"You're gorgeous. Everything about you is perfect."

Baro's voice dropped to a soft murmur as he spoke, his usual sharpness fading. It was one of those moments—the two of you curled up on the couch, catching up after a long time apart, talking about everything that had happened in between.

And when the conversation began to die down, he always said things like this. You loved it—the way he became so careful, so gentle with you. It was a stark contrast to how he usually bragged about yelling at people who dared to challenge him.

It almost felt like letting his hair down also loosened the arrogance, the imperiousness—if only for a little while.