A smile slowly spread across Esther's face.
It was flawless—gentle, innocent, almost angelic. The kind of expression she had practiced countless times in front of a mirror until it became second nature. Every curve of her lips, every softness in her eyes… carefully crafted.
"Mr. Lucien, right?" she began softly. "I heard Mom and the others mention you yesterday."
Her voice carried warmth, politeness, even a hint of admiration.
"They said you gave up a good opportunity after graduation to take over your adoptive father's antique shop. That you're someone who values kindness and repays it."
Lucien didn't respond.
He simply watched her.
Esther continued as if nothing was wrong, her tone growing even more sincere.
"Also… thank you for caring about my health. And I'm sorry for what Daniel said yesterday. He didn't mean it. He's just been influenced by some bad friends."
It was a perfect performance.
Compliment first. Build goodwill. Then apologize on behalf of someone else to create emotional leverage.
Anyone else would have softened by now.
Lucien didn't.
"You moved in yesterday," he said calmly. "And you're already calling them your parents? Apologizing on their behalf?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Don't you think you're trying a bit too hard?"
For a split second—
The mask cracked.
It was subtle, almost invisible. But the emotion beneath it was unmistakable.
Anger.
Sharp. Violent. Suppressed.
Esther's fingers twitched slightly, but she quickly regained control. Her expression returned to that same harmless innocence, as if nothing had happened.
"My parents are very kind," she replied softly. "My siblings treat me well. For the first time… I feel like I belong somewhere."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to protect that."
Lucien gave a small nod.
"Hm."
A flicker of satisfaction appeared in Esther's eyes.
She thought she had regained control of the conversation.
"So, Mr. Lucien, you—"
"I don't accept it."
Two simple words.
Clean. Direct.
They cut straight through everything she had built.
The air fell silent.
Esther froze.
Lucien looked at her with complete indifference. "Anything else?"
For the first time, she had nothing to say.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. The script she had rehearsed so many times… collapsed instantly.
Then, slowly, her eyes began to redden.
Tears gathered, trembling at the corners.
"I… I just wanted to make things better…" she whispered, her voice fragile.
She raised a hand, wiping her eyes gently, glancing at him as if seeking a reaction.
Lucien frowned slightly.
Then he looked away.
His hand tightened into a fist.
That small reaction didn't escape her notice.
A faint, twisted satisfaction surfaced deep in her heart.
There it is.
No matter how cold they acted, men were all the same. Show weakness, show vulnerability… and they would hesitate.
That moment of hesitation was enough.
Without warning, Esther stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
She moved quickly.
Too quickly.
Her small body leaned toward him, arms lifting slightly—
Trying to fall straight into his embrace.
At that exact moment—
"Este! It's time to go!"
Kate's voice came from outside.
But Esther didn't stop.
Instead, she sped up.
If Kate walked in and saw this—if it looked like Lucien had been holding her—everything would be over. Suspicion. Accusations. Reputation destroyed in an instant.
It was a vicious move.
Calculated.
Precise.
But Lucien moved faster.
He stretched his arm casually, as if loosening his shoulder, shifting his body just enough to avoid contact.
Esther lost her balance.
Her body slammed awkwardly against the counter, a dull pain shooting through her ribs.
Right at that moment, Kate stepped inside.
"Este! What are you doing?"
She frowned immediately, assuming the girl had been playing around too roughly.
"Don't disturb him. Come down."
Esther lowered her head, hiding the cold expression flashing across her face.
Kate quickly turned to Lucien, apologetic. "I'm really sorry. She insisted on coming here with the others… we couldn't stop her."
"It's fine," Lucien replied calmly.
After a few polite exchanges, Kate led Esther away.
The shop returned to silence.
Only then did Lucien slowly unclench his fist.
"…Disgusting."
His voice was low.
That kind of cheap manipulation… it wasn't even clever. It relied entirely on people lowering their guard.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple.
For a moment, he had genuinely felt the urge to strike.
One blow.
That would have been enough.
But he held back.
The information from the detective hadn't arrived yet. Acting now would only complicate things.
Lucien clicked his tongue softly.
Then he turned, picking up a familiar text from the table—the Huangting Jing.
If anything could calm his mind after that encounter, it was this.
Time passed quietly.
As he read, the restless feeling inside him gradually settled. His breathing slowed, his thoughts cleared, and the flow of Qi within his body became steadier, stronger.
When he finally closed the book, the tension from earlier had completely faded.
Right on time.
He stood up and began preparing the talismans he had promised.
Ink. Brush. Yellow paper.
Everything moved smoothly now, far more controlled than before.
By the time he finished, the sky had already darkened.
Lucien poured himself a cup of tea and sat down, waiting.
Not long after—
The door opened.
"Long time no see, Lucien."
The detective stepped inside, trench coat slightly wrinkled, expression serious.
Without wasting time, he pulled out a file and placed it on the table.
"Everything you asked for… is in here."
Lucien picked it up and opened it.
The first thing he saw—
Was her face.
But not the innocent version from earlier.
This one was different.
Cold.
Dark.
Almost sinister.
The detective exhaled heavily. "Her real name isn't Esther. It's Lina. From Russia."
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly as he flipped the page.
"She's not a child either," the detective continued. "She's thirty-three years old. A rare hormonal disorder stopped her growth."
A pause.
"Before this family… there was another."
Lucien kept reading.
"A family of seven adopted her. Not long after—fire. All dead. She was the only survivor."
The room felt colder.
"The case was ruled as arson," the detective said quietly. "But she was declared mentally ill and sent to a psychiatric facility."
Another page turned.
"She escaped."
Silence.
Lucien's gaze moved across the documents, stopping at a particular section.
Something… stood out.
The orphanage records were normal.
Too normal.
Except—
One name.
A nun.
His eyes lingered on it for a moment longer.
"…Interesting."
The game was getting deeper.
And far more dangerous than it first appeared.