Vlad was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the innocence in her eyes. How could he even begin to explain? He pondered for a moment before carefully choosing his words.
“What man wouldn’t be jealous in that situation?”
More than that, he knew the nature of the von Palestri bloodline all too well. Those who shared his lineage had their souls steeped in immorality and depravity. Marius, who pretended to live and die by honor, was no exception. Even though Vlad was officially not considered a close relative, as Liliette had pointed out, she was technically Marius’s aunt.
The very idea of Marius harboring feelings for her was repulsive. He likely didn’t even realize how disgraceful his desires were. If Liliette hadn’t intervened, Vlad would have torn him limb from limb.
Between his rivals, Ingrid was undoubtedly the more dangerous one, given her obsessive tendencies. But that didn’t make Marius any less of a concern.
