The next morning, Liora was back to work.
She had enjoyed her day off.
More than she wanted to admit.
Spending time with Celeste had reminded her what normal felt like.
No strange flowers.
No mysterious doors.
No visions.
And definitely no intimidating man asking questions about everything she did.
She sighed as she carried a tray toward Lucien’s study.
Then stopped.
There was already someone inside.
She heard laughter.
Liora frowned.
Lucien’s study was not normally a place where people laughed.
She knocked.
“Come in.”
She opened the door.
Julian was sitting across from Lucien.
He turned immediately.
“Liora!”
She stared at him.
“You’re here again.”
“Again?”
“We just met yesterday.”
“Exactly.”
“That isn’t long enough to say ‘again.'”
Julian laughed.
Lucien looked between them.
“You know each other?”
Liora looked at him.
“Yes.”
Julian answered at the same time.
“Of course.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“From where?”
“The restaurant,” Liora explained.
Julian nodded.
“I happened to meet her and her friend.”
Lucien looked at Liora.
“You went to a restaurant yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“With her friend?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Celeste.”
Julian’s smile appeared immediately.
Lucien noticed.
Liora didn’t.
She placed the tray on the desk.
“Breakfast.”
Lucien looked at it.
“Thank you.”
Julian leaned forward.
“Did you make that?”
“Yes.”
“Can I have some?”
“No.”
Julian looked offended.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not my employer.”
Lucien’s mouth twitched.
Julian noticed.
“So she only feeds people who pay her?”
Liora shrugged.
“Pretty much.”
Julian looked at Lucien.
“She’s terrifying.”
Lucien calmly picked up his fork.
“You’re just discovering that?”
Liora stared at him.
“Was that a compliment?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She turned to leave.
“Liora.”
She stopped.
Julian smiled.
“Tell Celeste I said hello.”
Liora slowly turned around.
“You remember her name?”
“Of course.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You met her for five minutes.”
“Six.”
“That’s worse.”
Julian laughed.
Later that afternoon, Liora found Julian in the garden.
He was sitting beneath a tree, reading.
She stopped.
“You can read?”
Julian lowered the book.
“Very funny.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Maybe a little.”
Liora continued working.
After a few minutes, Julian spoke.
“So.”
“So?”
“Celeste.”
Liora looked at him.
“What about her?”
“She seems nice.”
“She is.”
“She’s elegant.”
“Yes.”
“Smart.”
“Yes.”
“Beautiful.”
Liora stopped trimming the flowers.
She slowly looked at him.
Julian smiled innocently.
“What?”
“You like her.”
He nearly dropped his book.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I barely know her.”
“You don’t need to know someone long to think they’re beautiful.”
Julian looked away.
“Maybe.”
Liora smiled.
“Interesting.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a reputation to maintain.”
“What reputation?”
“Charming and mysterious.”
Liora laughed.
“You’re neither.”
Julian placed a hand over his heart.
“That hurt.”
“You’ll survive.”
Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Lucien was attempting to work.
Attempting.
Because his cousin had spent most of the afternoon distracting him.
Lucien looked at the document in front of him.
Then at Julian.
“Why are you here?”
“I told you.”
“You’re visiting.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been here since breakfast.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Julian smiled.
“I like the food.”
Lucien stared at him.
“You have your own residence.”
“I do.”
“And servants.”
“Yes.”
“And a kitchen.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you eating here?”
Julian leaned back.
“Maybe I like the company.”
Lucien’s expression remained blank.
Julian smiled.
“Especially the maid.”
Lucien looked up.
“Don’t start.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
Julian laughed.
“You like her.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“She works here.”
“You’ve never remembered a servant’s tea preference before.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“She makes tea.”
“She also argues with you.”
“She argues with everyone.”
“Not like you.”
Lucien returned to his papers.
“Leave.”
Julian grinned.
“You’re blushing.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“Julian.”
“Fine.”
Julian stood.
Then paused at the door.
“Oh, and by the way.”
Lucien looked up.
“Celeste is very pretty.”
Silence.
Julian smiled.
“Interesting.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Get out.”
Julian laughed as he left.
That evening, Liora was preparing dinner when Julian walked into the kitchen.
“Need help?”
She looked at him suspiciously.
“Do you know how to cook?”
“No.”
“Then no.”
“I can learn.”
“Why?”
“Because I have nothing else to do.”
“You could read.”
“I’ve been reading all day.”
“You could leave.”
Julian looked offended.
“Why does everyone keep telling me to leave?”
“Because you keep appearing.”
He laughed.
“Fair.”
Liora handed him a bowl.
“Fine. Wash these.”
Julian looked at the vegetables.
“How?”
Liora stared at him.
“With water.”
“Oh.”
She shook her head.
“You’re hopeless.”
“I prefer inexperienced.”
“That’s a generous description.”
They worked together for several minutes.
Then Julian asked casually,
“Do you really like working here?”
Liora thought about it.
“Yes.”
“Even though Lucien is your employer?”
She smiled.
“He isn’t as bad as he looks.”
Julian laughed.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say that.”
“He’s strict.”
“Very.”
“He’s difficult.”
“Extremely.”
“But he’s fair.”
Julian became quiet.
Liora continued cutting vegetables.
“He treats the servants well. He makes sure everyone is paid. He doesn’t humiliate people when they make mistakes.”
She shrugged.
“That’s enough for me.”
Julian looked at her.
“You’ve noticed a lot about him.”
Liora paused.
“It’s my job to notice things.”
“Of course.”
She frowned.
“Why are you smiling?”
“No reason.”
Later that night, Lucien stood by the window of his study.
He could see the garden below.
Liora was walking toward the servants’ quarters.
She looked tired.
But she was smiling.
Lucien watched until she disappeared around the corner.
Then he turned back toward his desk.
His eyes fell on the ancient book.
The Elaris symbol was still marked on the page.
His expression darkened.
He had spent the previous night investigating the symbol.
Now he had another problem.
He had begun to realize that the more he learned about Liora—
The less ordinary she seemed.
And yet, strangely, that wasn’t what concerned him most.
What concerned him was how easily she had become part of the mansion.
How the servants laughed more when she was around.
How Julian had already taken a liking to her.
And how Lucien himself had started looking for her without realizing he was doing it.
He frowned.
That was inconvenient.
Very inconvenient.
Across the city, Celeste sat by her bedroom window.
She was supposed to be reading.
Instead, she was thinking about a certain man who had accidentally stolen someone else’s drink.
She smiled.
Then immediately shook her head.
“No.”
She returned to her book.
Three seconds later, she looked up again.
She sighed.
“This is ridiculous.”
She didn’t know it yet.
But somewhere in Valthera, two people were beginning to think about each other far more often than they intended.
And neither had any idea where it would lead.