Ruitō watched everything with calm, uninterrupted focus. The way she cringed as she chewed, hid her face away from him — he watched as if he wasn’t shocked to witness it at all. If there were three things that hadn’t changed about lady Yume, it was the graceful way she carried herself as she walked, the warmth of her gaze like a field of loosestrife’s in the sun—

—and how terrible a liar she was.

Or perhaps she was good at lying, and he’d been too perceptive tonight. After all, how else had she convinced him that he could take good care of her for this long? Clearly, he could not, as yet another meal he’d brought for her had gone basically untouched.

My lady is a generous woman, he says, shaking his pelt as he slowly waltzed to her side, settling upon his haunches. —but I have had my fill earlier. — a slight lie. He hasn’t really eaten recently. It was hard to when he was so focused on wanting to leave these unfamiliar forests, filled with faces he did not know nor care for, and go home to the isle of wisteria nestled westward.

To her question, he didn’t hide the annoyance in his eyes when his gaze followed the party dwellers. Surely. How else could they coax us into staying on this stuffy island? More accurately, he had gotten used to not needing to hide around her. For Yume knew of his apprehension around strangers.

Granted, the only thing Ruito knew about this pack called Tianlong is that he didn’t know them and, by that fact alone, did not like or trust them. The feeling was mutual with all the other packs that've clumped together here for the promise of wine, feast and festivities. Yet with this diplomacy visit the Empress invited others to attend with her, he needed to make sure his lady was safe.

His crimson gaze drifted to the sky, feeling a cool breeze against his pelt as a much calmer expression took hold of his otherwise severe features.

Do you ever think how things could’ve been different, my lady?