Chapter 35: Breakfast with the Duke

Conor woke early in the morning to soft beams of light filtering through the thin curtains the the sparse room. His sleep had been restless and filled with troubled dreams. The events of the previous evening still weighed heavily on his mind, particularly Kerrigan’s hesitant words: "I… I don’t know about us."

He sighed and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the narrow bed. The room was small, much smaller than the others had been shown to the night before. It was plainly furnished, with a simple bed, a single chair, a tiny writing desk and a small dresser. Put simply, a servant's quarters.

Whether it was a deliberate slight or a simple oversight by the Duke's staff, Conor couldn't tell, but while the room fit his needs, it stung all the same. It felt like a tangible reminder of his place—or lack thereof—in Kerrigan’s world.

He had expected some form of discomfort during this visit, but the reality of it was more unsettling than he’d imagined. Conor had been at Kerrigan’s side