Collei nudges the door open with her shoulder. She pushes a wheeled cart into the room. She uses her heel to close the door behind her as she moves across the room with her cart. She stops moving when the cart is right beside the bedside. She hovers her hand above the bowl to determine if the water is still warm. After confirming that it is, she moves away from the cart and the bed to the other side of the room. Collei grabs the curtains, shoving them to the side to let yellow-white morning light fall into the room. As she moves from window to window, she hears the shuffling of the person in the bed rising to wakefulness. A smile spreads across her face as she turns around to find her master sitting up in the bed.

"Good morning, Lord Kaveh. Was your rest pleasant?" Collei asks. She moves back to Kaveh's bedside to blow out the incense Tighnari made for Kaveh's insomnia to replace the pills he used to take. Kaveh presses his hands into the water, splashing his face with little care for the water that drips onto his clothing or the bed sheets beneath him. Collei grabs the towel beside the bowl on her cart. She hurriedly wipes Kaveh's face off since she knows the man will not do it himself.

"Good morning, Collei," Kaveh responds, looking into her eyes as he speaks. She keeps a smile on her face as Kaveh studies her expression. Sincerity is the only way to communicate with Kaveh, but Collei doesn't particularly mind. She isn't a dishonest person by nature. It isn't a good quality when she embarrasses herself or wants to pull a prank, but it is the best way to accomplish her job. "It was fine. I didn't have any dreams."

"That's good! I'll tell Master Tighnari the good news!" Collei claps her hands. She sets the towel back on the cart. She pushes the cart to the side to give Kaveh enough space to stand up. While it took a lot of convincing in the beginning, Kaveh has naturally fallen into the habit of stretching as Tighnari instructed him to. Collei is glad to have so much good news to tell her master when she sees him later for her lessons. "Is there anything you would like to do today?"

Kaveh is silent. There is a moment of contemplation on his face, but it fades away as he starts focusing on stretching his arm. Collei doesn't mention it as she moves over to his wardrobe to pull a set of clothes out. She folds it over her arm, glancing back at him. "Would you like to take a walk outside after breakfast? I heard the weather is going to be warm today. I can get some snacks from the kitchen... Oh, and we can bring your art supplies in case you want to draw!"

Kaveh tilts his head to the side. He seems incredibly tired as he thinks about it, but he finally gets a full night of sleep. Collei employs the one dishonest trick she knows: her pouting expression. Kaveh caves immediately with a soft smile that Collei takes incredible pride in. "Fine. Please tell Sir Cyno that we're going out."

"I will! I'll also grab your breakfast from the kitchen!" Collei remarks as she sets the clothes down on the bed. Kaveh's nose twitches with disgust, but Collei has learned from both of her father figures how to be stubborn. She can't let Kaveh skip a single meal or else she'll risk enabling his bad habits. As Collei leaves the room with the cart, she makes sure to list down a good amount of arguments to use when Kaveh rejects eating when she comes back. She stops thinking about that when she notices Cyno glancing at her. Collei smiles warmly at him. "Lord Kaveh is going to be taking a walk outside today. I was thinking about taking him to that hill the duke mentioned last time."

"We should bring his art supplies, then," Cyno agrees.

Collei's smile brightens as she admits, "We had the same idea! I think that's the only reason Lord Kaveh agreed to go out, to be honest."

"Whatever works," Cyno shrugs. He lifts a hand up to pat Collei's head. She tenses as his hand approaches, but she keeps herself still as he expresses his affection for her. Collei even finds herself smiling as she sinks into the comfort of the motion rather than thinking about familiar but dissimilar situations of her past. "I'll listen for him, so you can go get his breakfast."

"On it!" Collei salutes as she rushes away from the room. The cart's wheels make odd noises at Collei's speed, but she doesn't slow down until she reaches the servant's passageways. Collei is careful as she navigates those. She is technically not supposed to know about these because she's a temporary attendant, but Collei has picked up a few skills in her life including observational. There are more reasons to know about a secret passageway than there are to not know about it, so Collei figured out where the servants go when they disappear around corners. No one has told her not to be here, and she knows that is only because of her proximity to Tighnari and Cyno. Collei shakes her head. If only they knew, she thinks humorously, and she finds her way into the kitchens at the heart of the manor.

