The moment breakfast ended, Zane thought he was free. He thought wrong.
Because when he stood up to leave, Celeste stood up too.
And then she followed him.
"Hey, why don't you use your power?" she asked, walking two steps behind him.
Zane waved her off. "Because I don't have one."
She ignored that answer. "What's your family like? Are they noble? Commoner?"
"Alive," Zane replied flatly.
Celeste tilted her head. "That… that's not what I asked."
"Then stop asking," Zane muttered.
Unfortunately for him, she didn't.
By the time he reached the corridor, Celeste was firing off questions like arrows. "Why the blindfold? Is it fashion? Why didn't you eat the fruit? Do you prefer meat? Why did you reject me earlier? Are you secretly engaged?"
"Because, no, yes, maybe, and no comment."
"…That doesn't even line up with my questions."
"That's because I don't like pop quizzes," Zane said, already rubbing his temples.
From behind, Mira was watching the entire scene with narrowed eyes, arms crossed. To her, this wasn't curiosity—it was competition.
And then, with perfect timing, a shimmering portal opened beside them. Asher stepped out, looking annoyed. "Of course. I disappear for five minutes, and you're already building a harem."
"It's not a harem," Zane said.
"Every. Damn. Time." Asher muttered before the portal swallowed him again.
Zane groaned. Celeste smiled. Mira frowned. His day had officially been ruined.