“Well, if it isn’t the prince himself,” Lucian said, his voice smooth and steady, the corners of his lips curling into a sly smile. “I must say, your methods of hospitality are… unique.”
He leaned back in his seat, exuding a casual confidence that only someone who knew the script of this world could muster. His eyes flicked briefly to Arthur yes, the notorious Prince Arthur, brother of Celestia and the primary antagonist of this novel’s twisted tale. The man who, according to the plot, would eventually meet his fate at the hands of Victor.
But Lucian wasn’t just another player in this story. He was someone who had read every word, every twist, and every scheme. This greedy, cunning prince sitting before him was due for a rough journey through the tangled web of fate.
Arthur, seated across from him with an aura of refined elegance, raised a single brow at Lucian’s remark. A faint, amused smile danced on his lips.
“You don’t seem particularly surprised by this little detour,” Arthur remarked, his tone deceptively light, but his gaze sharp and probing.
Lucian shrugged nonchalantly, the picture of nonchalance. “Oh, you could say that. After all, who in their right mind would turn down a free ride?” His grin widened, and he crossed one leg over the other, his posture languid but his mind razor-sharp, dissecting every subtle gesture from the prince.
Arthur chuckled softly, his hand moving to his chin as if contemplating Lucian like one might a peculiar exhibit. “Quite unusual, I must say. You’re different from the rumors I’ve heard.”
Lucian tilted his head, feigning curiosity. “Am I? Well, rumors do have a habit of being… creative. But since you’ve gone to such lengths, what exactly does the prince want with me? As far as I recall, i dont have much to do with the royal family nor with you.” His gaze shifted briefly to the armed man standing behind Arthur, a silent shadow radiating menace. “And I must admit, bringing me here is a bit of a risk, considering I’m the son of one of the Big Four families.” His eyes lingered meaningfully on the gun in the guard’s hand.
Arthur’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened. The prince uncrossed his legs with a deliberate, fluid motion, resting one hand casually on his knee. “A risk, yes. But then again, nothing worth having comes without a little gamble.” He paused, his sharp gaze locking onto Lucian. “I had a few questions I wanted to ask you. So I thought why not?”
“Why not indeed,” Lucian replied, the edges of his tone teasing. His grin widened, but his eyes hardened slightly as if testing Arthur’s resolve. “Though I’m guessing this might have something to do with my meeting with Celestia earlier today?”
Arthur’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a glint in his eye now, something darker, more calculating. “Yes… and no. That is certainly one of my reasons, but not the main one.”
Lucian leaned forward slightly, mirroring Arthur’s posture as he crossed his legs again, a perfect picture of relaxed interest. “Oh, really? And here I thought you were simply a protective brother sweeping in to interrogate me after I spent time with your dear sister Lucian teased.”
Arthur’s laugh was low and smooth, like velvet brushing against steel. “Protective? Perhaps. But you overestimate your importance. My reasons are far more… layered.”
Lucian leaned back slightly on his sofa, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He already knew the answers to the questions Arthur was about to ask he could feel it, deep down, in his bones. The entire scenario felt… rehearsed, like a scene he had already lived through in his past life. His mind buzzed with a quiet, almost detached recognition of the pattern unfolding before him.
“Yeah, yeah, get to the point already,” Lucian said, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck with a casual indifference. His voice carried a faint edge of irritation. “I don’t have much time. I need to get some rest last few days have been hell.”
He leaned back in his sofa, his expression deliberately unbothered.
Arthur’s lips curled into a sly smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Indeed. I’ve heard some rather surprising news about you recently.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Lucian replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Everyone seems to know about me. The upper circle must have nothing better to do than keep tabs on someone like me.” His tone was light, but the underlying annoyance was clear.
Arthur chuckled softly, though there was something cold in the sound. “It can’t be helped. You’re the son of the illustrious Kane family, after all. And someone of your… status, engaging in the sort of activities you’ve been involved in? Quite the spectacle.”
Lucian sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as though the entire conversation was taxing him. His voice dropped, tinged with impatience. “Leave it. As I said, I don’t have time for this. Get to the point, or I’m leaving.”
His eyes flicked to the guard standing by the door, then back to Arthur, as if daring him to stop him.
Arthur’s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a glint of irritation in his gaze. The prince leaned forward slightly, his tone lowering into something sharper, more pointed. “Do you think I brought you here just to play games, Lucian?”
Lucian met his gaze without a shred of fear, his expression remaining as unbothered as ever. If anything, his smirk widened slightly, a deliberate provocation. “I don’t know. You’re the one who went as far as kidnapping me in this overly dramatic way. If this isn’t a game, then you’re certainly giving it a theatrical flair.”
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Arthur’s fingers curling slightly where his hand rested on the table. The unbothered attitude Lucian wore like armor was grating against him. He had gone to significant lengths to just make this Romeo little itemidated, and yet the man sitting before him acted as though it was nothing more than an inconvenience.
The tension in the room thickened, the guard behind Arthur shifting slightly, his grip tightening on his weapon. Lucian’s sharp eyes caught the movement, but he didn’t flinch.
Arthur let out a long, controlled sigh, leaning back in his chair. “Very well. Let’s get to the main point, since you’re so eager.” His voice was measured.”It’s about… marriage.”
“I am marrying Avey,” Arthur declared, his tone steady and deliberate, each word carrying the weight of finality.