[BL] The Darling Villain

Chapter 76. To You, In the Past

Lucilline fell silent. He was hesitant on who he should walk over to. In the end, he turned a blind eye to his father's helpless pleas, and waddled over to his mother's happy embrace.

Rachelle laughed heartily, "Yay! Mother wins again!"

Anderson laid flat on the wooden floorboards, "..." I refuse to admit defeat.

"Is Father still devastated by the fact that Lucy likes Mother more?" A young girl paced in the hallway, then stopped before her face-planted father. Long strands of curly mahogany red hair had rolled off her shoulders, and her frilly cherry red dress fitted her slim figure. Scarletta wore a half-hearted smile, resembling the arrogance of Orion.

Anderson crawled up from the floor, his face ashen. "Be more polite, Scarlet. You are a young and fair lady, and you must remember to talk to your parents with respect."

The eight-year-old girl averted her silver eyes, twirling a strand of hair in her finger, "But I was merely stating fact. Lucy obviously likes Mother more than you."

Anderson: !!! He was personally attacked by his daughter again !!!

"Alas, your ruthless demeanour never changes." He sighed.

Scarletta watched by the wall, her silver eyes focused on her happy mother, who lifted baby Lucy effortlessly by the armpits, raising him up high while spinning in circles. Rachelle and Lucilline spun, and the baby boy giggled in the air.

To this, Scarletta stifled her own foolish chuckle. Too cute.

Anderson noticed her chuckle, and his lips curved upwards. So it seems that Scarlet has finally found a little brother she can love.

"I want to play with Lucy too!" A short roar had shaken the portraits hanging upon the walls.

A slender figure marched in the hallway—a young boy wearing a frilly white shirt, with tight black pants—his curly mahogany red hair tied into a braid. His silver eyes resembled both Anderson's and Scarletta's, cold like stainless steel, empty without a single substance. However, those silver eyes also lit up whenever in close proximity with family members.

Zephyratt bundled his hands into puny fists, "I want to lift Lucy up high too!"

Rachelle laughed at his eagerness. "Alright then, but be careful. Your baby brother is still weak, so make sure to not hurt him."

The second child had a type of haughtiness and arrogance, but can be easily overwritten when he sees his baby brother. Zephyratt gasped softly when he carried Lucilline in his arms. His baby brother was soft and plump all over, almost like a marshmallow melting in his hold. Zephyratt made sure to carry Lucilline with great care.

He completely forgot about wanting to "raise Lucy up high".

Quickly, a smell of vinegar permeated in the air.

Scarletta clutched a hand on the wall, and immediately, a crack split into the sturdy block.

Anderson, who was the only person to witness this, "..." Your jealousy is stinking up the place.

*****

It has been five years since the birth of Lucilline Rubius.

The fragrant smell of jasmine and roses had permeated in the manor, attracting all different birds to flutter onto a branch and gaze upon the commotion. In the centre of the garden, a pure white table with chairs surrounding it have been organized neatly. The lush green field had been purged by a sea of daffodils and roses of all hues.

However, none of the flowers could rival the beauty of her.

Rachelle wore a long crimson red dress, with her long luscious black hair tied into a braid trailing by her shoulder. Her willowy limbs were paler than the bark of a birch tree, and yet more soft than a swan's noble feather. Rachelle sat on one side of the table, and servants lined up behind her. The maids began setting plates of desserts and pots of tea onto the white tablecloth, assorting a variety of fun colours to contrast the pure white.

"It has been a long time since we've met together like this, old friend." Rachelle wore a small smile, one that could even seize the hearts of those blinded. Her hands wore long black laced gloves, reaching up to her slender elbow.

On the other side of a table was a short and petite woman. She dressed in a pink gown, but the fabric was cheap and rough on the skin. The woman's flesh seemed to bulge out from the dress, and her skin had been rubbed red beneath the laces. In terms of appearance, this woman was light years away when compared to Rachelle.

It was hard to imagine how Rachelle—the "as if a flower morphed into human" noble lady—managed to become friends with a mere commoner.

"How is your youngest one doing?" Despite the jarring difference in looks, the pink-dressed woman still laughed. She did not care that she was a commoner, or that Lady Rachelle was a noble. They may not have the same hierarchy or class, but they were still friends.

"Lucy is doing great," Rachelle's eyes lit up when mentioning her youngest child. "He is just the cutest thing ever! Scarlet and Zephie never got along with one another, but with their new baby brother, they finally have someone to accompany them!"

However... The black-haired noble lady sighed. Recently, it feels like Scarlet and Zephie are fighting more than ever. They both want Lucy for themselves.

The commoner woman giggled full-heartedly. "Isn't Lucy five-years-old now? How is he doing at school?"

Rachelle tried to hide her pained smile. She poured herself a cup of tea, and the intoxicated scent of floral jasmine suffused into the spring breeze, almost like a torrent of cherry blossoms dyeing the cerulean skies into an ocean of pink.

"Actually..." her golden eyes flickered, "Lucy is a very shy kid. He doesn't like to interact with the other noble children, and instead reads books in the corner all day."

Rachelle groaned, "I don't know how to get him to open up to the other children." She picked her porcelain cup up from the plate, as a soft clang resounded from the click. The black-haired mother sipped her tea, feeling the sweet herbs tickle her throat.

"Hmm..." the commoner woman hummed.

She tapped on the handle of her own cup.

"Rachelle," she smiled brightly, "Not all children become friends instantaneously. It may take them a while to befriend one another." Her rough and calloused hands had a sharp comparison to the stainless tablecloth. "If you're still worried about Lucy though, you can have him meet my daughter. I'm sure they'll become best friends like us."

Rachelle laughed at that last statement.

"That is a good idea." Her lips curved upwards, "Oh right, your daughter is the same age as Lucy. Am I right, Miss Bellerose?"

The commoner woman—surname Bellerose—had nodded. "That is right. Her name is Daphnne, and she is an outgoing girl. I'm sure that if she reaches out to your son, Lucy will no longer be shy with other children anymore!"

Rachelle agreed. "Then let's plan a time for them to meet!" She couldn't help but hold a beautiful smile in her golden eyes. They might even become lovers. When that thought slipped into her mind, Rachelle laughed even harder.

Too bad their children never managed to meet—while their mothers were still alive, anyways.