(DISCLAIMER!!!)
This chapter contains scenes of violence and indecency, which might be sensitive for some readers.
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The streets were silent beneath the full moon, the pale light glinted off the
cobblestones. Only the distant hoot of an owl broke the quiet. Kale and his mother walked home, as he hummed happily munching on the bread given to him by Lady Celestine.
"Do you like it that much, Kale?" She asked softly, a smile on her lips.
"Yes, mother!" Kale replied, holding onto her hands tightly as they walked forward into the lonely alley.
Not a soul walked by, save them. Everyone was all indoors, curled up in their warm homes.
But then, a shadow shifted behind them, moving slowly, almost gliding, keeping pace with their steps. The mother's eyes flicked back, catching it in the corner of her vision.
Her breath caught.
Instinctively, she scooped up her son, Kale, into her arms, as the half eaten bread slipped from his tiny grip, falling to the ground.
"Kale, Hold on tight!" She demanded, her voice trembling.
She sprinted, her heart hammering against her chest and her feet slapping against the ground.
She didn't dare look back until she was sure she was far away from what was following them, but the faint scuffle of footsteps echoed behind them.
Turning sharply into a narrow corner, her pulse spiked.
The hooded figure hidden within the shadows, lunged towards her with a blade.
She screamed.
A high, panicked sound echoed through the night.
Kale, frightened, cried out too, his small, fragile arms flailing as the figure struck, and the moonlight caught on the gleaming edge of his blade.
Then there was only silence, which was later broken by the faint rustle of clothing, and the half eaten bread abandoned on the cobblestones.
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The room was dim, the windows covered by heavy drapes, blocking the early morning light from seeping in. Thick steam curled up in the air, clinging to the mare walls and making it difficult to breathe.
Soft footsteps echoed against the wet marble floor. A young maid had walked in, carrying a wooden tray in her hands. It was her first week assigned to the Duke's quarters.
No one had told her about the rules.
Instinctively, her feet moved toward the
window, and parted open the delicate fabric.
Morning light spilled in, illuminating the bath chamber, revealing a marble wall veined with golden-blue design, which curved inward into the tub
"Ah!"
The young maid gasped, dropping the tray. It clattered loudly against the floor.
Lucian. Half submerged in the water. Linen trousers clinging to him, while his upper body was bare. His dark hair was damp, strands plastered to his forehead. Even at rest, his brows were drawn together, his expression tight as though trapped in an unpleasant dream.
But the noise did not wake him.
Heart pounding, the maid leaned in. She took cautious steps closer. His body shifted slightly in the water. Tension in his skin.
Is he having a nightmare?
Without thinking, she reached out trying to wake him up.
In an instant, everything changed. Lucian's lids had snapped open.
"Who are you?"
Lucian asked, he gripped her arm with a crushing force. His voice was hoarse, sharp and dangerous.
The maid's blood ran cold. Dread crawled up her skin, forming goosebumps.
"i…I was just here to clean," she stammered, her knees shaking. Lucian's grip tightened.
"And that includes touching me" his tone was calm. But sent chills down her spine.
"Y…you seemed in pain," she responded. Her voice seized from fear. "I only wanted to wake you up."
He rose from the tub, water dripping down his body, linen trousers soaked and clinging to his skin. With one sharp movement, he flung her aside.
She hit the floor hard, knocking into a small table. Pain shot through her arm.
"Grace…" he called out. An elderly rushed in, her grey hair slicked tightly into a bun.
"Yes Master." She responded.
"How many times have I explained, no one enters while I bathe or take a nap?" He asked coldly. His gaze still on the maid. She held her arm in pain, red from how tightly Lucian's grip was.
"Countless times, Master." Grace replied evenly, not looking at the fallen girl.
Lucian paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on the trembling maid. "Remove her." He said, coming out the tub.
"Yes, my lord," Grace replied.
Grace clapped once. Two other maids appeared and dragged her away, as she cried and pleaded, promising not to repeat the mistake again.
Grace bowed and left, leaving with the maids.
The room fell silent again, steam rising as though nothing had happened. Lucian grabbed a bath robe hanging nearby and pulled it on.
He stepped into his bedroom, Aziah already waiting by the door.
"Woke up on the wrong side?" Aziah remarked lightly.
Lucian took the towel by the side, drying his hair "Just a slight headache." he responded.
"...Poor maid," Aziah remarked "walking in when you are like this."
"Well, you're still alive," Lucian replied dryly. "So no, I am not in a bad mood."
Aziah's lips curled slightly, before he handed him a file. "There has been news.:
Lucian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He grabbed hold of the document, reading the content within.
"There have been sightings," Aziah added.
Lucian's eyes slowed as he read.
"Commoner disappearances?" He read out.
"You think they're involved?" He asked.
"They're known for things like this," Aziah replied.
