"W-Why…?"
Aglaea stared fixedly at Lucian, her eyes searching his face for even the faintest trace of a joke or hidden scheme, and asked in a dry voice laced with deep confusion and disbelief.
"I… we just met for the first time… and you even… stuffed me into a sack and carried me back!"
No matter how she tried to reason through it, she simply could not make sense of the situation.
A figure who could make even the Imperator regard him differently would so casually hand over the heavy responsibility of vice city lord to a woman from another land whom he had only just met?
Lucian observed Aglaea's stunned, speechless expression, the faint tension in her features not escaping his notice, and smiled faintly.
"Because I trust you. I know you'll treat this place like it's your own and run it right."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping unhurriedly across the scattered parchments on the table before returning to her.
"Oh, right, once you're done dealing with all this stuff, you can head back to Okhema whenever you want. Dolos will also arrange accommodations for you. You can stay wherever you like."
Right after saying that, Lucian stretched lazily, letting out a quiet breath as if shedding the weight of the conversation, then sat down in the nearby chair and casually called Cipher over to massage his shoulders.
"By the way, earlier you said you'd do what to me if I dared to do anything improper to you?"
Hearing that question, Aglaea fell silent for a moment, her expression tightening slightly before she responded reluctantly, her mouth twitching faintly as if unwilling to repeat it.
"Make you… Make you live a long life..."
"Long life? Hiss~ what a vicious curse..." Lucian said teasingly, sounding thoroughly unbothered. "So you wanna make me suffer forever in this tragic world? Eh, I'll let it slide."
"..."
Aglaea, her mind in complete disarray, sat there blankly on the main seat that symbolized Dolos's highest authority, her posture stiff and uncomposed, then looked at the legendary city lord, who was reclining at the side, enjoying a massage while talking with her so casually, as if none of this carried any weight at all.
He trusted her on their very first meeting and gave her such great authority?
Even allowed her to return at any time, without restriction?
Such trust came far too inexplicably, didn't it?
It was simply too absurd!
Aglaea subconsciously picked up the top parchment, her fingers hesitating for a brief moment, wanting to see whether Lucian was playing a trick on her or testing her in some unseen way.
However, on the parchment, she soon saw that there were clearly various construction plans for Dolos, external response strategies, and contingency plans for guarding against different city-states, all laid out in meticulous detail.
Needless to say, inside were detailed records of plans, locations, and guard deployments, each section neatly organized and annotated.
Such confidential materials were just handed to her so casually?
Aglaea's hands trembled slightly before she quickly flipped through the next few parchments, the soft rustling of paper sounding unusually loud in the quiet room.
Budget updates for the city defense forces' equipment, listing allocations and shortages…
Funding applications for the next quarter of Hearth Mansion, complete with itemized expenditures...
Draft trade agreements with neighboring city-states, outlining terms, concessions, and expected returns…
No matter which parchment she looked at, all of them were solid core government affairs, the kind that should never leave the hands of the highest authority!
No trap.
No test.
All of them were simply laid bare before her, for her to handle, as if entrusting her with the very heart of Dolos itself.
"Lord Lucian... I am here representing Okhema for diplomatic purposes..."
"Haven't we already wrapped up the diplomacy?" Lucian said, waving his hand casually as if brushing away something trivial. "Okhema's envoy is already acting as Dolos's vice city lord—see, the two sides are basically linked because of you. Look how important you are. If you don't take this position, this whole thing might fall apart, and then you'll be the one who kicked off a war."
"…"
Aglaea flinched in silence, her lips parting slightly before pressing together again, utterly speechless.
Was he throwing such a massive burden onto her the very moment she arrived, without even giving her time to settle?
Because she had never encountered such a way of handling diplomacy, Aglaea truly had no idea how to respond to such blatant pressure.
Besides, was he really not afraid of confidential information leaking and Dolos being directly taken over by the Imperator?
"Aren't you afraid I'll leak secrets and let the Imperator take over Dolos?"
At Aglaea's cautious question, her tone carefully measured, Lucian smiled, the expression carrying a faint hint of amusement.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Go ahead and call her over."
Truthfully, for Lucian, as long as there was absolute power backing things up, it did not matter who became city lord or vice city lord—they would all ultimately be working for him.
'Puppet ruler' was the most fitting term for that arrangement.
Upon hearing Lucian's response, Aglaea fell silent once more, a subtle unease settling in her chest as she realized that what he said was not so simple.
Judging from how confident and unbothered he looked, he was likely hiding something beneath the surface, so she could not let the Imperator take such a risk. It would be better to stabilize things for now and observe carefully, then see what this man was really planning.
Aglaea recalled Lucian's calm, deep eyes from earlier, those steady pupils that seemed to conceal far more than they revealed, and felt that this city lord seemed to be different from the rulers she knew.
Just like that, as Aglaea stopped speaking, her words trailing off and making the room fall into a heavy, lingering silence, Cipher moved from behind Lucian to his front, her steps light and unhurried, then straddled his lap without hesitation, facing him as she reached up to massage his shoulders from the front in a practiced, almost intimate manner.
Seeing that somewhat indecent posture, so close and unrestrained, Aglaea's face flushed red at the sight, a faint heat rising to her cheeks despite her composure.
*Clack!* *Clack!* *Clack!*
Just then, breaking the silence, a guard suddenly ran in from outside to report to Lucian, his footsteps hurried yet controlled.
