I wasn't sure when it started.
At first, it was simple curiosity.
Then, it became irritation.
Then… something else. Something deeper. Something I couldn't name.
And now...
Now, it was like a fire that refused to go out.
I once believed that humans were beneath us—filthy, selfish creatures that brought nothing but conflict wherever they went.
It wasn't just what I was taught—it was what I knew.
But Ed…
He didn't fit that image.
He wasn't cruel or manipulative.
He wasn't arrogant like the nobles who came to our court, nor was he pathetic like the commoners who begged for scraps.
He was... something else.
Something that made me uneasy.
Because no matter how much I pushed him, no matter how much I tried to break him—
He refused to hate me.
.
The night of the banquet was supposed to be simple.
It was Zareth Birthday —there was only—dull speeches, forced smiles, and shallow conversations.
Ed was there too.
