Meanwhile, inside the spacious study, Sebastian sat at his massive mahogany desk.
The floating holographic screens projected rows of complex financial figures and estate operations across the room, but for a brief moment, his golden eyes weren’t focused on the data. They rested on the small, warm pear tartlet sitting on the plate beside his elbow.
He picked it up with two fingers and took a small bite. The thin, delicate crust flaked effortlessly, the subtle sweetness of the white pear perfectly balancing the richness of the grain. It was, without a doubt, exceptionally well-made. But even then, a question lingered in his mind.
Why did I take the tea? Sebastian asked himself, his face entirely devoid of expression.
He analyzed his own actions with cold, calculated logic.
His affection hadn’t suddenly shifted—two percent was practically nothing, a mere microscopic blip above absolute zero. As such, Sebastian still didn’t care for her, nor was he touched by her pitiful attempts to fulfill her ’duty’ as a wife.
It was simply a practical assessment, he reasoned internally, wiping his fingers with a linen napkin. I needed to test how far her stubbornness extends. A human who breaks under slight pressure is useless, but if she possesses enough resilience to withstand cold treatment, she may be marginally less of a nuisance during high-society events.
Satisfied with his logical reasoning, Sebastian dismissed the thought entirely, tapping the holographic interface to resume his work.
She was still just an inconvenient, fragile human. Nothing more.
The next morning arrived with a clear light filtering through the tall arched windows of the estate.
Thanks to the system’s temporary vascular stabilization, Blair awoke feeling remarkably better. The burning inflammation in her chest had subsided into a dull, manageable hum, and the heavy lethargy that usually bound her limbs was gone.
She sat at her small vanity, carefully smoothing down the fabric of her dress. Her right hand remained neatly bound in white synth-dressings, but for the first time since arriving at the Deruno estate, she felt her mind clearing.
Suddenly, the door to her room clicked and swung open.
Blair turned in her seat to find Lukas standing at the threshold. He looked a little flustered, his white fox ears pinned back tight against his silver-white hair, and his hand resting awkwardly over his mouth.
"D-Don’t get the wrong idea! I was just passing by!" Lukas said quickly, before she could even open her mouth.
Blair blinked, stunned into silence. She hadn’t even said a word yet.
Passing by...? she wondered silently, looking at him in mild confusion. His private suite was clearly on the other side of the wing. Why would he be taking a detour through this hallway when he always complained—Thomas’ words—that this part of the estate was bad for his sensitive ears and neural overload?
"Good morning, Master Lukas," she whispered softly, offering him a gentle, polite smile.
Lukas waved his hand dismissively in the air.
"It’s fine, it’s fine. Good morning to you too," He said and cleared his throat, his golden eyes dropping directly to her bandaged right hand. "How... how is your hand?"
"It’s feeling much better today—"
"I heard you stubbornly dragged yourself to the kitchen to make some sweets," Lukas grumbled, interrupting her as he brushed the back of his neck with a stiff hand. "And yet... you didn’t make any for me..."
He mumbled that last part so low it was almost lost to the quiet room.
Blair tilted her head, her eyes blinking in genuine surprise. She had heard it, but she wasn’t entirely sure if her ears were deceiving her. "Pardon? What was that, Master Lukas?"
"Forget it!" Lukas snapped, his white fox tail suddenly lashing behind him in fast, nervous flicks as he hastily folded his arms over his chest. "Just don’t do anything reckless and let your hand heal! Dr. Vane said not to put it in water either, got it? He’s coming over to change the dressing later."
Blair watched the tall, powerful pureblood standing in her doorway—arms crossed tightly, tail swishing in sheer embarrassment, and white ears twitching as he scolded her for trying to be useful.
A soft, breathy laugh escaped her lips—a quiet, genuine sound of pure relief that bubbled up from deep within her chest. In her mind, she couldn’t help but think it: He’s just so adorable.
Lukas caught the sound of her laughter and froze, entirely caught off guard. His golden eyes widened slightly as he stared at her glowing face.
Realizing she had laughed out loud, Blair quickly bowed her head, her voice warm and sincere. "I understand. Have a safe day at work, Master Lukas."
Lukas stared at her for a long second. He swallowed hard, then forcefully turned on his heel, attempting to maintain every ounce of his usual cool, arrogant nonchalance. But the bright, furious pink tint dusting the upper tips of his white fox ears gave him away completely.
"Sure," he huffed over his shoulder, stepping out into the hall. "Just stay out of trouble while I’m gone."
She knew he was referring to the incident from yesterday with Maya and Vivian. Blair looked down at her wrapped hand, pursing her lips in quiet resolve. She would have to do her absolute best from now on so she never dragged the Deruno name through the mud again.
Shortly after Lukas left, a polite knock sounded at her door, and Thomas stepped into the room holding a tablet and a stack of gold-embossed envelopes.
"Good morning, Mrs. Deruno," Thomas said, bowing his head with flawless professionalism. "I see Master Lukas has already checked on your condition this morning."
"Good morning, Thomas," Blair replied, her cheeks warming slightly. "Yes, he... was just passing by."
"Ah, ’passing by,’" Thomas echoed smoothly, a subtle, highly trained mask of neutrality on his face, though a faint glint danced in his eyes. "How convenient. Master Lukas spent twenty minutes reviewing your medical monitoring schedule with Dr. Vane at dawn, explicitly instructing that you are not to be subjected to any invasive testing that might distress you. He then personally requested that your meals be supervised by the head nutritionist since he, I quote, does not know what humans like to eat."
Blair listened to Thomas’s words, her heart fluttering as she remembered Lukas standing by her door just moments ago, blushing furiously while claiming he was just randomly wandering through her wing.
He really is terrible at lying, she thought with a fond, hidden smile.
"In any case," Thomas continued, setting the gold-embossed envelopes onto her side table, "we must begin addressing the matters of the estate. Master Philippe has finalized the official announcements. The formal banquet to introduce you to high society as the Mistress of the Derunos has been set for three weeks from today."
Blair’s breath caught as her gaze fell on the heavy parchment, stamped with the crimson wax seal of the Deruno crest.
"Starting today," Thomas said, tapping his tablet to pull up a dense schedule, "we will begin your formal training. Master Philippe has arranged for elite high-society etiquette tutors, tailors, and protocol officers to prepare you. Given the predatory nature of beastman nobility, mastering these lessons will be essential for your safety."
Blair looked from the grand gold invitations back to Thomas. He had mentioned Philippe and Lukas more than once, but never Sebastian.
"And Master Sebastian?" Blair asked softly, her clear eyes looking up at Thomas. "What is his take in all this?"