Lily's soulless form left the room, leaving Lucien behind.
Although she made up much of her family situation, she still needed the money.
With that sack of coins, she could help her whole village two times over. Naturally, if the evil young lord suddenly grew a human soul and decided to help, how could she possibly refuse?
Lucien didn't know what was going through her head as she left, but the cold, indifferent expression on his face didn't change in the slightest. His eyes, however, reflected the faintest shimmer of amusement.
"The coins should be enough to lower the death toll in her village, But now that she's accepted, she won't be able to help herself when I call on her in the near future. After all… To remind a man of the good turns you have done him, is very much like a reproach."
Lucien walked out of his room and took in the sight of the familiar corridor.
The polished marble floors gleamed under the morning light, reflecting the intricate chandeliers and murals that decorated the villa's long halls.
He was born here, grew up here, and once, in another life, would have wanted to die here.
Now, all he wanted was power, absolute control over life and death itself, he didn't care where he got it from. As long as he was the one holding it, that was all that mattered to the evil young lord.
"Now then," Lucien muttered, adjusting his black tonic and straightening his collar, "let's go pay that whore a visit."
… …
Esther was a beastkin with wolf ears and a short, fluffy tail. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she had a fair and gentle air about her, a quiet dignity that made her pleasant to look at.
Her hurried steps echoed through the long marble corridor, the soft pads of her feet tapping against the floor as her maid gown fluttered around her. Her ears twitched nervously with every step. She was moving fast but not because she wanted to.
She was terrified.
When a creature with instincts as sharp as hers sensed danger, it wasn't often wrong.
She pushed the massive double doors open without even bothering to knock. The heavy hinges groaned, and the smell of rose oil and perfume immediately filled her nose.
Inside, a pale woman lay sprawled across a golden bed. She didn't move a muscle even after the door opened. Her skin looked fragile, almost transparent under the sunlight spilling through the lace curtains.
Apart from the sleeping woman, two other maids occupied the room. One, a brown-haired human girl, was kneeling before a tall woman sitting beside the golden bed.
The seated woman was ethereal. Her hair, pure white, shimmered faintly as it caught the light, not a result of awakening, but of her quarter-elf bloodline.
Her posture flawless, every gesture deliberate. Her eyes were a vivid forest green, and even the faint swell of her belly couldn't soften the allure of her grace.
The brown-haired maid kept her eyes glued to the floor, trembling slightly. Elizabeth's reputation wasn't gentle, the smile she wore rarely meant kindness.
Esther slowed her steps and bowed lightly. "Lady Elizabeth, I have urgent news."
Elizabeth's voice snapped like a whip.
"Damn you, stupid dog! How many times must I tell you to knock before you come in? Are you trying to scare my baby out of me?"
Esther froze mid-breath, her tail drooping instantly.
She turned stiffly, attempting to retreat, but Elizabeth's sharp voice came again.
"Wait, idiot. It's too late to knock now. Come here."
Esther's ears perked immediately, and she scurried obediently to Elizabeth's side. She knelt beside the other maid, head bowed, waiting for the familiar pat on her head that of course, never came.
Elizabeth folded her arms lazily, crossing one long leg over the other. "Now tell me, what's got you on your toes this lovely morning?"
Her tone was calm and velvety now, almost soothing, so different from the shrill scolding moments ago that anyone else might have thought it genuine.
But Esther had served her long enough to know: when Elizabeth's voice softened, that was when she was most dangerous.
Esther raised her head slightly, but Elizabeth smacked it right back down.
"Don't look up at me."
"Yes, Lady Elizabeth."
"Speak."
"It's the young lord, my lady," Esther whispered, ears twitching nervously. "He's changed."
Elizabeth's eyebrow arched, her green eyes narrowing slightly.
"Changed? How?" Her voice dripped with mock curiosity. "Don't tell me he dissected a maid again? They should really keep those biology books away from that freak."
Esther didn't dare laugh.
Elizabeth exhaled sharply, the cold edge of irritation crossing her otherwise composed face. Despite her dismissive tone, a faint chill crept down her spine.
Lucien Valeir was… unpredictable. Cruel, brilliant, and more than a little insane. She had made it a rule to stay out of his path, yet somehow, he always managed to crawl back into her thoughts like a shadow she couldn't quite shake.
She'd cleaned up enough of his messes to know how deep his madness ran.
Esther shook her head. "It's not that, my lady. It's his eyes and his hair. And I could smell something coming off him, though I couldn't see it."
Elizabeth leaned back, one hand resting on her small bump. "He must have awakened. Mutations after awakening are more common than you think. The freak's talented, I'll give him that. All his tutors praise him, even his martial instructors. But awakening…"
Her lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Awakening will make him difficult, yes, but he's still just a boy. A boy who doesn't know the value of what he holds."
A flash of something darker crossed her gaze. "Just you wait, you damn brat. I'll take everything from you. My children deserve their father's legacy, and if the crown won't give it to them, then I'll take it by force."
Esther hesitated. The words felt like knives. She wasn't sure what scared her more. Lucien's cold, new presence or Elizabeth's ambition.
Elizabeth noticed her trembling and sighed, annoyance slipping into her tone.
"Why don't you tell me, what did you smell on him exactly?"
Esther raised her teary eyes. Her lips quivered as she whispered.
"It smelled like death."