Lucavion looked at the Duke, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he said nothing, merely watching him with that same lazy confidence that had been irritating from the very beginning.
Then—
“If I were to speak to you about my reasons,” he murmured, almost to himself, “you would look at me like I’m crazy.”
Thaddeus narrowed his eyes.
Lucavion exhaled lightly, shaking his head.
“Yes. You would look at me just like that.”
The Duke was glaring at him. His patience, already thin, had been steadily eroding throughout this entire conversation.
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He says I’d look at him like he’s crazy—am I not already doing exactly that?
What logic is this?
Thaddeus’ jaw tightened. He was a man who dealt in strategy, in clear cause-and-effect reasoning. Politics, battle, governance—all of it relied on understanding the motives of those around you.
But this boy—
This boy was something else entirely.
Before he could press further, Lucavion spoke again, his voice taking on a rare seriousness.
“Mister Duke.”
There was no mockery, no teasing smirk this time.
“Regardless of my reasons for doing this, I hereby swear that I have no intention of trying to damage your family or your authority.”
His dark eyes gleamed as he continued.
“I care none for them.”
A heavy silence settled in the room.
Thaddeus’ fingers twitched slightly at his side.
He had heard a great many things in his life. Pleas, bargains, declarations of loyalty and deception alike. But this?
This was not the voice of a man looking to align himself with power for the sake of it.
Then what was it?
Thaddeus exhaled through his nose, his golden eyes narrowing once more. “Then what do you care about?”
Lucavion chuckled softly at that.
“What do I care?” He tilted his head slightly, as if the answer was obvious.
Then—
“It’s simple.”
His smirk returned, small but absolute.
“I want to do whatever I want to.”
A pause.
“And for that to happen, I need your backing.”
The sheer boldness of the statement was staggering.
Not power. Not titles. Not wealth.
Simply the freedom to do as he pleased.
“Everyone wants that,” Thaddeus muttered, rubbing his temple. “But there are reasons why one’s freedom is limited.”
His golden eyes, sharp despite his growing exhaustion, locked onto Lucavion once more.
“For instance,” he continued, voice edged with restrained irritation, “what kind of crazy things do you want to do, that you need my—the Thaddeus Duchy’s—power to back you?”
That was the question.
The real question.
Because no matter how much Lucavion danced around his reasons, no matter how frustratingly vague he was being, the one truth was clear—he needed something big. Something no ordinary faction could provide.
Thaddeus sighed, inhaling deeply as he studied the young man before him.
Because regardless of what Lucavion wanted to do, there was one undeniable fact—
He had been truthful from the start.
Questionable? Absolutely. Reckless? Often. But dishonest?
No.
He had not paved his path through deception. He had not tried to weave a web of lies to manipulate the Duke into agreeing.
No—he had simply laid his cards bare.
Blunt. Transparent.
And that…
That made it all the more difficult to refuse him outright.
Thaddeus exhaled again, slower this time.
“Sigh…”
Aeliana shifted slightly beside him, watching the exchange carefully, but she said nothing.
Even though Lucavion was eccentric.
Even though he was childish far too often.
Even though he was crazy most of the time—
He was honest.
And most of all—
He had saved her.
Thaddeus’ fingers curled slightly at his side.
Then, finally—
“What if I refuse?”
Lucavion blinked, then let out a soft chuckle.
“If you refuse…” He trailed off, tilting his head as if considering the question properly. “Well, then what else?” He shrugged. “I’ll just leave this place and look for something else.”
Thaddeus narrowed his eyes. “Look for something else, or someone else?”
Lucavion threw his head back and laughed.
“Ahahahah… Mister Duke,” he said, his voice carrying the faintest note of amusement. “Do you really think I’d spread my legs for anyone?”
Thaddeus stiffened ever so slightly at the phrasing, his patience visibly wearing thin.
“This kind of offer,” Lucavion continued, smirking, “is only for you. Only.”
His dark eyes gleamed as he leaned back slightly.
“If you refuse me—then I’ll do everything alone.”
Lucavion stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders as if this entire conversation were nothing more than a casual exchange. Then, with a small exhale, he added,
“But well… it could definitely be overwhelming.”
His voice carried no hesitation, no false bravado—just a simple, matter-of-fact statement.
“And, very likely,” he continued, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips, “I could be buried underneath the things I put myself under.”
Aeliana narrowed her eyes slightly at that.
Even he acknowledged it? That the things he was getting involved in were far too dangerous—even for him?
But of course, he said it like it didn’t bother him in the slightest.
Lucavion leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. His dark eyes gleamed with something almost amused as he continued,
“Though, at the very least, I wouldn’t go down as someone who bowed his head.”
His smirk widened.
“A fitting title, don’t you think?”
Thaddeus’ jaw tightened slightly.
Because damn this boy.
Damn his recklessness. Damn his absurd confidence. Damn the fact that every word he spoke made it harder to simply turn him away.
But Lucavion wasn’t finished yet.
He tilted his head slightly, watching the Duke’s expression carefully before adding—
“But, of course—that wouldn’t concern you, would it?”
His voice was smooth, casual, but there was an undeniable weight in those words.
A challenge.
An unspoken question.
If Thaddeus refused—
Then Lucavion would walk away.
He would face whatever came next alone.
And the Duke?
Thaddeus did not answer immediately.
What was he supposed to think about this?
What would his future self think?
The logical answer was clear.
He could not—should not—tie the name of the Thaddeus Duchy, the very foundation of his family’s legacy, to a reckless, unpredictable young man with no known allegiance, no clear plan, and no reason to be trusted beyond his own words.
He had fought too hard for the power he held.
He had built his house into something unshakable.
To leave its future entangled with this madman?
It was absurd.
And yet—
Why did it feel like rejecting Lucavion outright would be a mistake?
Why did it feel like this moment—this choice—would be something he would look back on for years to come?
Thaddeus inhaled, preparing to speak—
But before he could—
“Father.”
Aeliana’s voice cut through the tension, sharp yet controlled.
The Duke’s golden eyes flickered toward her.
Lucavion, too, turned his gaze, his smirk faltering just slightly—just for a moment.
Aeliana stepped forward.
Aeliana stepped forward, her amber eyes locked onto her father’s with quiet determination.
Lucavion raised an eyebrow.
Oh? Now this was interesting.
She had been silent for a while, observing, measuring—but now she was stepping in?
Thaddeus frowned slightly. “Aeliana—”
“You should agree,” she interrupted, her voice firm.