The next few days fell into a rhythm.
In public, Aegis was cold and distant.
When Talia sat next to her at meals, Aegis gave her short answers. When Serilla draped herself over Aegis's shoulder in the hallway, Aegis shrugged her off with a tired sigh. When nobles approached her, she was polite but clipped, the bare minimum of social courtesy before finding an excuse to leave.
With the commoners, though, she was different.
She laughed with her study group, helped Miheyra with her aether channeling exercises, walked with Ellis to the library, and made time for Tam when she had questions she was too nervous to ask the professors. She ate lunch with them, studied with them, joked with them.
The contrast was obvious. Aegis made sure of that.
And Sylceris, who was always nearby now, always watching from the next seat or across the hall, noticed all of it.
