The crisp clink of glass caused Alaric’s eyes to flicker. “Your idea was realistic and spot on. In the end, it all depends on whether the two of them can endure.”

Emerald understood the meaning behind those words—the societal gap that never truly disappears.

She suddenly turned to him and asked, “What about you two?”

Alaric poured another glass of wine and took a sip, savoring the sharp burn in his throat that brought a bittersweet satisfaction.

“You’ve got guts to ask that,” he remarked.

In the past, Emerald wouldn’t have cared about anything beyond the physical. But when she asked that question, it was clear she had started to...