I Choose The Villain Duke

Euphemia did not allow Lucien to sleep with her on the same bed again. Instead, they stayed up late together in the study and when they were sleepy already, they would go back to their own rooms afterwards.

Lucien liked seeing Euphemia's enthusiasm but he wanted to be closer to her. He just wasn't sure how to go about it.

On the night Euphemia slept on his chest, he was initially really flustered but when he calmed down, it felt wonderful. He had no memory of sleeping with someone on the same bed. His mother made him sleep alone even at a very young age.

He did not dare move a muscle in fear of Euphemia waking up. He liked her warmth, her scent, and her presence so very close to him. It was calming. He usually had nightmares but on that night, he slept very peacefully.

"Oh! I think this would be good to make into a play!" Euphemia said.

It was already the fifth night of their reading session and they were in the study again.

"What is it about?" Lucien asked, putting down the papers he was holding.

"The title is The Sun King and the Moonlight Princess. Hmm . . . it's quite long. Fred didn't write any summary of the story but I've finished reading it already."

"Could you tell me the story, Lady Euphee?" Lucien asked.

Euphemia smiled and nodded.

*

*

*

"Once upon a time, there was a Sun King living in the heavens. He was the most powerful being in the world. He was firm but not cruel. He was a good ruler but he had no partner.

The other heavenly gods urged the Sun King to marry the Moonlight Princess. The heavenly laws dictated that the Sun King must marry a royal heavenly being also and the Moonlight Princess was the youngest and most beautiful of all.

The Sun King proposed to the Moonlight Princess but he was the ruler so it wasn't really a choice for her. She accepted his proposal and a day for their wedding was set.

The heavenly beings became busy preparing for the most lavish wedding of all time. The dress of the Moonlight Princess was sewn with starlight, dewdrops, and the strings of fate. It was the most exquisite and magical dress in the world. She would be the most beautiful bride.

On the day of their wedding, the Moonlight Princess went missing!

They searched and searched the heavenly realms but to no avail. She was nowhere to be found. There was only one place they haven't searched yet - the mortal realms.

The Sun King declared that he would be the one to bring back the Moonlight Princess. He went down to the mortal realms and disguised himself as a mortal being.

He asked several mortals but every time he asked someone, they would question him too.

'What is her name?' A carpenter asked.

The Sun King did not know. He just knew her as the Moonlight Princess. He did not even ask for her name before he proposed.

'Why did she run away?' A fisherman asked.

The Sun King did not know. He himself was also baffled. Why would she not want to marry him? He's the Sun King! He's the most powerful being in the world!

'Do you love her?' An old woman asked.

'No. Is that important? We just have to get married and fulfill our duties,' the Sun King said.

The old woman laughed at the strange man.

'Love should be the only reason you are to marry. If not for love, you are better alone. You will only be miserable until you die.'

'But we do not die. We are immortals! That does not apply to us,' The Sun King said.

The old woman laughed again. 'Silly man! Then you shall be miserable your whole life!'

The Sun King became even more confused throughout his journey. Everywhere he went, the mortals questioned him and he doubted himself. He couldn't understand why the mortals said love was more important than duties.

One day, he heard a scream in the middle of the forest. He went towards the sound and found a young woman below a cliff. She looked injured.

The Sun King went down the cliff and helped the young woman. He wasn't usually helpful but perhaps being a mortal in disguise was rubbing off him.

The young woman was obviously a peasant. Her dress was old and tattered but her face was quite pretty.

'Thank you for helping me. I am still unable to walk. My village is far away. Could you please help me until get better?'

'Why would I do that?' The Sun King asked.

'I am your responsibility already. You should take responsibility for saving me. If you leave me now, you would just leave me to die,' the young woman said.

The Sun King was surprised by her attitude. No one had ever defied him and spoken back. He found her strangely alluring.

For several days, the Sun King hunted food for the young woman. He built a shelter for the two of them. He tended to her wounds with herbs with healing properties.

The day came when she was finally better.

'Thank you. I did not expect you to do all those things for me. Would you like to live with me in my village?' the young woman asked.

The Sun King went with her.

The young woman's parents were very grateful to the Sun King. They offered to let him stay with them.

The Sun King did not refuse. For the first time in his existence, he felt truly happy. He liked seeing the young woman smile. He liked helping her. He liked her. A lot.

One day, the young woman said that there would be a wedding in the village and everyone was invited.

He was surprised to see who the bride was. It was the Moonlight Princess. She was wearing a simple wedding dress and she was going to marry a mortal farmer in the village.

The Moonlight Princess was frightened to see the Sun King at her wedding. She feared that he was going to stop the wedding and he was going to drag her back to the heavenly realms.

The Sun King assured her that he would not do that. He asked her why she ran away.

