Sylas (Pov)
The second day of service began like the first — quietly.
Seraphina had requested to return to the garden after lunch. I arrived early again. She arrived on time this time, her steps lighter.
But we weren't alone.
A boy waited at the fountain — older than her by two years, dressed in violet brocade and shining rings that didn't fit his fingers. Lord Valen Rynthall. Son of a distant baron. Visiting for political reasons no one had bothered to explain.
I knew his type.
He looked at me with mild disgust before shifting his attention to her.
"Lady Seraphina," he said with a smile too perfect, "I hope you don't mind me waiting. I heard you liked this place."
She blinked in surprise but nodded. "It's open. You don't need my permission."
"I disagree," he said. "Some spaces become lovely only because of who's in them."
Her eyebrows twitched. She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a trap.
I stayed three steps behind her.
Quiet. Listening.
---
She sat on the marble bench, and he joined her uninvited.
"You're reading again?" he asked, glancing at the book in her lap. "Another poetry thing?"
"It's peaceful," she replied.
"Hm. That's one word for it. Seems like a waste, though." He leaned back. "When you're of high blood, you should read things that matter. History. Strategy. Not this fluffy nonsense."
I saw her fingers tighten slightly around the book.
"Poetry matters too," she said.
"To servants, maybe," he said with a chuckle.
And then he looked directly at me.
"No offense," he added, clearly meaning the opposite.
I didn't answer.
---
Seraphina changed the subject.
"What did you study today, Lord Valen?"
He smirked. "Swordplay. As always. Some of us are expected to be useful, after all."
His eyes flicked toward me again.
"Even if some just… linger in shadows."
I met his gaze this time. Just for a second.
He looked away first.
---
"Do you spar?" he asked me suddenly.
Seraphina glanced up, confused. "Why would he?"
"It's a fair question," he said. "He's your attendant, isn't he? Shouldn't he at least know how to defend you?"
I answered evenly. "I'm better at avoiding fights than losing them."
Valen raised a brow. "What kind of answer is that?"
"A Sylas one," Seraphina said before I could speak.
He blinked. "A what?"
"Never mind."
She closed the book, gently, and stood. "We should go. The sun's too strong."
"Of course," Valen said, standing too quickly. "Let me walk you."
"I already have someone for that."
She looked at me when she said it. Not coldly. Not even kindly. Just… matter-of-fact.
It stunned him more than any insult could have.
---
We walked in silence after that. Her steps were steady, but I noticed she wasn't reading this time. Her fingers played with the edge of the book, then stilled.
She spoke without looking at me.
"He was rude."
"Yes."
"And full of himself."
"Also yes."
She stopped walking.
"…But I didn't know what to say when he insulted you."
"You didn't have to say anything."
She turned to me, eyes narrowing slightly. "I wanted to."
That surprised me more than it should have.
---
We returned to her chambers. The hallway was quiet. Sunlight slanted low through the tall windows.
She hesitated outside the door.
Then she said softly, "Do they all think like him?"
"Most of them," I answered.
"…About you?"
I shrugged. "About anyone they can't control."
She nodded slowly, then opened the door halfway. Before going in, she paused.
"You didn't say anything cruel. But it still felt like you won."
I raised an eyebrow. "Won what?"
"The moment."
And then she added, "You didn't say much at all. Like a servant should."
The corner of her mouth curled upward.
But her eyes held something sharper. Something cleverer than a child's.
And then she went inside.
---
I stood there a long time after the door shut.
Not because of the boy's words. Or the sun. Or the insult I didn't rise to.
But because she had meant it — every word. Not just the compliment, but the quiet challenge behind it.
She was watching.
Learning.
And if I wasn't careful…
She'd learn how to read me.
---
End of Chapter