"Do you want to know why I dislike women?" Edmund asked, his eyes unfocused, "It's because they always pretend to be innocent, but they are not. They smile at you, but they are not happy. They cry when they want to, but they don't mean it...They lie, Lucian. They all do."

"..." Lucian took a sip from the bottle, "You are just describing Celine," he pointed out, "Not all the women are like that, you know? There are some that are honest, caring, and genuine. If you want, I can introduce you to someone."

"Okay," Edmund said, his head dropping to the side, and then back up again, "I'll take a look, she better not be like my sister. I still don't trust your judgment. It's like you have a devil fetish or something...and I'm not into that."

"..." Lucian moved his finger from right to left in disagreement, "Celine is the most amazing creature in the world. She is the... queen of my heart, and the ruler of my world. Anyone who can't see that is blind and deserves to have their eyes plucked out."

"..." Edmund looked at Lucian, and then at the wine, and then at Lucian again, "I'm not drunk enough to deal with this."

He took a few big gulps and then coughed, his eyes watering.

'Everyone is making fun of her behind her back, but they can't even reach the sole of her shoe.'

Lucian chuckled to himself, his head slightly falling backward.

'Cowards that are afraid to face the devil, yet still dare to speak ill of it. And then, they get surprised when it comes knocking on their door.'

'Why am I even angry?' he thought to himself, 'I've always known this was going to happen... I should have enjoyed the time we had together while it lasted.'

'Are you just going to accept it?' Voice questioned.

'Nobody said it,' Lucian answered, 'I can just wait until she is at her lowest and then swoop in to save the day. That's how she got me, didn't she? Through dependency and vulnerability...'

"..." Edmund wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "I'm quite popular with ladies myself, you know? I have a few admirers that send me letters and gifts."

"That's nice," Lucian said, "Good for you."

"I'm not a virgin," Edmund said, his voice lovering a pitch as if trying to appear more manly, "My first time was with my personal maid, and we still do it from time to time. When I have the urge for it."

"..." Lucian blinked, taken aback by the information that came out of nowhere, "Does Celine know about this?"

"I tell her everything I do," Edmund said, his cheeks flushing, "She is the one who tells the maids to wash themselves thoroughly before serving me. She also told me that if I don't want to sire bastards, I should wear protection and not spill my seed in them. She is too young to be an aunt, she said. Also..."

"..." Lucian's eye twitched, "...Also?"

Edmund's smile became smug, and he leaned over his desk, his breath smelling of alcohol, "You must be experienced in the matter since you are so good with women. Tell me, do you have a preference in the position?"

"..." Lucian didn't know what to say, he wasn't sure if he wanted to answer or if he should just ignore him. "I don't know...I haven't done it yet."

Edmund's mouth dropped, "Don't tell me you are saving yourself for Celine. Who's going to believe that a man like you is still pure? Are you trying to make me look bad here? I won't fall for it."

"..." Lucian sighed, running a hand through his hair. He never had this type of talk with anyone, and he definitely didn't want to share his intimate details with his brother-in-law to be. It was awkward enough as it was, "I'm not really that interested in that kind of thing..."

It was true. They never went beyond cuddling just to test their self control and have a laugh at their bodies reactions. Celine was not ready for more, and he respected that.

Edmund's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, "...are you really a virgin?"

"Yes," Lucian said, "So what? It's not like I'm going to die if I don't do it."

"..." Edmund leaned in closer, "Do you have the right equipment down there?"

"..." Lucian gave him a deadpan stare, "I'm not an animal that needs to be checked for breeding potential."

"Ugh, why are you talking like Celine out of a sudden?" Edmund grimaced, taking another sip from his bottle, "I just can't see you as a virgin. You don't act like one, don't speak like one, and definitely don't look like one. I was so sure you had some experience already. Just look at how you are holding that bottle. Do you know how many men would kill to have your charisma?"

"Would you like some tips?" Lucian asked. He wondered if Celine viewed him in the same light as her brother.

She usually acted like he was her property to do whatever she pleased with, not someone she admired or looked up to. He, on the other hand, usually treated her like a puppy, and it was a miracle she hadn't bit off his hand yet.

Edmund's eyes lit up, "Finally a man I can talk to. It's like I only have a sister and mother, and I can't talk about these things with them, right?"

"Right," Lucian chuckled, not expecting his offer to be taken seriously, "Instead of focusing on how to sit right, imagine you are being surrounded by lions. No shaking or fidgeting. The lions around you can smell fear, so you have to look back at them like they are a bunch of kittens..."

"Got it," Edmund said, relaxing his posture, "How is this?"

"You are blinking too much," Lucian said.

Edmund took a deep breath, "It's a bit different from what I've been taught."

"How have you been taught?"

Edmund looked at his hands, trying to recall the lessons, "Fearless in the face of the enemy, confident in the face of danger, poised in the face of death. All that while you are being hit by a wooden stick. Over and over again until you are numb," he made a pause, "I didn't know I was supposed to relax."

"What teacher would fail to point that out?" Lucian asked like he knew what he was talking about, "That's the basics."

"A dead one," Edmund said and drank the rest of the bottle's contents, "I was supposed to kill him if I wanted to pass."

'Oh...' Lucian cleared his throat, "Well...that explains why he didn't correct you. Somebody else should have noticed though. Did no one ever tell you that? Like your father? Or your sister?"

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