Aeliana narrowed her eyes. "Answer."
Lucavion's gaze lingered on her for a mont, unreadable, before he exhaled softly. A small smile touched his lips—not his usual smirk, not sothing crafted for amusent or show. It was quieter. lancholy.
Then, finally—he spoke.
"Not everyone has that privilege."
Aeliana's fingers curled slightly against the table.
"Privilege of what?"
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, the dim glow of the lanterns casting shifting shadows across his face. His voice remained smooth, effortless—yet there was sothing distant in it. "That," he murmured, "is for you to figure out."
Aeliana's eye twitched.
'This bastard—'
He was dodging again. Giving her just enough to keep her chasing, but never enough to actually answer.
She wasn't even sure why it frustrated her so much. Maybe it was because she had caught the slip—seen the weight behind his words—only for him to once again pull away.
'Is it really this hard to make him speak? To just—say it?'
Sothing flared hot in her chest.
With absolutely no hesitation, she shifted under the table and kicked him.
Lucavion flinched, blinking as he glanced down at his leg, then back up at her with mild amusent. "Oh? Violence, now?"
Aeliana scoffed, crossing her arms. "Bastard. You make everything difficult."
Lucavion chuckled, shaking his head. "So I've been told."
Aeliana huffed, her jaw tightening. "Maybe—"
She stopped herself.
Her words had nearly slipped, too.
She wasn't even sure what she had been about to say.
Maybe this is why you're so insufferable.
Maybe this is why you're impossible to understand.
Maybe you make it hard for people to know you.
Aeliana looked at Lucavion, still scowling, but for so reason—so instinct—she held her tongue.
Sothing about saying those words aloud felt… wrong.
Not because they weren't true. Not because she didn't want to say them.
But because—
'If I did… the result wouldn't be good.'
She wasn't sure why she thought that. But the feeling settled deep, firm, unshakable.
So instead, she huffed sharply, shaking her head, arms still crossed.
Lucavion, of course, only smirked.
Before she could snap at him again, the waiter returned, stepping up to their table with practiced ease.
"The next course will be dessert," he announced, bowing slightly before setting down two plates. "Along with our finest local tea."
A small dish of glazed pastries was placed before them—lightly crisped, golden, with a delicate drizzle of spiced syrup glistening in the lantern light. Beside them, a pot of tea stead softly, its scent warm and herbal, laced with the subtle citrus notes that were common in Stormhaven's regional brews.
Aeliana inhaled slowly, forcing herself to focus on the al rather than the man sitting across from her.
But Lucavion, ever the opportunist, had already taken notice of her irritation.
And if there was one thing he enjoyed—it was teasing her.
He leaned forward slightly, his smirk curling. "You know, Little Ember…"
Aeliana exhaled through her nose. "What?"
Lucavion humd, his gaze flickering to the side before returning to her. "The way people keep looking at you," he mused, amusent laced in his tone. "Was it always like this?"
Aeliana blinked, caught slightly off guard. "…Like what?"
Lucavion propped his elbow against the table, resting his chin against his hand. "You know." His smirk widened. "The stares. The intrigue. The quiet adoration."
Aeliana scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please."
Lucavion chuckled. "No, really. It makes wonder." He swirled his tea absentmindedly. "Considering how ridiculously beautiful you are—"
Aeliana nearly choked on her tea. "What?"
Lucavion continued smoothly, entirely unbothered. "—your mother must have been a beauty too."
Aeliana frowned slightly, her irritation montarily replaced with curiosity. "…She was."
Lucavion nodded, as if that confird sothing for him. "Then how exactly did the two of you just wander around by yourselves?" He tilted his head, his smirk half amusent, half genuine intrigue. "Wouldn't your faces have attracted a lot of unwanted attention?"
Aeliana blinked.
Lucavion leaned back, tilting his head with exaggerated thoughtfulness. "I an, imagine it," he mused, his voice slipping into sothing dramatically low and rough. "Two stunning won—one a fearless swordswoman, the other a sharp-tongued little noble—wandering into a city like this, just asking for trouble."
Aeliana narrowed her eyes. "Are you—"
Before she could finish, Lucavion straightened his posture and suddenly changed his entire deanor.
He slouched just slightly, his usual confidence replaced with an exaggerated, thuggish swagger. He narrowed his eyes, cracking his knuckles, lowering his voice into sothing raspy and unpolished.
"Well, well, well," he drawled, slipping perfectly into the role of an alleyway brute. "What do we have here, lads? A couple of delicate little flowers wandering into our streets?"
Aeliana blinked.
Lucavion wasn't done.
He leaned in further, furrowing his brows, his lips twisting into a lopsided, half-missing-tooth sneer. "Oi, what's a lady like you doin' out here without a chaperone? Mighty dangerous for a pretty thing to be all alone."
Aeliana let out a sharp breath.
'No. No way.'
Lucavion deepened his voice, mimicking another exaggerated thug. He even adjusted his posture, puffing out his chest like so overly confident, underpaid rcenary.
"Maybe she's lookin' for so company," he rumbled, crossing his arms and nodding sagely to himself. "Ain't that right, boys? Nobles like her always act all high and mighty, but deep down—" He grinned, teeth bared. "They like a bit of excitent."
That was it.
Aeliana burst out laughing.
She clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late—the laughter bubbled up, light and sudden, slipping past her defenses before she could stop it.
Lucavion, delighted by the reaction, pressed on. He cleared his throat, adjusting his imaginary coat, and spoke in an even sleazier tone.
"Oh no, lads, she's laughin'. ans she likes us." He gave an exaggerated wink. "We got ourselves a feisty one."
Aeliana snorted.
The sound startled her.
Her laughter only doubled.
She hadn't ant to react like this, hadn't ant to let him win so easily—but gods, the absolute absurdity of his performance—
She could barely breathe.
Lucavion, thoroughly pleased with himself, smirked. "What's wrong, Little Ember? Am I too accurate?"
Aeliana shook her head, still laughing, wiping the corner of her eye. "That was—gods—that was horrible."
Lucavion smirked wider, taking a slow sip of his tea. "I do try."
Aeliana exhaled, shaking her head. "You are unbelievable."
Lucavion chuckled, setting his cup down. "And yet, I made you laugh."
Aeliana scoffed, still catching her breath. "Against my will."
Lucavion leaned forward, smirking. "A victory is a victory."
Aeliana rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Lucavion rested his chin on his hand, his smirk lazy, but his gaze sharp with curiosity. "Alright, then," he mused. "How did she convince you?"
Aeliana tilted her head. "Convince ?"
"Yeah." He gestured vaguely with his cup. "From the way you've spoken about her, she doesn't seem like the type to force you into anything. She must have had a way to get you to co along willingly." His smirk curled slightly. "What was it? Did she bribe you with candy?"
Aeliana let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.
Lucavion's brows lifted slightly. "Oh? That actually worked?"
"No," Aeliana smirked, sipping her tea. "It was a jewel."
At that, Lucavion's eyes perked up a little.
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