"Some people recognize each other long before words are spoken."

******

Lily left the library with both hands clasped behind her back while muttering dramatically beneath her breath.

"This is betrayal," she declared softly to herself. "I leave my lady for five minutes and suddenly she’s smiling at books and dukes."

The massive mansion hallways stretched endlessly before her as she wandered without purpose. Afternoon light poured through the tall windows lining the corridors while servants moved quietly around the estate carrying trays, flowers, and stacks of folded linens.

Normally Lily enjoyed causing trouble while roaming around the mansion.

Today, however, she was painfully bored.

Rosaline clearly no longer needed her company at the moment.

Not while the Duke existed.

Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the realization.

"This is how abandonment begins."

Eventually, her wandering brought her toward the grand entrance hall of the mansion where several maids stood lined neatly near the staircase while footmen moved in and out through the towering front doors.

At the center of it all stood the butler.

As always.

The older man calmly instructed servants on their duties while maintaining the terrifying efficiency of someone who could probably organize an army if necessary.

Lily brightened immediately.

Finally.

People.

She was just about to walk over and involve herself unnecessarily in the ongoing work when the butler suddenly stepped forward past her.

Then bowed respectfully.

"My Lord."

Lily blinked.

Slowly, she turned around.

And immediately regretted it.

White hair, grey eyes and cold expression.

The same terrifying man from before.

Kiel.

Lily instinctively took one small step backward before she could stop herself.

Unfortunately...

Kiel noticed.

His pale grey eyes settled directly onto her again with that same unreadable stare that always made her feel like she had somehow offended him personally without knowing how.

Lily swallowed once before bowing awkwardly.

"G-Greetings."

When she straightened again, she could still feel his gaze fixed on her.

Unmoving and intense.

Like he was trying to burn holes through her soul by staring hard enough.

Lily resisted the urge to hide behind furniture.

The butler, completely unaware of her internal suffering, turned toward her calmly.

"Miss Lily, would you kindly lead Lord Kiel to the drawing room while I inform His Grace?"

Lily froze.

Then immediately looked toward the butler with silent betrayal written all over her face.

Unfortunately for her, the older man had already turned away.

Damned old man.

Lily stared after him in disbelief before slowly looking back toward Kiel.

The white-haired man remained silent.

Still staring.

Still terrifying.

Lily straightened awkwardly afterward before gesturing down the corridor.

"...This way."

Kiel followed without a word.

The silence between them quickly became unbearable.

Lily walked slightly ahead while trying very hard not to think about the fact that this strange man kept looking at her like she personally owed him money.

Finally, she snapped.

"Do you know me?"

No answer.

Lily glanced sideways suspiciously.

Kiel continued walking calmly beside her, his expression unreadable.

"You keep staring at me."

Still silence.

Lily frowned harder.

"That is usually considered concerning behavior."

Nothing.

Not even a blink.

Lily looked forward again before muttering under her breath,

"Maybe he’s sick."

Kiel heard that.

His eyes narrowed very slightly.

Lily unfortunately noticed.

"Oh good," she sighed dramatically. "The lizard does have emotions." She thought to herself.

Behind her irritation, however, curiosity slowly began building.

Because despite his cold expression...

there was something strange about the way he looked at her.

Like he was searching for something else inside her face.

Kiel remained silent while watching her walk ahead of him.

The movement of her hands.

The sharpness in her voice.

Even the way she complained beneath her breath.

Painfully familiar.

For one dangerous second, another face overlapped with hers inside his memory.

Another woman.

Another lifetime.

Kiel looked away briefly afterward.

Impossible.

And yet...

when Lily spoke, she sounded exactly the same.

The drawing room doors finally appeared ahead.

Lily pushed them open quickly before stepping aside.

"We’re here."

Kiel entered silently.

The room itself stretched wide beneath crystal chandeliers and towering windows while dark furniture rested neatly around the center fireplace.

Lily motioned awkwardly toward one of the chairs.

"Would you like tea?"

Kiel glanced toward her briefly before shaking his head once.

"No."

His voice was deep.

Calm.

And annoyingly attractive.

Lily immediately frowned at herself for noticing.

"Right," she muttered.

Kiel ignored the comment entirely.

Lily wondered briefly whether he had always been this terrifying or whether he practiced in mirrors during his free time.

Deciding she had suffered enough for one afternoon, she turned to leave...

Only to stop near the doorway.

Rosaline and Xandros were walking toward the drawing room together.

Lily’s eyes immediately sparkled.

