The room fell into a deafening silence. Both Noir and Eugene just stared at each other; one was astonished, the other was displeased.
Eugene loomed over Noir, there was no ounce of shame in his face after calling Noir his intended. He was not jesting, and it was something that Noir dreaded the most. On top of it, Eugene said it with the kind of solemn, unwavering tone that sounded more like an oath than flirtation.
Noir blinked, the words caught in his throat. Then, at last, he found his voice.
"I'm a man," he said flatly, leaning back in the chair to put some space between them, though there was hardly any left.
"Whatever engagement you had with Eleanor—that's not happening. Because Eleanor doesn't exist. She never did. It was just a name, and you said you knew it already."
Eugene stared down at him in silence, then tilted his head slightly, his expression softened. He nodded his head and answered at last, "Indeed."
