The palace was quiet, as it usually was at this hour. The fire I came for was within reach, and it would be a quick retrieval.

At least it was going to be a quick retrieval, until I saw her.

A girl—around my age, if I had to guess—with straight, black hair. Her clothes, the way she held herself—definitely from the upper crust. But there was something... different. She was so absorbed in her scroll, the flame in her hand lighting the darkened hall, that she didn’t even notice the silence around her.

Most of the nobility would be hyper-aware, always looking for a threat, a shift in the air, or even the slightest change in the atmosphere. But this one? She was completely oblivious, despite the fact she was wearing a pair of eyeglasses. It was almost like she didn’t know she was walking through the lion’s den.

I moved closer, intrigued. She wasn’t like the others—she didn’t play the games, didn’t even seem to care. What was she doing in a place like this, so lost in her scroll, so unaware of the world around her?

I kicked a small stone across the hallway, just enough to make a light, almost imperceptible sound. A slow grin spread across my face. I didn’t want to steal the fire anymore—I was much more curious about her. How unaware could someone like her really be?