The question hung in the air like smoke from a slow-burning fuse.
"What should I do to make you mine, Sophia?"
Sophia's fork froze halfway to her mouth. The delicate silverware trembled in her fingers. For a heartbeat, the entire dining room seemed to hold its breath. The soft golden lights overhead cast warm highlights across her flushed cheeks and the way her maid uniform strained over the generous swell of her breasts with every rapid breath.
Her mind screamed.
He's mocking me. He's doing this to provoke Young Master Alex. I can't… I won't let him use me like this.
But her body betrayed her in the worst possible way.
Yuna sat barely two feet away on Lucas's right, her succubus aura rolling off her in invisible, honey-sweet waves. The longer Sophia remained seated this close, the heavier the heat grew between her thighs.
A fresh rush of slick warmth soaked into her panties, making the fabric cling uncomfortably. Her nipples tightened into aching peaks that pressed visibly against the crisp white fabric of her uniform. She pressed her thighs together beneath the table, trying desperately to ignore the slow, shameful throb building at her core.
No… not here. Not with him. This is wrong. This is all wrong.
Yuna's pink-tinted eyes narrowed dangerously. Her hand tightened around her glass until the crystal creaked. She didn't speak, but the jealous heat radiating from her was unmistakable — a silent warning that Lucas's attention had drifted too far from her.
Lucas, however, remained perfectly calm. He leaned back in his chair, one elbow resting on the table, blue eyes locked on Sophia with that quiet, predatory patience she was beginning to fear. The corner of his mouth curved in a small, knowing smile.
Sophia finally lowered her fork. Her voice came out tighter than she wanted.
"Young Master Lucas… that kind of joke isn't funny."
"It's not a joke," he replied softly, voice low and intimate, as if they were the only two people in the room. "I mean it. I like having you here, Sophia. It feels… easy. Knowing someone cares for me without expecting anything in return. I know you were trained as Alex's personal maid, but unlike him, I never had the luxury of being doted on. The few people who ever made me feel calm were…"
He let the words trail off, then met her eyes directly. "So tell me… what would it take for you to be mine instead of his?"
Sophia's breath hitched. The succubus aura thickened around her like invisible silk, making her skin prickle and her pulse race. She could feel the damp heat between her legs growing worse with every second she stayed seated beside him.
Alex… I'm doing this for Alex. To protect him. That's all. That's all it can ever be.
But the thought of Alex only made the shame burn hotter. She imagined his face if he knew she was here, sitting at Lucas's table while her body reacted like this — nipples tight, thighs slick, breath shallow.
Yuna's hand slid under the table and rested possessively on Lucas's thigh, fingers digging in just enough to remind him she was there. Her voice came out sweet but edged with warning.
"Lucas… you already have me. Isn't that enough?"
Lucas didn't even glance at her. His eyes stayed on Sophia, calm and unrelenting.
Sophia swallowed hard. Her thighs trembled under the table. The skirt of her uniform felt too tight, too warm. She could feel her own wetness slowly soaking through the thin fabric of her panties.
"I belong to the Vanderbilt family," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "My duty is to serve. … not to be anyone's personal possession."
Lucas's smile deepened, slow and dangerous. "So you're saying I'm not a true Vanderbilt? Unlike Alex?"
Sophia flinched. "I didn't mean that, Young Master. My primary duty was always to serve Young Master Alex…"
Lucas leaned forward, his blue eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "What if Alex agrees to my request?"
The words landed like a blade between them.
Sophia's heart slammed against her ribs. Her mind reeled. The succubus scent in the air grew thicker, sweeter, making her head spin and her core clench with another shameful wave of heat. " Alex won't agree"
Lucas tilted his head, expression unchanging. "Well, if you're so sure… then let's wait and see. Let's see if my little brother agrees or not."
He smiled — slow, knowing, and utterly confident.
Sophia stood so abruptly that her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Her cheeks burned crimson, her thighs trembling as another shameful trickle of wetness slid down her skin.
"I will take my leave," she said, voice tight and clipped. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out of the room, her steps hurried, the door clicking shut behind her with finality.
The moment she was gone, Lucas flinched and pried Yuna's fingers off his thigh. "You maniac," he muttered, rubbing the spot where her nails had dug in. "Don't you know it hurts?"
Yuna's eyes narrowed, pink fire flashing in her gaze. She stood up sharply, the movement making her nightdress ride higher on her thighs. "Am I not enough for you?" she snapped, voice sweet but laced with venom. Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and stormed off toward her room, the door slamming behind her a second later.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, letting out a low, amused chuckle. He shook his head, eyes dark with satisfaction. "Leaving without hearing the answer… typical Yuna."
