"Then tell me. Why did you dare to speak in the name of Royal Family?"
The cold steel lingered at his throat, but the boy's expression didn't shift.
He met the princess's gaze—not with defiance, not with submission—but with something calmer. Deeper.
Still.
"I did not speak in the royal family's name," he said softly. "I spoke my own thoughts."
The words were quiet, but they carried.
"I do not dare to speak for royalty."
His black eyes, deep as ever, reflected the flicker of crimson in hers.
"I only asked some questions. Nothing more."
His head tilted slightly—not in mockery, but with the faintest trace of thoughtfulness, almost like a student admitting a small mistake.
"Is that not allowed?" he asked gently. "To wonder aloud beneath the sky of the Empire?"
The cat yawned.
And then—
A breath of quiet humor touched the boy's lips, as if only just remembering his station.
"If it is not," he said with a soft shrug, "then please excuse this country bumpkin just once."
