Eloise barely noticed her own breathing. Her eyes stayed locked on Adrian, watching how he moved the air itself, how it bent to him. His presence didn't unsettle her because he was cruel or violent—it unsettled her because he was calm. Too calm. Too certain. Like the world shifted under him without him needing to demand it.
From her hidden perch, she shifted, fingers curling around the stone railing. He knew she was there. That much was clear. Yet he didn't flinch, didn't call her out. He closed his book and turned to Olga.
The old woman didn't speak right away. Her wrinkled fingers traced the edge of a rusted ring as if weighing each word.
"You're growing too fast, young lord."
Adrian didn't blink. "I don't care."
A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. "You should."
Silence stretched between them. The night wind swept across the balcony, tugging at the edges of Adrian's robe. His unreadable gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he exhaled.
"Speak."
Olga's face darkened. "I tell you this, do with it as you wish: They move, they watch. Some sense it, some don't. Change is coming and you are the storm at its center, whether you wish it or not."
Adrian tilted his head, almost bored. "And?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long sigh. "Eyes will turn toward you. Faster than you expect."
His fingers drummed against the Character Grimoire. His mind was already elsewhere.
"Let them look." He vanished from his spot.
Inside the Hall…
The Noble Lords' Banquet stretched across the chamber, long tables lined with golden goblets and plates of exotic dishes. Laughter mixed with chatter, soft hums from enchanted instruments weaving through the air.
Maria sat beside Hillan, swirling her wine idly as she scanned the room. "Do you think he's playing nice?" she asked, voice edged with sarcasm.
Hillan smirked. "No. But he's not causing trouble, so that counts."
Maria rolled her eyes. "Still… it's strange, isn't it?"
"What is?" Hillan asked.
"The Carter girl," Maria said, nodding toward the entrance. "I know that look. She's studying him like a puzzle she can't solve."
Hillan followed her gaze to Eloise, standing near the hall's edge, lost in thought.
He sighed. "It's natural. Everyone gets curious about him eventually."
Maria swirled her drink. "And how many survive that curiosity?"
Hillan didn't answer.
Meanwhile, in the Garden…
Eloise finally found him.
Adrian sat beneath a lone cherry blossom tree. Petals drifted down around him, soft as whispers in the night breeze. His book lay open on his lap, but his gaze wasn't on it. It was on the sky, searching for something beyond sight.
For the first time, Eloise hesitated. She had followed him, full of questions, but now that she stood before him, she didn't know where to begin.
"You followed me."
His voice broke the silence, calm, indifferent. He didn't look at her, didn't acknowledge her presence beyond those words.
Eloise crossed her arms. "You're hard to ignore."
A small smirk tugged at his lips. "I've heard that."
She frowned and stepped closer. "You're strange."
Finally, Adrian turned to her. His dark eyes unreadable. "And?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn't know. Something about him unsettled her—not in a bad way. More like… she wanted to understand him.
After a pause, she exhaled sharply and sat beside him, surprised at her own decision.
Adrian blinked but said nothing.
For a long moment, they sat in silence, leaves rustling around them.
"You're different from the other nobles," she said.
Adrian hummed. "Good."
"Good?" she asked, turning to him.
He leaned back against the tree, eyes closing. "I don't want to be like them."
Eloise studied him, then smiled faintly.
For the first time that night, she felt she had glimpsed something real.
And it made her even more curious.