Shin chuckled as he entered the bath, seeing Laverna unresponsive as she reached for a piece of bread before anything else. She was clearly starving, prioritizing food over everything else.
He quickly washed away the grime and dirt, taking his time scrubbing himself clean. The act itself was familiar and methodical, a reminder that despite his exile, he was still royalty.
His upbringing had ingrained discipline and order in him, something he refused to let go of even now.
Meanwhile, Laverna kept her bathrobe wrapped tightly around her frame, a towel wrapped around her hair to dry. She crossed her ankles as her mother had once taught her and ate in a controlled manner, making sure not to consume everything at once.
She wasn't even sure if Shin had eaten yet, but the thought surprised her. 'Why do you care?' She wondered before shaking the thought away. Stroking the rim of her cup absentmindedly, she stared out the window, her mind wandering.
After finishing his bath, Shin stepped out wearing only his hakama gi pants, steam still rising from his skin. The scent of lavender and moonflowers clung to him, carried by the lingering heat of his bath, filling the room with an intoxicating aroma.
Droplets of water traced slow, deliberate paths down the chiseled lines of his torso before vanishing beneath the fabric of his pants. His damp hair, slightly tousled, framed his sharp features, making him look both untamed and effortlessly regal.
Laverna blinked, feeling an unfamiliar heat creep up her neck as she found herself staring. The air felt heavier, her senses overwhelmed by his presence in a way she couldn't quite explain.
Her fingers clenched slightly around her spoon, her mind scrambling for a reason, anything, to justify why her breath had caught in her throat. Was it the slave crest whispering something to her? Urging her toward him?
No. It was just her instincts. And that made it worse.
Scowling, she shoved another bite of food into her mouth and dismissed the thought entirely.
Shin smiled, sitting down beside her and silently eating. He knew she would remain closed off, wary of him, and unwilling to trust so easily. That was fine. He could wait.
As they ate, he turned his gaze toward the streets below. The town was alive with movement, the hustle and bustle of vendors calling out their wares, children running through the cobbled paths, and the scent of baked goods drifting in from the marketplace.
It reminded him of home, of the warmth and vibrancy that once filled his life.
He smiled, but to the trained eye, it was a sad smile. Through the mark that bound them, Laverna felt it too, that quiet, longing sorrow hidden beneath his composed exterior.
She didn't comment on it, merely observing him in silence. She knew he was hiding his pain behind that smile, wearing it like a mask he had long grown accustomed to.
And though she would never say it aloud, a part of her was grateful to him, not just for saving her, but for giving her a chance at something she never thought she could have: freedom. Even if she didn't fully understand what that meant yet.
After brunch, they rested, taking a nap to prepare for the night's lesson.
Shin stretched and leaned back against the futon. "We should rest while we can. Tonight's going to be another headache."
Laverna groaned, already half-lying down. "You say 'rest,' but I know you're just waiting to throw more rules at me."
He smirked. "Who, me? Never."
She shot him a suspicious look before pulling the blanket over herself. "Fine. But if I wake up to another lecture, I'm biting you."
Shin chuckled, giving her a playful wink before closing his eyes. "Looking forward to it."
Laverna's heart skipped a beat, an unfamiliar flutter catching her off guard. She quickly shook it off, pulling the blanket over herself as if to hide from the feeling.
It was just exhaustion, she told herself. Nothing more.
Meanwhile, Shin had already fallen asleep, completely at ease, leaving her to wrestle with the strange warmth lingering in her chest.
When evening arrived, Yuri stepped into their room, arms crossed as she examined Laverna from head to toe. "Alright, since you'll be attending the Harvest Festival, we need to make sure you don't embarrass yourselves in front of the nobility."
Shin leaned casually against the wall, smirking. "Correction. She needs to learn. I already know how."
Laverna shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up."
Yuri sighed. "As much as I enjoy your banter, let's focus. Laverna, your posture alone screams 'feral rogue.' That needs to change."
Laverna rolled her eyes. "Great. More rules."
Yuri ignored her complaint and gestured toward the center of the room. "Stand up. First lesson: posture and poise. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and chin slightly raised. Confidence is key."
Laverna did as instructed, albeit begrudgingly. The moment she tried to maintain the stance, she felt stiff and awkward. "This feels ridiculous."
Yuri tapped her back with a wooden ruler she had brought along. "You'll get used to it. Nobles don't slouch. You need to exude elegance, not exhaustion."
Shin chuckled from his spot. "Want me to get you a book to balance on your head?"
Laverna glared at him. "Want me to throw it at you?"
Yuri sighed again. "Enough. Let's move on to greetings. When addressing nobility, you don't just say 'hey' or 'what's up.' You curtsy."
Laverna groaned but followed Yuri's example, bending her knees slightly while keeping her back straight. It wasn't graceful, but it was a start.
"Better," Yuri noted. "But you need to make it fluid, not like you're preparing to dodge an attack."
"Old habits die hard," Laverna muttered.
"Speaking of habits, let's fix that speech of yours. No cursing, no sarcasm—"
Laverna gasped dramatically. "No sarcasm? You're killing me."
Yuri rubbed her temples. "At least tone it down. Nobles value wit, but there's a fine line between clever and crass."
For the next hour, Yuri drilled her on etiquette, how to walk, how to sit properly, how to hold a teacup without looking like a street urchin. It was exhausting, but Laverna was catching on, albeit slowly.
Finally, Yuri stepped back, assessing her with a critical eye. "Not bad for your first lesson. We have a lot of work to do, but you won't be a total disaster."
Laverna stretched, sighing. "That's the nicest thing you've said to me all day."
Shin smirked. "It's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to you."
Laverna picked up a pillow and threw it at his face. He caught it effortlessly, laughing.
Yuri shook her head. "Tomorrow, we cover table manners. And if you spill anything, I'm making you redo the lesson five times over."
Laverna groaned, already dreading it. But despite herself, she found that, for the first time, she didn't completely hate the idea of learning something new.
Yet, as she glanced at Yuri's satisfied smirk and Shin's amused expression, a thought gnawed at the back of her mind. What if all of this, the etiquette, the refinement, the lessons, weren't just preparation for a festival, but something far bigger? Something she wasn't ready for?
The air in the room felt heavier, the weight of expectation pressing down on her. She swallowed hard, her fingers tightening at her sides.
"What exactly are we preparing for?" she muttered, more to herself than to them.
Neither Yuri nor Shin answered immediately.
And that silence was far more unsettling than anything they could have said.