"What do you want from me, Iris of Kamira?"
Clint's question cut through the silence of the room like a cold blade slicing through flesh. The tension became almost tangible, as if the air had thickened.
Iris, still seated at the edge of the bed, remained silent for a brief moment, surprised by the sudden chill. Her eyes, once gleaming with desire and self-assurance, now narrowed with curiosity. She was used to manipulating young nobles with ease, even the more experienced ones.
But Clint Ravenhart danced to his own tune.
With a faint smile on her lips, she slowly crossed her legs, revealing a portion of her flawless white thigh beneath the tight red fabric of her dress. The way her eyes sparkled, the way her posture exuded both seduction and dominance, it was enough to make any hot-blooded noble lose control completely.
"You're asking the wrong question, Clint Ravenhart."
She spoke softly, yet her tone radiated authority.
"The truth is... I want you for myself."
Clint remained motionless.
His eyes, cold as polished steel, stayed locked onto hers.
There was no hint of desire. No hesitation.
"Why would you want someone like me?" he asked with disdain, though he already knew the answer.
Iris rose from the bed slowly, taking one step at a time toward him.
She stopped just in front of him and raised a hand, letting her fingers glide softly across his chest.
"You're powerful... more than you let on," she whispered.
"Everyone knows the bastard who became an heir. The boy trained by Darius. You are admired, feared... and now, you stand in the spotlight. With my political influence and your talent, we'd be unstoppable. Not even kings would dare stand against us."
She leaned in close to his ear, her breath warm against his skin.
"Marry me, Clint Ravenhart."
The proposal was delivered like a secret, a pact whispered in the shadows.
For a second, Clint felt a chill run down his spine.
It wasn't just a political alliance she offered, it was a trap, disguised as power.
He laughed.
Softly at first, almost imperceptibly, then louder.
"Marry you?" he said, incredulous.
"You don't want a husband, Iris. You want a loyal dog. A pawn dressed as a knight to follow your every command."
He stepped back slightly, breaking the contact, and turned his back to her.
"You know where I came from."
His voice was colder now.
"The streets. The filthy alleys of Kassel. You want to use that against me, don't you? If I refuse… you'll tell the king? Spread the word that the Duke's heir is nothing but a patched-up rat, sewn together with the blood of beggars?"
Iris glared at him, venom in her eyes.
Her gaze burned with a mixture of fury and wounded pride.
She stepped closer again, her voice now laced with poison.
"Accept my offer, Clint. Don't force me to destroy you."
She lifted her hand to his face, caressing his jaw with cruel tenderness, then brought her lips close to his, as if to seal a pact.
Clint, however, didn't yield.
He pushed her away, firmly, but not violently.
"Destroy me?"
He smiled. A cold, joyless smile.
"Then try. Go ahead, tell the king. Spread my origin across the continent. Go on, Iris of Kamira. I'd love to see what happens."
Iris fell silent for a moment.
There was something in Clint's eyes that unsettled her.
It wasn't just disdain.
It was something deeper.
An absence of fear.
An absence of morality.
She adjusted the straps of her dress and closed the exposed slit with a calculated motion. Her posture returned to that of a noblewoman.
"Don't think you're that important, Clint Ravenhart. If you become a problem, I won't hesitate to crush you."
She turned, walking toward the door. But before leaving, she glanced over her shoulder one last time, a look filled with frustration, curiosity… and danger.
"You have until tomorrow's dinner to give me an answer. I hope you make the right choice."
The door closed behind her.
Silence filled the room for long seconds, until Emylle entered.
"Is everything alright, my lord?"
Clint didn't answer right away.
He stood at the window, eyes fixed on the stars glittering in the night sky.
Each thought turned like gears in his mind.
He slowly raised his hand and clenched his fingers tightly.
"Damn Iris of Kamira…"
He whispered to himself.
"You think you can use me? That you can bind a monster with silk ribbons?"
He punched the window.
Glass shattered.
A hole remained where his fist had struck.
His gaze darkened.
"Soon… you'll find out what happens when you play with someone you shouldn't."