Chapter 98: Bitter Inhalation

As the noon hour approached, the air in Nicolaus' office in the east wing was saturated with the pungent smell of tobacco smoke that lingered like a ghost.

Nicolaus was sitting at his desk, his figure outlined by the soft light that came through the curtains. He held a cigarette in his fingers and inhaled slowly, letting the smoke fill his lungs. 

"Huu…' He exhaled and watched the smoke swirl and twist in the air.

As soon as they entered the office, Nicolaus wasted no time to reach for his tobacco pack and flicked his lighter. The smell of tobacco was overpowering, assaulting Daelan's nostrils with its sharp and bitter scent. Daelan coughed slightly, feeling a burning sensation in his throat, but he kept silent.

The thin fog wrapped around the room, mingling with the subtle traces of Nicolaus' pheromones that seeped from his skin.