"Milord, the delegation of Okhema has all been captured. Awaiting your orders."
"Hmm? Release them—it was a misunderstanding. Arrange accommodations for them and treat them properly."
Lucian raised his brows slightly in surprise, though his tone remained calm as he responded.
"Yes!"
While responding, the guard could not help but glance at Aglaea seated on the main seat, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes for a brief moment, but he did not dare to ask further and quickly withdrew.
"...Lord Lucian, the Imperator wishes to invite you to join the Flame-Chase Army..." Aglaea said after pondering for a moment, her voice measured as she gathered her thoughts. "We've heard that you intend to steal the Coreflame of Trickery, so we want to assist you in that matter."
"Nah, not joining," Lucian refused decisively, his answer immediate and without hesitation. "Don't need help. Just a Trickery Titan—if they show up, they're done in a jiffy."
"..."
Aglaea fell silent for a moment and revealed a strange, conflicted expression, clearly not believing Lucian's words at all.
It was only natural.
Even the Imperator would not dare to say such a thing so casually.
Recently, they had been planning a campaign against the Ocean Titan and were already considering mobilizing a large army, gathering forces from multiple regions, and preparing for a prolonged conflict.
"Please reconsider—the Flame-Chase Army is for a great cause, one that concerns the fate of countless lives!"
"A man as extraordinary and heroic as you should become a great figure in the Flame-Chase journey."
"You were able to make Dolos so prosperous, turning it into a place of stability and growth, so you must also be able to make the world a better place—"
Aglaea spoke earnestly and then launched into a steady stream of praise, her tone persuasive and filled with conviction, enough to make anyone feel elated and valued.
Unfortunately, Lucian had long grown tired of all kinds of flattery, especially this kind of overly purposeful, transactional praise that carried clear intent.
As a result, at Aglaea's praise, his state of mind did not waver in the slightest, remaining as calm and unmoved as still water. If it were any other man, he might have been unable to resist her beauty and the allure of her compliments.
However, while Lucian didn't care, Cipher could not hold back.
"You nasty woman, sweet-talking liar, tryna steal my Lucian? No way, meow!"
Cipher immediately covered Lucian's ears with both hands as if to shield him from her words, then turned to Aglaea, baring her small, sharp teeth before sticking out her tongue in open provocation, her tail flicking with clear hostility.
"I'm not trying to..."
Aglaea was rendered momentarily speechless, her explanation cut short.
They were discussing serious matters that involved the future of the world—why was this kitty so possessive and unreasonable?
Besides, she was not trying to steal someone'sman, only attempting to recruit a powerful ally to their cause.
"Fera, don't be rude to our vice city lord."
Lucian, who could still pick up every word of their conversation even with his ears covered, softly reprimanded Cipher and shot her a stern, warning look before leaning closer to her, lowering his head until his lips were near her ear.
"I still need her working for me, so don't go scaring her off. Be good, alright?"
As he whispered in an almost inaudible voice, Lucian's warm breath brushed lightly against Cipher's ear.
In an instant, the faint heat and intimate closeness stimulated her already sensitive, soft, fluffy cat ears, causing them to tremble reflexively as a subtle shiver ran through them, the sensation quickly spreading down her spine and throughout her entire body.
Lucian, sensing the slight but unmistakable tightening of Cipher's thighs just now, immediately realized what kind of reaction he had triggered.
'So... her ears can act like a trigger at certain times, huh... Noted.'
Lucian thought silently, his gaze lowering ever so slightly as he observed her reaction more carefully, a trace of quiet interest flickering in his eyes as he quietly committed the discovery to memory.
"F-Fine…" Cipher muttered softly, her voice losing its earlier edge as she looked down, her ears still twitching faintly. "But don't let that seamstress trick you away. I don't wanna lose you..."
Lucian reached out and gently grabbed her chin, tilting her face up slightly before idly scratching under it with his finger, his expression easing into a calm, reassuring smile.
"Relax. No one's tricking me. Besides, who said I'm gonna leave you?"
Hearing his words, Cipher's expression brightened almost immediately, then she leaned forward without hesitation, wrapped her arms around Lucian in a quick embrace, and pressed a light, fleeting kiss against his cheek.
Watching the two from up close, their intimate and somewhat ambiguous posture unfolding right in front of her, Aglaea felt her heart begin to race for reasons she didn't quite want to examine, her brows twitching slightly.
'What on earth is this?'
'Right in front of me—a single woman who's never even been in a relationship—you're being all lovey-dovey? Is that really appropriate? Isn't it embarrassing?'
'Could you do it somewhere else, please?'
Feeling too embarrassed to keep looking any longer, Aglaea ultimately could only lower her head, pretending to focus on handling the stack of government affairs before her, though the faint redness spreading across her ears and cheeks still betrayed her current shyness.
In the end, she decided to first write a report to Cerydra, then have someone deliver it back to Okhema as soon as possible.
===
A few days later, Cerydra received Aglaea's report.
Upon learning that her own envoy had somehow become the vice city lord of Dolos, Cerydra was left completely bewildered, her thoughts momentarily thrown into disarray.
'Is he trying to poach my people?'
'Or is this meant to show goodwill?'
'What kind of bizarre move is this, exactly?'
'Lucian... he's the first person I simply cannot understand...'
===
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