“Hurry up, hurry up!” Jessica called impatiently, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she stood beside Jacob, who remained utterly unbothered, methodically chewing through his breakfast with a book propped open in one hand, the pages rustling softly every so often as he flipped to the next.

  Jacob didn’t even glance at her as he continued eating at a pace so leisurely it seemed as if he intended to stay there all morning. Only after several seconds did he turn his head slightly, eyes peeking over the rim of his glasses. “I suggest you go on ahead, if your patience is so fragile,” he said coolly, then promptly returned to his book without waiting for a reply.

  Jessica glared at him, half-tempted to smack the food right out of his mouth, but she swallowed her irritation and instead wandered over to his bed, sinking into the mattress with a sigh. Her fingers brushed across the fresh sheets, and she frowned; the fabric was crisp, clean, and perfectly tucked. Far too pristine for a bed that should have been slept in all night.

  'Already changed? It’s barely morning... unless—'

  “You had another nightmare?” she asked quietly, her voice betraying a sliver of concern she hadn’t meant to show.

  Jacob answered only with a soft hum as he turned another page, the sound small but unmistakable in the quiet room. Jessica studied him more closely now. The deep shadows under his eyes, the way his limbs seemed thinner than they should be, the way he barely touched his food, it was all too familiar. He hadn’t slept, not really. And he hadn’t been eating properly either.

  Her chest tightened. She knew what the last two years had done to him, how they had hollowed him out from the inside. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, that no one blamed him anymore, but the words felt useless, worn-out from how many times others had already said them and how many times Jacob had ignored them all.

  Shaking her head to banish the useless thoughts, Jessica leaned forward, trying a different tactic. “If you come with me today, I’ll buy you any book you want.”

  For the first time that morning, Jacob paused. He blinked at her over the top of his glasses, then, without a word, closed the book he was reading and began to shovel food into his mouth with unexpected urgency. Jessica could only stare in disbelief as he finished eating within minutes, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood up smoothly.

  “Well then, let’s be on our way,” he said, utterly shameless.

  Jessica almost laughed. Of course, he would move at the speed of light when books were involved. Jacob never asked their parents for money, never begged favours, never even hinted at needing help He did everything on his own, stubbornly and quietly, but offer him a chance to get more books, and he folded in an instant. There must have been something he really wanted to buy.

  They left his room together, wandering through the winding corridors and countless staircases of the Skydrid estate. It took several minutes just to reach the ground floor, the massive halls echoing with their soft footsteps.

  “What do you even want to buy?” Jessica asked, curiosity plain in her voice.

  “A few books on runes,” Jacob said without looking at her, “and I need to register to have my aspect measured.”

  Jessica fished a small purse from her belt and counted through its contents as they walked. “Five hundred and eighty-four rin... Should be enough,” she muttered under her breath, tucking the purse back into her clothes with a satisfied nod.

  Despite what many outsiders believed, being a noble child in Skydrid didn’t mean unlimited wealth. Each child had to earn their money through achievements, be it high test scores, praise from teachers, notable accomplishments in martial or magical pursuits. Jessica, with her exceptional grades and relentless drive to become a knight, earned over two thousand rin a month. Jacob, who spent nearly every waking hour reading alone in his room, scraping by academically and physically, earned a pitiful fifty-six.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  He didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t want their parents’ money. He didn’t believe he deserved it.

  Jessica said nothing more as they made their way across the sprawling estate grounds, passing carefully manicured gardens, training fields full of sparring knights, and even a few wandering beasts used for combat practice. They found their carriage already waiting, horses stamping impatiently, driver dozing lightly atop his seat.

  Mary and Belemir were already inside. Jessica practically dragged Jacob up into the vehicle by the wrist, and once they were seated, Jacob immediately withdrew a slim book from his coat and fell back into reading without so much as a glance at the others.

  Belemir shook his head with a long-suffering sigh, while Mary openly frowned, her distaste poorly concealed. Jacob’s attitude had never sat right with her. Where others pitied him, she resented him. In her mind, he had been coddled after it happened, treated with tender care even when others were left grieving. He hadn’t used the tragedy as motivation to become stronger, he had simply... given up. Pushed everyone away. Friends. Family. Anyone who tried to help.

  Mary didn’t dare speak her mind, of course. Speaking against a direct heir of Skydrid, especially one still favoured by the family, would have been the end of her.

  Jessica, meanwhile, didn’t seem to mind Jacob’s coldness. Just getting him to leave his room was already a small miracle. He rarely left the estate at all anymore.

  When the carriage rumbled to a stop, they climbed down into the heart of the Noble Market, a wide-open square filled with polished marble shops, velvet-draped stalls, and merchants hawking luxuries from every corner of the continent.

  Jacob closed his book with a soft snap and adjusted his glasses. “So where exactly are you going?”

  Jessica brightened slightly. “The Fifth Prince’s birthday is in a few weeks. I need a dress for the banquet.”

  Jacob sighed internally. He had almost forgotten. Of course, he would have to attend. Skipping would spark dangerous rumours, and even worse, the Fifth Prince had once been a close friend. They hadn’t spoken in two years, but it would be suspicious if he didn’t appear.

  Skydrid's pride demanded it.

  They walked side by side through the busy streets, Jessica visibly struggling to find a topic to break the heavy silence. It wasn’t easy. Jacob never helped. His responses were short, disinterested, and he never asked questions back. It was like talking to a stone wall.

  She remembered when it hadn’t been like this, when Jacob had been lively and curious, when he would smile and argue about books and training schedules and stupid things neither of them remembered anymore. Now... now he just looked tired. Empty. His hair was a tangled mess, his posture loose and weary, his eyes half-dead even when awake.

  Jessica’s heart ached.

  As they crossed a marble bridge toward the clothing district, two noblewomen passed by, dressed in flowing silk and sparkling jewellery. One of them paused, smiling brightly.

  “Jessica, Jacob! It’s been too long!”

  Jessica immediately turned, her expression polite and bright. “Lady Hathlin! What a surprise. How is Elly doing?”

  Jacob stiffened slightly. He remembered. Hathlin’s younger sister had once been one of his closest friends, before everything fell apart.

  “She’s well,” Lady Hathlin said, her smile widening. “She was accepted as an apprentice by Scholar Matheus.”

  Jessica gasped in delight. “That’s incredible! She must be truly talented.”

  Scholar Matheus was a revered figure, one of the greatest sorcerers of the age, author of numerous ground-breaking books on rune theory. It was no small feat to catch his attention.

  “And Jacob,” Hathlin added, turning to him with a softer smile, “it’s nice seeing you again.”

  Jacob gave a brief nod, offering no words. There was no point pretending with someone who knew the truth about his current state.

  Hathlin’s smile faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly. “Still the quiet one, huh, Jacob?” she said lightly, before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

  As they walked on, Jacob heard Hathlin’s voice float back to him, “Poor boy... He hasn’t been the same since his brother died.”

  The words struck him like a slap. His fingers tightened into fists, his breath caught, and for a moment he thought he might lash out at something, anything.

  But instead, he exhaled slowly, unclenching his hands, and looked at Jessica’s worried face. He gave a slight tilt of his head ‘let’s keep moving’ and walked forward without a word.