Julian gave a small, almost gentle nod.
"I am."
The honesty in his voice left little room for doubt. For the first time since her arrival in the Astran Duchy, Elara felt the suffocating weight of the political arrangement loosen. In its place was unexpected turn of events: that someone saw her ambition not as an obstacle, but as something worth waiting for.
A soft, disbelieving laugh escaped her, half nervous and half overwhelmed.
"You are a very strange man, Lord Kraven," she said, her voice still carrying the tremor of shock. "Strange… and unexpectedly kind."
Julian's faint smile returned.
"I have been called worse."
They stood there on the sunlit path, the space between them no longer filled only with politics or the aftermath of a duel.
Elara looked down for a moment, then back up at him.
"Then… I will hold you to that," she said quietly. "When the war is over… I will be waiting to see if you keep your word."
Julian bowed his head slightly.
"I intend to."
