Lure in the Box - Chapter 5

An unexpected offer… no, a gift.

Sianne’s eyes widened in surprise.

If she lost, she’d learn his name. If she won, she’d learn both his name and his title. It was a game where she had nothing to lose.

Is he teasing me or just letting me win?

“What are you thinking?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Try guessing.”

Without waiting for her response, he flipped over the first card in front of him.

3

A low number.

Then he flipped another card.

6

A total of just 9, barely enough to break into double digits.

“Your turn, Sister.”

Despite the low numbers, he didn’t seem fazed. In fact, it seemed he wanted her to win. His calm, indifferent tone carried no concern since the stakes didn’t appear high for him anyway.

For Sianne, it was the same. Win or lose, she would learn his name. There was nothing at stake for her. Without hesitation, she flipped her cards.

5, 1

A total of 6.

She stared blankly at the numbers, unable to believe she had lost. In a game where losing would have been advantageous, she still managed to lose, with a lower score of 6 against his 9.

The man chuckled softly, the corners of his lips curving into an amused smile.

“You’re lucky.”

“Yeah…” Sianne muttered absentmindedly, agreeing without thinking.

He gathered his cards, sliding the 3 and 6 to the edge of the table. Then, he extended his hand across the table toward her.

“I am the Margrave of the western border, head of the Zerdin family, Aktarakion Zerdin.”

His name and title rolled smoothly off his tongue, as if revealing them was of no consequence. 

Caught off guard, Sianne instinctively shook his hand. His long fingers curled around hers, his warm palm pressing against her skin.

The handshake felt unexpectedly weighty, though his grip wasn’t tight. Perhaps it was the weight of the title he carried that made her uneasy. She couldn’t help but ask nervously, “How did a Margrave become a High Priest of the temple?”

“Is that your next question?”

Before she could respond, he withdrew his hand smoothly, the contact ending as quickly as it had begun. He controlled every interaction with the same precision, leaving her feeling off balance.

As she awkwardly pulled her hand back, he dealt two new cards from the deck, already immersed in the game once more.

Brushing her fingers along the edge of the table, Sianne called out his newly revealed surname hesitantly, “High Priest Zerdin.”

“You can just call me High Priest.”

He had gone to the trouble of sharing his name and title, only to dismiss them moments later. Why offer such information if he didn’t want her to use it? His contradictory behavior only deepened the mystery surrounding him.

Why would a Margrave – a man of such high status – choose to become a High Priest? The Zerdin family was renowned throughout the empire. What could he possibly lack that led him to renounce his worldly privileges, take vows of celibacy, and dedicate himself to the temple?

Sianne’s thoughts wandered further. Who would succeed the Zerdin family now? Would he adopt an heir?

“Do you have siblings?” she asked curiously, drawing two cards as he had.

“If I win, I’ll tell you.”

“And if you win?”

“Tell me if you’ve ever had feelings for your fiancé.”

Her hand froze mid-motion. While her question had been personal, his felt invasive.

“What kind of feelings?” she asked cautiously.

“Love, affection, excitement; emotions like that.”

“Why are you curious about that?” 

“I just want to know if you ever cared for the man you’re trying to annul your engagement with.”

She scowled. “Why?”

“You’re asking too many questions without winning first,” he cut her off, his tone sharp yet calm, clearly enforcing the rules of the game.

Annoyed, Sianne glared at him, but his expression remained neutral. He casually flipped over his cards.

11, 11

A total of 22.

Sianne’s mouth went dry as she flipped her cards.

10, 4

A total of 14. She had lost again.

Her throat tightened. She closed her eyes briefly, sifting through her memories for an honest answer. Finally, she admitted, “There was… It wasn’t serious. Just mild affection, goodwill. Something shallow.”

“So, you did have personal feelings,” he summarized curtly, cutting through her explanation.

Sianne winced. His words, though factual, felt like a jab. 

She had once believed Dion to be a good man, a loving fiancé who treated her with care and attention. Back then, his kindness had stirred genuine excitement and gratitude in her. She had truly thought he was someone she could spend her life with.

“Before everything fell apart…” she murmured, her voice heavy with bitterness, “I thought the Duke was a good man.”

“Of course, he treated you well while he was deceiving you,” Aktarakion replied, his tone coldly cutting.

Sianne flinched, his words slicing through her carefully constructed defenses. But she couldn’t deny it. Letting out a hollow laugh, she slid her two losing cards to the edge of the table.

“I don’t have siblings,” he suddenly said.

Her head snapped up at his unexpected response. “No siblings?”

“I answered your question,” he said nonchalantly, dealing himself two new cards. “Satisfied?”

Sianne frowned. *He won, but he answered me anyway.* 

“You’re confusing,” she muttered under her breath as she drew her next cards.

“You’re not the first to say that.”

Despite her unease, she couldn’t bring herself to stop playing. This man, with his cryptic answers and layered personality, intrigued her. A Margrave who was also a High Priest, bound by temple vows, carrying secrets she couldn’t yet unravel.

