Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Princess Nyx's eyes lit up in a way Lucas hadn't quite seen before, like a child catching the first glimpse of a forbidden festival. There was a spark of mischief there, mingled with genuine excitement, and it made her seem far less like the composed, guarded royal she always pretended to be. She set the wine bottle down on the table with a gentle clink and leaned forward slightly.

"All right," she said, her voice lower now, as if she were already slipping into the mindset of someone about to commit a daring act. "Take me to live a commoner's life.… I trust you to keep me safe if things get… uncomfortable."

He arched a brow. "Uncomfortable? You make it sound like I'll have to fight off the entire city."

"You never know with commoners," Nyx teased, her tone light but her gaze steady. "They tend to… forget their place. Still, I'm not completely helpless."

Lucas knew that much was true. Nyx could protect herself, he'd seen the precise control she had over her aura before. She wasn't just some pampered royal who'd faint at the sight of trouble. Still, the fact that she'd willingly put herself in his hands for something like this… it was oddly gratifying.

He laughed, the sound deep and genuine. "Fine then. If you're really willing, we'll do this properly."

In the back of his mind, a small, disciplined voice reminded him that he should be working on Sage Raph's notes right now, that the Core of Dominion wasn't going to study itself. But the mental image of Selene's earlier interruption flashed in his mind, souring his focus. He'd already lost the flow. And if the day was going to be wasted, then maybe wasting it in a way that was… entertaining… wasn't so bad.

"First things first," he said, stepping away from her and heading toward the closet. "We need to make you look the part. No commoner's going to believe you belong in their midst if you're dripping in gold thread and royal silk."

Nyx glanced down at herself, then at him, and her expression was a mix of amusement and challenge. "And what exactly do you suggest?"

Without answering, Lucas rummaged through his neatly arranged closet until he found what he was looking for, a thick, well-worn cloak, dark enough to blend into the bustle of the streets. It was plain, with a hood deep enough to shadow most of the face, and although the fabric was old, it was clean and serviceable.

He turned, holding it up like a prize. "Here. This should hide you well enough until we get you a proper commoner wear."

She eyed it skeptically at first, as though the idea of wearing something so plain was both alien and mildly insulting. But then, with a soft exhale, she stood and took it from him. Her fingers ran over the coarse fabric, and she slipped it on over her shimmering royal garments. The contrast was almost absurd, the cloak swallowed the fine silks beneath, muting the entire air of royalty about her.

Lucas stepped back, giving her a quick once-over, and a grin crept onto his face.

Nyx lifted the hood experimentally, the shadows falling across her features until only her eyes peeked out from beneath.

"Well," she murmured, her lips curving upward, "I suppose I can sneak out the Castle now."

Lucas smirked.

Lucas took a step closer, closing the space between them with an almost deliberate calmness. Without asking, he reached up and pulled the hood back from her head. The dark fabric slid away, letting her perfectly styled hair spill back into view.

Before Nyx could ask what he was doing, he was already reaching for the delicate chain at her neck. The thin gold glinted faintly under the room's light before he unfastened it and set it aside on the nearby table. Then came the bracelets, three slim bands of silver and jade, each one a subtle but unmistakable mark of wealth. He slipped them from her wrists one by one.

Nyx raised a brow but didn't move to stop him, though the faint tightening of her jaw betrayed her growing irritation. Lucas, however, seemed determined.

He went for the pendants next, unclasping them with practiced ease, then the small but ornate earrings that sparkled faintly in the dim light. He set each piece neatly down on the table, forming a little pile of royal elegance now stripped from her.

"Xavier…" her tone was edged now, her patience thinning.

He ignored it and stepped around her slightly, catching sight of the hairpin holding her hair in place. It was a delicate thing, silver with an intricate carving, probably worth more than a month's pay for a decent craftsman. He slid it free, and Nyx's carefully styled hair loosened instantly, cascading over her shoulders in a way that looked far more natural.

Finally, as if sealing the transformation, he reached up and deliberately ran his fingers through her hair, mussing it just enough to break the perfect arrangement. A few loose strands framed her face now, softening her regal image.

Nyx's lips parted, her eyes narrowing just slightly. She was fuming, though only a little, her pride clearly bristling at being handled so casually. Lucas caught the look and paused, meeting her gaze with a faint smirk.

"What?" he asked, as though entirely innocent.

She tilted her chin up, a silent challenge in her eyes.

"You want to live like a commoner for a day?" he reminded her evenly. "Then you've got to look like one."

Nyx didn't answer him. Instead, she let out a quiet breath through her nose and gave a slow shake of her head, strands of her now-mussed hair swaying gently with the movement.

Lucas watched her in silence for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly. Without the polished jewels, without the perfect hair, without the armor of royal presentation, she looked… different. Not diminished, no, far from it. In fact, there was an unfiltered beauty in her now, raw and striking, something the royal court's layers of refinement could never quite replicate. It was the kind of beauty that didn't need permission to exist.

"You know," he said casually, as though commenting on the weather, "you're still beautiful. In fact… maybe even more so like this."

The words hung in the air between them.

Nyx's head turned slightly toward him, her lashes lowering in the smallest flicker of shyness before she caught herself. A hint of warmth bloomed across her cheeks, subtle, but noticeable. She straightened her posture almost immediately, trying to mask it with her usual poise, her chin lifting as though to remind him she was still a princess.

"Tch," she scoffed softly, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her cloak, as if to dismiss his words entirely. "You flatter far too easily, Xavier."

But the faint blush lingered, no matter how she tried to hide it.