"Why did you choose to sculpt me?"

The question escaped your mouth, yet Veritas, caught in the web of his own pride, responded with a feigned indifference, "You are a mere subject like any other, an interesting study of human form and emotion. That is all."

His words were far from the truth; he couldn't even muster the courage to meet your gaze as he uttered them. Ratio was unable to confess that he was in love with you, even to himself. He feared that such an admission would be a blemish on his character, a crack in the facade of the self-assured genius.

Ignoring your presence, Veritas continued his artistic work, sculpting your figure, each motion of his chisel guided by a blend of admiration and an indefinable sentiment, a feeling he struggled to identify.