Lucian bowed his head and whispered quietly:
“Why don’t you smile?”
He was dressed impeccably. Half of his face was hidden by a black raven mask, but even from those features that remained visible - a clear chin, lips, cheekbones, it was obvious: a handsome man stood in front of her. His appearance was eye-catching.
“What are you doing here?” - Adaline asked coldly.
"Earl Dalton's masquerade is famous for many reasons." - he answered calmly.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“He was especially famous for his depravity.”
"God...I'm out of here."
“Oh, are you going to sneak back to the palace unnoticed? I'm not sure you can do it, but go for it. Goodbye."
"Bastard..."
“Thank you, how flattering.” - Lucian chuckled, smiling sarcastically.
“Such unbridled and magnificent holidays.” - he continued. “They arrange it even without a penny in their pocket. It would be better if they paid back their debts.”
“So you’re here on business...” Adaline guessed.
“Nothing affects an unscrupulous debtor more than suddenly appearing at the wrong time.” - he said, looking sideways at the crowd. “A little pressure and things will move forward.”
He grinned as if he really enjoyed playing with fire.
It became clear to Adaline: [Lucian's appearance here, in front of Count Dalton, is personal. He intervened where he usually did not show himself, in someone’s secrets, in someone’s vulnerable place.]
“That is, you didn’t need me at all...”
“That's right. I just couldn't resist. Petty revenge." - he calmly admitted.
"..."
“I never had time to take revenge for the way you walked all over me in your army boots.” - he continued and lightly tapped his cheek with his index finger. “It’s a pity we couldn’t finish the job.”
The cheek was smooth, without the slightest mark.
“It’s not my fault that everything was resolved.” - Adalyn shrugged.
"Certainly. You just used me for your investigations and immediately discarded me as unnecessary.”
[It's true. She then turned to him for help, for safety net.]
[Then Adaline was determined to catch and kill the sorcerer. But...she didn't have a way. No weapons, no escape plan. And if it hadn’t been possible, if Shane had found out and locked her up... Lucian was the only one who could get her out of the palace.]
[But the sorcerer fell, and all these disturbing scenarios became a thing of the past.]
[Ah, the debt remains.]
[And Adaline knew that retribution would not be long in coming.]
[I wish he wouldn't ask me to fake the kidnapping again...]
[She still remembered how someone closed her mouth right at the door, and how her heart sank into her heels. Life experience, of course, is a valuable thing, but there are some moments she would prefer not to repeat.]
[Lucian, of course, demanded a partial "payment". Adaline agreed, considering it some kind of insurance fine.]
“Now is not the time for this at all...”
“I choose when and how to collect debts. Or should I adapt to the debtor’s circumstances?”
“Now I need to think about rebuilding trust.”
“Trust? Whose exactly?”
"Mine."
"Forget."
"..."
"You're asking for the impossible."
He grinned. Adaline imagined slamming her glass hard into his smug face. [The thought, admittedly, calmed her a little.]
[I wonder if I can get back before Shane arrives?] flashed through my head.
[Lately he came very late, closer to dawn, but today...who knows?]
[What if he already knows?]
She could almost hear the remnants of his already fragile trust collapsing with a roar somewhere in the depths.
[Although she didn't want things to come to this, she couldn't blame Lucian. She was the one who chose to make the deal. This is her decision, her responsibility.]
[Secrets, big and small, always alienate people from each other. And her secret is no exception. Trust is impossible while you are hiding something.]
[I'll tell him everything when I get back.]
[Stealth is not her strong suit. She managed to remain silent only because there was no other choice then.]
[The day she realized she was free, truly free, she wanted to tell Shane everything. That he loves him. That she had no choice. That everything that happened changed her.]
[She didn’t know where to start, but she was sure: if you open your soul, the words will come.]
[Even if he doesn't believe it. Even if he accuses her of lying.]
[She should have said it anyway.]
[Without this she had no hope of being frank.]
[Fortunately...or unfortunately...Shane was so busy with things that I didn’t even get to see him properly. If I hadn’t lived in the palace, I wouldn’t have crossed paths with him at all.]
Adaline spent her days with Genevieve, with Emma, who also moved to the palace, and with Empress Viola.
Shane showed up twice a day, wherever they were. And every time, he hugged her as promised.