Well, I thought the empire had lent us more money. Didn’t Lucas mention borrowing it himself?

  I strode across the room, each step eg in the quiet space.

  Once I reached the table, I pulled out the bag I may have borrowed from the imperial treasury. Without a word, I tur over, and the tents spilled out in a glittering cascade.

  Gold bars rained down onto the table, king and stag in a chaotic, shimmering pile. The sound was almost musical, each bar adding a deep, satisfying k to the growing mound. The faint glow from the entments on the walls reflected off the gold, painting the room in a warm, golden light.

  I always wao do something like this.

  Farhad’s chuckle turned into a choking noise, and I could feel his stunned gaze b into the bay head. Alma let out a soft gasp, while Lo’s eyes widened slightly before she quickly posed herself, probably already calg what to do with the money.

  “Well,” I said, straightening up and dusting off my hands. “Is this enough, or should I head back to the imperial treasury for round two?” My tone was casual, but the smirk tugging at the er of my mouth made it clear I was enjoying this far too much.

  Farhad’s face shifted into somethiween awe and fear as he leaned in slightly, whispering, “I heard there was… an incursion at the imperial treasury…”

  Oh.

  No, no, no!

  “That’s why I jo-joked like that!” I stuttered, f out a ugh that sounded a bit too nervous for fort. “My point is, yes, lenty of money. Enough for proper armor for my personal guard and to shore up the fort.”

  “And some,” Farhad added with a grin so wide he could drink two gsses at once. He cpped his hands together, his energy shifting instantly from wary to excited. “I’ll set up the buying schemes right away, Lady.”

  Before I could respond, he spun around and hurried out like his boots were on fire. Alma cast me a questioning gnce before I sighed and nodded. Without a word, she followed him, her expression unreadable, but her steps brisk.

  “Well, that was underwhelming…” I grumbled, half to myself.

  Holy, I’d expected a bit more drama. At least throwing the gold bars around had been fun, but now they were scattered all over the room like oversized, glittering bricks of annoyance. I bent down to pick up the first bar, its weight surprisihe bag had made it seem so light. “Great,” I muttered. “Now I have to up after my own dramatic outburst.”

  “Lady, let me help,” Lo said quickly, scurrying over like a squirrel eager tanize as. She dropped to her knees and began stag the bars ly oable.

  “You know,” I said, sliding another bar onto the growing pile, “you call me Charlie, right?”

  She paused for a moment, gng up at me with a faint, almost shy smile. “I know, Lady.”

  I arched an eyebrow, my hands still gripping the etal. “Does it bother you to call me just Charlie?”

  “No!” she excimed, her tone bright and genuine. She hesitated for a moment, then added with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, “But I like it this way. I always dreamed of being like this!”

  Her gaze swept over the bars of gold scattered across the room, and for a moment, it was as if she were soaking in the se like a childhood fantasy e to life.

  “Yeah, by the way,” I said, stepping bad surveying the ly sorted mountain of gold bars. It was an impressive sight—a bit too impressive, really. I might’ve stolen more than I’d intended. And with three more bags still stashed away, one of which was distinctly royal…

  Yeah, maybe I overdid it.

  “Take one bar for yourself, okay? Like a signing bonus,” I added casually, already preparing to leave.

  “You ’t—” Lo protested. But I was faster, shoving one of the hefty bars into her hands before she could finish.

  “Take it,” I insisted, cutting her off as I started walking away. “Besides, doesn’t the treasury work in a way that lets us withdraw mohrough the system?”

  “As far as I’ve read, yes. That’s usually how it’s set up. But, Lady, this bar is worth ten thousand—”

  I raised a hand behind me, waving off her obje without turning around. “I don’t want to hear any ‘but Lady,’ okay? And for the record, I wasn’t joking—I really want my heels identified before I hit the bed.”

  By the time I reached the hallway, Lo had hurried to catch up.I paused to close the door to the treasury, activating the entments with a quick mental and. The faint glow of magic rippled across the door before fading.

  “I think he’s still in the map room,” Lo said as we walked, her voice light.

  “Thanks.” I gnced over at her and smiled. “And thanks for being here. It’s going to help so much.”

  She waved off my gratitude with a casual flick of her hand. “No, Lady, thank you. I’ll go over the paperwork, so if we don’t see each ain tonight, good night.”

  Her words caught me off guard for a moment, and I hesitated. “Uhm…” I started, unsure how to respond. “I… yes. Good night.”

  With a polite bow, she turned and headed toward the office. I watched her go for a moment before shaking my head and tinuing to the map room.

  Lucas was still at the map table when I arrived, probably absorbed in whatever strategy he was imagining. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I paused a few steps away from the door, quietly him. His brow furrowed in tration as he shifted the little figures around—probably trying to predict the battle.

  At least, that’s what I thought at first.

  Thearted making exaggerated exploding sounds, his hahusiastically dropping figures onto the map like they were grenades.

  Oer another.

  I stifled a ugh, bag quietly toward the door. posing myself, I gave the door a quiock before fidently stepping in.

  “Oh, Charlie!” Luearly yelped, spinning around with a voice pitched just a little too high. He quickly pstered on an eager smile. “I was waiting for you!”

