"I don't remember inviting you to our engagement ceremony."
The cold voice that came from the right sent a chill all the way down my spine. Obviously, that dragon.
I turned, smiling like a rotten clam. "Lord Lucian, I thought you left?"
With that same unreadable calm, he reached forward and brushed a few stray strands of my hair back into place, tucking them neatly beneath the jeweled pin on my head.
"I didn't leave," he said smoothly. "I went to grab something for you to eat."
I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. 'What the hell are you intending to do now, Mr. Ice Sculpture?'
My lips twitched into a polite smile. "You… went to get me food?"
"Of course," Lucian replied, his thin smile calm and perfectly measured, the kind that could fool anyone into thinking he was harmless. "I noticed you haven't touched anything since the ceremony started, and considering the hour, I thought you might be hungry."
I tilted my head, trying to read him. 'That smile… It's infuriatingly perfect.' My eyes flicked to Auren, the Pegasus, who hadn't said a word since Lucian appeared. His polite smile felt almost… ordinary compared to this dragon. 'Nothing about him makes me feel safe although he gives me a green flag vibe.'
I turned back to lock eyes with Lucian. "Where is it?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral but firm.
Lucian blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "What?" His expression flickered with confusion, but that calm, measured smile never wavered.
"The… food," I murmured, keeping my tone light, careful not to give him any reason to act… unpredictable.
Lucian's thin smile curved ever so slightly. "Oh… they are serving them in that room… let's go."
He held out his hand, the kind of gentlemanly gesture that screamed "perfect fiancé," but all I did was stare at it for a few seconds, my mind racing. Do I trust this? Of course not. He's pretending… but it's so damn convincing.
Lucian's eyes didn't leave mine, steady and calculating, as if he were carefully reading every flicker of expression, every hesitation. My chest tightened slightly, not from attraction, I told myself... but from the realization that every move he made was deliberate, precise, and fully aware of how I reacted.
Finally, I swallowed and placed my hand in his. The contact was cool, firm, and unnervingly confident. I turned slightly toward Auren. "Nice to meet you, Lord Auren…"
"Is it really nice?" Lucian interrupted, his voice calm but cutting. His eyes flicked to Auren with a quiet authority. "Celeste is my fiancée and soon to be my wife. I haven't done anything inappropriate to you this time, but I would advise you to maintain your distance."
Auren's smile didn't falter. He gave a slight nod, murmuring, "Congratulations to both of you…" He inclined his head lightly toward me before stepping back, then turned to leave.
I exhaled quietly, my chest still tight. Lucian's hand remained around mine, steady and unyielding, and I could feel it… the quiet, unmistakable claim. Every measured movement, every slight glance, reinforced whose rules were in play, keeping me painfully aware that he was in complete control of this delicate dance.
Lucian's grip on my hand didn't loosen. "This way," he murmured, guiding me down the quiet corridor. His steps were silent, graceful, each one exuding the calm, unnerving confidence I had come to expect.
I tried to remain composed while my brain scrambled, trying desperately to recall the chapters I had read. I remembered reaching the part where the cannon fodder… me… had died, but the details were hazy, like fog over a familiar landscape. 'Great,' I thought, 'so I know the ending, but not the path… perfect for panicking.'
I cast a quick glance at him, noting how that thin, steady smile never wavered, how his eyes flicked briefly to mine as if reading every flicker of thought. 'He's good at acting… and I can't tell if he's reading me or just enjoying the show.'
We reached a small, dimly lit room tucked along the quiet hallway. He opened the door for me, letting me slip inside first, the soft click of the latch echoing behind us. The air inside was still, faintly scented with old wood and candle wax.
"Sit," he said.
The word came out calm, almost gentle but there was something in the tone that left little room for refusal. And like a very diligent fiancée, I did exactly as told, moving toward the plush chair near the window and sitting down without a word.
He didn't sit. Instead, he studied me for a moment, his eyes tracing my face in a way that felt more like analysis than affection.
"I hope," he began, his tone soft but laced with something sharper underneath, "you'll stop disappearing from public events after tonight. It wouldn't look good for a future Lady Drake to keep running off."
I frowned and instantly refuted, "Wait… I didn't run off… didn't we finish our conversation earlier, that's why I leave… and the event, isn't it done?"
Lucian's gaze lingered on me for a beat too long, like he was trying to read the space between my words. Then, that faint smile returned, polite but unsettling.
"Done?" he repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. "You think it's done because we leave for a while?"
My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
He took a step closer, the air around him dipping in temperature. "In our world, Celeste, nothing is ever truly done until the eyes watching you lose interest. And tonight…" his gaze flicked briefly to the closed door, "they haven't…"
I swallowed hard, trying to look unbothered even as my stomach twisted. "You're saying people are still watching? Even here?"
He tilted his head slightly, a ghost of amusement flickering in his expression. "Always. Especially here."
That made my skin prickle. Because the way he said it was calm and certain, didn't sound like lying. But nah… my eyes flicked slightly to the door and around the room, and I couldn't even see any camera inside here.
Still, I forced a small smile. "Then maybe they'll think you're overreacting. I was only gone for a few minutes."
His smile thinned, almost imperceptibly. "And yet, those few minutes were long enough for someone else to find you."
Oh.
Auren.
My fingers curled tightly on my lap.
Lucian didn't raise his voice, didn't even sound jealous but the warning beneath his calm tone was unmistakable.
"I'd appreciate," he continued softly, "if you made sure that doesn't happen again."
My lips parted, but the words died before I could form them. Because how exactly do you argue with someone who sounds like he's giving you advice while quietly reminding you he could destroy you?
So instead, I just nodded… small, quick and obedient. "Understood."
His expression softened instantly, as if that was the right answer. "Good."
He finally turned his gaze toward the window, the faint reflection of his cold blue eyes glinting against the glass. "Let's go eat… and after that, we'll head straight to my place."
I blinked. "Your… place? What—sorry?"
Lucian looked perfectly calm and even gave me an amused smile. "Hmm… that's the custom here," he said smoothly. "The bride stays with the groom about a week before the wedding… to see if they're… compatible."
I stared at him. Then at the window. Then back at him.
My lips twitched into what could generously be called a smile. "Ah. A tradition. How… very forward-thinking of your people."
Inside, I was screaming.
'What kind of nonsense custom is this? Compatibility my ass… this sounds like a trap with extra steps!'