"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to have lunch. You can stay and eat with me or leave. Up to you," I quickly add, wrenching my gaze away from him.

He doesn't leave. He trails closely behind me and takes a seat opposite me at the table. I ring the bell and ask for lunch to be brought up, after which a servant arrives with the dishes not even ten minutes later. I lay everything out on the table, my stomach growling with hunger. Ze, on the other hand, is the picture of decorum as he watches me wolf down the food without eating one bite.

"Would you like some?" I ask as I push forward a tray of pastries toward him.

He shakes his head.

"When do you even eat, Ze? You're a big guy. You must need a lot of fuel."

"I have my feeding times," he grumbles, looking away.

"Your loss." I shrug. "This is marvelous."

"I like watching you eat. You humans get happy at the smallest things," he mentions casually.

My brow goes up as I side-eye him.

"Maybe you should learn a thing or two from us humans." I roll my eyes, grabbing a sweet pastry and shoving it in his mouth—half to shut him up and half to make him see why this human would be happy about it.

His eyes widen in surprise and he slowly munches on it, nodding.

"It is good," he agrees as he swallows. And now that he's had a taste of it, he doesn't stop at just one, going for another, then another.

Odd man. He claims I am the odd one when he can't even eat by himself, needing someone else to urge him to eat. I shake my head at him, though a slight smile plays at my lips. We eat in silence until all the food is gone, at which point Ze reclines in his chair, gracefully dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.

"Two days from now, the temple will open its doors to outsiders," he states, his tone suddenly serious. "It is an annual event in which they recruit a new apprentice. It is open only to females who exhibit spiritual abilities. They are required to go through a round of tests, after which the high priestess elects one female to join the temple. It is a highly sought-after position due to the training priestesses receive, and many Supremes have at one point been priestesses." He pauses, giving me a pointed look. "You have said our society is unfair to females, yet the temple is an institution that caters only to females. There is no equivalent for males."

I cross my arms over my chest, regarding him through narrowed eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You will masquerade as a recruit to gain access to the temple," he answers simply.