For a brief moment, when Lucavion uttered the words "forced to," his expression shifted, and something dark flickered in his eyes. It was a rare, almost unguarded moment that made Valeria pause. The cool, nonchalant air that usually surrounded him faltered just for a second.
It was unsettling.
But as quickly as it had appeared, the moment was gone. Lucavion's trademark grin returned as if nothing had happened. He brushed off her questioning look with a light wave of his hand. "Forget I said that," he repeated, his voice returning to its usual playful tone, though something about it seemed forced now.
Valeria narrowed her eyes, sensing that there was more to those words than he let on, but before she could press further, he continued.
