The morning came,
Evryn sat at the long wooden table, cutting fruit with steady hands. The knife moved in a calm rhythm, slicing apples and pears into clean pieces. The smell of fresh fruit mixed with soap and warm air from the kitchen fires. This was familiar work, work her body trusted even when her mind was restless.
auren stood beside her, close enough that she felt him without looking. He watched quietly, his attention following her hands more than the fruit itself. When she reached for a bowl, he slid it closer before she asked. When a basket leaned too far, he adjusted it gently. He thought he was being careful, almost invisible, but Evryn noticed every small movement.
"You're watching me," she said, her voice calm as she kept cutting.
"I'm helping," auren replied.
"You're standing too close."
He didn't move. Instead, he smiled faintly. "You didn't tell me to leave."
Her knife paused for a brief moment, then continued its work, a little slower than before.
Footsteps entered the room, light and confident. A maid approached them, smiling easily as she stopped near auren. She leaned closer than necessary and touched his arm, her fingers resting there as she spoke.
"Corin," she said softly, "can you help me carry water from the well?"
Evryn felt it before she looked. A tight, sharp feeling rose in her chest, unexpected and uncomfortable. She kept her eyes on the table and continued cutting, her voice steady but firm.
"He's helping me," she said. "and You can talk without touching him. He hears just fine with words."
The room fell quiet. The maid's smile faded, and she quickly pulled her hand back before leaving without another word.
Auren turned toward Evryn slowly. He looked at her face, the tension in her jaw, the way her shoulders were held stiff. A warm smile appeared, soft and real.
"You didn't have to do that," he said.
"I wanted to," Evryn answered without looking at him.
Moments later, another maid entered, less confident but just as hopeful. She stopped a few steps away and spoke carefully. "Corin, I need help upstairs in the washing room."
Evryn's knife stopped. Her fingers tightened around the handle, and then she struck the table hard. The sound echoed through the kitchen, sharp and final.
Auren turned fully toward her. "Evryn?"
She lifted her head slowly and met his eyes. "Corin," she said quietly, "can you see me?"
His breath caught slightly. "Yes," he answered. "Just you."
For a brief moment, her breath faltered. Then she turned to the maid and said clearly, "See ,I'm visible. He's working with me. "
The maid left quickly.
Evryn stood and walked out of the kitchen, her steps fast and controlled. auren followed her into the storage area, where wooden crates were stacked against the wall. Evryn stopped suddenly, grabbed the first crate, and pushed it into his arms with clear anger behind the movement.
He caught it easily.
She added a second crate, then a third, heavier than the others. auren's body reacted on instinct, strong and steady, forgetting for a moment that he was meant to pretend. The weight barely affected him.
Evryn stared at him. "what the… you didn't even flinsh"
He realized his mistake too late and stepped back, shifting the crates as if struggling. " he said lightly, "these are heavy."
She lifted the last crate herself, her arm straining as she carried it. auren moved closer. "Evryn, give me that one. It's too heavy for you."
She walked past him without answering, not slowing her steps. He followed, smiling despite himself, stubborn as ever.
Under her breath, she muttered, "Damn… you're strong."
auren's smile widened.
She was angry. She was jealous. And he felt it clearly ….warm, dangerous, and real.
The afternoon sun was softer, filtered through the leaves of an old tree behind the estate. Evryn sat on the grass with her back against the trunk, her shoes kicked off beside her. The air smelled of earth and fruit, calm and warm, far from the noise of the kitchens.
She held a small book on her knees.
Her diary.
The pages were worn at the edges, filled with hurried writing and quiet thoughts. She wrote about the morning, about the fruit table, about the way Corin stood too close without touching. She didn't write his name at first. Then she did. She paused after that, staring at the words longer than necessary.
A voice came suddenly from above her.
"What are you doing?"
Evryn jumped with a sharp gasp, the book almost falling from her hands. Her heart raced as she looked up.
auren stood near the tree, one arm resting against the trunk. He hadn't made a sound.
"You're freaking me out, Corin, stop doing that" she said, pressing a hand to her chest.
He blinked, surprised. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
He stepped closer and sat beside her, careful to leave space, though his shoulder was still close enough that she felt the warmth of him.
His eyes dropped to the small book in her hands. "What's that?"
She snapped the diary shut instantly. "None of your business."
The words came too fast.
He didn't tease her. He didn't smile.
Instead, he looked at her with quiet, wounded eyes, as if he had expected something else.
She sighed. "Fine," she said, softer now. "It's my diary."
His expression changed immediately. A smile appeared, light and playful. "Am I in it?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Of course."
Then she added quickly, "In your dreams"
She reached for an apple beside her and took a bite, the crunch loud in the quiet afternoon. A small smile touched her lips, almost shy, almost pleased.
She held the apple out to him. "Do you want some?"
He tilted his head. "Yes. Why not."
She expected him to take it.
Instead, he leaned in and took a bite from the exact place she had, her hand froze mid-air, her breath stopped.
She felt the warmth of him too close, the quiet confidence of what he'd just done. auren leaned back as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Evryn turned her head quickly, trying to hide the heat rising to her cheeks.
auren smiled to himself.
"That bite," he said calmly, "was delicious."
Evryn's fingers tightened around the apple. Her cheeks felt warm, and she hated that he could probably see it even without her looking at him.
"It's just an apple," she said, trying to sound indifferent.
He smiled. Not wide. Not teasing in a loud way. Just enough to be dangerous. "I don't think that's why."
She finally looked at him, brows drawn together. "Why are you like this?"
"Like what?" he asked, innocent.
"Like you know exactly when to say things," she replied.
He shrugged slightly. "Maybe I just say what I think."
She scoffed. "Then you should think less."
He laughed softly, the sound low and warm. "Too late for that."
And the afternoon stayed quiet, but something between them had shifted again.
Just a little.