Luca waited by the printer for his scanned copies, tapping his fingers lightly as the machine hummed in the quiet but chatty library. He had slicked his hair back once again because he truly believed it suited him well, and it made his light green eyes pop out nicely. He had also swooped his baby hair in tiny swirls to add to the look. There were many people in the library, as some preferred working there rather than in their own offices or in the cafe. Keyboards clicked, and the faint scent of ink filled the air of HQ.
Luca wasn't sure if the printer had been working right. He'd been waiting for a couple of minutes, only for one piece of paper to actually print. That led him to thinking it had broken, so he took out his phone and called Margot because the local technician was on vacation and Margot knew how to fix stuff.
A few moments later, Margot appeared wearing a lab coat and protective glasses, although she most likely didn't need them.
"Sterling, hey, what's up?"
"Hi, Margot. I think this machine might be broken, and I need to print copies, so I thought I'd phone you to see if you could fix it," he said, smiling lightly at the sight of her.
She smiled back, pretending to be in deep thought, tapping her foot on the ground and rubbing her chin and all that. Just like Vae. "Well, if it's you asking me… of course!"
Luca sighed in relief. He had been subconsciously holding his breath in case she might say no. He knew she was going to agree, but there was always a small chance of a no, even if it were atom-sized.
And so, Margot conjured her toolbox from thin air and began the maintenance. She said it'd take a couple of minutes, but judging from the speed she worked at and used her magic, it seemed like it'd take even less than one. Some people caught brief stolen glances, while others were absorbed in their computers.
Luca watched her process attentively, as if just that were enough for him to catch some of the basics, and then he remembered he couldn't use magic. There was no point in even looking.
Fortunately, Margot finished quickly and gave Luca a thumbs up while her toolbox disappeared into thin air, not unlike the way it had appeared.
For a moment, they both stood still, and then Margot opened her arms wide, smiling at him. Luca stepped closer and hugged her back.
She patted his back lightly before letting him go quickly and whispered, "you look so much better now. Glad you took the initiative to take care of yourself."
For a reason unknown to him, Luca felt himself blush at that. "Yeah… I… took care of myself. I figured it was about time, y'know?" he said, but it felt like he was lying through his teeth, and it wasn't the most pleasant thing to feel.
She nodded slowly, her expression quite unreadable, before skedaddling away toward the lab. Luca waved her goodbye before returning to the printer. He glanced down when his papers were almost done printing when a loud noise startled him. At first, there were faint knocks—the kind that promised disruption—and then HQ's front doors at the lobby swung open before anyone could answer. Everyone heard it since the library was at the front of the building, right next to the door.
A sharp, commanding, robotic voice cut through the silence like a whip. "The Sovereign Ledger," the voice said. "We have a High-Grade Sovereign matter requiring immediate attention."
Heads turned, eyes widened, jaws dropped, and then she appeared: Scovina Scillivar, wearing the kind of stormy expression that could make even seasoned investigators rethink their careers.
Whispers erupted, and Luca heard somewhere, "someone get Director Vyserion..."
Luca watched her walk towards the reception desk and the poor receptionist, who was probably just as startled as he was, through the glass windows of the library. He immediately left his papers and walked behind Scovina. He felt bad for it since Margot had just finished fixing the printer, and then he just left the papers behind. Matter of fact, Scovina sounded horribly different from what she usually did, like a robot.
Luca swallowed before tapping her on the shoulder gently. "G-good afternoon, Your Grace," he began tentatively. "If you'd come with me, Your Grace, I can take you to a waiting room and let Director Vyserion know you're here regarding the issue."
Her head snapped back almost immediately, and she stared him in the eyes with her intimidating gaze. "I do not wait. Get. Him. Here. Now," her synthetic voice said.
"Ah—yes, of course. Please come with me," Luca said hesitantly.
She scoffed, her expression still stormy, and she followed behind him. She wore a grand purple dress that was detailed intricately and slid across the floor. Fitting for a siren duchess.
Luca led her to the elevators and stood aside so she could step in. Her dress trailed behind her, and she had to scrunch it up so it could fit. Luca furrowed his brows, confused on how he should step in beside her, as her dress nearly covered the entire floor. There was a tiny empty space where Luca would have to leap before the elevator doors would close. So he shut his eyes and hoped for the best. Scovina stared at him wide-eyed. She was surprised at his recklessness. He smiled at her awkwardly until she looked away and pressed the button to the 8th floor, which was where Zayn's office was. The couple of seconds it took may have been the longest, most uncomfortable moment Luca had ever had. Beneath the heavy perfume and saltwater scent typical of sirens, Luca thought he detected something fair and sweet—almost like crushed lilies. He dismissed it quickly. His sense of smell had been unreliable ever since the sigil incident.
When the doors opened, he walked out and held his hand out respectfully. She seemed to hesitate before she took his hand and walked out before Luca nervously released her hand.
Nearby assistants stopped their conversations mid-word; they all stared Scovina and Luca down, and he was convinced some of them weren't even trying to be any less obvious. He overheard someone saying, "that's Duchess Scillivar in broad daylight..."
And just as they were in the middle of the hallway, a staff member quickly interrupted them with a cold sweat trailing down their forehead. The woman was sprite.
"Director Vyserion is currently—"
"Move," Scovina said, leaving no wiggle room.
The sprite froze for half a second before stepping aside so quickly that she nearly collided with the wall. Luca offered the woman an apologetic look as he followed behind the duchess, who had taken the lead further down the hallway. Behind them, the quiet murmur of the office began again—only now it was filled with whispers.
