Raine’s POV:

’When did it all go so wrong? I was only checking up on him.’

Raine had been around Carter Plaza moments ago, walking the market streets after her shift. Almost by chance, she’d caught wind of Leomaris. She hadn’t been entirely sure, but the Runerth crest on the carriage cabin hadn’t given her much room to doubt it.

’I haven’t seen him in over a week, and considering he’s wounded and Charlotte has been visiting him often, I wanted to know if he was alright. After all, Charlotte could very well be the one who stabbed him. Leomaris is friendly with her because he doesn’t know what I know.’

Why she’d gone and tailed Leomaris rather than approaching him directly was a mystery even to herself, though she could have sworn she only wanted to know if he was alright.

Now she felt a touch uneasy. She was seated at the dining table with Leomaris’s older sister Rosay and two of her friends, Celestial and Cloud.

Celestial and Cloud were practically legends, highly regarded among the third-year cadets. Cloud, especially, was widely considered the finest swordsman in the entire academy.

But that wasn’t quite what made her uneasy. It was what sat before her.

The aroma reached her first: olive oil and rich eucalyptus threading through the air, the deep scent of medium rare beef, the warmth of golden puffed cream, and the quiet sweetness of fresh bread.

For someone with a sweet tooth, her eyes simply wouldn’t leave the dessert and the claret wine.

What was truly surprising was that the mind behind this exquisite meal was none other than Leomaris. He wore a gentle smile as he set the dishes on the table one after another.

"Hey, Raine..."

She nearly jumped out of her skin the instant Leomaris called out to her. Her red eyes left the table and shot straight to him.

"Were you the one... watching me at the market street?"

Raine’s eyebrows narrowed slightly.

’Wait... he knew I was watching him? How long has he known?’

Her confusion was plain, and Leomaris felt it. She weighed whether to admit it or not. With Rosay, Cloud, and Celestial sat at the table, admitting she’d been tailing her own fiancé sounded nothing short of obsessive. But after a thought or two, she made up her mind.

"Yes, I did. How are your injuries?"

Leomaris’s smile didn’t falter. It held, clear and pure, as though he was genuinely glad to hear those words.

"I’m doing great. I’d rather you didn’t worry too much about me, but I can’t deny that knowing you’re looking after me makes me feel a little safer."

Raine’s expression went flat. Her mind wasn’t a particularly good place to be, and strangely, those words left her feeling peculiar, almost as though the air had gone right out of her.

But how? Those words. She’d known Leomaris to be elusive and difficult to understand, but not once had she imagined he could speak with such kindness and gentleness.

’Is he playing games with me?’

Her eyes darted about the room in search of her maid, Ren, but she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her ever since Leomaris’s butler, Hazel, had brought her over.

In situations like these, Ren’s presence would have helped her think straight, but without her, she had no choice but to sit through it, her face growing more crimson with every passing second. The more she turned Leomaris’s words over in her head, the more flustered she felt.

Soon enough, dinner began. Strangely, Rosay suggested a prayer, which left Raine feeling a touch sheepish, given that she came from a holy family but had never truly prayed to the Goddess.

After the prayer, Raine had little time to think before Leomaris placed the sherry trifle before her. It was a dessert reserved for after dinner, but the smile on his face said he’d gone and made an extra one just for Raine.

Raine gulped bile, goosebumps coursing through her.

She stared at the cherries and strawberries sitting atop the cream. Her excitement inside was anything but calm, but on the surface, she didn’t look half as excited as she truly was.

Ever so gently, she picked up the spoon and brought it to her mouth. The instant it touched her lips, her eyes dilated, sparkling and softening as though something deep and long buried within her had been stirred.

It was soft and creamy and boozy, with a nutty sweetness at its heart. The base, an almond sponge, was slightly dense with a gently toasted nuttiness, and the fruit layers added a bright, tangy sweetness that cut clean through the richness.

It nearly had her in tears, and she couldn’t resist the urge to let Leomaris know just how good his meal was. Before she could get a word in, though, Cloud beat her to it.

"This is fantastic, Apostle of Death. I never knew you were such a great cook."

Leomaris’s smile turned awkward, the praise making him regret it almost instantly.

"I’d say it’s good, but not quite as good as Rosay’s. She taught me, after all."

Cloud’s mouth dropped open, and he turned to Rosay, who wouldn’t stop smiling as she enjoyed her roasted saddle of beef.

"I never knew you could cook, Ace."

Rosay didn’t so much as glance his way. His words may as well have fallen on deaf ears.

Leomaris let out a quiet giggle, his expression easing into something softer a moment later.

"I will not be coming for sword practice today, Cloud. I have something to attend to this evening."

Cloud met him with a cheerful expression. "Take as long as you want, Apostle of Death. After cooking something that delicious, the least I can do is let you rest."

Raine was quietly seething as she watched Cloud chat away with Leomaris so casually. She’d wanted to be the first to praise him, and Cloud had gone and beaten her to it.

If it were Rosay, she might have let it slide. She was the lady of the house and Leomaris’s older sister after all. But a stranger? Congratulating her fiancé before her?

She massaged her temples for a moment.

’Calm down, Raine. I’ve got the whole night to say something good to him. I just can’t enjoy this meal without letting him know how great it tasted.’

When she came to, her eyes swept her surroundings. First, she found the chair beside her where Leomaris had been, but he was gone. Within those few seconds, Leomaris had vanished without a trace.

She scowled.

’Why the heck does he always keep disappearing on me?’