To act spoiled was to sense the possibility of being favored; to be sensible was to realize the risk of being abandoned.

At the moment, Lys was doing both. Completely tuning out her sisters’ voices, she widened her eyes and stared intently at Ashe. Her worldview was tiny, so small that losing even a single person would leave it unbearably empty. Because of that, she was willing to betray everything for the people she cared about, even if it meant abandoning reason and justice.

Ashe glanced at her and rummaged through his pockets for a handkerchief. Finding none, he simply used his sleeve to wipe a milk stain from her cheek. He said with a gentle smile. "Did you forget? I have a contract with you, and I also have a contract with the Lady."

"But Aunt Annan really likes you!" Lys said anxiously. "She wouldn't want to—"

Ashe countered, "She would. Maybe Annan has a good impression of me. Maybe she even likes me a little. But affection isn't as all-powerful as you think. In fairy tales, love can help you cross mountains, defy fate, and calm raging seas. But in reality, it does nothing. The fleeting comfort it brings doesn't even compare to one of Harvey's candies."

He reached out, fondly ruffling Lys’s hair. "Her feelings toward me might be the affection of a friend, or how someone feels about a pet. There might even be a spark of...