Seria leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the armrests of her chair. "So, Sir Mic… where are you from?"
Michael gave her a flat look. "Sowhere far from here."
Seria's eyes glead with curiosity. "That's not very specific."
"It wasn't ant to be."
She let out a soft hum, unbothered by his curt response. "You don't like talking about yourself?"
Michael didn't answer imdiately. He wasn't sure if it was just casual conversation or if she was fishing for information. Either way, he had no intention of giving her anything useful.
After a mont of silence, Seria tried again. "Mage Lian… he seems to think highly of you. How did you et him?"
Michael's gaze flickered toward her before he replied, "A coincidence."
Seria waited for more, but nothing else ca.
She sighed dramatically. "You're not making this easy, you know."
"I wasn't aware I was supposed to."
She chuckled. "Most people would at least try to be polite."
Michael shrugged. "Most people aren't ."
Seria tapped her fingers against the armrest. "You're really not interested in conversation, are you?"
"Not particularly."
She tilted her head, studying him for a mont. "Then what are you interested in?"
Michael looked at her, his expression unreadable. "At the mont? Waiting."
Seria blinked before letting out a quiet laugh. "You're impossible."
Michael didn't respond.
The conversation—or lack thereof—continued in much the sa manner. Seria would ask a question, and Michael would either respond vaguely, deflect, or ignore it entirely.
But despite his disinterest, Seria didn't seem frustrated. If anything, she looked entertained.
"You know," she mused, after another failed attempt to get more than a few words out of him, "I don't think I've ever t soone quite like you."
Michael glanced at her. "I'll take that as a complint."
Seria smirked. "You should."
Another silence fell between them, but this ti, it was a little more comfortable.
Seria had learned sothing valuable—Michael wasn't soone who could be easily drawn into conversation. But he also wasn't outright rude. He was just… careful.
And that, more than anything, made him interesting.
Seria tapped her fingers lightly against the chair's armrest, as if considering her next move. She had been testing the waters, probing for sothing—anything—that would get more than a one-word response from him.
This was surely what her father wanted.
Michael, on the other hand, wasn't particularly interested in humoring her.
He wasn't here to socialize, and even if he was, he doubted engaging with a noble girl he barely knew would do him any favors.
More than that, he had the distinct feeling that the more he spoke, the more likely he was to slip up.
Fortunately, there was no real need for politeness.
And, to his relief, Seria wasn't demanding it either.
Still, he acknowledged that she wasn't annoying.
Unlike what he expected nobles to act, Seria didn't seem condescending or arrogant. If anything, she treated his resistance to conversation like a challenge—one she was oddly enjoying.
What he wasn't sure of was whether this was how she treated everyone or just a specific group of people.
A few monts passed before she spoke again.
"If you don't like talking about yourself, what do you like talking about?"
Michael exhaled through his nose. "That depends."
"On?"
"The topic."
Seria gave him a flat look. "That's not an answer."
Michael's lips twitched, barely noticeable. "It wasn't ant to be."
Seria let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head. "You really are impossible."
Michael said nothing.
She leaned back, studying him with those sharp blue eyes. Then, unexpectedly, she switched tactics.
"You know," she mused, "I wasn't expecting soone carrying a royal court token to be this… difficult."
Michael glanced at her. "Difficult?"
"Uncooperative. Mysterious. Boring."
Michael arched a brow at that last one.
Seria grinned. "Oh? That got a reaction."
Michael shook his head, amused despite himself. "Calling soone boring isn't exactly subtle."
"It worked, didn't it?"
Michael gave a small shrug. "If that's what you need to tell yourself."
Seria chuckled, but didn't push further. Instead, she crossed her legs and settled into a more relaxed posture, seemingly content to let the conversation drift.
Michael didn't mind the silence. In fact, he preferred it. But Seria's presence was… interesting.
Just as the silence between them began to settle, a knock echoed from the study's door.
Michael's gaze flicked toward it, and Seria straightened slightly, her relaxed posture shifting into sothing more composed.
The door opened, and the steward returned—but this ti, he wasn't alone.
A figure stepped into the room.
The man was elderly but moved with the precision of soone in complete control of his surroundings.
He wore a symbolic robe that Michael figured signified sothing important, though its design was simpler than the extravagant attire of nobility. His gray hair was neatly tied back, and his sharp eyes swept over the room before settling on Michael.
His expression remained unreadable, but there was no hostility—only a quiet assessnt.
The steward bowed slightly. "Sir Mic, this is Master Yuan, an attendant of Grand Mage Lian. He has co to escort you to the royal court."
Master Yuan inclined his head in respectful greeting. "Sir Mic, it is an honor to et you. If you are prepared, we should depart. The Grand Mage is expecting you."
Though his words were direct, his tone held a asure of courtesy, treating Michael not as a re task but as a guest worthy of respect.
Michael stood without hesitation.
Seria, however, remained seated, watching the exchange with open curiosity. She didn't seem surprised by the abruptness, nor did she look particularly disappointed that their conversation was being cut short.
Instead, she simply smiled. "It seems our ti is up."
Michael glanced at her. "It seems so."
Seria tilted her head. "Will we et again?"
Michael didn't answer imdiately. He hadn't planned to stay long in the noble district, but sothing told him that avoiding future encounters with nobles entirely would be impossible.
Instead of a direct answer, he simply said, "We'll see."
Seria chuckled, seemingly satisfied with that.
Master Yuan, anwhile, had already turned toward the door.
"Co. We must go."
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