Julian stood before the mirror in his room, his gaze piercing through the cold reflection that stared back at him. His eyes observed every detail of his image as if it were not his own but a stranger’s.
The power he had been wielding, the seeds he had planted, were beginning to sprout in unexpected ways.
“Another seed has been planted,” he muttered with a cold, emotionless tone.
His lips curled into a faint smirk. His voice held no warmth, only the sharp clarity of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
He had seen the way they looked at him, how their reactions shifted, how their desires were slowly being twisted into something he could control.
The game was unfolding, and he was the one pulling the strings.
Julian’s eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at his reflection, a twisted grin slowly forming on his face.
He spoke softly, but his words carried an unsettling weight, “The thing about taboo… is that it’s weirdly appealing, even to saints.”
His voice was laced with a mix of amusement and intrigue, as if he found the concept itself both curious and exhilarating. He knew the power of forbidden desires, how they tugged at the core of every person, regardless of their status or purity.
Julian gazed at his reflection, his eyes piercing as if he were conversing with a stranger. He broke the silence with a low, almost thoughtful tone, “You know why it’s called forbidden?”
He waited for a moment, as if expecting his reflection to respond. After a moment of pause, he answered himself with a grin slowly spreading across his face.
“Because it’s powerful. Too powerful. And when something is powerful, it can either be respected as moral, or feared as forbidden.”
Julian’s grin widened as he looked at his reflection, the coldness in his gaze sharpening. “Although this may have started as a simple conquest from the system,” he mused aloud, “now I realize that I’ve always found forbidden… captivating.”
He leaned closer to the mirror, his fingers tracing the edge of the glass, as if contemplating the very nature of his words. There was an undeniable allure in the taboo, a thrill in the chase for what was deemed out of reach.
And the more he reflected on it, the more he understood how it made his desires burn brighter.
“It’s like a magnetic pull,” he continued to himself. “The more it’s off-limits, the more tempting it becomes. And now… I control that temptation.”
************
As the morning light broke through the windows of the Easvil estate, the house seemed to hum with an undercurrent of tension that filled every corner.
The peaceful silence of the night gave way to the bustle of a new day, yet something felt different. The weight of unspoken thoughts and emotions lingered in the air.
Julian woke before the sun had fully risen, his mind already focused on the plans he had made with Rose.
The house was quieter than usual, but that would soon change. With a deep breath, Julian rose from his bed, dressed in his usual attire, ready to meet Rose.
Julian stepped into the training grounds and he quickly scanned the area. Rose and Raphael stood nearby dressed in simple, everyday attire, unlike the armor of the soldiers that they were accustomed to.
As Julian approached, they both bowed respectfully. “Good morning, your grace,” they said in unison.
Julian glanced at their clothes and sudden urge stirred within him, a desire to break from his own status. The noble attire felt restricting in comparison to the casualness of Rose and Raphael’s clothes.
“Raphael,” Julian said, his voice carrying an edge of command. “Go and bring me a pair of clothes like what you’re wearing.”
Raphael hesitated for a moment as a slight surprise flickered in his eyes, but he quickly nodded in acknowledgment. “Of course, your grace,” he said, before turning to head toward the barracks.
Rose glanced at Julian before she spoke. “Is something the matter with your attire, my lord?” she asked.
Julian gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. “It feels… too much for today. I want to be more like you, Rose,” he said.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned away, waiting for Raphael to return.
Raphael returned moments later, carrying a set of clothes similar to his own. Julian took the garments from him with a silent nod and quickly changed into the simpler attire.
The noble robes were discarded, leaving him in the comfortable, practical clothes that blended him more into the surroundings. He looked less a lord and more like one of the commoners.
As he finished changing, he looked at himself in the mirror, noting the change in his reflection. He could feel the weight of his noble title lighten, even if only for a moment.
It was a small shift, but a noticeable one. He wasn’t just Julian Easvil, the Sovereign Mage who had adopted the path of lust and corruption or the Duke’s son who was burdened with expectations. For this moment, he was just a person.
Raphael and Rose, seemed to notice the difference too. Raphael raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, while Rose’s expression softened with a knowing look.
“Now, this feels more like it,” Julian said with a small grin, adjusting his new attire. “We can all move freely now.”
He turned his gaze to Rose. “What do you think, Rose? How do I look?”
Rose met his gaze “You look… different,” she replied, her voice soft and warm.
Julian chuckled softly. “Good,” he said. “I wanted to blend in a little. No more ‘your grace’ for today. Just Julian.”
Raphael gave a smirk as he crossed his arms. “If you say so, my lord,” he teased.
“Let’s see how long I can go before I stand out again,” Julian said. “Shall we begin?” They then walked through the Easvil duchy, taking in the vibrant scenes before them.
As the three strolled through the bustling market streets of Easvil Duchy, Julian felt a rare sense of freedom. The commoners around them were absorbed in their daily routines, bartering for goods and sharing laughter.
No one gave him a second glance, unable to imagine that the young duke himself would walk among them dressed so plainly.
