Ciel turned paler with every passing second. Even as Isiah spoke in a quiet tone to assure the boy that Ethyl posed no threat, the child remained utterly inconsolable.
Isiah could not comprehend why Ethyl had rushed forward so emotionally in the first place, well aware that no bond existed between them.
They hailed from entirely different districts, and Ciel's overwhelming discomfort made it clear that Ethyl was a complete stranger to him. Over the preceding months, Ciel had developed a reasonable tolerance for Heigl, Lexie, and even Yogev, yet Ethyl's sudden proximity provoked pure panic.
Stepping back from the boy, tears welled in Ethyl's eyes. It was the very first time Isiah had ever witnessed her break down.
Back on Delwias Island, she had always presented an arrogant, boastful facade, constantly flaunting her vast divine power. Seeing her reduced to such a fragile state filled him with deep suspicion.