A kitchen maid looks up at Collei with a confused expression in her eyes, but she recognizes Collei by the girl's green hair and violet eyes. She gestures with her peeling knife towards a different cart loaded with food. Collei wears her gratitude on her face as she grabs the handles of the new cart. She carefully inspects the food, a habit developed after she realized that Kaveh didn't get good food in the beginning. Thankfully, that has changed, but Collei needs to make sure that nothing goes wrong. She would be a pretty poor physician-in-training if she let her patient eat rotting or undercooked food.

Collei takes the cart back into the passageway. She finds her way back to the upper floors where Kaveh and Cyno are waiting for her. Collei waves at Cyno as she passes into Kaveh's room. The blonde-haired man is standing in his private corner, the one area in the entire manor off-limits to Collei. Not because Al-Haitham doesn't let her there but because Kaveh sees the little corner as somewhere safe. Tighnari explained why her entrance was barred, but Collei didn't need the lesson. She already knew about this because she had her own safety nook in the form of a hollow tree near the village she and Tighnari used to live in before Tighnari got a letter from his old friend asking for a favor. While Collei knows she and Kaveh had different experiences, she knows a thing or two about the festering sadness inside him that makes it difficult to rouse him from his bed or make him eat his breakfast.

"I brought your breakfast, Lord Kaveh!" Collei calls out. She starts moving the dishes from the cart to a table she helped Cyno set up near the largest window. The view is always nice no matter the weather or time of day, so it is a good spot to eat one's meals. Kaveh has lingered at the table many times to finish his paintings and drawings, so Collei thinks she and Cyno made the right decision.

"I think I'll just bring my sketchbook. I could always transfer what I drew in here to a canvas if I wanted to paint it," Kaveh explains as he steps out of the little area. He places the sketchbook he was referring to on the table with a few sticks of charcoal on top. Collei pulls a chair out for him. Kaveh hesitates near the table and chair, but Collei's refusal to move away forces Kaveh to sink into the chair. Collei takes a step back to grab the other necessary components for going outside. She finds a parasol in the back of the wardrobe. It doesn't look like it's been used, but then again, she doesn't think Kaveh goes outside very often. He doesn't even attend many noble gatherings or parties, a consequence of being isolated from high society by Lady Haravatat.

Al-Haitham also plays a part in that, but Collei can't understand how. He has visited Tighnari and Collei a few times since she became the former's apprentice. She had an idea of who he was both by how he acted and by Tighnari and Cyno's stories. She can't imagine him as being someone to hurt Kaveh. He would never be intentionally cruel to a person. Even people who deserved his wrath were rarely on the receiving end of it since he possessed great control over his emotions. Even if his personality has been dramatically affected by this household's abuse towards him, Collei doubts Kaveh was ever deserving of it. The other servants say it's because Kaveh is a Rtawahist. Collei really doesn't understand politics, and she knows for a fact that Al-Haitham doesn't care much about it either.

If there is one thing Collei's teacher taught her it is that there is always a logical explanation for everything. If Collei was to be a scholar like her master, she would have to find logic where other people might suspect there is none. While Tighnari never made this into a test, Collei is going to treat it like one. If she figures out why this is happening, maybe she'll be able to graduate to phase two of her training.

"Collei?" Kaveh calls out. Collei startles, realizing that she's been staring at the parasol for a while. She wears a sheepish expression as she rushes to Kaveh's side with the parasol in her hands. She stops right beside him with a brighter smile on her face. His eyebrows knit together, but he doesn't ask about what she is doing. He looks back at his plate, taking another bite. Since Tighnari requested smaller portions for Kaveh from the chef, Kaveh should be able to finish the entire plate. They aren't going anywhere until he does, at least.

—

Cyno stands at attention underneath the shade of the healthy tree. A leaf lands on his snowy white hair. He picks it up, turning it around between his fingers. After the waxy texture rubs off across his skin, he drops the leaf. He watches it fall onto the ground beside Kaveh. The blonde blinks as he notices the motion from the corner of his eye. He picks the leaf up from the blade of grass. He sets it down on his sketchbook, drawing a version of the leaf floating in the breeze. Collei leans closer to see what he's drawing, and Cyno smiles at them before doing another sweep of the area to make sure no one is coming to attack them.

The area is quickly determined to be devoid of unknown people. Cyno has to keep a careful watch. There are generally two types of people in this estate: those who ignore Kaveh and those who actively wish to hurt him. Collei deals with the first type, and Tighnari can fix whatever the second group does, but Cyno is meant to prevent that second group from putting Kaveh and Tighnari in that position. It is his only duty as a guard, though it would be a lie to say he doesn't participate in helping Kaveh's mental health as much as he preserves his physical health.