  I couldn’t help but smile back—grateful, curious, and holy too tired to overthink it.

  Without a word, I walked over, closed the distance, and raised my foot toward him. He caught it instinctively, his hand ily around my calf, his eyes lifting to mine in fusion. “We still have to… identify the heels,” I reminded him, my voice quieter than I expected.

  “Oh!” His ugh was a little too loud, and he nodded quickly. But instead of fog on the heels, his gaze stayed locked on mine. Something about the way he looked at me pained my heart.

  “Charlie…” he started, his tone softer now. “I’m sorry. I really—”

  “Lucas.” I cut him off gently but firmly. “I know.”

  I shifted my weight awkwardly as his hand lingered on my calf. The words spilled out before I could stop them. “You’ve always beeo me before this. And I won’t lie… You don’t love me.”

  His expression was tightening as he wrestled with whatever thoughts were flying through his head.

  “You love the previous Charlie,” I tinued. “And now, you’ll never let her go. You won’t move on. And I’ll always know that—in the bay mind.”

  Lucas froze, his hand still lightly resting on my calf as if afraid moving would mean losing me. I kept my eyes closed, brag for whatever came .

  For once, Lucas seemed at a loss for words. The sileretched, and when he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than I’d ever heard it.

  “You’re wrong, Charlie.”

  My eyes snapped opeing his. There was no trace of his usual grin or pyful demeanor. Instead, his gaze was intense, searg, almost desperate.

  “You’re not her,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t… care about you. I see you. Not just the Charlie I knew before. I see you now. And I know I messed up.” He paused, his hand tightening around my calf as he ran the sed hand through his hair in frustration. “Gods, I know I messed up.”

  I’ve already decided.

  I stayed silent, unsure of whether to let him tinue or cut him off. It didn’t matter; he wasn’t finished.

  “I don’t know what I feel,” he said, an intense ugh esg him. “I don’t even know what to call it anymore. But don’t think for a sed that I’m holding onto some ghost, Charlie. You’re here. You’re real. And whatever you are now, you’re still you. Not her.”

  His shoulders sagged as if the weight of his own fession had drained him. For a moment, I thought he’d leave it at that, but the my gaze again, his eyes burning with something I couldn’t quite name.

  “So yeah, maybe I loved her. Maybe I still do. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for… something else.”

  I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, the tension in my chest loosening just slightly.

  “Lucas,” I breathed. “I’m not asking for anything. I’m not even sure what I want. But if we’re going to keep seeing each other, we o be ho. No romaween us.”

  He nodded slowly, his expression a mix of relief aermination. “Yeah,” he said, his voice firmer now. “No more romance. For now.”

  For the first time sihe Riker’s tower, there was an unspoken uandiween us. The air felt lighter, though the weight of everything unsaid still lingered, waiting for aime.

  “Well,” I said, breaking the sileh a shaky grin. “Now that we’ve tackled the emotional crisis of the evening… we get back to the part where you identify my heels? Because, seriously, I’m dying to know what they do.”

  Lucas blinked, surprised by the shift, but the out a genuine ugh. “Yeah, okay,” he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. “Let’s figure out what kind of overpowered nonsense you’re hiding this time.”

  “Hey!” I griapping my fingers impatiently on his hand. “Just identify it already.”

  “On it,” Lucas said, his tone pyful as he focused on the heels.

  [Gcial Tread Heels]Quality: 7-LegendaryEffect: Delicately fed heels that glisten like frost-kissed diamonds. Each step whispers the chill of winter. Flow as a creeping frost across any surfad observe as the very ground spires to halt your enemies’ advance. Grants Fwless Grace.“That’s… very informative,” I said with a sly smile, already imagining using these in bat. But that thought was quickly overshadowed by the fact that Lucas was still holding my foot.

  I raised an eyebrow, gng down at him. “Lucas…”

  “Yes, Charlie?” He bli me ily, the picture of someone who kly what he was doing.

  “You’re still holding me.”

  He gnced down at his hand as though notig it for the first time, then gave me that foolish, boyish grin that usually meant trouble… For the girls he ursuing. “Oh, so I am.”

  “Lucas!” I huffed, trying to kick him with the heel, but he finally let go—just as I shifted forward. I moved awkwardly, stumbling straight into his arms instead of stepping back gracefully.

  “Careful there,” he teased, catg me in a firm hug before I could protest.

  “Lucas…” I murmured, my face half-buried in his shoulder as I tried to keep my bance. “What did we just talk about?”

  He leaned back slightly, his grin softening into something warmer. “I don’t remember. But what I do know is that you should log off a some rest.”

  He let me go before I could fully register his words, leavianding there more fused than angry. Was this normal? My sober social skills werely top-tier, so I just stood there for a moment, blinking at him before deg it wasn’t worth overthinking.

  With a shrug, I navigated to the log-off button. Inspired by Lo, I said, “good night, Lucas.” Fshing him a quick smile before disappearing.

  Tomorrow, I thought as the familiar bck void of the logout s enveloped me.

  No more talking, no more b discussions, no more lore, no more feelings.

  Tomorrow, I’m going to the duo enjoy the fight.

  Test my ems and skills.

  No matter what.

  Alone.