'Won't all the alcohol affect me in the long term?' Lucian asked, feeling his stomach acting up from drinking more wine than he was used to. 'Like my fertility or something like that? I heard about knights failing to pass through silver rank and not being able to have children.'

'...' Here it went again. Lucian chatterbox. Voice acted like it was fed up with him, 'Do you want to get to silver or not?'

'...' Lucian didn't reply and took another sip. He was just asking about possible side effects, not refusing.

He could feel his body starting to feel hot. He didn't want to get drunk and embarrass himself and called for a cup of water.

'Does that mean that I'm not only going to be richer and stronger, but also healthier once I reach the silver level?'

Lucian thought about the medicine he had to drink occasionally when Voice insisted on him doing something.

'Your body will be more resistant to toxins, but it won't heal you from illnesses. Don't think that you can act recklessly and be fine afterwards. You are still a human. Not an undead monster.'

'Haha,' Lucian chuckled to himself, making Jax glance at him in confusion, before he returned to watching the stage.

Lucian felt like an undead monster sometimes, the way his body refused to die no matter how much he starved it and pushed it beyond limits.

'Voice,' he called out to it.

'...what?' It asked reluctantly.

'How long will you keep me alive? Ten years? Twenty? Thirty?' Lucian was curious about his lifespan, 'How long before you take over my mind and body completely? That's what shackleds do, right? They are parasites like that. They eat their host slowly from the inside.'

Voice didn't know whether it was the alcohol's fault for making him have an existential crisis again, or the fear of the uncertain future. No matter how many times it assured him, Lucian lost his trust in it a long time ago.

'You are not a host,' Voice insisted, 'You are the master of your own will. I'm here to help you.'

It repeated the same line like it did before, in a monotonous voice that sounded like Lucian's, devoid of any emotion.

'But not for free, right?' Lucian finished it off for it. He would rather accept a harsh truth than to listen to a soothing lie.

His mood was ruined by the time Lady Lily approached his table, though nobody would be able to tell with how well he covered it up.

"Sir Arclight," Lady Lily said in a soft, alluring voice, bowing slightly to show off her low neckline.

Lucian's gaze lingered on the sight. His third eye, however, didn't spare a single look. It was focused on the guest that left Lady Lily's private room, 'Edmund?'

He recognized the young man's features hidden behind a disguise of a wig and fake mustache. Edmund didn't leave through the front door, but the one in the back, reserved for special guests, or the ones that didn't want to be seen.

"Did Sir Arclight drink too much?" Lady Lily asked, leaning forward to see his face clearly, "You look pale. Shall I take you to the back room to get some rest?"

Lucian was quick to agree to the idea

"I would appreciate it very much," he said and got up. His head felt heavy and his feet felt like they were stuck to the floor.

Lady Lily was about to put his hand over her shoulder to help him, but he refused her help, "I can't have the lady of the house carry me. Jax, please."

Jax was a bit shocked, but he quickly caught up to him and supported his weight, following Lady Lily to her private room.

"Please make yourself at home," she said, closing the door behind them, "You can leave us alone, sir...?' She asked, not knowing Jax's name.

"I'm his brother, Jax," Jax introduced himself and helped Lucian sit down, before leaving the room, but not before taking a dazed look at Lady Lily, who smiled and nodded to him.

The room was spacious and richly decorated. There was a sofa and a coffee table in one corner, and a large bed in another. The walls were covered with paintings and mirrors, and the ceiling was adorned with a chandelier.

Lucian sat down on the sofa, while she took a seat next to him

"I didn't expect to see you here, Sir Arclight. What a pleasant surprise," she said, crossing her legs. Her skirt slid slightly upwards, exposing her delicate ankles, "Did you enjoy the performance tonight?"

"It was quite entertaining," Lucian admitted, staring at her leg, making her think that her charm was working on him.

"I'm glad to hear that. But you didn't come here for that, did you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her eyes glimmering in the candlelight.

"No, I didn't," he replied, a bit ambitiously.

"As expected of a famous businessman." Her lips parted slightly into a smile, acting like she wasn't the one making her moves on him, "What business could a man of your stature have with this humble courtesan?"

"Business? Who said anything about business?" Lucian smiled, leaning back and resting his head on the sofa. "I'm just a man who wants to appreciate the presence of a beautiful lady. Is that so hard to believe?"

He wished Celine was here, as she was the only person whose presence he could truly appreciate.

Lady Lily's eyes flicked over Lucian as she studied his features. She must have been used to such praises, yet she covered her chuckle as if it was the first time she had heard them, "Your mouth is sweeter than honey, Sir Arclight. I wonder if your heart is as soft as well."

She didn't pounce on him like a certain hungry wolf he knew, and just enticed him to take the initiative. Lucian didn't enjoy this back and forth game, as he was not here to waste time.

"So, how did you manage to lure the Rochefort heir to your lair?" Lucian asked in a casual tone, as if they were talking about the weather, "Or was it the other way around?"

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