Cyno's attention snaps back to the pairing sitting at the tree's roots. Collei pulls a basket made of woven wicker into her lap. She opens the lid to bring out a container. She places the container near Kaveh, attracting his attention to it. Cyno is unable to see the blonde's face, but he recognizes the pout on Collei's face. Kaveh's sigh merges with the wind as he sets his sketchbook aside to eat from the container. He either completely misses or doesn't understand the victorious smile on Collei's face. As she moves back to the basket, she gives Cyno an overly obvious wink. Since he's in work-mode, he doesn't laugh as he normally would at her antics, but Collei's smile never dissipates. He has been told both by her and Tighnari that no matter what 'mode' he is in, there is a certain softness in his face that gives him away. Cyno believes them since they are both honest people, but he knows that the criminals he hunts down would have several arguments against that observation.

Collei starts babbling to Kaveh about the dishes the chef made for him today. Cyno distantly listens, not registering the specifics of her words. He does recognize, at least, that she's very knowledgeable about the subject. He knows that he taught her to cook a few dishes and Tighnari taught her several more, but Collei wouldn't know all this unless she specifically asked the chef. If he could, a wry smile would have appeared on Cyno's face. Even after Cyno threatens punishment against the chef for providing Kaveh with rotten or undercooked food, Collei still puts in the effort to make sure Cyno's threats haven't softened in the chef's mind. Cyno is thankful for the most part, though he wouldn't mind a fair fight. It's been a while since he's crossed blades with someone worth his time. He should ask Al-Haitham to spar with him like they used to.

Kaveh doesn't say much in response to her, but he rarely does. His passivity was one of the first hurdles they all had to find a way around. He didn't interact with other people. He rarely interacted with the people around him, and when he did, there was always an odd sort of hesitance that came from a fear so familiar that it no longer filled the body with adrenaline or caused one's heart to race. Their friendliness, however, is starting to wear him down bit by bit. Kaveh has gotten better at participating in conversations, and there seems to be a part of him that enjoys doing so when given the opportunity.

His eyes take him to a figure steadily moving closer to the group. Cyno reaches his fingers out, ready to summon his spear. His motions are stopped when he recognizes the central heterochromatic eyes of his close friend. Al-Haitham stops moving when Cyno stares at him. Al-Haitham raises an eyebrow, a question transmitted in the space between them. Cyno nods, looking away. Although Al-Haitham is rather silent, Cyno can hear him walking up the bump rising from the earth's surface. Kaveh is distracted entirely by his food, and his fingers lightly trace his sketchbook with his unoccupied hand. Collei notices Al-Haitham when he steps around the tree, appearing at Cyno's side. Her eyebrows burrow together curiously, but she doesn't say anything to him. Cyno knows that expression. It is the exact same expression Tighnari wears when he's solving a particularly difficult problem. It's times like these when Cyno thinks that if he didn't already know when Tighnari and Collei met, he would have assumed she was his biological daughter. At the very least, the second part of that assumption isn't entirely wrong, just circumstantial.

"Collei," Cyno states. Her eyes move toward him slowly. Kaveh looks up immediately from his food. His carmine eyes stay with Cyno until he realizes who is standing next to him. His eyes widen and his lips part, but he glances back down before any specific emotion can cross his face. Cyno closes his hand into a fist, but he doesn't say anything out of turn. "We should give the duke and lord some space."

Collei looks like she's going to argue, but Kaveh places a hand on top of hers. He must give her a reassuring look because the argument fades from Collei's face. She rises to her feet, leaving the wicker basket behind. She nudges with her foot, adopting another expression similar to Tighnari as she says, "You need to finish eating your lunch, my lord."

Kaveh nods, putting his hand on top of the basket. Collei smiles kindly at him, an expression unique to her. She walks around the backside of the tree to regroup with Cyno. She crosses her arms behind her back as she follows Cyno down the hill.