As her thoughts wandered, his gaze flicked briefly to her face.

“Did you sleep with your fiancé?”

Sianne’s shoulders jerked. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open. That question had unmistakably crossed the line. She stared at him, utterly incredulous.

“What?”

“It’s my question.”

“You said you wouldn’t ask inappropriate questions.”

“Did I? I don’t recall.”

His tone was laced with shameless playfulness. Despite Sianne’s heated glare, he simply smiled, unfazed.

“If I win, you answer the question,” he teased, flipping his cards face down as if impatiently waiting for her turn.

This guy…

Sianne furrowed her brows in frustration but took a deep breath to steady herself. If he wanted to play this way, she’d match him. Without hesitation, she stared him down and asked, “As a High Priest, you must have taken a vow of celibacy. So how do you plan to pass on the Margrave title? Can you even… have relations?”

His eyes curved slightly, a glimmer of amusement flickering in their depths. He didn’t respond right away, instead calmly flipping over his cards.

18, 19

Damn it.

Sianne squeezed her eyes shut, already resigned to answering his question. She flipped her cards, summoning her courage, and hesitated to peek at them. A soft chuckle reached her ears, and she braced for her defeat.

But when she opened her eyes fully, she froze.

20, 20

“Wha… what?” she blurted, her voice an unfiltered mix of shock and disbelief. She double-checked the cards before looking up at him.

He was smiling faintly, clearly entertained.

“Am I unlucky, or are you just lucky?” he murmured, his soft smile carrying a note of genuine curiosity. His gaze lingered on her, full of quiet amusement.

“So,” he said, breaking the silence, “you’re asking how a Margrave, who’s expected to produce heirs, manages the matter of s*x while bound by a vow of celibacy?”

The bluntness of his wording made Sianne’s face heat. She glanced away awkwardly, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

“…Yes,” she replied reluctantly.

“You really have no sense of decorum.”

Wasn’t he the one who crossed the line first? Sianne bit her lip, glaring at him. Her question had only been a rebuttal to his invasive one.

Aktarakion didn’t seem affected by her glare. Instead, he casually retrieved a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a slow drag. Turning his head, he exhaled a stream of smoke away from her.

“I never said I don’t have s*x. If I get caught, I suppose I’ll be excommunicated.” 

The outrageous remark was delivered so nonchalantly that Sianne’s jaw nearly dropped.

“What did you just say? You’re a High Priest, and yet…!”

“I never said I’ve done it,” he interrupted smoothly, smiling slyly around the cigarette.

Sianne stared at him, stunned into silence. His words were an enigma, as shameless as they were cryptic. Her mind raced. So… has he or hasn’t he? Does he secretly?

Whatever the answer, it was hardly behavior befitting a High Priest. The man before her was an enigma; one she couldn’t begin to unravel.

“Are you really holding back?” she asked impulsively.

“What do you mean by ‘holding back’? Are you asking if I secretly break my vows, or if I’m abstaining entirely?”

“Both.”

His smile deepened, and he raised an eyebrow mockingly before his expression shifted back to its usual neutrality. 

“If you tell me whether you slept with your fiancé, I’ll answer your question.”

“…”

“Or we can save it for the next round,” he added nonchalantly.

“I didn’t.”

Her answer came quickly, though her voice was barely above a whisper. Aktarakion, who had been idly watching the smoke drift away, turned his gaze back to her. His eyes studied her for a moment before his lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Taking the cigarette from his mouth, he extinguished it in the ashtray. 

“I’m holding back, even now,” he said softly.

“…”

“Aren’t I supposed to be a High Priest, bound by celibacy?” His voice carried a subtle scolding tone, as though chastising her for asking something unnecessary.

Who’s the one casually throwing around the word “s*x”? Shameless. Sianne’s face burned as she tapped her fingers on the edge of the table, trying to dispel her embarrassment.

His gaze shifted to her restless hand. After a few moments, he stood up, his movements deliberate and unhurried.

Sianne blinked up at him. “Is it over?”

“No.”

Confused, she watched him stride toward the door with a casual air. It was barely ten minutes past midnight.

“See you next time, Sister,” he said as he left, his tone making it clear there would be a next time.

Sianne stared after his retreating figure, left alone in the quiet reception room. Strangely, she didn’t feel compelled to leave right away. Instead, her eyes wandered to the cards on the table – 20 and 20 – a curious symbol of her luck tonight.

Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes, replaying their strange and intense interaction in her mind. 

He had boldly pried into her past, and she had retaliated with equally pointed questions. Then, just as she had thought there might not be a next meeting, he had casually promised one.

“See you next time, Sister.”

She murmured his name softly, as if trying to etch it into her memory.

“Aktarakion Zerdin.”

A High Priest who didn’t act the part. A Margrave who held secrets. 

Through their brief encounter, Sianne had become certain of one thing: this was not a man who could be easily manipulated. He wasn’t someone Dion could control.

He was powerful, resourceful, and unpredictable. If she could make him an ally, he would be invaluable.

For the sake of her annulment, she had to make it happen.