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"Elle"

Elle stopped and twisted so she could see Severin

"You are correct I a those I love I will sacrifice whatever, or whoever, is necessary"

"You say it proudly, like it’s so to be commended"

"Isn’t it?"

Elle raised an eyebrow "No, not when the price is not a sacrifice you pay Not when morals are crossed because of it"

Severin narrowed his eyes "My ‘ruthlessness’ is a sign of my devotion I a you could learn," Severin said before entering the library and shutting the door behind hied her crutches "I could have handled that better"

Elle picked at her food, pushing her buttered asparagus around her plate She glanced at Severin, as seated on the far end of the table He was dividing his attention between eating and ed Elle when she arrived

Elle shoved a forkful of asparagus in her htfully chewed She lost the hard earned ca her e out the words of her heart

Severin rong because of the way he would callously use people for his own devices, but Elle had to adht him to be And if Elle wanted to repair their friendship she would have to do the footwork Severin was too proud to help her

The servants posted at the walls hung their heads, as if personally saddened by Elle and Severin’s row They perked up when Elle spoke

"How are the gardens?"

Severin did not look up frorunted

The servants smiled and nodded at Elle as she spoke "Are they fully winterized yet?"

Severin pushed away a paper and reached for a book

"Emele tells ," Elle said

Severin ate his fish and did not respond

Elle set her fork down "Severin, stop pretending you cannot heareyes "For what?"

"For what I said this afternoon"

"You ad about what part?"