"A cheaper version?"
The same man who’d been interrupting since the meeting began raised his hand again. "Why would you even need a cheaper version?"
Lucius’s brow twitched.
’Doesn’t this guy take a hint?’
Everyone at the table turned to glare at the man, their collective annoyance was practically tangible.
If this were his guild, Lucius would have already opened a dimensional tear beneath the idiot’s chair and sent him plummeting into the void.
Unfortunately, this was Vanessa’s guild, not his, and even he had to admit... begrudgingly that the man out-ranked him.
Lucius was still officially a D-rank, while this loudmouth... Brenton, apparently from his name tag was a B-rank senior.
"Please forgive Brenton’s constant interruptions," Vanessa said with a strained voice.
She didn’t even look at the man; she just gestured elegantly toward Lucius. "Please continue."
Lucius straightened, brushing imaginary dust from his coat. "Right. As I was saying..."
He picked up the smaller box of rings from the table, letting them gleam under the overhead lights.
"This will be the one that’s public. Anyone can get their hands on it... as long as they can pay."
He tapped the side of the case with a finger. "While it only has five hundred cubic meters of space, it’s still a massive upgrade for everyday people... hunters, merchants, even small guilds. It’ll help a lot of lives."
He leaned back as if that explained everything.
Vanessa nodded slowly, assessing the idea. She liked it... actually, she loved it.
The fact that Lucius wasn’t just thinking about selling to nobles but also considering the common market was... very thoughtful.
It was expected of the man she loved.
Her lips moved into a smile.
"I understand," she said, folding her arms. "And I’m thankful that you were able to deliver on schedule. We’ll handle the advertisements and spread word for the auction of the remaining rings."
Lucius grinned. "Thank you."
Then he leaned closer, close enough that his breath brushed her ear. "I’ll get the rest of my reward when we’re in your room..."
Vanessa’s cheeks flared pink instantly, her breath catching for half a second before she coughed lightly and straightened her posture.
She was Guild Leader right now, not his personal distraction.
"Y-yes," she said briskly, clearing her throat. "Well then, you should hand out the rings to the people you want to give them to, so I can organize the rest for auction."
Lucius nodded though he was amused by her cute attempt to compose herself, and lifted a hand.
Five of the premium rings floated up from the velvet box, spinning lazily in midair before darting toward five of the women sitting along the far end of the table.
The rings hovered briefly in front of each woman before gently landing in their palms.
He gave them a satisfied nod.
"You’ve all been pulling your weight lately. Consider it a... token of appreciation."
He didn’t know if they had been... he had just given them to random people, except Brenton of course.
The room went quiet for a moment before one of them... a middle aged B-rank with copper hair and wide eyes blinked in disbelief. "Th-Thank you—"
Her voice cracked mid-sentence, and she looked down at the glowing ring in awe.
Lucius gave her a brief, approving nod. "You’re welcome."
The others were equally stunned.
"Well," he said, brushing his hands together, "that settles it. Let’s go."
He turned and walked toward the exit.
Villy, ever dutiful, followed behind him, pushing the empty cart and bowing to Vanessa as she left.
The doors swung open and shut, leaving the meeting hall abuzz.
Like Lucius wanted.
...
An hour later, across town, the sun spilled through the wide glass windows of a public café, painting the room in a soft amber glow.
Liora Romanoff sat near the corner, trying to look casual beneath the large hoodie and baseball cap that barely concealed her face.
A pair of sunglasses rested on the table beside her untouched coffee cup.
She looked like a celebrity trying to avoid paparazzi, which, given her reputation as a top-ranked Bounty Hunter known as Mist, wasn’t far from the truth.
She exhaled heavily, watching the foam swirl in her mug.
’How do I even book a meeting with Lucius?’
She’d been running through scenarios in her head for the past week.
None of them made sense.
Chatting him on Stitch? Impossible.
The man’s inbox probably had millions of unread messages from every guild, brand, and desperate woman on the planet.
She’d look pathetic just sending one and that was if he read it.
Valerian? That man was out of the damn question.
She’d burned that bridge months ago.
She groaned softly and rubbed her temples.
’I don’t even have his number.’
Even if she did... would he even answer? Probably not.
She’d asked the Council to connect her, but "processing the request" apparently meant "we’ll get back to you next year."
’Why can’t I just bump into him somewhere?’
The café door chimed.
She glanced up lazily, expecting another group of students or businessmen.
Instead, a tall man in a dark hoodie walked in, pulling down his glasses just enough to scan the room.
Behind him trailed a petite woman with hair tied in a neat bun... a dwarf, unmistakably.
Liora blinked once.
Her heart nearly stopped.
’No way...’
She had memorized how tall he was and it was exactly the same, plus Hohenbergs had a royal shade of black as their hair... and from the hoodie, she could still see it.
He approached the counter.
"Two coffees," he said to the barista. "What about you, Villy?"
"I’ll take whatever you’re having, my lord," Villy replied politely.
The barista blinked but just nodded and scribbled their order.
Lucius exhaled and took a three seater chair, clearly exhausted. Villy took the second seat beside him... and the third one looked too enticing.
She swallowed hard, adjusting her cap.
This was her chance.
’Thank you, goddess.’
’You can do this, Liora. Just breathe. He’s a person, not a god.’
She stood abruptly, nearly knocking her chair back.
A few nearby patrons glanced over, startled by the sound.
Liora ignored them, smoothed her hair beneath her cap, and adjusted her blouse.
’Act natural.’ This would be the second time she was meeting him... But she always acted this way around men she crushed on.
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she crossed the room.
Lucius was mid-conversation with Villy with one elbow resting on the table, when a shadow fell across them.
He looked up lazily.
"Mr..." Liora began, voice softer than she expected. She gestured toward the empty seat beside him. "May I sit here?"
He tilted his head slightly, pulling his glasses down just enough for her to see his eyes fully.
"...Do I know you?"