"Did nobody teach you that leaving bruises on others is a sign of abuse?" Lucian asked.
"Do these things have to be taught to be understood?" Celine asked back.
Lucian wiggled his finger at his neck, "What if it leaves a bruise? Are you ready to take on that burden?"
"Yes?" She replied with a question, not knowing what was the right answer, "I mean no? I don't want to get violent but it's necessary for my safety."
Lucian shook his head in disbelief at her response, "Your safety? What is that supposed to mean?"
"You are taller, stronger and more durable than me. You have the natural upper hand, so I need to make sure that I have an upper hand too. Or else you will be able to do whatever you want with me and I'll be left defenseless," she explained.
"I would never raise a hand to you," Lucian exclaimed, shocked at her words, "You should know that."
"Yes, that's because I have a countermeasure to make sure you won't," she pointed out, untying the ribbon and taking it off, "Abusive women are less likely to suffer from violent behavior from their men..."
"...There are quite a few examples where the man is the victim. I took some inspiration from them. It's a sad reality, but a reality nonetheless. It is the law of the jungle."
She blew at his neck to cool the skin, breathing in the scent of his body at the same time, "No redness or bruising. We're good."
This was a world where men were the superior ones in terms of strength and size. But women had their own advantages. They had their own cards to play.
Celine was just playing the game that was set for her.
Add some womanly charms and seduction techniques to the mix and women could also be a force to be reckoned with. The men could be brought down to their knees, unable to resist the temptations.
Lucian sighed and turned away from her, "Do you even love me? You sound like a woman who only cares about herself..."
Celine leaned against his chest silently in response, no longer engaging with their usual banter and verbal fights, looking like a lost child in need of a hug.
'She's doing it intentionally,' he warned himself and tightened his embrace around her shoulders. She could be manipulative and petty like that.
Lucian felt like he was in a tight spot, not because he wanted her to move away, but because she was not moving closer.
Her hands were hanging on the sides of her body, not wrapping around his torso, not teasing him. She was not pulling on his shirt or playing with the fabric of his pants.
It felt weird.
'At least she isn't crying,' he comforted himself, his heart starting to ache, and his stomach starting to twist. The need to cheer her up and to make things right was overwhelming.
"Did I hurt your feelings?" Lucian asked. It was hard not to play along with her, and he was doing his best to resist the urge to do so.
"I'm a witch, I have no feelings to be hurt," she said sarcastically before switching the subject, "Don't you have a gift for me as well?"
"...uh-huh," Lucian nodded, "Do you remember how I had to massage your bum after the long journey in the carriage?"
She nodded.
He pulled a small wooden wheel out of his pocket, and handed it to her, "There you go. I plan to start the production of rubber tires in the following month, and you will be the first one to experience its benefits."
Celine unglued her cheek from his chest and looked at the wheel, taking it into her hand. She squeezed the rubber on the outer side of the wooden wheel, "What's inside of it?"
"Air," Lucian explained, "It helps to cushion the bumpy road and uneven surfaces."
Wheels used to be made out of solid wood, with the outer part of the wooden wheel wrapped in a thin sheet of metal to prolong its life span. It was not a perfect solution, but nobody really bothered to try and improve it.
Celine held the wheel in one hand, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips, "You came with it for my comfort?"
"Yes, I care about that," he answered, resting his chin on her head, "I don't like seeing you in pain, and it will help to reduce it."
"Really?" she asked.
"Really."
She played with the wheel, rolling it on the ground away from her and then back to her. She seemed to like it a lot.
She didn't say anything for a few minutes, and he didn't push the issue further. He just enjoyed the feeling of holding her in his arms.
The issue would have been brushed under the rug like usual, but this time, he was determined to not let any abuse on his person to go unnoticed, or else she would think it was okay to do it again.
He tried to pry his "medal" from her hands and to put it in his pocket, but she wasn't letting go of it, "Do I have to pay for it now?"
She noticed the change in tone, which didn't sound doting like it usually did, and handed it to him, "Burn it if you want. It's yours to do with as you please. I won't be offended."
"Burn it?" Lucian looked down at her, confused, "Why would I burn it? It's the first medal I've ever earned. It's important."
She didn't comment on it, just pressed herself even closer to him.
"I don't hate it, I swear," Lucian coaxed her, but she just buried her face in his shirt even more, refusing to look him in the eyes, "I definitely didn't think of it as an insult. My sense of humor must have gotten rusty, and I misunderstood it."
'Why am I explaining myself? Shouldn't she be apologizing for almost choking me to death?' he thought, not understanding why he felt guilty.
He tried to remove her hands from his shirt to get some breathing room, but she held onto him even tighter.