A figure emerged from behind the half-closed door on the second floor and leaned languidly against the rough wooden railing.
The flickering firelight illuminated her face.
Hers was a striking beauty, a blend of exotic allure and finely sculpted elegance.
Her long platinum hair flowed like moonlight, falling loosely over her shoulders, its ends curling slightly.
Her features were sharply defined, with a high nose and full lips. Her skin was as fair and smooth as the finest milk, glowing softly in the firelight.
But her most unforgettable feature was her eyes-pale purple, like newly opened lavender, with the clarity and mystery of amethyst.
Now those beautiful eyes looked down at Aegon below, openly appraising him with a hint of amusement.
She wore a fitted dark blue hunting outfit that allowed easy movement, with a short leather vest trimmed in silver. Her slender waist and shapely figure formed a curious contrast with the rough, disorderly surroundings.
Aegon's gaze lingered on her face, his violet eyes narrowing slightly.
This face was far removed from the scrawny little girl in his memories, who had always run after him and the other children of Hayne Village, her nose running as she called out, "Big Brother Lott!"
Yet the shape of her eyes and brows, the pale purple of her irises, and the slight upward curl of her lips when she smiled... still faintly matched.
"Luciana?" Aegon's voice was calm, with a barely perceptible hitch. "How did you... end up here?"
At that name, the beauty upstairs visibly brightened, her red lips curving into a more radiant, yet more complicated smile.
"How touching," she said, her voice still alluring but now tinged with wistfulness. "After all these years, you still remember me, Big Brother Lott."
She deliberately used her childhood name for him, but