"Yes," Lucian said calmly, "but not in this manner. The covenants of faith are meticulous. Clean. This.." he lifted the file. "This is amateur work."
Aziah frowned. "Or someone trying to imitate them. We've had nothing for years. This could be sloppy, but done by someone familiar with their methods. We won't know until we investigate."
Lucian fell silent. Then spoke.
"Inform the Shadows. We move at dawn."
A firm knock echoed through the room. "The King has summoned you, Young master." Grace responded.
Lucian straightened. His tone sparked with curiosity. "Were you informed why?" He requested.
Grace stood still, her hands clasped together in front of her stomach. "The messenger only explained it was urgent," she claimed. "And you had to be at the palace, at once."
Aziah and Lucian exchanged glances. Court meetings had specific days, but a king's summon outside those days meant something was wrong.
"Thank you Grace," Lucian said. "You may leave." as he turned away to get dressed.
But, Grace stood still, one hand holding the handles of the door. "Is there anything else, Mrs Grace?" Aziah asked politely.
"Yes." She said, plainly. "The Duke has a guest."
A guest?. Lucian thought.
Since he had arrived from the kingdom's border, this was the first time someone had paid him a visit.
Who could it be, he wondered.
"Do you know who this guest might…." Lucian tried asking. But before he could finish his sentence Grace had inclined her head and walked out the room. Slamming the door loudly behind her.
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Ray sat still, legs crossed and hands nervously folded in her lap. A small box created carefully on her thighs, and her fingers fidgeted around it every few seconds. For some reason, she couldn't stop bouncing her leg.
She tried to calm herself as she waited for the Duke, running through the plan she had prepared in her mind.
1: Thank him for saving her life and present the gift.
2. Express gratitude and suggest a short stroll.
3. Flirt, subtly and if things go well, steer the conversation toward the engagement.
It had all been carefully thought out. Yet, her stomach tightened every time she heard a foot step pass by, her heart ceasing as she mistook them for his.
What if the plan doesn't work?
The thought began to bubble up in her, until it became hard to ignore. Ray shut her eyes and inhaled. Slowly, then exhaled just as carefully. Watching the rise and fall of her chest.
Back in her old world, this was what she had done whenever she felt anxious or nervous.
Somehow it helped.
But only for a while.
"What are you doing?" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. As Ray's eyes flew open.
Lucian stood before her.
Ray stood abruptly, her mind in shock.
"Lucian," she called, the box almost slipping from her hands— until he caught it, steadying it in his grip.
"Thank you,... .Duke Lucian," Ray said, her nerves faint in her voice.
"Please," he corrected, "call me Lucian." His eyebrows raised as though insinuating she had already started. Lucian took a seat opposite her, gesturing for her to sit as well.
"Oh…" Ray sank back quickly. The silence between them was heavy. Ray was at a loss for words.
Where do I begin? She thought, her heart hammered in her chest.
Lucian's gaze lingered on her before he finally spoke. "To what do I owe the daughter of Marquis Varondulf this visit?" His voice was even and unreadable.
It was now or never. She thought
Ray's lips curled slightly, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed into a calculated seductive gaze. "Yesterday you saved my life," she said calmly. "I have come only to express my gratitude."
Lucian remained indifferent, his hand rested lazily at his side. While his gaze remained unreadable.
"Hmm…," he nodded, his eyes flicking to the box in her lap. "Is that mine?" He inquired, voice soft but confident.
Ray's eyes shot down toward the box, then lifted slowly. "It is," she said, nodding in agreement.
Carefully, she lifted the cover of the box, revealing its contents.
"I brought you a cake… to show my gratitude," she added softly.
Lucian leaned forward slightly, his eyes flicking to the cake before returning to her. "Strawberry?" He asked.
She nodded, a bright grin spreading across her face.
"I don't like strawberries," he said plainly.
"What?" Ray's face dropped. "Since when?" she asked. The words just flew out her mouth by accident.
Lucian's brows furrowed lightly, his head tilting. "Since I was a child," he replied, calm and certain.
Ray froze. She had never written that in… or had she forgotten?
"Okay…what kind of cake do you like?" She asked, trying to regain control.
Lucian remained silent, his eyes still locked on hers, observing. Ray felt cold sweat trickle down her neck. What was with his intense gaze? She wondered, Had he caught on?
"Okay," she continued, trying to ignore his burning stare. "if you don't like cake, how about I repay my gratitude with something else?" She asked softly. "Go on an evening stroll with me."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips. So this was the reason, he thought.
"It was strange that you called off the engagement so easily," he said evenly, "but now it all makes sense."
Ray froze. As expected, he had caught on. He wouldn't be the Male lead if he wasn't a genius.
"Why are you trying to seduce me?" He asked plainly.
Ray's heart hammered in her chest.
Every instinct screamed at her that things were about to go wrong, but she couldn't give up now.
She had to survive.
D-20.