"I hear rumors that you're dating someone." With a heavy heart and a voice tinged with uncertainty, Ergi broached the subject that had plagued his thoughts since the first murmurs of gossip had reached his ears.

As your friend, Ergi Claude should have been happy for you, rejoicing in your potential happiness. But beneath the facade of camaraderie, a torrent of jealousy and longing threatened to consume him whole.

He loved you, loved you endlessly. He always wanted the best for you. Expensive jewelry, finest silks—just name all of them and you would get whatever you wanted. 

But such sentiments were a luxury he could ill afford, a weakness that could jeopardize his carefully laid plans and endanger the very cause he had pledged to serve.

With a heavy heart and a mind consumed by turmoil, Ergi buried his feelings for you deep within the recesses of his soul, focusing instead on deceiving Empress Rashta and weaving a tapestry of lies and half-truths to ensnare her in his web of deceit.