He held the letter in his hand, ready to read it, but he stopped. Sothing felt off. He glanced sideways and noticed Lucia standing too close, trying to sneak a look at what he was doing.
"Can you give so space?" he asked, frowning.
"I'm just curious," she said, her tone light and carefree, like she hadn't just crossed a line.
Lucia didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, she smiled like nothing was wrong and tilted her head slightly.
Asher stared at her. How could she act so casual? Not long ago, he had threatened her, and now she was acting like nothing had happened.
'She's crazy,' he thought.
No one in their right mind would be this relaxed around soone who had just tried to intimidate them.
"Your curiosity can wait," he said bluntly. "Unless you want poking around in your business too."
Lucia's smile only grew wider. "This is coming from soone who barged into my office, destroyed all my defense spells, bound , and blackmailed into submission? Should I add more?"
He froze, caught off guard. Everything she said was sowhat true, and her calm, almost playful tone only made it harder to argue.
His attention turned briefly to Lazeth. Her face was a mix of embarrassnt and confusion after hearing Lucia's bold statents.
She had painted him like so sort of psychopathic criminal who took advantage of won. It was far from the truth, but the damage had already been done.
For a mont, he considered defending himself, explaining the situation. But then, he paused. It was pointless, wasn't it?
'It's not like other people's opinions matter,' he reminded himself.
So, he kept his focus on the letter, letting the words on the page drown out the unwanted attention.
The letter was elegantly written, each word perfectly ford, showing that she had taken extra care with every stroke of her pen.
—
To Vice Principal Asher Aurelius,
I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to take a mont to congratulate you on your recent victory and your new position as Vice Principal. You have truly earned this achievent through your skill, your determination, and the imnse power you displayed.
Your performance left speechless—such power is rare and captivating. It is no exaggeration to say that you took my breath away with your abilities. I've seldom encountered soone who commands such presence and control, and it is my sincere admiration that you are now in such a position of influence.
It would be a privilege to welco you to my castle at your convenience. A dinner, perhaps, where we can discuss matters of mutual interest.
I would be honored if you could find the ti to visit. Please send a letter in advance, and I will ensure everything is prepared for your arrival.
I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you more in person.
With all my respect,
Queen Nala Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire
—
"Is she really married to the king?" he muttered aloud.
There was an underlying tone in her ssage that didn't fit the image of a woman committed to her husband. The praise, the subtle invitation, it all felt too personal, too intimate for soone who was supposedly devoted to another.
Lucia's soft giggle broke the silence, drawing his attention.
"The king?" she said, her voice laced with a hint of mockery. "He's nothing but a puppet. The real power in the kingdom belongs to the queen. She's the one who calls the shots, not him."
"I see," he nodded, not really surprised.
Most of the people in power he had encountered in this world were won. At this point, it almost seed natural that true authority would rest in their hands.
Lucia's expression softened into a mischievous grin. She could twist this situation to her advantage and use it to ruin Nala's reputation.
"And you'd be wise to stay away from her," she continued, her tone lowering slightly, as if sharing a secret. "The queen has a... reputation. She's very skilled at getting what she wants, especially when it cos to n."
"If you're smart, you'll ignore that invitation. Trust , you don't want to get tangled up in whatever ga she's playing."
"Well, I don't really plan to go," he replied casually. "But it's not because of you. I just can't be bothered," he added with a shrug.
She didn't care about his reasons, as long as he stayed away from Nala.
In her opinion, if there was even the slightest chance that the queen managed to manipulate him, that crafty woman would find a way to get rid of her.
Lucia wasn't about to let that happen. But she needed more than his words of assurance. Her mind raced as an idea began to form.
To ensure he stayed within the academy, she needed to focus on what truly motivated him—his hunger for knowledge about teleportation.
But she couldn't just teach him everything outright. If she did, he might leave prematurely, and that would not work in her favor, especially since he held knowledge that could make her more powerful.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she thought about the possibilities.
For sorcerers, becoming the most powerful version of themselves was their top priority. She couldn't afford to let him go without extracting as much benefit she could.
She started walking toward her desk, relieved that he hadn't broken into it—otherwise, she'd be losing one of her bargaining chips for free.
"I've been thinking," She pulled open the drawer and retrieved a worn, leather-bound book, its edges frayed from years of use. This book had a defense chanism: it would burn itself to ashes if anyone open it without her permission.
"This has everything you need to know about the teleportation portal. The basics, at least. But..."
His eyes flicked to the book, his calm deanor slipping for just a mont.
"But?" he asked.
Lucia's smile widened slightly. "It's not free."
"What do you want?"
"That spell you used against Abir. The one that drained his energy."
Asher paused, his gaze dropping to the floor for a mont. The spell he had used wasn't sothing he considered a major threat—he had plenty of ways to counter it if needed.
But in the wrong hands? If she learned it, there was no guarantee she wouldn't find a way to exploit it. The thought gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside. He had bigger things to worry about.
'It doesn't matter. Once I'm gone, I won't have to deal with her or anyone in this world again.'
Lucia, seeing his hesitation, took a step closer. She wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.
But before she could say anything, he already responded with a yes.
She studied him for a mont longer, trying to gauge if there was any trace of deception in his tone, any hint that he was playing a deeper ga. She couldn't tell.
"Well, if you're certain, then I won't waste your ti any longer," she said, her lips curling into a small, sly smile. "But before that..."
"Lazeth," she turned her attention to her. "Leave us."
The sorcerer blinked, startled. "But—"
"No questions," Lucia interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argunt. "This conversation is far too important to have any distractions."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And I cannot allow anyone else to hear what cos next."
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