As the Archduke stepped further into the room, Valentina was quick to place her own body between him and Dahlia. Of course, the man was still across the room, but it was clear that the vampiress was taking no chances.
"I hardly think it's appropriate to call me your friend Aeneas; not everyone likes you as much as you seem to like yourself after all. Now, instead of me explaining what we were talking about, why don't you explain why you were eavesdropping instead. In fact, why are you here at all? I thought you left with Her Majesty and Daniil."
Seeming to completely ignore the Archduchess' overt hostility, the man simply continued to walk into the room, finding a comfortable looking couch before sitting down and lounging on it. All the while, the shadows in the area seemed to follow him like a mantle and that cursed smile never left his face.
