After bidding farewell to Darcy, I stepped outside and ran into Marquis Etvar.

"What brings you here?"

I knew the Marquis often stayed up until dawn, but we never intruded on each other’s personal space.

The fact that my father, who usually didn’t even join me for meals, had come all the way here meant something was definitely up.

Expecting him to speak first, I waited, and an awkward silence settled between us.

Spending time with someone unfamiliar feels like walking on needles.

In the end, I broke the silence first.

"What is it you need?"

"Are you doing well?"