—

Al-Haitham sits down in the spot Collei vacated. He leans his back against the tree's trunk. It takes a moment to get comfortable, but once he does, he acknowledges how uncomfortable Kaveh is. It has gotten better over time, but there is still a tenseness in Kaveh's body that Al-Haitham cannot simply will away. The only acceptable solution is persistence. He must stay close to Kaveh until the man is truly comfortable with Al-Haitham. It has been made easier with Kaveh's resignation, his explicit permission that he will try to meet Al-Haitham in the middle. It is the most Al-Haitham can ask for given the circumstances.

His only other option, of course, is to regain his memories. His aunt brought several physicians to examine him, and they all tell Al-Haitham the same thing: they don't know what's wrong with him. Even Tighnari was clueless. Apparently, there has never been a case of someone forgetting about one specific individual and nothing else. Tighnari is the only one who tells Al-Haitham that he suspects foul play, and Al-Haitham is almost inclined to agree. Given how terribly he treated Kaveh— an educated guess based on what others have told him and how Kaveh reacts to him— it would make sense for someone like Azar to erase Al-Haitham's memories and give Kaveh a fresh start at seducing Al-Haitham.

The reason Al-Haitham isn't sure about that is because of the emotions that continue to persist in his heart even without his memories. After he had first woken up, Kaveh was one of the first people he saw. His dim carmine eyes pulled Al-Haitham in, and he was struck with how unbelievably fond he was of this stranger. His aunt quickly brushed over the fact that Al-Haitham was married to Kaveh, but his mind caught on the word like a fish biting a worm on a hook. He supposed he just liked the sound of it, even when Kaveh's face distorted with discomfort and sorrow. There was some urge to hold Kaveh, to make him smile because Al-Haitham was convinced it would be the most beautiful thing he would have ever seen. It struck a chord in him when Kaveh refused to speak with him on the basis of possessing shame.

If Al-Haitham felt all of that, why did everyone's recollections provide so much counterevidence? Everyone was convinced that he despised Kaveh, including the blonde himself, and Al-Haitham couldn't figure out why. Despite his aunt assuring him that his memories meant nothing— that it was for the best he forgot all about Kaveh— Al-Haitham wants those memories back more than anything. He doesn't say this aloud because he knows the prospect will terrify Kaveh, but he would like to know why he treated Kaveh that way when his feelings are so fundamentally different. There must be a logical explanation, and Al-Haitham, ever the scholar, needs to find it.

But it will scare Kaveh off to learn about Al-Haitham's pursuits. The blonde is convinced that Al-Haitham will continue treating him the way he did before once Al-Haitham remembers. The man wishes he could ease Kaveh's doubts away, but there is a possibility that he treated Kaveh that way on purpose. Could it have been to protect Kaveh? But it seems counterintuitive with how hurt Kaveh is. Al-Haitham keeps his sigh locked behind his lips, knowing now is not the time to vent his frustrations.

"I should draw you," Kaveh murmurs suddenly. Al-Haitham glances at Kaveh at the same moment the blonde brings his charcoal stick into the air. He pokes Al-Haitham's cheek with it. The childish gesture is juxtaposed with the exhausted, aged expression on Kaveh's face. They have reached a new stage in their developing relationship. Kaveh is purposefully trying to annoy Al-Haitham to force a familiar reaction from the duke. Al-Haitham understands the intentions, so he isn't bothered in the slightest by whatever antics Kaveh tries to pull. Al-Haitham actually sees this as a good thing. If he can pass Kaveh's test, the blonde might finally start growing comfortable around Al-Haitham.

"I would not be opposed to it. Do you require me to sit still?" Al-Haitham asks. Unlike his friends and many of his peers, Al-Haitham does not possess a surplus of energy. While he is a generally active person, he can remain motionless for long stretches of time. He must do so all the time when doing paperwork at the estate, reminding him of his Akademiya days when he would write papers and reports in one sitting.

"It would be beneficial if you could, yes. But I must admit that I am terrible with portraits. I rarely do them... Actually, it must have been years since I've done one," Kaveh notes, a wistfulness appearing in his voice as he recalls the last time he drew a portrait. He doesn't share the memory with Al-Haitham, but he never does. Kaveh might mention a book he is reading or an interesting bird he saw in the garden, but he never talks about his past— not the one in the Haravatat estate or his life before he came here. Al-Haitham has a few assumptions as to why, and almost all of them are a byproduct of the time period he cannot remember.

