Zarius Valtrane, the man whose name made grown soldiers tremble, currently had a single, stubborn clump of face powder stuck in his left eyebrow. He could feel it. It felt like a tiny, humiliating weight, a reminder that he had allowed his fiancé and his sister to treat his face like a canvas for a tragic opera.
After breakfast, they went their separate ways. Cherion left with Philia for a walk, while Zarius withdrew to his study.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The air, once thick with that suffocating, sugar-sweet tension, finally felt breathable again. Mostly. Zarius didn't even wait for the latch to fully click before he broke character. The hunched shoulders straightened, the rattling breath vanished, and the "Dying Duke" was replaced by a man who looked like he wanted to set the entire castle on fire just to see it glow.
