"Well, well. It seems my dear brother has found my little pet."
"You always know where to find me," Lucien replied, offering a polite, practiced smile.
"Always buried in your ledgers. I’m well aware."
Looking at them side by side, it was hard to believe they were siblings.
They were practically Yin and Yang; Corvina all sharp, raven-haired dramatics, and Lucien a vision of snow-white composure.
Though if Callista had learned anything from her system, Lucien’s boyish, harmless smile was nothing more than a polished mask for an ambitious shark.
Corvina stepped closer, reached out, and firmly pinched Callista by the ear, tugging her away from him. The blonde woman had to bite her lip to stifle an embarrassing groan of pain.
"What do you want?" she hissed under her breath.
"I was simply letting my dog stretch her legs for an hour," Corvina murmured smoothly.
That works for actual dogs, not human beings, you tyrant!
Corvina dragged her along toward the end of the grand hall.
As they reached the exit, two striking figures stood waiting.
One was a tall, regal woman with cascading wavy red hair and piercing golden eyes, while beside her stood a slightly petite girl with soft, pinkish hair and deep violet eyes.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [CHARACTER PROFILE: Valerine "Val" von Pyre] ║
║ Role: Vanguard Heiress / Military Elite ║
║ Background: House Pyre (Kingdom’s Generals)║
║ Title: Lady of the Eastern Marches ║
║ Traits: Dominant, Sharp, Fiery, Unfiltered ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"Hah! It seems you’ve finally located your runaway hound," Valerine drawled, her golden eyes flashing.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [CHARACTER PROFILE: Lyra Sterling] ║
║ Role: Chief Guild Analyst / Top Scholar ║
║ Background: Sterling Merchant Syndicate ║
║ Title: Commoner Guild Prodigy ║
║ Traits: Analytical, Soft-Spoken, Cynical ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════╝
"A golden retriever, perhaps?" Lyra added softly, pushing her spectacles up with a single, dainty finger. "Though her coat looks a bit... ruffled."
Great. The medieval Mean Girls club assembled in full force.
Callista couldn’t help but stare.
Misogynistic high-court bullying aside, these women were absolute eye candy.
Valerine was built like a dream - tall, dangerously athletic, with those fiery red waves and a chest that practically stretched the gold trim of her uniform to its limit.
She had that fiercely dominant, terrifying energy that made you want to kneel down and beg for mercy. Pure, unadulterated apex predator material right there.
Then there was Lyra.
Ah, sweet, petite perfection.
Soft pink hair, delicate shoulders, and that quiet, adorable intellectual vibe that triggered every holy protective instinct in a guy’s chest.
She had the exact look of a tiny, god-tier scholar who could analyze your entire lineage, roast your life choices, and look utterly precious while doing it.
If Callista was still David, he would have been down on both knees right then and there.
Besides, who said becoming a woman meant she had to stop appreciating fine aesthetics?
Her silent admiring, however, was abruptly cut short by a sharp, burning pinch against her cheek.
"It appears my dog hasn’t been properly housebroken yet," Corvina purred, her tone dropping into a chilling, promises-of-pain register.
Oh, sweet heavenly mercy.