Trafalgar unlocked the door and stepped aside, one hand gesturing inward with an easy, practiced motion.
"Ladies first."
Aubrelle paused for half a heartbeat, then smiled. "What a gentleman," she said, the tease light rather than sharp, before moving past him into the room.
He followed her in and closed the door behind them, the soft click sealing off the corridor and whatever eyes might have lingered there. The room felt still, insulated from the academy's constant motion. Trafalgar slipped off his shoes and crossed to the side, grabbing a towel from a nearby shelf. He knelt briefly, wiping away the grime Alfons had left behind, his movements quiet and methodical, like someone erasing a nuisance rather than dwelling on it. When he was done, he tossed the towel into the bin and straightened.
"Do you want something to drink while we talk?" he asked, turning back to her. "Tea, coffee, water… I can do that. Food—no. I haven't been here in a while."
