Silence pervaded between them as they both looked at each other. Lukas has his brows raised in amusement while Nadia tries hard to avoid making eye contact with him.

"Ah?

" Lukas retorted.

Nadia's face flushed beet red as she tried to come up with an excuse and failed to do so and ended up clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"I-I… Tsk.

"

Lukas watched her with merriment in his eyes.

"You do know that I'm a duke right. And slandering the duke is a crime,

" was his shameless reproach.

"Ugghh…

"

'Really now? He is doing this?'

Lukas crossed both his arms.

"You called me stupid.

"

Nadia can't really rebuke that because it was true. He really did call him stupid in an accident.

"...

"

Just then, a mischievous flame flared up inside Lukas's amethyst eyes and an evil smile made its way into his mouth.

"I will forgive you if you let me touch you.

"

Nadia was baffled.

'Shameless! Too shameless!'

"Why do you want to do that so badly?

" She frowned. Ever since they have met, this guy always does as he pleases and is not even a bit apologetic for his behavior.

And why does he say it like that?

"Because I'm curious,

" he honestly replied.

Without warning his hand grabbed hers. Nadia was unprepared so she couldn't react quickly when it happened. She suddenly found herself being pulled closer to a hard wall that is Lukas's body. Her right hand was held captive by him as she panicked.

"Wha-!

" She was at a loss for words when Lukas wordlessly slipped off his gloves so that he could touch her skin directly. She gasped when she felt his warmth and got more ruffled.

He was seriously warm… Like he has a fever or something.

During this whole fiasco, Nadia's mind was in a state of calamity. She can't calm down. Her heart was beating so fast and loud it felt like she's going deaf.

She then tried to withdraw her hand but he wouldn't budge. Feeling aggrieved, Nadia sighed and resigned to her fate.

'Whatever…'

"Cold…

" Lukas muttered lowly in his voice. His brows were furrowed as he stared at her in puzzlement.

Nadia blinked in response.

"Cold?

"

"You feel cold,

" he replied and adjusted his hand that was holding her wrist to hold her hand properly.

What?

It doesn't matter to her anymore whether Lukas was literally clasping her hand with his. She was distracted. She curiously brought her other free hand to her cheek to feel herself.

"Ah, you noticed it too? Seems like winter is fast approaching,

" she replied.

She thought that he was pertaining to the weather and not herself. After all, she had been feeling chilly for a while now.

Lukas narrowed his eyes as he gazed at her. He pressed her hand and tilted his head to the side in perplexity.

"I have been wondering for too long…

" Lukas mumbled,

"Why can't I read your mind?

"

"Eh?

"

'Read my mind?' Nadia met his imploring gaze and fell into her thoughts.

That's right, she recalled that one of Lukas's abilities is that he could read people's thoughts when he touches them. Even a simple graze with one's skin is enough for him to know what they are thinking. The downside of this ability is only the negative things are passed to him. All the corrupted thoughts, the ugliest desires of the heart, the dishonesty… They are like a thick miasma that creeps into Lukas's brain.

'I can't imagine having to deal with all that and how awful it would be.'

She remembered that Lukas said they were loud and infuriating. It kept whispering nonstop and would even drive him mad. It is the reason why he hates having skin contact with people and hating people in general. Thus, why he wears gloves and would rarely get close to someone.

This is the reason Nadia was puzzled why he kept insisting on touching her when he hates it so much.

Lukas's expression grew more and more complex.

"It doesn't feel unpleasant either… Just what is this?

"

His eyes glowed a fiery purple as his hand traveled upward her arm, making her shiver involuntarily.

"Y-your grace…

" Nadia was flustered and she began to panic once again.

"Nox won't settle down whenever you are near, does your anima act the same?

" Lukas's tone went down and it sounded hypnotizing.

Can she still breathe? She doesn't think so. His warmth spread from the places he would touch and it was making her confused. He really feels like he has a fever.

"My… my anima?

" A frown marred her beautiful countenance.

How would she know? It won't even talk to her. She can't communicate with it at all.

Lukas suddenly grabbed the side of her face, earning a shriek from the already overwhelmed Lady Nadia.

"Eek!

"

'Oh my God, why does he keep doing that?!'

Why does he keep surprising her?

This time around, Nadia wasn't the only one frowning.

"You are strange.

" Lukas couldn't sense anything from her aside from some peculiar things.

She felt pleasantly cold, dousing the warmth that he feels 24

/7. He never felt cold before even when it snows. He never has to wear winter coats or thick clothes to guard himself against the chill. But he could feel a comfortable cooling sensation from her.

He also felt surprisingly… peaceful.

With nothing that enters his head, no disgusting thoughts, no whispers of ugly desires, Lukas feels that his mind is stable for the first time. His anima doesn't go mad which also makes him crazy, it was… stable.

His blood doesn't roar for violence nor does he thirst for carnage. He was peaceful.

He doesn't understand this at all!

During his talk with the emperor, he had already affirmed that he had never felt peace in his entire life and now he experienced it. The silence… the calmness… he felt soothed.

Lukas's handsome face contorted into a deep frown.

"This is so annoying,

" he huffed.

He couldn't begin to fathom why this is all possible. He can't understand any of this and he hates not knowing anything. It feels frustrating to not know the answers.

Why is she different?

Without letting her face go, his intense eyes focused on that small translucent face that could launch a thousand ships.

"Nadia, just who are you?

"