Jean rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Go meet your friend? How would you feel if I sat there staring at you all day?"
His smirk returned, as playful as ever. "I'd be elated."
Jean huffed and shook her head, though the corners of her lips twitched. "I need someone to assist me. I don't feel great," she admitted with a sigh.
"I'm here, pumpkin. Anything you need," Lucius replied, his voice softening.
She shook her head again, only to wince and flinch. "I have about a dozen reasons why you're wrong," she muttered, though a small smile betrayed her growing fondness.
"You wound me, Jeanie," he said, feigning hurt.
"You stress me, Drakie," she retorted with a smirk of her own.
But before their banter could continue, Lucius stilled, his head cocking slightly. "Someone's coming," he warned.
Jean blinked in confusion. "I hope it's the princess," she said, though there was no certainty in her voice.
"It's not," Lucius replied with ease.
Her brows furrowed. "How do you know that from here?"
Lucius gave a small shrug. "This person doesn't smell divine."
Jean's eyes widened in disbelief. "You know Salviana's smell?"
His confidence wavered as he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "Not personally… or by choice…"
Jean leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "You what?"
"I didn't think you'd insist I complete the sentence," he said, grinning mischievously at her reaction.
Jean sighed, shaking her head. She didn't even know why it bothered her that Lucius could recognize Salviana's scent.
What did bother her was that he was still confined to her chambers, hovering around her like a shadow.
A sharp knock echoed through the room, interrupting her thoughts. The sound made her tense, her hands clenching the blanket.
"I'm alone," she murmured, almost to herself.
Lucius tilted his head. "Are you?"
"I'm supposed to be. Can you disappear?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.
He frowned, clearly unimpressed. "No, I'm not Alaric."
Jean groaned in frustration. "What even is the third prince?! He's given me such a wrong impression of vampires! There's so much you can't do!"
Lucius chuckled, stepping toward the door. "We won't be answering that. Whoever it is can assume we're not home."
Jean's jaw dropped. "We?"
He rolled his eyes but moved toward the door with a smirk. Seeing this, Jean panicked.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, intending to stop him, but the sudden movement made her sway.
The weakness from earlier, paired with lightheadedness from blood loss, hit her hard, and she started to fall.
Lucius moved in an instant, his arms wrapping around her waist to steady her.
Her feet barely touched the ground as he held her close, her breath catching at the feel of his strong chest against hers.
"Miss Jean Goliath?!" a voice called from the other side of the door.
But Jean and Lucius were lost in the moment. She was hyper-aware of the firmness of his hold, the warmth of his touch.
His dark eyes held hers, and for a second, nothing else mattered.
"It's I, Miss Margaretha," the voice came again, snapping Jean back to reality. Her brows furrowed. What was Salviana's former lady-in-waiting doing here?
Lucius's fingers brushed against her face, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
She sighed at the tender motion but stiffened when the voice spoke again.
"I'd assume you didn't sleep in your quarters last night," Margaretha said, her tone sharp.
Lucius groaned under his breath. "She's a total idiot," he muttered before tilting Jean's chin upward, his gaze meeting hers. His voice softened. "And you are beautiful."
Jean's cheeks flushed, but her gaze narrowed. "Put me down. Please."
Lucius ignored her request, holding her closer as he whispered, "We need to stay quiet."
"We?" she hissed.
But Lucius's attention was already on the door. Moving toward it with deliberate steps, he looked back at her with that infuriating smirk.
Panic surged through Jean as she scrambled out of bed, but her body betrayed her, weakened and lightheaded from the blood Lucius had taken.
She swayed, her knees buckling, but before she could hit the ground, Lucius was there, catching her in his arms effortlessly.
His strong hands steadied her, one arm around her waist as her feet barely grazed the floor.
"Miss Jean Goliath?" the voice came again, sharper this time.
But Jean barely registered it. Her breath hitched as she looked up at Lucius, their faces close enough to feel his breath on her skin.
His dark eyes bore into hers, sending a shiver down her spine.
His grip tightened slightly as he lifted her chin with his fingers, holding her gaze. "You are beautiful," he repeated, his voice soft and sincere.
Jean swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest
He kept touching her face, his fingers brushing lightly over her skin. They stayed silent, not daring to make a sound, so Miss Margaretha wouldn't hear them through the door.
When Jean finally gathered the courage to ask, "When can you let me go?" Lucius gulped, his throat bobbing as he whispered, "She's gone now."
Jean opened her eyes, realizing she hadn't noticed she had closed them.
"Come here," he said, his voice gentle yet firm.
Before she could protest, he swept her into his arms with effortless ease. Her arm instinctively reached up to steady herself on his shoulder.
"Lucius!" she squealed, startled, but then something unexpected happened.
A warm, comforting feeling settled in her chest. She couldn't remember anyone ever carrying her like this before.
Then her eyes widened as a new thought struck her. That's because she wasn't married, she reminded herself, and the realization made her body stiffen.
"You need a bath," Lucius said casually as he strode forward without breaking a sweat. Vampires were strong, and Jean couldn't deny she was impressed by his strength.
But she didn't want to be assisted—not by him, and certainly not by any man.
"Lucius," she said with a sigh, "I don't have the energy to do this alone, but I also don't need your help." She paused, hoping he'd understand. "I'd rather wait for a maid, if the princess sends one."