'I have a mortal lover who I am in love with. I would like to spend the rest of my life with him.'

'The rest of your life? You are immortal, Moonlight Princess. He will die years later and you will continue to exist looking as young as you are now.'

The Moonlight Princess shook her head and smiled. 'No, I am no longer an immortal. I left behind my immortality in the heavens. I would like to grow old with him, have children with him, and finally turn to dust with him.'

The Moonlight Princess looked worried. 'I beg of you. Please do not give me back my immortality.'

'Why would you choose to die with him?' The Sun King was still baffled.

'Because I love him. Aren't you the same with that young woman? Do you not want to be with her? Isn't that the reason you have been staying with her?'

The marriage between the Moonlight Princess and her groom proceeded smoothly. It was a joyful event.

The Sun King thought about what the Moonlight Princess said the whole night.

The next day, the Sun King gave up his immortality and proposed to the young woman. The young woman was overjoyed and accepted his proposal.

On the day of his marriage, an old woman approached the Sun King. It was the old woman who he had the conversation with about love.

'Why did you give up your immortality first before asking for her hand?' the old woman asked.

'Because it would be unfair. I love her and I am ready to risk everything for her. If she had refused, I would still pursue her. If she would still refuse until the end, I would still choose to love her and die instead of living endlessly without even seeing her smile or hearing her laugh.'

The Sun King realized that the old woman should not even know that he was the Sun King. The old woman chuckled.

'I am Time. It is true what they say. Time changes everything. Yours has been a good change. You should not be bound to another because or your duties. You should be bound together willingly because of love.'

Time disappeared and love was all that was left.

The end."

*

*

*

Euphemia drank from the glass of water beside her.

"That's an amazing story! I can see why the nobles did not want his story to be published!" Lucien said in awe.

"It is, isn't it? It's not just a simple love story. I think he is talking about the rules of nobility regarding marriage. The scenes in the story are perfect too for a play. The journey would be nice to show and there would be a lot of characters the Sun King would meet. There are a lot of people we can employ for the play," Euphemia said happily.

"It looks like you already have people in mind," Lucien said.

"I would like to help the people living in Fred's area. They are very poor and we could employ them. We could give them jobs . . . if that's all right with you?" Euphemia said.

"It's all right with me. You're very kind, Lady Euphee," Lucien said.

Euphemia blushed. "I'm just asking because I would be using your finances for their wages. I would try to pay you back, of course. I also plan to have food stalls around the play and the earnings would go to you."

Lucien shook his head. "I'm your fiancé and you don't need to pay be back."

Euphemia wasn't really comfortable using someone else's money. Perhaps she could have a talk with Hansel and have Hansel deposit the earnings to Lucien's account secretly.

Lucien narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are not to pay me back secretly either, Lady Euphee," Lucien said.

Euphemia blushed.

Lucien stood up and stretched his arms. "I think we are done for the night? I like the story you have chosen."

Euphemia stood up too and compiled the papers scattered. "Yes, you can go ahead now. I'll just tidy up here."

Lucien smiled lazily. "Let's sleep already. The servants can do that."

He touched her hand. Euphemia's eyes widened. He moved closer to her. Euphemia looked up and saw that his face was just inches to hers.

"Let's sleep together?" Lucien asked.

Euphemia backed away slowly. "W-we can't."

"Why not?" Lucien moved closer to her again.

"We're not in that kind of relationship! We're not even that close! I'm not even calling you with a nickname yet!" Euphemia said, her mind panicking, her heartbeat going overdrive.

Lucien tilted his head to the side. "Then call me with a nickname, Euphee."

Euphemia's eyes widened. She had become used already to his formal way of addressing her. When he called her with just a nickname, it felt different. It felt intimate.

"I-is Luci fine with you?" Euphemia asked, still in a flustered state.

Lucien grinned. "It's fine. I like it, Euphee."

"Why do you even want to sleep with me again? It's so strange of you!" Euphemia said.

Lucien took her hand and pressed his lips on the back of her hand.

"It felt very nice. I liked feeling your body against mine. I liked seeing you wake up. I would like to see your face when I sleep and when I wake up."

Euphemia was shocked. She had not expected Lucien to be this affectionate. She had only prepared herself for an engagement that was like a business transaction. She had not prepared herself for something like this. What did he even mean by that?

Euphemia chewed on her lip and frowned.

"I think it would be improper. We're not even lovers. I bid you good night!" Euphemia said and hurriedly went out of the study.

Lucien sighed and scratched his head.

He might have just scared her off. He was going too fast and he knew it but he could not stop himself. He would have to proceed slowly then.

Lovers, huh?

Perhaps he could ask the writer for advice on how two people become lovers.

Lucien smiled.