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Severin nodded and leaned back in his chair

"Your servants seem to have a vested interest in our friendship I noticed from the onset when they insisted that I--an assumedly ill mannered peasant--dine with you--a prince--as soon as I was fit to I paid notheir antics I want to knohy"

Severin rubbed his forehead "They refuse to tell you?"

"Yes"

"I take it, then, that you do not know the nature of my curse?"

"I only know that you were cursed by a wicked witch, and a beautiful enchantress broke off the worst of it," Elle truthfully reported

Severin nodded "The original curse made me not only look like a beast, but think and act like one as well The enchantress was able to break off the psychological aspects of the curse, but not the physical However, she supposedly was able to create a way to entirely destroy the curse"

"How can you break it?" Elle asked when Severin didn’t continue

Severin rolled his shoulders,out of the collar of his waistcoat fluff up "By falling in love, or by being loved," he finally said

Elle stared at Severin in stunned silence

"She said it is because love is theehtly defensive

"I see I would not disagree with that"

"But?"

"But I would not think it would be very easy to fall in love when one is self-exiled in an abandoned chateau"

"You are correct, and that is why I am here," Severin said

"I’m sorry, what?"

Severin turned in his chair to stare at the wall that was covered in maps He was silent for a few ems he was reluctant to part with "I made previous… atte me shame and break the hearts of my servants when the curse was not lifted Rather than live in the continuous pressure ofhopes I resolved to ave up on breaking the curse? That hardly seems like you"