Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine
Crow managed to free himself from Ardyn's grip with some effort, dusting off the soot and embers from the forge floor. "Seriously… a loyalty hug?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Ardyn stood there, arms folded behind her back now, the heavy hammer at her side glowing faintly with runes. Her lips twitched into a smirk she failed to fully hide.
"You lied," Crow said flatly.
Ardyn's eyes flicked to the side, feigning innocence. "I did no such thing."
"You said it was a dwarven loyalty tradition," Crow continued, stepping closer. "You hugged me like your life depended on it."
She turned toward the forge, pretending to examine the molten flow. "Hmm. The flame's stabilized nicely, hasn't it?"
"Ardyn."
Finally, she gave up the act and turned back to him with a proud, defiant expression. "Fine. Maybe I just wanted to hug you, alright? You looked like you needed one. And I… don't regret it."
Crow blinked, caught off guard.
Behind them, faint footsteps echoed—Liana and Valeria were approaching, both visibly suspicious, both watching Ardyn like she'd just stolen something precious.
Ardyn winked at Crow. "You've got a whole army of divine and god-rank units… but I bet not one of them makes weapons like me."
Crow raised a brow. "Is this going to be a regular thing?"
Ardyn stepped closer again, grinning. "Only if you let me."
From behind, Liana's voice was like a knife through steel.
"Get in line."
To be continued.