Touch of desire

"Greetings, Sir Arcanor, correct?" Frieda said, her voice smooth and polite, as she extended her hand in a formal gesture.

After realizing that the person who had come out wasn't Freya, Alex lost interest and returned to his previous thoughts, but hearing Frieda's voice, he was pulled back from his immersed state.

'Hm? Why would she greet me?' Alex wondered as he stared at Frieda's outstretched hand.

They had met twice now, and each time, Frieda had never made an attempt to greet him or even speak to him, as if she couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him. Even when she had denied him and Amelia entry to the city, it was Maya she addressed.

Though she made herself appear like a gentle woman back then, Alex wasn't fooled. He could practically feel her arrogance and contempt toward anyone who wasn't a noble. This was precisely why he was puzzled at her sudden greeting.

Alex's confusion didn't last, though, as he seemed to come to a realization.

'I guess the meeting went well,' Alex smiled under his mask. 'It's highly likely that now that she knows what I bring to the table and how much I can make for her family, she decided to change her attitude toward me. Perhaps her elders even advised her to do this,' Alex analyzed.

Let's play along then, Alex's smile turned into an evil grin. She came at the right time; I was already looking for someone to test the lust energy's effectiveness on.

"Sir Arcanor?" Frieda tilted her head in confusion. In her mind, though, she was slightly panicking because Alex hadn't replied nor made an effort to shake her hand.

"Ah, sorry about that," Alex scratched his head, "I was daydreaming there," he laughed as he stood to his full height, his figure towering over Frieda.

He allowed his smoke gauntlets to disappear for a moment, concentrated the lust energy to coat his right palm and his vocal cords, and shook Frieda's hand in a firm grip.

The instant their hands made contact, Frieda stiffened briefly before her gaze was drawn to their joined hands. Somehow, she felt as though this was the warmest, most inviting touch she'd ever experienced. It was so captivating that, even after several seconds, she didn't retract her hand.

When Alex spoke again, his voice sounded like the most alluring and enchanting melody Frieda had ever heard. It was richer and deeper than any voice she could recall, with an irresistible undertone that seemed to reach directly into her heart, drawing her in and leaving her wanting to hear more.

"I believe we haven't formally been introduced," Alex said in his smooth, magnetic tone. "My name is Arcanor. Pleased to meet you, Lady Frieda. I've heard...a few things about you from Lady Freya."

Frieda took a second to respond, flashing her warmest smile. "I hope you haven't heard anything bad about me," she replied, her voice light and a bit playful as she tried to hide her nervous excitement.

"Only good things," Alex replied smoothly, his thumb lightly brushing against the back of her hand, which made Frieda's pulse quicken.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Frieda laughed softly, feeling slightly embarrassed. 'What is he doing?' she wondered, noticing how his gentle, almost teasing touch made her skin tingle.

Though part of her felt that what he was doing was slightly improper, she couldn't deny the enjoyment she was feeling.

"Haha, you don't have to worry, Lady Freya is so focused on her duties, I doubt she'd waste time speaking poorly about anyone," Alex said, finally pulling his hand back.

For an instant, a flicker of disappointment flashed in Frieda's captivating orange eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, hidden under her usual polite and charming smile.

"You're right," Frieda nodded, brushing aside any awkwardness. "Enough about that," she continued, her tone softening. "I wanted to personally apologize for what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have doubted your intentions for wanting to enter the city."

'She's good at this,' Alex thought, observing the look of genuine regret on Frieda's face. 'I might have actually believed her if I didn't already know what she's really like.'

"You don't have to apologize to me, Lady Frieda. I understand you were just doing your job," Alex replied, his voice as understanding as ever.

"Finally, someone who understands me!" Frieda exclaimed with a hint of relief, her eyes brightening. "I'm glad you're so understanding. Still, to make it up to you fully, how about I keep you company for the duration of the auct—"

"There is no need for that."

Alex and Frieda turned, only to see Freya approaching with a calm but firm expression. "I'll be accompanying Sir Arcanor," she stated coolly, "so you don't have to trouble yourself Frieda."

'Fuck, why did she have to show up now?' Frieda thought in frustration. She had been so close to enticing Arcanor to spend time with her, and if she succeeded, there was a good chance she could gain his favor. But with Freya's sudden arrival, everything was about to fall apart…

"Aren't you too busy for that?" Frieda asked, refusing to give up so easily, a practiced smile appearing on her face to conceal her irritation.

"It's none of your concern," Freya replied with a dismissive wave as she moved to stand beside Alex. "What you should do instead is retrieve the Tear of Knowledge and hand it to Sir Arcanor here."

Frieda gritted her teeth, forcing a gentle and polite smile back onto her face. "You're right; I shouldn't keep Sir Arcanor waiting any longer than necessary. If you'll follow me," she said, gesturing for Alex to come along.

After instructing the guards to stay behind, Frieda led the way into the auction house with Alex, and Freya accompanying them. However, instead of heading underground as she had done earlier with Freya, Frieda took them upstairs to her private office, where the Tear of Knowledge was kept.

A few minutes later, the exchange was complete, and Alex now had the Tear of Knowledge in his possession. Frieda, claiming she needed to attend to some paperwork before nightfall, stayed behind in her office, leaving Alex and Freya to exit the building together.

Before leaving though, Alex didn't forget to shake Frieda's hand another time, subtly infusing it with lust energy. However, due to Freya's watchful presence, he quickly withdrew, leaving Frieda disappointed as she barely had time to register the lingering warmth before his hand was gone.

"You should be careful around Frieda," Freya said to Alex when they entered their carriage, "she isn't as gentle or innocent as she appears."

"I know," Alex replied with a light chuckle, "you don't need to worry about that. I already have a pretty clear picture of what kind of person she is," he added with a hint of confidence in his tone.

Freya was momentarily taken aback by his response. She had been under the impression that Alex might be taken in by Frieda's facade, given his polite and seemingly friendly behavior toward her earlier.

'Perhaps it's just in his nature to be polite to people,' she thought, unaware that Alex's cordial and friendly demeanor with Frieda was simply a way to observe the effects of using lust energy on her. Still, since Alex seemed to know what he was doing, she dropped the subject.

"So…where to now?" Alex inquired as he leaned back in his seat, "night is already setting, should we return to your mansion?"

"If that's what you'd prefer," Freya responded, though her gaze shifted slightly as she spoke. "Maya contacted me about an hour ago, so I know for certain that she and your sister are back home. We can return, or…" Her voice trailed off, and a faint blush colored her cheeks as she hesitated, "...or we could go on our date," she finished, the last words leaving her lips in a soft, bashful tone, clearly flustered at the suggestion.

'She's quite adamant about this date,' Alex thought with a smile hidden under his mask. Not that he minded—how could he, when such an alluring and beautiful woman was the one asking him out?

His swirling smoke mask parted slightly, revealing his warm, confident smile and striking features. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go on that date," he said with a playful glint in his eyes.

Freya's heart skipped a beat at the sight of his face and his eager response. "T-Then let's go," she replied, stammering a little as a deeper blush spread across her cheeks.

She gave the order to the coachman, who nodded, and soon they were on their way, leaving the bustling auction market behind as the sun dipped low over the mountains.