a Vanc

ark eyes narrowing with venomous disbelief as she

skirts rustling aggressively. "Aurelia? What in the

ur table, his broad shoulders blocking her view of me. "This is a private

t contempt. "Step aside, you exiled half-bloo

n, and stood up from the booth. I reached up and smoothly unhooked t

perfectly level, carrying cleanly throu

ir heads, murmuring among themselves as they r

"So this is where you ran off to? Hiding in provincial drinking dens wi

e on legitimate business. S

walls. "A Dragonless commoner pretending to be an academic. You think beca

to wail, tugging at his mother's ski

. "Since you are here wasting time, make yourself useful. Leo is fussy, and he only eats those mana-infu

olute, casual arrogance of a royal m

I serve her children, treating my culinary alchemy as menial kitchen labor to humiliate me in front o

atched with wide eyes, clearly expecting the quiet c

the hilt of his concealed dagger, h

ly into Audrey'

" I

ped into the silent room

h falling open in sheer

clarity. "I am not your servant, Audrey. I am not your pastry chef. If

ked, "How dare you speak to me like that! You are an inferior, cold-blooded parasite living on my famil

hile you are running to your brother, remember this: I am a founding partner of Aether Forge. If you take one more step to

ey f

re salon

the continent were desperately trying to court. The Drakos Dynasty itself relied

nd shock and profound reverence, whispering th

ation. She realized in an instant that she had walked int

by the wrist, turned on her heel, and practically fl

s, took a slow, steady s

g," I said calmly. "We ha