"She is… yours?"
Those three words sent Mia's pupils dilating. But the man before her did not so much as flinch. If anything, his gaze turned faintly sharper, cool and assessing, almost… judgmental.
"She is my disciple, is she not?" He replied, and only then did Mia understand his words. He continued, "Your interference suggests I am incapable of guiding what is under my charge. I take it as an offense to my achievements."
He did not need to raise his voice.
Something beneath them, cold and coiled, pressed faintly against the room. Even the drifting petals beyond the open frame seemed to shrivel slightly.
"That was not my intention," Mia quickly replied, her composure faltering just a bit. "I meant no offense. In the Aquiline Quarter, it is customary for masters to assist one another. Though we take on our own disciples, we see no need to withhold guidance from the others. In truth, we regard them all as ours. I did not mean to offend you so, Lord Caelion."
