Ayden sighed heavily, closing the book with a sad look on his face.
"Is this about Dame Verns?" Rosalie guessed, her keen perception cutting through the veil of Ayden's emotions.
The assistant healer looked at the chief maid, his black eyes wide with surprise.
"How do you know?"
Rosalie's smile widened.
"It's rather obvious. I believe everyone in this mansion is aware that you've developed feelings for the knightess. You've even started calling her by her first name, which signifies a closer connection."
A hint of shyness tinged the assistant healer's features, but his countenance quickly turned sombre as Clara's name was mentioned.
"She's been avoiding me lately. I don't know why," Ayden confessed in a low tone. "At first, I thought she was simply tired and needed some rest. But it became apparent that she was deliberately avoiding me. We used to be so close, spending time together, sharing meals... I don't know when things went wrong."
