As he was having this internal conversation with himself, his eyes caught a movement near the entrance.

A woman who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, wearing a beautiful blue gown, flanked by a couple of maids, entered the hall with graceful steps. The Duke’s smile widened at the woman’s appearance.

The woman was none other than Vanessa, the Duke’s daughter.

Vanessa stopped near the entrance for a moment, turned to the maids following her and gave them orders in an inaudible voice.

The maids bowed slightly in response and quickly dispersed in different directions.

Among them was Sera, who had been ordered by Julian to take a closer look at the envoy and report everything back to him. She gave Vanessa one last respectful bow before slipping away into the crowd of servants.

Vanessa then turned toward the raised platform and walked toward it. As she reached close, she smiled warmly and bowed.

"Father, you are already here," she said.

The Duke stood up and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Vanessa, you are here as well. I have been waiting for you."

Vanessa returned the embrace briefly before stepping back. She then nodded at Commander Aldric and Knight Bethel, who both responded with deeper bows, showing their respect for the Duke’s daughter.

She then glanced at the empty chair beside the Duke and asked, "Where is Mother?"

The Duke shook his head slightly.

"I do not know. She has not come yet. Maybe something important has taken hold of her attention."

Vanessa raised her brow, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes, but she did not press the matter. Instead, she asked another question.

"And Kraven?"

The Duke smiled faintly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"He must be sleeping. I have sent orders for his summons, so he should be here any moment."

Vanessa nodded, though a small, unreadable expression crossed her face at the mention of her brother.

She took her seat on the slightly lowered platform, smoothing her blue gown as she settled down.

The hall continued to fill with important members of the duchy, and the atmosphere grew thicker with anticipation. Whispers spread through the rows of tables as people speculated about the envoy and the reasons behind the King’s sudden delay.

The Duke sat back down but his mind remained restless. The arrival of this envoy felt like the beginning of something larger. He could sense the undercurrents shifting beneath the surface of their peaceful duchy.

***

Meanwhile,

In a private chamber far from the grand hall, Julian and Olivia were still engaged in their own intense session, completely unaware of how the arrival of the envoy had changed the atmosphere of the castle.

The two events were unfolding simultaneously - each carrying its own weight and consequences for the future of the Astran family and the kingdom itself.

***

For about the past fifteen minutes, the mana exchange continued without much change in intensity.

After Olivia’s desperate promise to do one thing that Kraven wanted, Julian had stopped pushing her further. His hands frequently played with her breasts and thighs, but they did not move any higher or more intrusive.

Olivia herself seemed to be getting used to it.

She stood silently and her body gradually relaxed into the rhythm of his touch. Her mind was slowly becoming blank and hazy, as if the constant flow of mana and the warmth of his hands had dulled every other thought.

Finally, she reached the wall.

As she deepened her concentration, she could see thin lines of cracks beginning to form across its surface. They glowed with a faint whitish aura, spreading slowly along the invisible barrier that separated her from the Arch Mage realm.

It was the sign that the breakthrough would happen soon. All that remained now was to break the wall.

And she had been trying to do exactly that for the past five minutes, yet she had not succeeded. Well, it was natural that she could not force it open. Her breakthrough was being driven by Kraven’s superior mana, which had already reached the middle stage of the Arch Mage realm. So when she attempted to break the barrier on her own, she failed, because in the end, she was only a mage at the Sovereign realm.

It seemed that the wall could only be forced open by Kraven’s mana.

"Kraven..." she murmured in ecstasy. "The wall... I can see it. I need... you to open it."

At her plea, Julian closed his eyes and delved deep inside her body.

Since his mana was already all over her, he could easily look into her as if it were his own body. Her core had expanded enough to contain an Arch Mage’s mana, and her vessels had strengthened to the point that his energy could flow naturally through them.

All that was left was the wall.

But he would not give it to her so easily.

"Mnnnnn..."

"Please..." Olivia whispered again, her voice filled with need. "I am so close... just a little more..."

Julian’s lips curved into a faint smile behind her. He could feel how close she was. The cracks in the wall were widening, but they needed one final, powerful push. He deliberately held back, keeping the mana flow just strong enough to maintain the connection but not enough to shatter the barrier.

"Mother... about the promise..." her murmured. "What do you mean by that?"

Olivia’s breath hitched and she blurted out almost immediately.

"Anything you say, Kraven... anything."

Julian’s smile widened.

"Anything... hmm. Interesting," he murmured.

His fingers gave her breasts another firm squeeze, his thumbs brushing over her sensitive nipples.

"You know what thoughts are running behind my head right now, don’t you?"

"Mhh..." Olivia moaned at that, unable to hold back the sound.

She wasn’t gullible. Not anymore. After everything that had happened today, she finally understood that he wasn’t the innocent, harmless guy he pretended to be. Beneath that calm exterior was raw hunger, and right now, it was all directed at her.

He wanted her. Badly. That much was undeniably clear.