"What's going on?"
Lucien was crying so intensely that his sobs echoed through the mansion.
Ram, Rem, Natsuki Subaru in the kitchen, Betty in the Forbidden Library, and Roswaal in his room were all startled.
They watched in silent shock as Lucien wailed in the gazebo.
Even Puck was sobbing uncontrollably.
Slowly, Emilia's composure broke.
Memories of being condemned and feared for her resemblance to the Jealous Witch resurfaced, and she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
Emilia had always bottled up her emotions, but seeing Lucien and Puck express themselves so freely, she no longer feared showing her own vulnerability.
Lucien was crying with abandon, yet Puck and Emilia cried even more fiercely than he did.
"Emilia? Puck?" Lucien choked out, unable to believe how much they had joined him in this outpouring of emotion.
"I… I couldn't help it," Puck said, pulling Lucien's sleeve to wipe his own tears and snot.
Emilia, equally lost in the moment, grabbed Lucien's other sleeve, sniffling as she wiped her tears.
"Lady Emilia?"
"Uranus…"
Ram and Betty appeared, utterly bewildered, witnessing the three blubbering figures.
"You made Emilia cry so sadly," Natsuki Subaru said, pointing at Lucien, his anger evident.
"It was me," Lucien admitted, nodding as he choked and twitched, then looked at Ram.
"Miss Ram, please bring some tissues."
Ram's expression remained calm.
She had anticipated this need and brought tissues beforehand.
Very perceptive.
"Liya, Puck, calm down.
Your tears and snot are getting all over me," Lucien remarked, noticing his already damp European-style tailcoat that Emilia had prepared for him that morning.
"I… I'm sorry!" Emilia said, eyes red and swollen, taking the tissues to wipe herself.
Puck, however, had cried just moments ago but now stopped instantly, able to switch his emotions on and off at will.
With a laugh, he displayed his mastery of theatrics, deserving the title of drama king.
"Emilia, are you alright?
Did this guy hurt you?" Natsuki Subaru asked, now heartbroken.
His gaze was fierce, ready to attack at any moment.
"No… not…" Emilia shook her head.
After crying, much of the gloom in her heart had lifted.
"Liya, Puck, thank you.
I feel much better after crying," she said.
Lucien blew his nose with a tissue, satisfied with the success of his strategy.
Lucien's approach was simple yet effective: a man who cries sincerely in front of a woman doesn't appear weak; he appears genuine and unpretentious, revealing a soft side that makes him trusted and valued.
It awakens a woman's protective instincts and bridges the emotional distance.
Before this, Lucien had carefully planned every step to win over Emilia.
In the original story, Emilia was naturally kind, gentle, and full of convictions, yet stubborn at times.
To truly win her heart, Lucien needed to appeal to her compassion, approach from multiple angles, and occasionally declare his love boldly, using surprising and unorthodox methods.
To be honest, he didn't enjoy these manipulations—they felt childish and excessively sweet.
He preferred challenges, combat, and hardship, but he knew to win Emilia, he had to play this game.
"Lucien, I should be thanking you," Puck said sincerely, noting how much calmer Liya—Emilia—looked.
"I know Liya is as lonely as I am; she is my destiny," Lucien said.
At that moment, Emilia, still sniffling, was led away by Ram and Rem, with Natsuki Subaru following helplessly.
Before leaving, Subaru cast a furious glare at Lucien, full of malice.
"I'm rooting for you!" Puck shouted, punching Lucien with a mischievous smile.
"Puck, do you have something to ask me?" Lucien asked, sensing his companion's unusual enthusiasm.
"Do you still have those instant noodles?
I want Betty to try them," Puck said boldly, sitting on the stone table without embarrassment.
"I do, but you'll be my inside man.
Tell me what Liya likes, what she dislikes…" Lucien said.
"Deal!
I even have her measurements!" Puck replied immediately, their knowing glance comically precise.
"If Liya knew you betrayed her so quickly, she'd definitely beat you to death," Lucien said, smiling.
Five packs of instant noodles appeared in Lucien's hand and were placed on the stone table.
Puck touched them, and they vanished instantly.
"Shake on it.
If I win over Liya, you can eat as many instant noodles as you want.
I'll even go bankrupt to get them for you," Lucien offered.
"No problem," Puck said, shaking his paw with Lucien's.
Both grinned cunningly.
Dusk had fallen.
Lucien sat at the right side of the long table, eyeing his plate of food and then glancing at Natsuki Subaru, Ram, and Rem.
"Mr. Roswaal, that loli Betty, Liya, and Puck… aren't they having dinner?" he asked, puzzled.
Subaru ignored him, and Rem wore a cold expression, finding Lucien too unfamiliar to care for.
Ram, however, answered.
"Lord Roswaal and Lady Betty rarely eat.
Lady Emilia says she doesn't feel like eating, and Puck is accompanying her," Ram explained.
"I see," Lucien nodded, then turned serious.
"Miss Ram, I have a request."
"Speak," she replied.
"Does each person only get this one plate?" Lucien pointed at the food in front of him, clearly insufficient for his appetite.
"Not enough?
Rem and I can make extra servings next time," Ram offered.
"It's not a matter of one serving," Lucien shook his head.
"It's six hundred servings."
Both Rem and Ram stared blankly, while Natsuki Subaru looked stunned.
"How much did you just say?" Ram asked, suspecting she had misheard.
"Six hundred servings, just for one meal.
For three meals, that's roughly 1,800 servings," Lucien said casually, continuing to eat.
"Oh!
Don't worry, I won't eat for free!"
"Even a pig can't eat that much," Subaru mocked, lowering his head to eat.
"Mr. Subaru, although I don't know how I've offended you, please do not be unreasonable," Lucien said seriously.
"Hmph!" Subaru snorted, returning to his meal.
"I'll prepare it," Ram said, resuming her calm demeanor.
"Ram, are you crazy?
Six hundred servings per meal, and only the three of us making it?" Subaru exclaimed.
He realized that he, Ram, and Rem handled all work in the mansion daily.
Adding 1,800 servings of food would exhaust them entirely.
Was Lucien intentionally keeping him busy so he couldn't appear in front of Emilia?
The thought of such a shameless, cunning plan infuriated Subaru.
---