Chapter 322: I think we are past the point of using last names.

"So..."

Lucian called out after he stared at Aurelia for a few seconds.

"What are we going to do next?"

He asked with an amused look on his face.

Things were getting serious and were clearly out of his scope, but that only made it even more exciting.

The Gala was fine and everything, but Lucian very quickly realised he wasn’t much of a party person, he very much preferred things like these.

Uncovering hidden mysteries, revealing the truth, the danger, the thrill that all came with it, it was... addictive indeed.

He wanted more.

Just that...

"We?"

Aurelia chuckled.

"Yes, we."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. Aurelia, however, only looked at him and smiled.

"There is no ’we,’ Mr. Cross."

"...excuse me?"

Lucian’s smile immediately disappeared.

Aurelia looked amused.

"You helped me notice something important."

She admitted.

"Your questions regarding Varek gave me a direction I had not considered before."

"I am useful, I know."

"You are."

Aurelia did not deny that.

"But everything we discussed right now is speculation."

She spoke directly.

"We do not know whether Neroth’s Heart actually survived, nor are we sure that Varek’s Contract came from Neroth."

"What about House Arcelis’s unusual purchases, that’s definitely something, no?"

Lucian didn’t give up.

"That is the only concrete connection we have."

Aurelia nodded but...

"But that is not enough for a complete investigation. If it was, I wouldn’t be here."

And Lucian...

He turned silent.

He understood. What Aurelia was saying was correct, still, to discard him like this.

She was so cruel.

Lucian pouted.

Aurelia chuckled when she saw that, then she looked at him and—

"Accusing an Ancient House of secretly preserving an Archdemon’s remains is not something one does based on coincidence, Mr. Cross. Especially when said House currently surrounds us.

Do not forget, any decently strong Vampire here can end you and you wouldn’t even know what happened."

She warned.

"...alright."

In the end, Lucian gave in and changed his question instead.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I’ll investigate."

Aurelia answered without thinking.

"You will?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"Unlike you, no Vampire here can kill me."

Aurelia smiled.

"What about Patriarch Cassian?"

Lucian didn’t miss the opportunity to ask the question. He had been curious about how strong Aurelia was for a while, she didn’t say anything before but this time...

"No Vampire here can kill me."

Aurelia repeated her words and Lucian was impressed, understanding what she was saying.

"That strong, huh."

He commented.

Aurelia didn’t say anything.

"So what do I do?"

He asked, not wanting to completely miss the fun.

"You do whatever it was you were doing before.

What did you say it was again?"

She asked, then, before Lucian could answer, Aurelia recalled his words.

"A hunter learning about his game."

Lucian looked at the woman with a deadpan look on his face.

Aurelia’s grin widened.

"You do that."

Lucian stared at her with a pout, Aurelia looked back. The two remained silent for a while, then suddenly—

"And if you do notice anything unusual again..."

Aurelia spoke again.

"...tell me."

She instructed, her crimson eyes sharpening for a very short moment.

And Lucian—

"So let me understand."

He leaned forward.

"You get to investigate the secret nine-century-old Archdemon conspiracy."

Then he pointed at himself.

"And I am stuck here doing nothing?"

"You can do whatever you want."

"Even you know that’s not true. I cannot do anything I want."

Aurelia didn’t say anything.

Lucian folded his arms.

"Why should I help you if you aren’t letting me join the fun?"

Those words made Aurelia pause for a short moment.

Then, that amused smile she had on her face turned into something more... deliberate.

"You should learn something else while you are here, Mr. Cross."

She spoke as she suddenly leaned forward as well.

"...what?"

Lucian narrowed his eyes.

Aurelia then stood up and leaned onto the table.

"Sometimes..."

She spoke, leaning even more as she brought her lips dangerously close to his ear.

"...you should do a few favors without immediately asking what you get in return."

And Lucian froze.

He had no idea what was happening.

But whatever it was—

He knew it was good.

Her soft whispers blowing into his ears, her sweet scent entering his nose, and the sensation of lips that were barely a centimetre away from his ear...

It was definitely good.

Even he needed a few seconds to recover from it.

"That sounds... like a Vampire philosophy."

He spoke.

Aurelia chuckled at that, her breath brushing against his ear, sending a small jolt down his spine.

Then—

Her fingers touched his chest and... moved down.

Lucian did not move an inch.

His focus was on her. Aurelia’s fingers kept moving down as slowly as possible, then, they stopped just above his waist.

"You should apply it sometimes."

Aurelia whispered again.

Lucian focused on his own breathing and her smile widened.

"After all, who knows what you might get out of it later?"

Those words made Lucian’s eyes burn intensely, Aurelia noticed that and chuckled. Then, before Lucian could respond, she pulled away and returned to her seat.

Lucian stared at her with this dubious look on his face, then at the place where her hand was just now and he...

He had no idea what he was supposed to say.

Sure, he was being playful with Aurelia, but he was playful with everyone. In his mind, Aurelia’s position was somewhere near Vivienne, even if he was expecting something, it definitely wasn’t this.

Aurelia enjoyed every single expression his face showed.

And Lucian, once he finally got a hold of himself after a few long seconds—

"I’ll keep that in mind."

He smiled slowly.

"You should."

Aurelia nodded.

Lucian then stood up and adjusted his clothes, especially his pants.

"I should go."

"So suddenly?"

Aurelia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Lucian nodded.

"I have some... urgent things to take care of."

"Is that so?"

Aurelia laughed lightly.

"Yes, it’s extremely time-sensitive."

"I see."

Aurelia nodded as she eyed him with her crimson eyes burning with strong interest.

"Then I would hate to keep you, Mr. Cross."

"Lucian."

"Hm?"

"Please call me Lucian.

I think we are past the point of using last names."