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 some… release."
Julian remained silent for a moment.
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—somewhere 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 someone 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.
