled and turned around. The face Lucien had heard so much praise for and longed to see all this time finally appeared clearly before his eyes.
“Excuse me?” the girl cut in quickly.
Éloide lifted her face with a confused expression, though there was no trace of panic in her eyes.
“Is that you who—”
“I don't remember ever meeting Your Highness the Grand Duke,” Éloide continued quickly, unaware that she had interrupted Lucien. “Does the person you're looking for happen to look like me?”
“Are you making fun of me? If it isn't you, why do you keep staring at me?”
“I'm staring at you?” Éloide asked in surprise, raising her index finger to point at her own face. “Oh, no... More than that, I apologize for my rudeness.”
Éloide took a step back to create some distance, then folded one arm across her chest and gave a slight bow.
Sophia, standing behind her, bowed as well, her body trembling.
“Congratulations on the Grand Duke's victory. I am Éloide de Bellmont,” Éloide said, introducing herself.
Lucien froze. His cold gaze locked onto Éloide as she slightly lifted her dress.
“You, Duke Victor's daughter?” Lucien asked incredulously.
Éloide nodded slowly, briefly biting her lower lip. Then, when she raised her face, the irritation in her expression melted away, replaced by her small lips stretching into a sweet, false smile that instantly blossomed across her lovely face.
“That's right. Are you surprised?” Éloide replied pleasantly. “We're almost married.”
Lucien did not move. He drew his tall, sturdy body back, his sharp eyes sweeping around once more with a disappointed look before turning coldly toward Éloide.
Just as the man was about to turn away, Éloide stepped forward and quickly tugged at the sleeve of Lucien's armor. “Where are you going?” Without realizing it, Éloide whined at him.
“What do you mean? Take your hand off me.”
“Since you're already here, please at least help me, Your Highness,” Éloide pleaded, leaning toward Lucien. “These people don't believe that I'm the duke's daugh—”
“I have business of my own,” Lucien rejected her quickly and coldly.
The man flung his arm, forcibly shaking Éloide's fingers loose from his sleeve.
“No, please wait... Don't be like this, Your Highness.”
But no matter how much Éloide pleaded, Lucien still turned and walked away without looking back. Then Éloide's shrill scream suddenly rang out behind him, making him stop in his tracks.
Lucien turned around.
There, Éloide and Sophia were already surrounded by five fully armed imperial knights.
Two of them were forcibly restraining the girls by their wrists, making the cloth pouch in Sophia's arms swing precariously close to falling.
“You'll be beheaded for carrying and using forbidden plants within imperial territory. Come with us!” one of the knights barked fiercely.
Éloide grimaced through the pain in her wrist, then glared at the knight with eyes blazing with rage.
“No! I didn't do that! Are you deaf? I'm the damn daughter of Duke Victor!” Éloide shouted, struggling to free herself.