Sleep came quickly. The time he had shared with Eva, her reunion with the others, and the relief of seeing everything finally fall into place weighed pleasantly on him. It was a deep sense of ease he hadn't even realized he had been carrying.
The next morning, Julian woke to a knock at his door.
He sat up, running a hand through his hair. His mind was still foggy.
"e in," he called out.
The door opened, and the boy from before—Thomas—entered carrying buckets of steaming water. He looked nervous, his eyes not quite meeting Julian's as he moved to pour the water into the basin.
Julian studied him carefully.
"Good morning," he said calmly.
"Good morning, sir," Thomas replied, his voice tight with tension. He finished pouring the water and turned to leave, but paused at the door.
"Miss Mara said to tell you—she wants you to e to her office at nine o'clock this afternoon. For... for the arrangements."
Julian nodded. "I'll be there. Thank you, Thomas."
The boy nodded and turned to go, but Julian's voice stopped him.
"Are you ready?" Julian asked quietly.
Thomas froze, his back still to Julian. For a long moment, he didn't respond.
"I... I don't know," he finally said, his voice cracking slightly. "She's my mother. I don't know what to do. How to... how to even think about this."
Julian stood from the bed and moved closer, his tone being more conversational.
"What do you like about your sister?" he asked. "About Sarah?"
Thomas turned slightly, confusion crossing his face. "What?"
"Simple question. What do you like about her?"
Thomas hesitated, then said quietly, "Everything. She was with me from when we were young. We've never been separated. We understand each other. We... we love each other."
Julian smiled slightly. "Forget about those things for a moment. Tell me—do you not like the feeling when you're sucking her breasts? What about the sensation when you penetrate her? The way she feels around you?"
The boy's face turned bright red, his eyes widening with shock. "What... what do you mean? I—"
"You're hiding behind a veil of 'doing the right thing," Julian interrupted gently. "You want so badly to prove that whatever you're doing with Sarah is justified by love and circumstance that you miss the important point."
Thomas seemed to be thinking about something, processing this new perspective.
"If you put it that way..." he said slowly. "You're right. I... I do enjoy it. The physical pleasure. Not just because it's Sarah, but because it feels good."
Julian nodded. "Yes. So tell me honestly—what do you like about her? Physically. Sexually. No noble justifications, just truth."
Thomas swallowed hard, his face still flushed, but he met Julian's eyes.
"Her... her ass," he admitted quietly. "Her breasts. Everything, really. I like how she pleasures me with her mouth. The way she moves when we're together. The sounds she makes. The way her body responds to mine."
He took a shaky breath.
"I like that she knows exactly what I want. That she's not shy or hesitant. That she gives herself pletely when we're together."
Julian smiled, satisfied with the boy's answer. "There. That's honest. That's real. Now imagine that—all of that—with Helena."
Thomas's expression shifted to something like horror mixed with unwanted arousal.
"That's... I can't... she's my mother—"
"But if you strip away that label," Julian said calmly, "what is she? A woman. An attractive woman with a body not so different from Sarah's. Someone who could, theoretically, provide the same physical pleasures you enjoy with your sister."
He let that sink in.
"The taboo makes it more difficult psychologically. But physically? Physically, it's just another woman's body. Another source of pleasure. Your mind is creating the barrier, not your body."
Thomas stared at Julian, clearly struggling with this perspective.
"I... I don't know if I can think about her that way," he said finally.
Julian shrugged. "You don't have to decide right now. But when you're in that room tonight, when Kraven is watching—it might help to remember that underneath all the labels and relationships and moral plications, it's just bodies. Just pleasure. Just a transaction to earn your freedom."
He moved closer and his voice became almost hypnotic.
"Sarah's ass. Helena's might be similar. Sarah's breasts. Helena's are bigger, more mature. Sarah's mouth pleasuring you. Helena's could learn. Sarah's body moving beneath you. Helena's could move the same way."
Thomas's breathing had bee more labored, his pupils dilated, clearly affected by Julian's words despite his resistance.
"You're... you're making it sound so..."
"Simple?" Julian supplied. "Because fundamentally, it is. Your mind is the one making it plicated."
Julian stepped back, giving Thomas space. a
The boy nodded slowly, still looking dazed and conflicted, but clearly processing what Julian had said.
"I... I should go," he said finally. a
"Of course," Julian agreed. "I'll see you at nine o'clock."
Thomas left quickly, closing the door behind him.
Julian smiled to himself. The psychological manipulation was almost too easy. Take someone already promised, already engaged in taboo behavior, and shift their framework just slightly.
It was how corruption always worked—one small step at a time, each one justified by the previous one, until you were so deep you couldn't see the path back to where you started.
"Let's play the game," he said to himself, a slight smile touching his lips.
The rest of the hours passed in a blur.
Julian spent time soaking in the bath, taking his time with the hot water and expensive oils the inn provided. He let the steam and heat relax his muscles, clear his mind and ultimately prepare himself for what was ing.
He took longer than necessary, enjoying the simple pleasure of warm water and solitude.
After bathing, he dressed. Not in his traveling clothes, but in the fine tailored garments that spoke of wealth. He wanted to look the part of a wealthy patron, someone who belonged in Mara's hidden chamber.
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