[Leif's POV — Thorenvald Estate—The Next Day—Leif's Chamber]
I adjusted the round cap on my head, squinting at my reflection. "Alright… since Mom and Dad have officially agreed to fund this brilliant idea, I should start preparing immediately."
I turned toward the bed. Zephyy was sprawled across my pillows like a retired king, his tail lazily draped over his face.
"Zephyy," I called, posing with a queenly flourish, "how do I look?"
He cracked one golden eye open, blinked twice, and muttered in a sleepy voice, "Good, Master."
I frowned. "Tch… what a dry response. I miss Alvar now."
Zephyy closed his eyes and shifted lazily; he stretched and yawned, saying, "Your monster boyfriend," he muttered, "wouldn't have let you ask anyone's opinion in the first place. He'd have just stared at you like you were a crime scene he secretly admired."
I blinked, caught between a laugh and a sigh. "That's… actually kind of accurate."