Kaveh shifts where he sits to get a better look at Al-Haitham. He puts his legs on top of Al-Haitham's, crossing his ankles over Al-Haitham's. While touch is usually a sign of closeness, Al-Haitham knows this is part of Kaveh's ploy to upset Al-Haitham since the duke is generally avoidant of touch. Unfortunately for Kaveh, Al-Haitham doesn't mind it when Kaveh is the one touching him. He often has the urge to hold onto Kaveh himself, so he is quite happy when Kaveh is the one initiating the contact.

It helps that Al-Haitham is starting to realize Kaveh genuinely likes physical comfort. The more secure he feels around his new entourage, the more he relishes in moments of connection. Collei reported to Al-Haitham first that Kaveh often reaches out to take her hand when he wants to reassure her, and there was a time when he held her cheeks after she began crying to convince Kaveh to take a walk outside after saying holed up in his room for so long. Tighnari was the next to say Kaveh was responsive to pats on his head after medical sessions. Cyno is the only one that doesn't have a report like that, but he does mention how Kaveh's friends from the village treated him and Kaveh's reaction to it.

For these reasons, Al-Haitham surmises that while Kaveh is partially doing this to annoy Al-Haitham, he is also doing it because part of him needs it. This makes Al-Haitham happier than it reasonably should, but who is he to refuse the positiveness in his chest?

"Why do you look like that?" Kaveh asks, looking up from his sketchbook to meet Al-Haitham's eyes. Those irises were as dark as dried blood or the petals of a mourning flower when Al-Haitham first saw them, but they have since brightened like a candle's light sliding through a thin rose petal. Al-Haitham is awfully curious about what shade they will turn out to be when Kaveh is at his happiest and healthiest. They are steadily approaching the latter condition, but Al-Haitham still has his work cut out for him regarding the former.

"You will have to be more forthcoming. I am incapable of looking at my own face, and you are not finished yet with the portrait that might serve as a mirror for me," Al-Haitham responds. It's easy to speak with Kaveh. Far easier than it is with anyone else, including the aunt he's known all his life and the friends (family, even) he made at the Akademiya. He never knows what Kaveh is going to say, but it feels like it takes him no time at all to come up with a response. That might be part of the problem. He knows that there was a brief period of time when he and Kaveh would argue with each other. His vassals and subordinates have told him as much. The most honest of the bunch admit that in the beginning, Kaveh attempted to seduce Al-Haitham. This led to their period of arguments when Al-Haitham rebuked his attempts, and after a while, Kaveh gave up and Al-Haitham took to ignoring him.

That could explain their faulty relationship. Maybe Al-Haitham was mad that Kaveh tried seducing him (and apparently succeeded considering how Al-Haitham felt about the blonde), and their arguments nurtured his cruelty against Kaveh. Al-Haitham sees many problems in that explanation, including but not limited to the fact that he shouldn't have been angry in the first place. Even if Kaveh 'seduced' Al-Haitham, why should Al-Haitham grow upset with someone else that he fell for such tricks? Additionally, whether it was a trick or Kaveh honestly held affection for him, why should Al-Haitham rebuke that when he clearly felt a similar way? Is it because Kaveh is a Rtawahist?

No, it can't be that. Al-Haitham has never once cared about people's pasts. It is all about how they act in the present, and Al-Haitham doubts Kaveh could have done anything heinous enough that Al-Haitham would hate him. Even if he did, Al-Haitham doesn't understand his irrational reaction to Kaveh. He doesn't get overly emotional about anything, and he has never hated anyone enough to treat them the way he supposedly treated Kaveh.

This entire situation doesn't make any sense, and Al-Haitham hates that more than anything. He is a man governed by logic, so what is he supposed to do when logic fails him? When his own mind is keeping him from accessing the answers?

"It doesn't matter," Kaveh sighs, shrugging his shoulders. He scrutinizes Al-Haitham for one long moment, and Al-Haitham does nothing in the meantime. Kaveh's lips press into a tight line, downturning into a frown. He leans forward over his sketchbook, focusing on the lines. Al-Haitham is unsure if this is done on purpose, but Kaveh lifts his knees to balance his sketchbook. This brings him closer to Al-Haitham, but since there is no special expression on Kaveh's face, Al-Haitham doesn't think the action registers in Kaveh's mind.

Al-Haitham is not, under any circumstances, an impulsive person, so when he lifts his fingers to touch Kaveh's cheek, he does so consciously (if illogically). He expects Kaveh to flinch away, but all he gets is Kaveh's eyes widening. Those irises dart between Al-Haitham's hand and his face. Kaveh moves very slowly, the hesitation etched into his bones, but he leans into Al-Haitham's touch. He looks ready to bolt any second, so Al-Haitham keeps very still. Kaveh rests his cheek there, drawing more lines across the page.

