"The truth is that I ran away," she said suddenly, her voice steady despite the weight of her words.
Silence settled between them.
She turned her head slightly, expecting the knight to ignore her as he usually did. But when she met his gaze, something about it made her pause. He was staring at her intently—not with mockery, not with cold indifference, but something sharper.
It startled her.
Lidia cleared her throat, quickly looking away.
"I wasn't exactly welcomed there," she added, her fingers playing with the frayed edges of her sleeve.
He remained silent, but she could feel his stare. It was heavy, like he was trying to see past her words, past the casual way she spoke about it.
And for the first time since she met him, she felt an urge to explain herself.
She let out a slow breath, lifting her chin slightly. No point in hiding it.
"I will never keep myself in a situation where I am unwelcomed or treated unfairly just because the people above me say I should."
