CHAPTER 79: THE FAIRIES

Lucian’s hand was tight around mine as we walked down the hallway of the Blaze’s manor. It was a lot smaller than the Lucian one but everyone could tell that they were still a second tier noble family.

Yes.

We ended up coming the next day.

Because honestly, what else could I possibly say to an ice dragon who clearly thought the fastest way to "explain himself" was with his entire existence pressed against mine?

If there was a world record for shutting me up with his body, he’d win.

And Vaylen Blaze waited for three whole hours in Lucian’s living room, trembling like a terrified rabbit only to be told to go back home by Lucian with zero remorse.

Now here we were, hand in hand, entering the Blaze’s manor like we didn’t come here to visit sick persons.

I cleared my throat as Lucian kept escorting me forward.

"Is your grip supposed to be this tight?" I muttered. "I’m starting to lose circulation."

Lucian didn’t even look at me.

"You tried to slip away twice in the past twenty-four hours. I’m not taking chances."

"When did I?" I stopped walking, yanking my hand but failing miserably because of course his grip didn’t move at all.

Lucian finally turned his head, eyes narrowing like he was about to list out my crimes in alphabetical order.

"First," he said, holding up one finger, "you tried to leave the manor on your own last night."

"That was not leaving," I snapped, "I was just walking to clear my head."

"You made it all the way to the courtyard gate," Lucian shot back.

I frowned, lifting my chin. "Well, since I have a lot on my mind, your giant compound was nothing to walk across."

His jaw twitched like he was trying not to say, ’Are you hearing yourself right now?’

"And second—"

He held up another finger.

I groaned loudly on purpose. "Oh my god, there’s a list?"

"Yes," he said flatly. "Because apparently loving you requires documentation."

I nearly tripped. ’Documentation?’

"Okay, stop," I hissed, elbowing him lightly. "Our quarrel should stop here. We are basically at somebody’s house."

Lucian didn’t look the least bit ashamed. He leaned down slightly, voice dropping to a private murmur.

"I’m not quarrelling," he said. "I’m stating facts."

I glared at him. "Your facts are ruining my blood pressure."

"And with you leaving... ruins mine."

Before I could retort, Vaylen coughed again from ahead, the poor man looked like he was regretting every life decision that led to inviting us.

"Um... this way... Lady Seraphina..." he whispered, voice wobbling.

I straightened instantly.

Lucian didn’t.

He squeezed my hand tighter, his cold fingers slipping between mine as he murmured under his breath,

"We are going straight home after this. No sleepover."

I shot him a lethal side-eye that clearly meant behave, then quickly shifted my expression back into something polite and socially acceptable, smiling awkwardly at Vaylen.

"Lord Vaylen... before we meet your wife, I have a question."

Vaylen’s head bobbed up and down so fast it was like he feared I’d disappear if he blinked.

"Go on, My Lady. I will answer anything you wish to know."

I pressed my lips thin, inhaling deeply as I tried to gather the confusion swirling in my head.

"So... yesterday you said you hired me for one time only, right? Meaning... you don’t know who I am. So... when exactly did you meet me? Or more like... when did you adopt me?"

Vaylen blinked, visibly thrown off.

"A-adopt?" He tilted his head. "We... didn’t adopt you, My Lady."

I froze.

"You didn’t?" My voice cracked.

Confusion slammed into me full force.

Vaylen shook his head, still looking genuinely puzzled.

"No. We never adopted you. When Lord Lucian sent the engagement summons... I panicked. I was a complete mess that day."

His voice slowed as his gaze flicked nervously toward Lucian beside me, the man who could kill with a glare.

"Trying to find a solution, I... wandered the market," he continued. "I was desperate. Then I stumbled upon this old lady who told me she could help. She said she could send someone... someone who looked exactly like Celeste... within a week."

Lucian’s brows lowered like storm clouds gathering.

I blinked, "An old lady? It didn’t sound good. Like a wicked witch offering apples to Snow White."

Both Vaylen and Lucian looked confused at the same time.

"I don’t know who this Snow White is, my lady," Vaylen said carefully, "but I’m sure the lady wasn’t a vendor. She approached me first. Said she knew my problem without me explaining a thing. She... she even described Celeste’s face before I said her name."

My breath caught.

Lucian’s fingers curled around mine, tight and protective.

"What did she look like?" Lucian asked, voice dangerously calm.

Vaylen licked his lips nervously, "I don’t remember her face clearly... it felt blurry somehow. But she wore a dark cloak. And she smelled faintly of... flowers."

A shiver crawled up my spine.

Flowers.

"A fairy..." Lucian murmured under his breath.

I turned my head to him so fast my hair flew, "A fairy? You have fairies here?" And as usual, my amusement completely overrode the danger of the situation.

Lucian’s eyes flicked to me, too serious. "Fairies were cast away long ago when they betrayed the government..."

"But they still exist?" I asked, leaning in like he was telling me bedtime stories.

"Yes." His tone stayed flat. "Most disguise themselves. They’re powerful... and unpredictable..." He paused, jaw tightening, "... evil."

Unpredictable evil?

Fairies?

My pulse skipped.

Vaylen swallowed again, clearly remembering something he wished he hadn’t. "I don’t know if she was evil, but she wasn’t... normal. Her presence felt like she wasn’t really there. Like a mirage."

Lucian’s grip on my hand tightened, not painfully, but enough to make my heart jump.

"Seraphina," he said quietly, "fairies don’t involve themselves in dragon affairs without reason. They hate us. They avoid us."

His eyes locked onto mine, cold and serious. "If one approached Vaylen... it means she wanted something."

My mouth went dry, "Wanted... what?"

"You."