"But, midy—" Mariam protested.

  "Go. You both cannot serve me on an empty stomach."

  "As you wish, midy." Cecil complied and, against the young maid's will, dragged her to join the other Croix knights and servants.

  After her maid and guard left, only Eine remained at the table with the male protagonist and Cra. Like an uninvited extra, she barged into their world. Yet Eine endured the awkward atmosphere and continued donning the composed facade. After all, it would have been more abnormal if she had chosen another table instead of the reserved seating arrangement for aristocrats. Eine peeked at the other parties' ptes and noticed they had already half-finished their meals. They will leave soon, she consoled herself.

  Moments ter, a servant served Eine's food. She slowly consumed her meal, deliberately taking longer to savor each bite. She bid her time until she could occupy the entire table. Yet, even when their ptes emptied and cleared, the other parties did not intend to leave.

  "You should join the others," Elias suddenly addressed his table's companion.

  Eine looked up, seeing Cra gncing at him with a confused expression. An unnamed emotion enveloped the raven-haired young girl's countenance while her gaze raced between Eine and the male protagonist. She opened her mouth but closed it again without being able to say a word. "Yes, Commander." Cra finally resigned and stood up. The girl bowed to Eine and then plodded wearily toward her peers.

  Eine's gaze followed the raven-haired young girl's disheartened gait before returning to the bck-haired young man. Her heartbeat quickened, and the familiar anxiety crept back inside. She stared at Elias, unable to decipher the stolid countenance. Why would he want to exclude Cra from their table? Did he already suspect Eine's scheme and wish to confront her?

  After Cra departed, the male protagonist shifted his attention to Eine. "Have I harmed you before, Lady Estel?" he quizzed.

  "No," she replied skeptically, not understanding his question.

  Elias' amethyst eyes softened as his lips tugged upward. "Then why do you always appear terrified whenever our paths cross? I am so monstrous in your view?"

  "Do I?" Eine reached for her face. Had she unconsciously projected her feelings outward? "Forgive my candid statement, milord, but considering our families' retionships, keeping distance would benefit us both." She grabbed a convenient excuse. Elias could never deduce the actual reason she feared him.

  "Past generations' grudges and resentments should not be passed down to their offspring."

  Eine gnced around, ensuring no one was within earshot vicinity. "Do you not also hold contempt for my father, Sir d'Amboise?" she whispered, recalling the male protagonist's first meeting with Gerard. Their conversation could not be further from amicable.

  "Yes," he admitted, his gaze meeting hers. "However, it is a conflict between those who are involved. I do not extend the accountability of his crimes to the innocents."

  Eine's eyes widened, taken aback by his words. She did not expect the bck-haired young man's straightforward answer. Contrary to her previous beliefs, Elias' personality deviated little from the book's descriptions. The male protagonist in the story was a man of candor and integrity. He never stomped on the weak nor yielded to the strong—a trait seen in very few of the étoile Empire's nobles and the opposite of the Crown Prince. Perhaps it was for this reason that the original Estel developed a deep affection for him despite their cshing stances. However, because of her pride and position, she would forever bury the complex emotions. Even at the end of her brief life, she never confessed. Eine stayed in a pensive silence, unable to find any counterargument to the bck-haired young man's statement.

  "Why did you volunteer to journey to Léonas?" Elias again hit her with an unexpected question.

  Eine knitted her brows. "It is my obligation as His Highness' fiancée to—" she repeated her rehearsed justification.

  "What is your real motive, Lady Estel?" The bck-haired young man interrupted her, not believing the lies. The crimson pupils within his amethyst eyes fred as they bored into Eine's, threatening to uncover secrets deep inside her soul.

  "I already stated my purpose, milord. It is your choice whether to believe me." She abruptly rose, unwilling to prolong the conversation. Eine feared if she continued to engage, Elias would eventually pry the truth from her. "Please excuse me, Sir d'Amboise. I have other matters to attend to." She walked toward the door

  "Of course. We can resume our discussion ter." The male protagonist nodded, not attempting to stop her.

  Cecil and Mariam also left their seats and followed Eine. On the way back to her quarters, Eine reassessed her choices. Elias was more difficult to handle than she had initially thought. Since their first meeting, his directness always rendered her speechless. Eine suddenly realized her time at the Croix estate equipped her to deal more with conniving individuals than those simir to the male protagonist. She again weighed the benefits and cons of consuming her meals in the main dining area.

  The verdict was clear. Although Cecil always stayed close to her, a rger crowd would provide ampler safety for Eine during the day. But what about at night? Despite some incidents happening before sunset, the activities appeared more active under the cover of darkness. The blond-haired young man promised to protect her no matter the situation. However, how long could he remain on high alert after continuous nights without rest? What if the malevolent entities kidnapped Cecil instead in his exhaustive state? She could have other Croix knights switch shifts with him. However, Eine did not trust anyone else and worried they would ck Cecil's attentiveness. It was a dilemma she had no solution to.

  "No, there is one person who can help me," Eine muttered, biting her lips. She would have to disregard her apprehension and ask for assistance, but it was better than dying prematurely or having her guard sacrifice himself for her. Eine turned on her heels. "Let's return," she said.

  "Midy?" Mariam questioned. Her voice filled with surprise.

  "I need to continue my previous conversation."