Neither of them says a word about it, but Al-Haitham doesn't miss the minuscule smile Kaveh draws on Al-Haitham's face, informing the duke that he was probably smiling the entire time.

—

Nilou pats her hands against her skirt to wipe away any dust that might have collected while she stands in the foyer. She was explicitly told that she was going to wait here for a while, so she didn't feel particularly impatient. She is a little unnerved by the looks the other servants throw her way when they pass through this area, but Nilou is accustomed to such looks. Every artist in Sumeru, no matter what specific craft they adopt, must become strong in these withering expressions. If Nilou wasn't prepared for a few glares, she couldn't in good conscience call herself a dancer.

She folds her hands together, letting her arms hang down. She shuffles on her feet. While she doesn't feel any pain in her limbs yet, she does notice a restlessness echoing through her bones. She has never been one to stay still for long periods of time even in circumstances when she's supposed to. She can manage with the resolve imbued in her by her teacher, but it is only a matter of time before Nilou wants to start dancing to release the excess build-up. If only she had someone to talk with, she could usually stay still when she's communicating with someone. Alas, she doubts any of the servants would be willing to converse with her when they all look as if they cannot stand the sight of her.

After some time, the doors to the estate swing open. On agile feet, Nilou darts forward to meet the individuals entering the estate. The first one to enter is a person she recognizes from a single encounter and plenty of rumors. Duke Haravatat is the lord of the land. He is known for his intelligence and straightforwardness. He has done a lot for his land, and everyone, including Nilou, is extremely grateful for him. Unfortunately, Nilou did not meet him under the best of circumstances. While central heterochromia is unique to the Haravatat family, the alleyway is extremely dark. She could barely see his silver hair, let alone the shade of his eyes, and frankly, she was more worried about protecting her friend from a potential kidnapper than examining said kidnapper's appearance. Nilou isn't stupid for not immediately realizing that one of the highest-ranking men in the kingdom was standing in an alleyway smelling of puke, alcohol, and manure, holding who Nilou thought was one of the lowest-ranking members of the kingdom.

The person who enters after the duke is the one Nilou knows far more intimately. This is proven true because Nilou recognizes him immediately despite his appearance being different. While the Pari she knows has brown hair and dark eyes unlike Lord Kaveh's blonde hair and red eyes, they both have a unique quality that Nilou has learned to notice in a crowd. No matter the appearance he presents, there is something unmistakably sad and wistful surrounding his body like a poignant aura. Nilou has tried her hardest to disperse the aura, and she knows she's made headway. Not enough, though, which might explain why she's here right now.

"Nilou," Kaveh's eyes widen as he speaks. His lips part with his shock, but he swallows quickly as shame reddens his cheeks. He fumbles with his hands, his eyes searching the ground for words he might be able to say. He is equally embarrassed and guilty, and it shows remarkably well on his face. His expressions are easier to see now that his cheeks are less hollow than they were when Nilou first spotted the depressed man drinking alone at the tavern.

"Since Collei needs to continue her studies underneath Tighnari, I hired Miss Nilou to replace her as your personal attendant," Duke Haravatat explains, gesturing towards Nilou. Although Nilou was extremely disrespectful towards him before learning his connection to her friend, he seemed more impressed than upset. He sent her a letter the next day to thank her for being Kaveh's confidant. While that was nothing anyone should thank her for, the rest of the letter stole Nilou's attention. Al-Haitham needed someone trustworthy— or at least, someone who cared about Kaveh— to become his personal attendant. It mattered not that Kaveh was a duke's husband and Nilou didn't have a noble title at all. Al-Haitham, true to the rumors, didn't care about status as much as he cared about ability and accountability. Nilou might be lacking in the skills right now, but she was determined, kind, and ready to help her friend in a brand new way. It helped that the pay and conditions were exceedingly good, far better than Nilou's circumstances at the moment.

"You don't—" Kaveh starts, looking between Al-Haitham and Nilou as if uncertain which person he is talking to.

