She almost smiled. "You carry a great weight, young lord. Anyone could see that." She looked straight into his eyes, dark gaze warm and inviting. "It seems like you could use so... release."
Julian remained silent for a mont.
He looked at Sera but his expression were calm but distant, as if her words had not quite reached where his thoughts were.
His mind had already moved elsewhere.
To Vanessa—sowhere deeper within the castle. He could almost picture her, putting this together piece by piece, shaping every detail with care.
The bait was clear.
But the hand throwing it was skilled enough that swallowing it might still be worth the risk.
He set the towel aside.
"You seem very confident, Sera," he said.
She smiled. "You seem like soone who enjoys good company, my lord."
Julian walked to the chair beside the window and sat. The late afternoon light was almost gone now, the duchy outside settling into its early evening.
He looked at her.
"And what makes you good company," he asked. "I have been with countless won in my life, Sera. Are you certain you can exceed all of them."
For a brief second, genuine surprise crossed her face. She hesitated, unsure how to respond. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened just a little, the reaction coming before she could stop it.
"I am certain I can exceed them, my lord," she replied, trying to keep her voice warm and confident.
Julian looked at her for a long mont.
"I want you to understand sothing," he said. His tone hadn’t changed.
"My lord," she bowed slightly.
"I am very serious, Sera," he continued. "When I say countless, I an it literally. I have very specific expectations. And I have very little patience for people who overstate their capabilities."
She held his gaze, breathing a little faster now. "I understand, my lord."
"I don’t think you do," Julian said pleasantly.
He raised his right hand and made a single slicing gesture in the air.
Suddenly, a massive wave of roaring red fla erupted out of thin air right in front of him. The fire manifested to life with terrifying speed and surged towards Sera in a single, devastating rush.
The temperature in the chamber spiked violently in an instant. The air grew scorching hot, shimring with raw power. The flas crackled and hissed, casting wild, dancing shadows across the walls.
Sera’s eyes widened in pure shock.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the searing wave of fire barreled straight at her throat. For one terrifying heartbeat, she was certain it was going to consu her. Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, and her knees threatened to give way—but she forced herself to remain standing.
Then, in the very next mont, the fire stopped.
The massive wave of fla froze in place, hanging in the air just a fraction of an inch from her slender throat.
It did not touch her.
Tiny beads of sweat imdiately ford along her collarbone and began to trickle slowly down into the deep valley of her cleavage. The heated air made her cheeks flush bright red, her lips part in shallow, rapid breaths.
She had gone completely still, frozen in place like a beautiful statue.
Julian sat back in the chair, completely relaxed, watching her reaction with an amused expression.
"The question I asked deserves an honest answer, Sera," he said, his voice low and calm, cutting through the crackling sound of the flas. "Not a confident one. Not a rehearsed, seductive one. Can you truly exceed every woman who ca before you? Think very carefully before you answer."
Sera swallowed hard. The movent of her throat brought her soft skin dangerously close to the edge of the roaring flas. She could feel the heat scorching her neck, making her pulse race wildly.
"I... I can, my lord," she whispered, her voice shaky but determined. The usual warm, honeyed tone was gone, replaced by sothing far more raw and honest.
Julian tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "You hesitated. That tells you’re still performing. Try again. Can you exceed them all? Or are you just another pretty girl in a short skirt who thinks her body is enough?"
The flas pulsed hotter for a brief second, forcing another gasp from her lips. More sweat slid down her neck and disappeared between her heaving breasts. Her eyes flicked between the deadly wall of fire and Julian’s calm face.
"Yes," she said again, this ti with more conviction, though her voice trembled. "I can exceed them. I know how to please a man like you... how to give everything. Not just my body. Everything."
Julian let the silence stretch for several long seconds, the red flas still roaring nacingly just inches from her throat.
Then he spoke again, softer this ti.
"Good. That was closer to honest. But understand this, Sera — if you ever overstate what you can give again, I won’t stop the flas next ti. I’ll let them kiss that pretty skin of yours until you learn the difference between confidence and reality."
He held her gaze a mont longer, letting the weight of his words sink in.
Finally, he closed his hand.
The massive wave of fla vanished instantly — disappearing into thin air as if it had never existed. The scorching temperature in the room dropped imdiately, leaving only the normal warmth of the lamplight.
Sera let out a shaky breath, her legs trembling slightly. She looked rattled, flushed, and more beautiful than ever.
Julian watched her for a mont, then said simply, "Co here."
Sera hesitated for only a fraction of a second before obeying. She took in a slow, deep breath, as if trying to calm herself, and then began to walk towards him.
Her hips moved with that sa familiar, hypnotic rhythm, but now there was a difference. Beneath the grace, there was a faint tension.
She stopped directly in front of his chair and stood between his spread legs. Up close, he could see the rapid pulse in her neck, the sheen of sweat on her skin, and the way her hands were clenched at her sides.
Julian looked up at her slowly.
"On your knees."
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