[Heeee? Suspicious.]
Lucavion laughed it off, waving a hand dismissively. “What’s the matter?”
Vitaliara didn’t answer immediately. She just stared at him, her crimson eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
A slow, knowing glare.
But she said nothing.
Lucavion took the silence as his cue to continue. “After Aeliana fought against her illness, I handled the Kraken and won. Simple as that.”
Vitaliara’s tail flicked sharply.
[Hmph.]
She wasn’t convinced.
Lucavion could feel it—that particular brand of suspicion, the one she always had when she sensed he was conveniently leaving things out.
[It feels like you’re letting out some details.]
Lucavion smirked, shaking his head. “When have I ever done such a thing?”
[All the time!] Vitaliara snapped, her voice laced with exasperation.
“Aha—” Lucavion let out an amused chuckle but didn’t deny it.
Still, he chose to conclude the story like that.
However—
Vitaliara didn’t look satisfied.
Her gaze sharpened again, eyes slightly narrowed as she tilted her head.
[Fine. Then answer this—how did you end up here?]
Lucavion glanced around the room, exhaling lightly. “Well… apparently, the girl I saved?” He smirked. “She was the Duke’s daughter.”
A tense silence.
Vitaliara’s entire body froze.
Then, her ears twitched, and a dangerous glint entered her eyes.
[You knew everything beforehand.]
Lucavion raised an eyebrow, his smirk unfading. “What makes you think so?”
Vitaliara’s tail lashed once, her voice firm. [The fact that you suddenly decided to come here, joined an expedition, and even risked yourself to enter that vortex.]
She stared straight at him, unwavering.
[Even if it’s you, you don’t do meaningless things. I already had my suspicions, but now…] Her voice grew sharper, her tone laced with certainty. [Now I’m sure.]
Lucavion didn’t say anything.
He neither confirmed nor denied Vitaliara’s accusation, letting the silence stretch between them. His black eyes remained unreadable, a faint smirk playing at his lips, but he gave her nothing.
Vitaliara narrowed her eyes further, clearly expecting some kind of answer.
Before she could push him further—
Knock, knock.
The door creaked open, and Anne stepped inside, carefully carrying a tray with a porcelain teapot and a delicate cup.
“Excuse me,” she said softly, her voice laced with formality. “I apologize for the delay.”
Lucavion turned his gaze to her—and immediately, his sharp eyes caught something.
A small, fresh bandage wrapped around the bottom of her left hand.
He didn’t miss the way she subtly tried to keep it out of view, as if hoping he wouldn’t notice.
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, tapping his fingers against the armrest.
“Did you spill the tea?” he asked, his tone light yet pointed.
Anne stiffened.
For a second, she hesitated—then her grip on the tray tightened slightly.
“…I am sorry,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
She looked embarrassed, most likely not expecting him to pick up on it so quickly.
Lucavion simply chuckled under his breath.
Even if he wasn’t the most observant person in the world like another certain character, he wasn’t oblivious. And something as blatant as this?
Of course he would notice.
Lucavion didn’t say anything at first. He simply extended his hand.
Anne blinked, confused. “S-Sir?”
His black eyes gleamed with something unreadable as he raised his right hand slightly, fingers curling in a slow, beckoning gesture.
“Your hand,” he said smoothly. “Give it to me.”
Anne hesitated, glancing down at the bandaged area before looking back up at him.
“I… I can’t do that,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s inappropriate.”
Lucavion’s smirk deepened.
“Good,” he murmured. “This time, you didn’t forget.”
Anne looked up at him, startled.
Lucavion leaned back, resting his chin against his palm as he watched her reaction. “Back then, when I put my finger on your cheek, I expected this kind of response,” he mused. “But you were too flustered to remember, weren’t you?”
Anne’s face turned a shade redder, and she quickly lowered her gaze.
“But now,” Lucavion continued, amusement lacing his tone, “now that you’re paying attention, you remembered the traditions and acted properly.”
Anne pressed her lips together, looking even more embarrassed.
Lucavion simply chuckled under his breath.
“Good,” he praised lightly. “It’s often the hardest when you have to go against your comfort zone.”
Anne glanced up at him, surprised by his tone—not mocking, not teasing, but genuinely acknowledging her effort.
“You’ve probably always worked in the back,” he continued, watching her reaction carefully. “Cleaning, organizing, doing things that don’t require much direct interaction, right?”
Anne stiffened slightly.
“And with how cute you look,” Lucavion added, his smirk widening, “the other maids wouldn’t bully you. Meaning…” His black eyes gleamed with interest. “You took this job on your own.”
Anne’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.
She hadn’t expected him to be so accurate.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Lucavion chuckled, leaning back. “You wanted to act as my guide because you get embarrassed in front of strangers, and this was your way of fixing that.”
Anne hesitated, gripping the tray a little tighter. Then, slowly, she nodded.
“…Yes,” she admitted softly.
Anne hesitated for a moment before letting out a small breath. “I know it sounds silly, but I wanted to get better at talking to people. The other maids always told me I get too nervous, and I thought if I took on something like this, I’d—” She stopped herself, her fingers tightening around the tray. “I just… didn’t want to keep avoiding things forever.”
Lucavion hummed, resting his chin against his hand. “Not silly at all,” he mused. “Pushing past your limits, forcing yourself into discomfort—it’s how people grow. I respect that.”
Anne blinked at him, clearly not expecting praise.
Lucavion smirked at her expression. “But,” he continued, his voice teasing now, “you did pick a rather dangerous subject for your little experiment. Me.”
Anne immediately looked embarrassed, her face heating up. “I—I wasn’t expecting you to be like this,” she admitted under her breath.
Lucavion laughed, a low, amused sound. “What? Charming?”
Anne huffed, clearly flustered, but before she could retort, her gaze drifted downward—and finally, she noticed the small white cat curled up in Lucavion’s lap.
Her brown eyes widened slightly. “Oh… I didn’t realize you had a cat with you.”
Lucavion followed her gaze, glancing down at Vitaliara. At some point during their conversation, her eyes had shifted back to their normal golden color—no longer the striking crimson they had been a few moments ago.
Anne’s expression softened as she took in Vitaliara’s delicate features. “She’s so elegant,” she murmured, a small, genuine smile appearing on her lips. “And… really cute.”
Lucavion smirked slightly. “Careful. She bites.”
Anne hesitated for a second before letting out a quiet giggle. “She doesn’t seem that scary…”
Lucavion raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Before Anne could say anything else, Vitaliara’s golden eyes slowly opened, sharp and piercing as they landed directly on Anne.
The warmth in the room shifted.
Anne instinctively froze.
Something about the cat’s gaze… it wasn’t normal. It was too intelligent, too calculating—like she wasn’t just looking at Anne, but evaluating her.
Lucavion watched the exchange with amusement before lazily stretching his arms. “She’s my familiar,” he said casually.
Anne’s eyes snapped back to him, visibly surprised. “A familiar?”
Lucavion nodded. “Rare to see one, huh?”
Anne slowly nodded, her expression shifting between curiosity and awe. “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never seen one in person…”
Her gaze flickered back to Vitaliara, admiration shining in her eyes. But seeing how sharp the cat’s golden stare remained, Anne wisely refrained from reaching out.
Lucavion chuckled, tapping his fingers against the armrest. “Smart choice. She doesn’t like being touched by strangers.”
Anne gulped, nodding quickly. “I… I figured.”
Vitalaria hmphed quietly before closing her eyes again, curling herself more comfortably in Lucavion’s lap.
Anne let out a small, nervous laugh. “She really is… something else.”
Lucavion smirked. “Oh, you have no idea.”