"That man," he said, his voice low but carrying weight, "you shouldn't be talking with him. He is a fool, and meddling with fools will drag you into dogshit."
Eude let out a short chuckle, swirling his wine once more. "Nah," he said with an air of amusement, "he's just a lost pup. A pup who thinks he's a wolf."
He leaned back, stretching lazily before adding, "And the truly dangerous one isn't him." His eyes gleamed as he turned his gaze toward the night sky. "It's the one who's married to him. A cunning fox, she is."
Gales nodded in agreement, his expression remaining stoic. He had never underestimated Lilianna—few men who had crossed paths with her ever did so twice. She had a way of slipping through the cracks, bending situations to her will and making fools of those who thought they had control over her.
Eude drained the last of his wine before placing the glass down. He turned to Gales, his smirk growing wider. "So, did you send your men to keep an eye on them?" he asked casually, as though he were enquiring about the weather.
Gales nodded once. "I did."
A low chuckle rumbled from Eude's throat. He reached for the bottle of wine and poured himself another glass, his movements slow, deliberate. "Fantastic," he murmured.
"Let them build it. Let them sweat; let them believe they are creating something grand." He lifted the glass, watching the deep red liquid swirl inside. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI[F]ire.net
"And when the time is right, I will come at the last moment and take everything from them."
He took a slow sip, savouring the taste, before setting the glass down with a soft clink. Then, his eyes gleamed with something dark, something possessive. His lips curled into a smirk as he exhaled.
"Just you wait, my darling Cleora," he whispered almost to himself. "I will come and show you what a true man is. And I will show you pleasures beyond what that pathetic whelp could ever provide."
Gales said nothing, but his expression remained unreadable. He had always been a man who spoke little and observed much, and tonight was no different. He had already been informed by Preeyonka of the events that had transpired in the Barony of Tekkora, and her words still echoed in his mind.
Preeyonka had been animated when she spoke of the young man named Jolthar, her usually composed demeanour giving way to something bordering on excitement.
The way she had described him—a young swordsman who fought alone against overwhelming odds, a young man whose presence was enough to shift the tides of battle—had made Gales curious.
Few men could stand alone in the face of an army and emerge victorious, and fewer still could leave such an impression on someone as perceptive as Preeyonka.
And the fact that the young man was from the Kaezhlar clan made him want to know more about Jolthar. His presence in the barony was still a question that lingered on all of their minds.
Eude, however, seemed entirely unbothered by such matters. He drained his glass in one smooth motion and then, with a flick of his wrist, called for a maid. One of the many young women he kept in his lavish estate, plucked from various corners of the empire, was bought and paid for like fine silk or rare spices.
The maid entered the balcony quietly, her gaze downcast, hands folded in front of her. She was a young woman with delicate features, her hair a shade of rich brown, and her skin pale under the moonlight. If one were to look closely, they would notice something strange—a striking resemblance to Cleora.
Eude had searched for women who bore similarities to her, bringing them into his possession like prized objects. To him, there was a price for everything, and he had unlimited gold at his disposal. It was his twisted way of possessing what he could not truly have, a mockery of the real thing.
He had become so obsessed with Cleora that he started to have women who looked like her indulging in his own fantasies with these women, all while imagining her.
"Strip," he ordered, pouring himself another glass of wine. His voice was smooth, and lazy, as though he were making an idle request rather than commanding a woman to undress for his amusement.
The maid hesitated for only a second before obeying, stepping onto the table in front of him. She moved carefully, the flickering candlelight casting shadows across her skin. Eude leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine as he watched, his eyes dark with hunger.
Gales, uninterested in witnessing such depravity, turned on his heel and walked out of the balcony without another word. He had no taste for Eude's perversions, nor did he have the patience to sit idly while his master indulged in his vices.
There were more important matters to attend to. He had already sent the best of his men to infiltrate the barony and keep a close eye on what was happening there.
As the doors closed behind him, Eude hardly noticed. He was too lost in his own desires, his thoughts swirling like the deep red wine in his glass.
The woman was now naked, swaying her body, her curves glistening in the dim candlelight. Eude's eyes never left her, his mind consumed by the intoxicating allure of her movements.
She was a woman in her twenties with a figure that would make any man go crazy just with her naked curves, and it was also what made Eude interested in her, especially on top of having a face like Cleora's.
He caught her hand and pulled her onto him, and she fell right into his lap. She obliged with him as he wrapped his hands around her and started licking her neck.
The sun had long since set on the horizon, and the night stretched on, the city of Avyaburgh oblivious to the schemes being plotted high above its streets.