LUCIAN
The crowd had thinned in the ballroom by the time Lucian returned with Evelina. The lamps had burned lower, the golden light turning soft against the marble walls. A few couples still moved across the floor, their laughter light but tired. The music had softened into slower waltzes, fit for the final hours of the night.
Lucian walked beside Evelina, Leopold and Margaret through the entry corridor of the Marlowe estate. Their pace was steady, measured. She had regained her calm, though he noticed the faint tremor in her hands, hidden in the folds of her gown.
He had not asked again what had happened before he found her in the garden. He had seen enough in her face to know. Whatever had been done, whatever had been said, it had crossed a line.
As they reached the edge of the ballroom doors, Leopold whispered to him.
"Lord Lucian."
Lucian turned to Leopold, his posture straight, his tone even. His expression was calm, but something in his eyes carried weight.
Lucian's gaze shifted briefly to Evelina. She gave a faint nod, a silent understanding that she would go on ahead. Her composure was firm again, her chin high. He watched her disappear into the hum of the ballroom before turning back to Leopold.
The baron inclined his head. "If you have a moment."
Lucian gestured slightly toward the corridor. "Of course."
They moved away from the main hall, into the quieter wing near the library. The air there was cooler, away from the heat of the crowd. A pair of tall windows let in the silver glow of moonlight. Lucian stopped by the nearest one, waiting.
Leopold spoke first. His voice was low, careful. "I will be direct. What I saw earlier in the resting room should not have taken place under any roof, let alone during a gathering hosted by Lady Marlowe."
Lucian's jaw tightened. "You were there?"
"I was near the entrance," Leopold said. "I heard the laughter first. When I looked inside, I saw Lady Everleigh surrounded by three men. They were pressed too close. She was cornered, uncomfortable, though she hid it as best she could. Lady Marlowe and two of her friends were standing aside, watching."
Lucian's silence stretched. His hands had tightened behind his back.
Leopold continued. "It was meant to humiliate her. Nothing more, nothing less. A calculated spectacle. When she tried to leave, they blocked her path until others began to notice."
Lucian exhaled slowly. "And you did nothing?"
Leopold's eyes flickered, but he did not look away. "By the time I moved, she managed to step out. You found her soon after, I believe."
Lucian studied him, measuring the words, the tone, the purpose behind them. "Why tell me this?"
"Because you should know what kind of malice you are walking into," Leopold replied. "And because she will not tell you herself."
Lucian's gaze sharpened. "You seem certain of that."
"She is proud," Leopold said simply. "And she knows how the court feeds on weakness. She will bury it before she allows anyone to see her shaken. Even you."
Lucian looked away, his eyes fixed on the reflection in the window. Beyond the glass, the garden lay still, the lamps flickering faintly in the distance.
Leopold's voice softened, less formal now. "I have known Lady Marlowe long enough to recognize her methods. She sees Lady Everleigh as an obstacle. The gossip surrounding the Grand Duke, your presence, the attention she draws, all of it threatens the balance Marlowe keeps with the Crown Princess's faction. This was her way of testing how far she could go before someone stepped in."
Lucian's jaw flexed. "And what did you do after?"
Leopold's tone grew quiet. "I made certain the men were removed. Quietly. They were drunk and foolish, but they will remember the warning I gave."
Lucian turned toward him fully. "And the ladies?"
"They left before I returned. Lady Marlowe was pleased with the commotion she caused, but she underestimated how many eyes saw what followed. People talk even when they pretend not to."
Lucian's voice lowered. "You have my thanks, Leo. For speaking."
Leopold's expression was thoughtful, his tone cautious. "This is not gratitude I seek. It is awareness. The court has begun to divide over her name. Some favor her composure, others resent it. The Grand Duke watches closely, though his motives are far from clear. You are the only man she does not meet with formality. That alone has made her a target."
Lucian's gaze did not waver. "Let them talk."
"Talk is one thing," Leopold said. "Influence is another. Marlowe's father and her allies will not stay silent if she feels threatened. You know how fast rumor becomes strategy in this city."
Lucian nodded once. "I do."
Leopold hesitated before continuing. "There is something else. When I passed the corridor after she walked outside, I heard your name spoken. Several noblemen were already whispering. They assumed you had gone after her because of an attachment. The story will spread before dawn."
Lucian's lips pressed into a line. "Then let it spread."
Leopold studied him for a moment, then said quietly, "Be careful, Lucian. The court will use anything to bind you. Whether you mean to protect her or pursue her, either path will draw fire. And she has already endured enough."
Lucian's eyes lifted to meet his. "Do you think I do not know the cost?"
"I think you underestimate how sharp the knives are when drawn in silence," Leopold replied. "The Grand Duke hides his displeasure behind civility. The Crown Princess will not speak against you, but her court will. And Lady Marlowe will make certain no one forgets what she staged tonight."
Lucian said nothing. His thoughts moved fast, measured, controlled.
Leopold exhaled. "I am not just your ally but a friend of you and Evelina. But I respect fairness when I see it. Lady Everleigh deserves peace, not spectacle. If you mean to stand beside her, do it with both eyes open."
Lucian inclined his head, a brief acknowledgment. "Understood."
Leopold looked at him another moment, then turned toward the hall. Before leaving, he paused. "One more thing. When we returned and you where beside her, the look on your face made even Marlowe falter. She knows you saw enough to make her cautious. Use that wisely."
Then he left, his steps fading into the corridor.
Lucian remained by the window. The moonlight caught the edge of his sleeve. His reflection stared back at him, sharp and still.
He thought of Evelina's face in the garden, pale beneath the lamps, her breath uneven, her voice trembling when she said she was fine. He had wanted to believe her then. Now he knew better.
He thought of Selina Marlowe, her poise, her practiced smiles, the way she moved through the court as though every glance belonged to her. He had underestimated her spite.
The hum of music from the ballroom drifted faintly again. He turned from the window and walked back through the corridor. His expression was calm, but something colder had settled behind it.
As he reached the doorway to the ballroom, he saw Evelina standing with Margaret and Victoria. Her laughter was quiet but forced. She held herself perfectly, as though nothing had touched her that night. No one would know. No one would guess.
Lucian stayed at a distance, watching her for a moment longer.
He would not interfere now, not while eyes were watching. But he knew the balance had shifted. The court had drawn its first blood.
He would not let it happen again.
He turned and walked toward the outer hall where his carriage waited. The servants bowed as he passed. The cold air met him at the door.
He paused once before stepping outside. His gaze flicked back to the grand staircase, to the sound of faint laughter echoing through the estate.
Somewhere behind those walls, the whispers had already begun.
Lucian stepped into the night without looking back.
The hour was late. The moon had climbed higher. The Marlowe estate stood gleaming behind him, its lights soft against the horizon.
But inside, the game had changed.
And Lucian was no longer a man observing from the edge. He had taken his place, whether the court wished it or not.