Rosaline looked noticeably calmer than before while Xandros walked beside her with one hand lightly holding hers.

The sight alone nearly made Lily gasp dramatically.

Progress.

Finally.

Lily quickly moved aside while Rosaline approached.

Then very subtly...

she winked.

Rosaline instantly bit back a smile.

Xandros noticed both reactions immediately.

Naturally.

His gaze shifted toward Lily briefly with silent understanding before he guided Rosaline into the room.

Kiel stood the moment they entered.

"Your Grace."

"Sit," Xandros replied calmly.

Rosaline carefully studied the white-haired man while sitting beside Xandros. Up close, Kiel looked even stranger somehow.

Beautiful in an unnerving way.

His white hair fell loosely around his shoulders while sharp grey eyes remained unnaturally cold despite his youthful appearance.

Rosaline blinked once thoughtfully.

Then unconsciously touched her own pale hair.

Interesting.

Kiel noticed the movement immediately.

"So," Rosaline began carefully, "you’re Kiel?"

"Yes."

Silence followed.

Rosaline waited.

Kiel did not elaborate.

She slowly looked toward Xandros.

"...He really likes short answers."

"A tragic condition," Xandros replied dryly.

Kiel ignored him.

Rosaline fought another smile.

Then Xandros finally spoke again.

"Kiel will be teaching you."

Rosaline blinked.

"Teaching me what?"

"Control."

The amusement faded from her face instantly.

Xandros’ silver-grey eyes settled calmly on her.

"You need to understand what you are."

Rosaline immediately understood.

Her wings.

The strange power awakening inside her.

The things she still barely understood herself.

She slowly turned back toward Kiel.

"You know about this?"

"A little."

Rosaline hesitated briefly before asking quietly,

"Do you also have wings?"

This time Xandros remained silent, allowing Kiel to answer for himself.

The white-haired man studied Rosaline calmly before nodding once.

"I do."

Rosaline’s eyes widened slightly.

Something bright flickered briefly across her face.

Relief.

Hope.

Finally, someone similar to her.

But Kiel’s next words crushed the thought immediately.

"We are not the same."

Rosaline’s excitement dimmed slightly.

"Oh."

Kiel noticed the disappointment immediately.

So did Xandros.

The Duke leaned back lazily against the chair afterward before speaking calmly.

"You’re still learning. Similar does not always mean identical."

Rosaline nodded slowly.

That made sense.

Somewhat.

Though curiosity still lingered heavily inside her mind now.

Xandros shifted the conversation afterward.

"We’ll be leaving the mansion soon."

Rosaline immediately looked back toward him.

"Leaving?"

"I need Kiel’s help identifying something."

Rosaline straightened almost instantly.

"We’re going outside?"

A faint smile threatened her lips.

Xandros noticed immediately.

"You sound excited."

"I am excited."

That answer came far too quickly.

Rosaline didn’t even care.

After being confined inside the mansion for days, the thought of finally leaving again felt strangely refreshing.

Even after everything that happened before.

Even after the Rogith attack. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Because now...

Xandros would be there.

And somehow that alone made the world feel safer.

Lily watched the entire interaction from the doorway with narrowed eyes....but she couldn’t hear anything.

"They’re becoming another thing," she whispered to herself

Not long afterward, preparations began.

Servants moved quickly through the estate while the front courtyard filled with movement. Horses were brought forward while two dark carriages waited near the grand staircase beneath the fading evening sky.

Rosaline stepped outside beside Xandros while Lily followed shortly behind them.

Kiel already stood near the first carriage waiting silently.

Lily slowed immediately.

Absolutely not.

She already disliked where this looked like it was heading.

Xandros glanced between the two carriages calmly before speaking.

"Kiel."

The white-haired man looked toward him.

"You’ll take the second carriage."

Lily relaxed instantly.

Then...

"With Lily."

Her soul nearly left her body.

"What?"

Lily looked personally betrayed.

Rosaline immediately pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing.

Kiel remained completely expressionless.

Which somehow made things worse.

Lily pointed toward herself dramatically.

"Me?"

"Yes," Xandros answered calmly.

"There are other people here!"

"You’ll survive."

"That sounds threatening when you say it like that!"

Xandros ignored her entirely before helping Rosaline into the first carriage.

Lily stared after him in disbelief.

Then slowly turned toward Kiel.

The white-haired man calmly opened the second carriage door for her.

Still silent.

Still terrifying.

Lily immediately stepped backward.

In absolutely no world...

was she willingly sitting inside a carriage alone with this white-haired lizard.