Chapter 281: The Rose and the Wolf
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
The humour faded from their faces.
Alistair tilted his head, one eyebrow raised in interest, his eyes calculating as he studied Julian with the same intensity he might give a puzzle he was trying to solve.
"Is Lucian right?" he asked. "Is it a princess?"
Julian sighed. Then he adjusted his spectacles, the gesture slower than usual, as though he were buying himself time.
"I am not interested in telling you who it is," he said. "That is my business, and I intend to keep it that way."
No one spoke for a while.
The silence stretched between them, then Lucian nodded.
He did not say anything at first. He simply looked at Julian, his blue eyes unreadable, and then he spoke.
"Good luck," he said. "You will need it."
There was no mockery in his voice. It was a simple statement, delivered with sincerity. Then he turned and walked toward the door, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.
