A few hours later...
"By the way, Julies," Alia began casually, "how did it go with asking the Duke?"
"Ah, you an the proposal to work at the Count’s estate?" Julies let out a small laugh and scratched the back of his head. "It’s... gotten a little complicated."
"Oh?" Her tone was light, but her eyes were attentive.
"Recently, I won a martial arts tournant and was awarded a rather precious relic. Because of that, the Duke doesn’t seem too keen on letting leave."
He gave a small shrug. "From the perspective of loyalty and reputation, it might be wiser to wait a while before making any big moves."
Alia tilted her head with an understanding smile. "Ahaha... If Julies finds it difficult, then there’s nothing to be done, I suppose."
’...What a convenient excuse,’ she thought, her smile never faltering.
It was news she had no desire to hear.
And in that mont, Alia realized the full extent of Julies’s ambition.
The situation involved the daughter of a Count’s house — an engagent, the most powerful tool for forging alliances among nobles. Even a Ducal family, bound tightly by the unspoken laws of the aristocracy, could not dismiss such a union lightly.
Would the Draken Duke truly risk his reputation over a re servant, no matter how skilled or favored?
No. In Alia’s eyes, this hesitation was nothing more than Julies’s personal folly.
’Uneducated,’ she thought coldly.
It was typical of soone from a minor baron’s family to be so particular about such things.
And now, it seed he had been gifted sothing valuable — a relic from the Ducal house.
But Alia didn’t let a hint of her irritation show. Her smile was as warm as ever.
"I understand," she said sweetly. "After all, there’s only a formal agreent between our families, with no... personal connection between us yet."
Julies inclined his head politely. "Thank you, my lady."
She gave a light, musical laugh. "Hehe. Then I suppose I’ll just have to work harder."
He blinked, curious. "Work harder... at what?"
"To beco more precious to you than that relic," she replied, her tone playful. "So much so that you’ll want to keep close."
Of course, what she really ant was keeping herself close enough to watch his every move.
Her brilliant smile, refined over more than a decade of noble life, never wavered.
All she needed was the smallest crack in his composure. The instant he slipped and revealed a fatal flaw...
Not only the engagent, but everything else she desired would fall neatly into her hands.
"Since I am here to get to know you better, we will be together all day," Alia said with a small, cunning smile on her face.
The truth was, she didn’t want to spend ti with him at all.
All she wanted was to be on Alice’s side, but she couldn’t waver from her objective.
"Understood. But Lady Frost, I’ll be busy all day. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course, I am fine with it. All I want is to spend so ti with you."
’The more ti I spend with him, the more I get to know him, and eventually he will reveal his flaw... his weakness, and that would be the end of him.’
Julies gave a courteous bow, then turned to leave, his steps asured and unhurried.
Alia followed behind, her pace matching his as though this were nothing more than a polite stroll.
In truth, she was already taking ntal notes — the way he greeted the servants without the stiffness of a typical noble, the way his eyes briefly scanned the courtyard as if asuring distances and escape routes.
It was infuriating.
Not because of the man himself, but because she could see exactly why Alice might find him useful... even trustworthy.
And trust was the most dangerous thing of all.
They passed by the training grounds, where a few knights were sparring. Alia noticed how Julies’s gaze lingered on them, assessing form and technique, before he returned his attention forward without a word.
"So," she began lightly, "you won a martial arts tournant recently. That must have been... thrilling."
Julies chuckled modestly. "It was more exhausting than thrilling, to be honest. But I’m grateful for the experience. It brought recognition from the Duke."
Recognition.
Alia’s smile didn’t falter, but her fingers tightened slightly around the lace fan she carried.
That single word grated against her ears.
Recognition from the Duke ant influence, and influence ant staying power. The longer he held the Duke’s favor, the harder it would be to pry him away from Alice’s side.
"And what of the relic?" she asked casually. "May I know what kind of treasure it is?"
Julies hesitated for the faintest fraction of a second — just enough for Alia to notice — before answering, "A dagger. Beautifully crafted, with a history I’ve yet to fully learn. The Duke told it was not just a weapon, but a symbol."
A symbol. Another dangerous word.
She tilted her head, letting a laugh dance on her lips. "Then I truly must beco more precious than a symbol. Quite the challenge."
Julies smiled faintly at her jest, but Alia caught the way his expression closed off almost imdiately afterward.
He was careful. Guarded.
That was fine.
The more guarded he beca, the more satisfying it would be to catch him unprepared.
From a distance, Alia spotted Alice walking across the far end of the courtyard, speaking to a pair of attendants. For just a mont, Julies’s gaze flickered in that direction.
And Alia saw it.
That subtle, almost imperceptible pull — the quiet awareness of her presence.
Her fan snapped open with a soft flutter, masking the slight narrowing of her eyes.
’Yes... that’s the connection I have to sever.’
Julies stared at her only for a few monts before doing his duties, and of course, Alia followed him in hopes of finding his weakness... his flaw.
But...
’He doesn’t show any weakness at all!’
---
Author Note:
Thanks for reading.
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