Linus knew he needed to regroup and rethink his approach. He returned to where Mara and the city guards were still stationed, their expressions tense with anticipation. As he approached, Mara turned to him, her eyes searching for any sign of good news.

"I wasn’t able to find anything," Linus said, his tone even, masking the frustration that simmered beneath. "But I’ll keep looking. I'll also have Marcus see if he can uncover any details on this mysterious unchanneled mage. There has to be something we’ve missed."

Mara nodded her face tight with concern. "Good. We can’t afford to let this slip through our fingers."

Linus offered a brief nod, then turned away when a thought crossed his mind.

Amy was at the inn nearby, and he recalled she’d be at the drama studio that day. He couldn’t shake the nagging thought about the mask he had seen the night before. Its design, the anonymity it provided—so well-suited for deception—kept circling back to the forefront of his mind. The drama studio was full of masks, costumes, and roles that allowed people to slip into identities that were not their own. What better place to hide a secret than amidst the theater’s carefully crafted chaos? The thought tugged at him, pulling him in two directions: was this merely his paranoia, or had he stumbled upon a thread that could unravel the mystery?

Linus made his way toward the drama studio. When he entered, he forced himself to relax, adopting an air of casual interest. The electric energy of rehearsal buzzed around him. Linus scrutinized the room, noting the scattered props and the meticulously arranged costumes.

The actors were deep in their roles, their voices echoing through the space, bringing life to the lines of their play.

Linus’s gaze quickly found Amy, who was arranging props near the stage. When she saw him, her face lit up with surprise and delight. The warmth in her expression was a brief respite from his restless thoughts, but it was also an opening—a chance to move closer to the objects of his curiosity without drawing suspicion.

She was about to approach him when Aria, standing by the center stage, called out, "Amy, could you grab my hair clip from my room?"

Aria’s eyes flicked to Linus, and she offered a polite smile. "Good to see you, Lord Linus," she said, her tone warm but professional. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Linus returned the smile, his face unreadable. "Just thought I'd check in," he replied, his gaze drifting back to Amy. As she nodded to Aria’s request, he stepped closer to her. "I’ll walk with you," he offered in a low and easy voice.

Amy hesitated momentarily, glancing between Linus and Aria, but then she nodded. “Alright,” she said timidly, turning to lead the way.

As they left the rehearsal space together, Linus used the moment of privacy to scan his surroundings more closely. Nothing stood out other than the usual chaos he would expect.

They made their way to Aria's room, a comfortable silence hanging between them. Once inside, Linus quietly closed the door, and without warning, he pushed Amy gently against the wall, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She gasped in surprise, but her initial shock quickly melted into desire as she reciprocated, her hands clutching his shoulders. The kiss was intense, charged with the urgency of stolen moments, and for a brief instant, the world outside ceased to exist.

When they finally pulled apart, Amy's cheeks were flushed, her breathing unsteady. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, Linus drew her in again, his lips claiming hers in a second, deeper kiss. This time, he lingered, savoring the softness of her mouth, the way she melted against him. Amy's hands hesitated as if she wanted to push him away but couldn't bring herself to do it. She shyly tried to pull back, her lips parting from his, a soft protest on her lips.

But Linus wasn’t done. He cupped her face, tilting it slightly, and captured her mouth again, a final, savoring kiss that left no room for resistance. When he finally released her, there was a possessive satisfaction in his eyes, a small, knowing smile playing at the corner of his lips.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Amy's breath was shaky, her cheeks warm, and a flush crept to her ears. "I... I need to go," she whispered, her voice barely audible, laced with shyness and the residual effect of his kiss. Or else someone will come looking for me."

She found Aria's clip and handed it to Linus, who took it with a mischievous smile and slipped it into his pocket. As they prepared to leave, something caught Linus's eye—a set of masks hanging on the wall. Among the collection of 10 to 15 masks, one, in particular, bore a striking resemblance to the design he had seen the previous night. It wasn't an exact match, but the similarities were enough to stir his suspicions.

