At the end of the corridor, the door to the Orfelian’s study hung open. She peered inside. Ariel was once again hunched over his writing desk. Laya blinked, shocked to find Eti sitting across from him. Their heads were bent over a book. Eti jabbed her finger at one of the pages, chatting animatedly. Ariel nodded, his spectacles sliding down the bridge of his nose as he followed her finger. Unlike so many members of the court, who merely humored Eti when she spoke, Ariel seemed genuinely interested in what the younger girl had to say.

The corners of Laya’s lips quirked up in a tiny smile. She stepped into the room, clearing her throat. Both of them looked up from the book.

Eti brightened. “Laya, look! I’ve saved Ariel from eternal boredom. Come see.”

Laya raised an eyebrow before settling into the chair beside her. “Oh?” she said. “How can that be?”

“Dayang Eti was kind enough to bring me some reading materials from the royal library,” Ariel clarified, meeting Laya’s gaze.

Laya’s cheeks warmed at the sight of his grin. She remembered the spark that wound through her the last time she and Ariel were alone together. A trick of the mind, she was convinced. That spark wouldn’t strike her again.

She turned her attention to the book laid out before them. “What sort of books did you bring him?” she asked.

Eti hauled a few heavy tomes from the floor and deposited them at the edge of the desk. They landed on the lacquered mahogany surface with a loud thump.

“Mostly historical accounts,” she chirped. “I asked Father to bring me the most comprehensive volumes. Ariel’s got nothing to do at the moment, so I thought these would keep him busy.”

Eti was a kindhearted child, and she never failed to impress Laya with her thoughtfulness. Although if Eti wished to keep the Orfelian entertained during his stay at the palace, she ought to have chosen something a touch more entertaining than Maynara’s densest historical texts.

Laya scanned the titles of the books beside her, biting back a chuckle. “Everything you’ve chosen is in Maynaran,” she remarked.

“That won’t be a problem,” Ariel said. “I know how to read Maynaran now, after all.” He gave Laya a pointed look.

“In that case, these books ought to keep you enthralled,” she said dryly.

Ariel’s grin broadened. For Eti’s sake, he did not say anything to the contrary. “You will find, however, that my vocabulary is lacking,” he told Laya.

“I should think, then, that another lesson is in order,” she said, her eyes twinkling with the promise of a challenge.

Surprise flickered in Ariel’s expression. “If that is what you are offering, Dayang, I would be grateful,” he said, bowing his head.