Nilou makes the decision for him as she steps forward. It is definitely against etiquette rules, but Nilou captures Kaveh's hands between her own, a surefire way to silence him. As expected, his lips snap shut and Nilou takes the opportunity to explain before any misunderstandings can crop up. "I'm doing this because I want to, my lord. I understand why you hid your identity from me, so please do not feel so guilty. I am willing to serve you to the best of my ability and the duke has given me permission. If I am to leave, it will be because you sent me away."

It is a little cruel to phrase it that way, but Nilou knows it is the only way to keep him from arguing with her. Nilou smiles as Kaveh sighs and nods. He lightens up at her expression, and Nilou squeezes his hands despite what propriety might dictate. She needs to reassure him like this. While she's always been vaguely aware that Pari had a horrible past, she knows for certain now what kind of life Kaveh must have led. Rtawahist is infamous even among the commoners. Nilou might have at one point or another believed the rumors about Duke Rtawahist's illegitimate son and Duke Haravatat's husband, but because she knows Pari, she knows those rumors are all wrong. It just means that someone has purposefully formulated those rumors, and she knows Kaveh has suffered for it. Plus, if the rumors about his alliance with Duke Rtawahist are wrong, she doesn't want to know what Kaveh went through in that household.

"Will I still get to see Collei?" Kaveh asks quietly, looking up at the duke. Nilou glances at him, too. While she tries to make her stare as unobvious as possible, she doubts there is anything she can do to distract Al-Haitham from Kaveh. Even a fool can see the softness in Al-Haitham's uniquely colored eyes, and Nilou wonders where the rumors about the duke hating his husband came from.

"You can. Since she will be working closely with Tighnari, you should see her when you go in for your check-ups. If not, I'm sure no one involved will be upset if you invite her out for tea or a meal. She will certainly try keeping tabs on your eating habits," Al-Haitham answers.

"Good," Kaveh murmurs, nodding firmly. He looks at Nilou, his face still torn with guilt over keeping his identity a secret from her. He says nothing about that, however, as he gestures, "Would you like to see my room?"

"Yes, my lord," Nilou says, releasing Kaveh's hand. She hurriedly grabs onto the bags she left behind and follows Kaveh deeper into the mansion. She glances over her shoulder once to see Al-Haitham nodding firmly at her. She smiles as she nods back, accepting the responsibility without a second of hesitation.

—

Even after a hundred years, the manor looks no different. Or, well, there aren't any noticeable differences. Faruzan knows that there were inevitably more than a few changes. There might be rocks dislodged from storms or replaced shingles from rainwater. The garden, too, has more than a few differences that while she can pick out, it doesn't particularly stand out. It is only that even after one hundred years— a few days from her perspective— the house has not changed enough for her to feel displaced from time any more than she already does.

It's inevitable that part of her is disconnected from everything around her. The people she once knew are gone. The bloodline she left behind has continued on. The world continued to morph while she was tortuously apart from it. A lesser person might have lost their mind or fallen into a depressive state, but Faruzan believes she is made from sterner material than that. So what if the world has changed? It is still the world. While the current dukes are different, the same six families ( five, but Faruzan doesn't know that yet) work together to rule over Sumeru with the same god-king Faruzan remembers from a hundred years ago. New developments have been made in the logical world, but it is nothing too drastic. Among all of her qualities, Faruzan firmly believes in the importance of her adaptability, and she has been proven correct for holding that quality in such high esteem. It is most likely the only reason she has kept her sanity.

"Welcome to the Haravatat estate, Madam Faruzan," A woman who looks older than Faruzan but is younger than her when accounting Faruzan's displaced hundred years says, gesturing to the manor like Faruzan doesn't recognize it. The turquoise-haired woman narrows her eyes at the gray-haired woman. There is something distinctly off about her that Faruzan cannot place. Maybe it's the strangeness of meeting her younger sister's descendants. Or, well, that isn't the case. This woman's sister married into the Haravatat bloodline. Perhaps that is the weirdness, for someone so disconnected from the family to be the one to welcome Faruzan.

"Yes, thank you for such a warm welcome. If it is not too much trouble, could I be directed to my rooms? My journey here has been quite long and arduous, and I would be a fool not to maintain a proper work-rest balance. While I would appreciate having my old room back, I understand why that might be an issue, so I will not argue for it," Faruzan says, crossing her arms over her chest. A hundred years ago, Faruzan was the heir to the Haravatat name. If she hadn't gotten caught in a trap that froze her in time, she would have eventually become Duchess Haravatat. As such, she has been trained for situations such as these. Well, not exactly like these, but Faruzan will remind everyone once again that she's adaptable. There are other lessons that are similar to this one that Faruzan is simply reworking to fit her current purposes. She suspects she might have to do that frequently while staying at her old— in more ways than one— home.