"…Why is she here?" "...That's really her..." "...I heard there was a problem..."
Luca pretended he couldn't hear any of it, smiling as if he were completely unaware. If this were any other time, though, he would have scolded those employees for spreading rumours and talking behind people's backs.
They stopped in front of Director Vyserion's door, and for a moment, Luca hesitated. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air as he prepared to knock, and he tried not to acknowledge the dumbfounded look Scovinaa was shooting him in his periphery. She probably thought he was an idiot.
And just when Luca's knuckles were about to collide with the wood, the door opened before them.
Zayn K. Vyserion stood in the doorway, looking as composed as ever, as though a furious duchess appearing unannounced was an entirely ordinary part of his afternoon. His eyes moved briefly to Luca, then settled on Scovina.
"Duchess Scillivar," he said, voice evenly calm.
There was a short pause, then "Prince Zayn."
Zayn tilted his head ever so slightly and then leaned in slowly to whisper something in her ear. "When I am at work, you use the correct title, you hear?" He said.
Scovina quickly corrected herself, as if she were in fear, but anyone could tell she wasn't. "Director Vyserion," she said.
Zayn stood still for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction. "You sound different, duchess."
Scovina's expression tightened, but she ignored the observation.
From the back, Luca awkwardly dismissed himself and spun on his heels, knowing the upcoming conversation did not concern him.
But after his third step, something in his body told him to stop. He froze, and when he turned back, Zayn had lifted his hand, telling him to pause. "He will remain here as a work policy."
Luca furrowed his brows in confusion. He had read the TSL terms and conditions, workplace policies, employment manual, his own contract, and many more about a hundred times each, and not one of them ever mentioned that an employee had to stay when the director was in a meeting. None. He wiped the embarrassment off of his face and acted as if it were really a policy. And of course, he was going to talk to Zayn about this.
"Way to ruin my attempt at keeping my distance," he thought.
Zayn stepped aside, gesturing calmly toward the office. "Come in."
Scovina entered without waiting. Luca followed a step behind her, suddenly feeling very aware that he had accidentally escorted a duchess into the director's office like a delivery package instead of bringing her to a waiting room.
Once the door closed, the room grew quiet. Zayn moved behind his desk, clasping his hands together. "Explain the situation, Scovina."
Luca's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Zayn had just called the duchess by her first name—was the respect shown outside all for show?
Scovina remained standing, but a faint vein slightly twitched at her neck. "Tsk. There has been an incident within my dukedom," she said. "One that falls under High-Grade Sovereign jurisdiction.
Zayn folded his hands. "And you require an investigator."
"Yes."
He nodded once, grabbing some files in a drawer near his desk. "That can be arranged."
There was a silent pause. Then Scovina said, "but I will only accept a human, the best one you have, period."
The silence that followed was immediate. Luca panicked internally, raking a hand through his hair. What was that supposed to mean?
Zayn's gaze shifted slowly to Luca.
"No, look away, look away! I have my own case!" Luca thought.
Zayn stayed silent for a very long moment and then glanced back at Scovina with something burning under his silver gaze. He did not speak a word.
"Why a human, hm?"
"Will you help, or will you not?"
"Stubborn, are we?" Zayn said lowly. Then, "I will think about it.
"Think?" She repeated, the metallic distortion briefly sharpening her voice. "Director Vyserion, the matter is already beyond the point of thinking."
Zayn leaned back slightly in his chair, unmoved. "That remains to be determined."
The faint twitch in Scovina's neck became more pronounced as she gradually lost her composure. "Three of my inner sanctum gardens have been compromised. My Eternal Chorus has been hijacked, and we have lost our beautiful voices," she said, holding up the artificial voice device she had been using.
Luca's eyes widened. That was why she sounded… off.
Her voice tightened, "there has been an intrusion within my dukedom," she said. "A Sovereign-class disturbance connected to the Lunar Lily flowers."
At that, Luca saw Zayn's fingers still against the desk. He felt his stomach drop abruptly. A Lunar Lily. The sigil.
Zayn's silver gaze sharpened, but his expression remained unreadable and restrained. "Within siren territory?"
"Yes."
"And you believe the elves are responsible."
Scovina's lips curled up faintly, and she rested her hands over her crossed legs. "They have the most obvious connection to the symbol."
The room fell quiet. Zayn watched her for a long moment. Luca watched them both, feeling awkward and out of place.
"You still have not explained why you require a human investigator, Scovina."
Scovina's eyes flickered briefly toward Luca and returned to Zayn just as quickly.
Luca furrowed his eyebrows in confusion—he hoped she wasn't planning to ask for the exact thing he did not want.
"Because your investigators rely on mana detection," she finally said. If this were any other person, that may have sounded offensive. But this was Scovina.
Zayn didn't move. But he knew. She knew. And Luca knew, too. "And humans do not."
"Correct."
Scovina clasped her hands lightly in front of her dress. "If the perpetrator is attempting to disguise their mana signature, a human investigator would be less susceptible to magical interference.
Luca frowned slightly. He didn't like where this was going. Her explanation sounded logical, but something about the way she said it felt wrong and rehearsed.
Zayn noticed his hesitation. His gaze slid toward Luca again, then back to Scovina.
Finally, Zayn said, "And which human investigator did you have in mind?"
For the first time since entering the room, Scovina smiled, but it felt uncanny. She turned her head directly to Luca. "This one."