He picked up his fork again and took another bite of the perfectly cooked steak Sophia had prepared, the taste somehow richer now that the room was emptier.
**
Back at Alex Vanderbilt's private dormitory, the training hall glowed under soft silver moonlight filtering through the tall enchanted windows.
The space was vast yet intimate — polished marble floors that reflected every movement, walls lined with ancient training runes that hummed faintly, and the faint scent of night-blooming jasmine drifting in from the private garden outside.
Alex stood in the center, spear held loosely in his right hand, the golden weapon gleaming as if alive. His sharp suit jacket had been discarded, leaving him in a fitted black training shirt that clung to his lean, agile frame. Sweat glistened on his forehead, chestnut hair slightly tousled.
Opposite him, Chloe Bennett moved like a living whisper of silk and steel. Her rapier — a slender blade etched with velvet-like runes — danced in her hand.
She wore a modest yet elegant training outfit: a fitted white blouse that hugged her modest curves and accentuated the gentle swell of her breasts, paired with a short pleated skirt that swayed with every step, revealing the smooth line of her thighs and the soft curve of her peach-like ass. Her brunette hair was tied in a loose ponytail, a few strands sticking to her flushed cheeks as she smiled shyly at him.
They looked like two young lovers playing at war — adorable, affectionate, and completely wrapped up in each other.
"Ready?" Alex asked, voice warm despite the tension in his shoulders.
Chloe gave a small, playful nod, rapier raised in a graceful guard. "Only if you promise not to hold back this time, Alex."
She lunged first — light and fluid, her blade cutting the air with a soft shing. Alex parried smoothly, spear spinning in a controlled arc that met her rapier with a crisp clang. The impact sent a spark of mana dancing between them.
Chloe laughed — a bright, bell-like sound that echoed through the hall. She twirled away, skirt flaring and giving a teasing glimpse of her toned thighs.
"Too slow!" she teased, cheeks pink with exertion and affection.
Alex's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. He stepped in, spear thrusting forward in a precise, agile strike. Chloe deflected it with a delicate twist of her wrist, her body moving like wind through velvet. She closed the distance, rapier flicking toward his side. Alex caught her blade between the shaft of his spear and his forearm, pulling her closer until their faces were inches apart.
For a moment, they stayed like that — breathing hard, eyes locked, bodies almost touching. Chloe's chest rose and fell rapidly against her blouse, the fabric clinging slightly to the subtle curve of her breasts.
Alex's free hand hovered near her waist, not quite touching, as if afraid to break the fragile sweetness of the moment.
"You're getting better," he murmured, voice soft and fond. "Every day you surprise me."
Chloe's cheeks flushed deeper. She bit her lower lip, rapier still locked against his spear. "Only because you push me… and because I like sparring with you like this."
She leaned in just a fraction, their foreheads nearly brushing. The air between them felt charged with something far gentler than combat — the quiet, adorable affection of two people who had chosen each other long before the academy ever existed.
Alex's spear lowered slightly. His thumb brushed the side of her waist through her blouse, a small, unconscious gesture of comfort. Chloe's eyes softened, her free hand resting lightly on his chest.
But the moment was shattered when a shadow of doubt crossed Alex's face.
Sophia's absence weighed on him like a stone. He knew she was at Lucas's dorm right now — cooking, cleaning, serving that bastard because of some twisted "family duty." The thought made his grip tighten on the spear until his knuckles turned white.
Chloe noticed immediately. Her smile faltered, concern flickering in her eyes. "Alex… you're distracted again."
He exhaled slowly, stepping back and lowering his spear completely. The playful lover from moments ago vanished, replaced by the tense, protective heir who couldn't stop worrying about the woman he loved.
"It's nothing," he lied, forcing a small smile. "Just… thinking about Discipline's ceremony."
Chloe stepped closer, rapier lowered, and gently placed her hand on his arm. Her touch was soft, reassuring — the same gentle warmth that had always grounded him.
"You don't have to carry everything alone," she whispered, voice shy but sincere. "I'm here. We'll face whatever comes together… okay?"
Alex looked down at her — at the girl who had never demanded anything from him, who had always stood by his side. For a moment, the tension in his shoulders eased.
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, the kind of innocent, loving gesture that made her cheeks bloom pink all over again.
"Thank you, Chloe," he murmured against her skin. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
She smiled up at him, rapier still held loosely in her other hand, the two of them standing close in the moonlit training hall — two adorable lovers caught between sparring and something far sweeter.
But in the back of Alex's mind, the shadow of Lucas lingered.
And somewhere across the academy, Sophia was still trapped in that same shadow.
**
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