Sneak peek for the Valentine's Day specials (Hayden/Cecilia)

N: A small glimpse of what will come, and yes, it will be interactive, and yes, I will do all the RO's, two by two. I hope you like it. I will try to bring everything translated tomorrow, and the rest later.

(Hayden)
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[i]"Would you do me the honor of this dance?" Hayden gave a crooked smile, his/her hand palm-up. Waiting, longing for you. There was much more affection in his/her gaze than amusement, and that wasn't helping.[/i]

[i]"What are you doing?" You whispered through gritted teeth, though you tried to keep a neutral expression as you noticed everyone's eyes on you both.[/i]

[i]"Inviting you to dance? Frankly, I thought it was obvious." He/She winked. "Come on, ${surname}. You're not going to leave me standing here freezing until the party's over, are you? Don't be so cold."[/i]

[i]"That's a ridiculous pun." You say with a huff and glance at the others, though you raise your hand to his/her and take it in yours.[/i]

[i]"Darling, can't you admit just once how incredible and fun I am?" His/Her smile grew crooked, and the touch on your hand... It was more careful, the way he wrapped his/her fingers around yours, how gently he/she held them, as if they were something fragile and easy to break. Which should be foolish, but it still brought a warmth to your chest that had nothing to do with his/her powers.[/i]

[i]You sigh softly, and you can't help but look at him/her fondly. It shouldn't be like this; you should be cold, unpleasant, but you can't help it, not while Hayden looked at you like that. But you do tense up when Hayden leaned in to give you a kiss on your ear, so slowly that it made you shiver. "The first of tonight." He/She whispered, smiling all the while before pulling away, leading you by the hand to the center of the room and among the others.[/i]

"Your Grace! This is excessive!" You blink, looking around and breathing a sigh of relief when you realize the lord wasn't speaking to you, but to your father. Who rolled his eyes at the man's outburst.

You stand up. You've had enough of being here. "I need to withdraw. I apologize." You say, excusing yourself. All the nobles' eyes, including your father's, turn to you.

"Of course, Your Grace." Lord Balek is the one who responds, nodding with a solemn look.

Your father, however, had a look bordering on boredom. "Go. Rest a bit. You'll be needed later."

*page_break

You open the door to your room, ready to drop your sword and just fall into bed, only the bed wasn't empty.

"Hayden?" You blink, seeing him/her lying on your bed on his/her side with a hand on his/her waist. He/She wore a long red leather coat, a white shirt underneath, and dark brown pants. His/Her disheveled yet impeccable hair gleamed slightly in the gray morning light.

Hayden waved his/her hand. "Oh, don't pretend to be surprised, darling. You know I can't stay away from you. Especially on these wonderfully perfect days to annoy my father-in-law." He/She lowered his/her hand, only to raise an eyebrow at you. "You know, I was expecting a good morning kiss right off the bat, I came all the way from Petrus to Darian just for you and don't even get a hug?"
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(Cecília)

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They were looking at her. They were also looking at you, but most had more fear than desire in their eyes. Even with the days of celebration approaching, you were still Duke Eleazar's child, and even today, some didn't seem to care. These would be special days for Petrus, where couples and non-couples exchanged gifts and spent quality time together.

Cecilia hadn't said anything about it, and you wondered if she was simply going to ignore it, perhaps too busy, or maybe she didn't like these festivities, these traditions, and—

"Your Grace." A man's voice greeted, next to the woman, both with dark brown hair and blue eyes, tanned skin, and wearing a suit and pants, while the young woman wore a dress, both in light blue and speckled with white.

The greeting snapped you out of your thoughts and you turned to the newcomers.

"Lord Philip, Lady Suna." You nodded in return.

"It is an honor to see you again, Your Grace," said Lady Suna. "Our father has been seeking to know if you would be available for a conversation."

"A conversation?" you questioned.

"My father thinks that perhaps you might grace us with your presence, and if—"

Loud, heavy footsteps sounded, and when you looked to the right, passing by young nobles and dressed in a vest and white shirt, with brown leather pants hugging her legs, Cecilia. Walking with a steely expression, she softened when she met your gaze. "Hey." Cecilia reached you, leaning in to plant a kiss on your cheek. It lasted a bit longer than you expected, and you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her when she pulled away, smiling before turning her attention to the twins. "Oh, hello. You must be the Maldan twins, right?"

Lord Philip smiled, smiled too much, his cheeks even gaining a darker hue. "Ah yes, Your Grace. It is an honor to meet the heir of House Marven."

Cecilia smiled back, though it seemed forced, but you noticed something else that caught your attention more. Her touch, her fingers intertwining with yours in a gentle but firm grip. The sensation and the open display of affection made warmth rise in your chest.

When Cecilia responded, you couldn't help but notice the affection with a hint of possessiveness in her tone. "I imagine so. And it seems you've already met my partner here?"

The twins' smiles faltered...

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