"These masks," Linus said, gesturing to them. "Where did you get them?"

Amy glanced at the masks and then back at him, a bit puzzled. "We source them from different places," she explained. "Sometimes they're custom-made. Other times they're just random finds to help enhance the characters."

Linus's mind raced. Could there be a connection between the drama studio and the spies? The thought was unsettling, but he kept his suspicions to himself for now. The discovery had piqued his curiosity, and he knew he would need to dig deeper.

"Interesting," he murmured, giving Amy a reassuring smile. "Let's get back before anyone notices we've been gone too long."

Amy nodded, and they slipped out of the room, returning to the studio.

They returned to the rehearsal, but Linus's thoughts were elsewhere, preoccupied with the possible connection between the masks and the spies. As they walked back into the main area, Aria approached them, her eyes sharp and appraising, immediately honing in on Linus.

"Amy, your part is about to start," Aria said authoritatively. Amy nodded, casting one last shy smile at Linus before hurrying off to take her place on stage.

With Amy gone, Aria sauntered over, her hips swaying gracefully, her eyes locking onto Linus with a glimmer of intent. "You've been quite the patron, Linus," she purred, the cadence of her voice dripping with practiced charm. Her fingers lightly brushed the top of her dress as if inviting his eyes to her alluring cleavage. "Amy can't stop talking about the gifts. You certainly know how to make an impression."

Linus tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a faint, unreadable smile. "Just supporting the arts," he said with a blend of amusement and detachment. His gaze flicked to her fingers, then back to her face, his face betraying none of the suspicion simmering beneath. "Amy has remarkable talent—it deserves to be nurtured."

Aria’s smile softened into something more intimate as she took a deliberate step closer, her fingers toying with the edge of her sleeve before smoothing the fabric over her hip. The faint tilt of her head exposed the elegant line of her neck, a gesture so fleeting it might have been accidental—if not for the way her eyes searched his face for a reaction. "And we’re grateful. The arts thrive on the generosity of patrons like you."

Linus noticed the subtle shift and the effort behind the act and let his gaze rest on her for a moment too long as if daring her to press further.

"I've always had a fondness for the theater," he said, his eyes steady as he met hers. "It’s a world full of surprises, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Absolutely," Aria replied, her smile deepening as she touched his arm lightly, her fingers remaining. "The theater is full of surprises, both on and off the stage."

Linus couldn't help but wonder what game Aria was playing. Was she genuinely interested, or was there a motive behind her flirtation? The possibility of uncovering her true intentions added a layer of intrigue to their exchange.

As Aria continued to engage him, subtly emphasizing her figure, Linus played along, maintaining a polite yet enigmatic demeanor. He was aware that the gifts he had been sending Amy attracted attention, but Aria's unexpected approach intrigued him.

"Perhaps I should attend more rehearsals," Linus said, his smooth tone hinting at a deeper meaning. He let the suggestion hang in the air, his gaze steady and calm, a faint challenge in his countenance. Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to today."

Aria's smile never wavered, though a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. "A shame, indeed," she replied, her voice lower now, more intimate. Her fingers grazed his sleeve as she stepped back, a gesture both inviting and dismissive. "I do hope you'll visit us again soon, Lord Linus."

"Count on it," he replied calmly, leaving just enough ambiguity to keep her guessing.

His gaze stayed on Aria for a moment longer, a smile playing on his lips before he turned and exited the theater. The soft murmur of the rehearsal and the faint scent of stage makeup faded behind him as he stepped out into the bright sunlight.

As Linus walked through the bustling streets of Thornfield, his mind churned with a whirlwind of thoughts and suspicions. The strange connection between the masks and the spies, Aria’s sudden, flirtatious interest, and the constant presence of the spies gnawed at him, each thread pulling at his attention, demanding to be unraveled.

Passing familiar landmarks—the bustling market square, the old clock tower, the narrow alleys winding toward the docks—he felt a sense of unease creeping over him. Thornfield had always been a town of secrets, but now, those secrets felt more like traps, hidden snares waiting to spring.