"Ah, yes, I believe your room was this way. There is currently someone staying there, but we can easily remove him," The woman says, leading Faruzan deeper into the house. Faruzan follows, but not before casting a look over her shoulder.

When Faruzan finally escaped the trap in the desert, the first family to find her was not her biological one. The Rtawahist family found her. They took care of her for a brief period of time. When she became fit for travel, she decided to return to Haravatat. Duke Rtawahist— a man named Azar who looks eerily like the duke Faruzan once knew— insisted Faruzan bring a servant with her. Faruzan eventually agreed, realizing that her health wasn't completely back to what it should be. Faruzan was expecting a legitimate servant, but Azar sent a golden-eyed girl that Faruzan believes is the daughter of a branch family. While not as noble as Azar, she should still have some nobility in her blood, so Faruzan doesn't understand why Azar would so willingly send her away. Despite being a nervous wreck, Layla never fought against her placement. She isn't a particularly decent servant, but she is more than willing to attempt whatever Faruzan tells her to do and her intelligence makes her a good conversational partner. Faruzan has decided to keep her around, but she knows deep down that there is something amiss about the situation.

This is without mentioning the way everyone is treating Layla. Faruzan thought people would glare at her or treat her with skepticism, but every harsh whisper involves Layla's name, not Faruzan's. It unnerves the older woman, but she doesn't know what she can do about it when Layla seems to accept the hate left on her shoulders with a sad but understanding expression. This is definitely a situation Faruzan will investigate as soon as she feels like her body and mind are in tip-top shape.

The gray-haired woman opens the door for Faruzan. Her gaze is downright venomous when it lands on Layla, and a subtle tremble shoots down the blue-haired girl's spine. Faruzan shuffles between Layla and the woman while glancing around the room. As the woman said, someone else appears to be living here. It doesn't look too different from when this room belonged to Faruzan, but there is a strange art set-up in the corner that Faruzan has never seen before.

"Is this Lord Kaveh's room?" Layla asks, pressing close to Faruzan's back to avoid the woman's hawk-like eyes. Faruzan doesn't know who 'Lord Kaveh' is, but it must be someone important if they are given the title of 'lord.'

"It is, but as I said, he is easily removed—"

"Who is Lord Kaveh?" Faruzan asks. She would get a true answer from Layla, but Faruzan asks the woman instead. There is something about the way Layla and this woman say his name, the way they seem to treat the precious space they have entered, that makes Faruzan as curious as she is displeased.

"No one to concern yourself with, Madam Faruzan, especially not when you should be resting," The woman firmly states, leaving no room for argument as she crosses her arms behind her back.

Faruzan narrows her eyes. She tilts her body to the side, letting Layla know she wants an answer without ever taking her eyes off the woman. Layla swallows thickly. She looks two seconds away from crying, and her voice adds to that with how wet it is. "Um, well, Lord Kaveh is... uh, the duke's husband. Your sister's grandson's husband... or maybe great grandson's? He's also the illegitimate son of Duke Rtawahist."

There's a point of connection. Layla and Kaveh are both from Rtawahist, and they seem to be treated in similar ways. It isn't good, either. While Faruzan doesn't know Kaveh, she knows Layla. The young woman practically clinging to her back to protect herself doesn't deserve to be treated the way the people here do, and Faruzan is almost certain Kaveh falls in the same camp, especially since the woman seems eager to kick Kaveh out of his room and refuses to say his name or position to Faruzan.

"Well, it isn't right for the elders to usurp the positions or rooms of the youngsters. I want to make a good impression on my great-nephew, after all. How about I take the rooms next door? I remember they were once my sister's, so I am as familiar with them as I am with this room," Faruzan dictates with a smile appearing on her face. The woman's face contorts because of Faruzan's expression, and Layla holds her breath like she's going to puke. Faruzan doesn't wait for permission as she guides Layla out of the room, heading towards the one next door.

Faruzan thought she was going to get to relax, but it seemed she still had work ready for her to accomplish. She's still having to take care of Haravatat. Well, it is the duty of the elders to protect and guide the youth. Faruzan doesn't mind her new responsibilities.