"So, Ethan?" Enid asked as she fell into step beside him. "Do you have a date for Raven?"
Ethan wasn't exactly popular at school. His sharp mouth had seen to that. Still, Enid couldn't deny what everyone else quietly noticed—he was handsome in an understated way, with a quiet, unsettling charm that made people curious despite themselves.
It was hard to believe no one had asked him already.
"No," Ethan said, already aware of where the question was headed. He wasn't oblivious—not the kind of dense protagonist who needs a hundred chapters to recognize someone's feelings.
Enid inhaled, steadying herself. "So… you wouldn't mind going with me?"
A small smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Her face lit up instantly, relief and excitement colliding. Raven Night. A date. The beginning of a very real teenage love story—at least in her mind.
But before her thoughts could run too far, Ethan spoke again.
"But, Enid," he said, his tone gentler now, more deliberate, "there's something you should know about me."
"Okay…" she said, already bracing herself.
"I can tell how you feel," Ethan continued. "I'm not blind."
That made her stumble half a step. "Oh. Right. Wow." She laughed softly, embarrassed. Note to self: stop wearing your feelings on your face.
"Since I know how you feel, I don't want to disappoint you," he went on. "So you should know a few truths about me."
She nodded, suddenly attentive.
"I come from a very wealthy family," Ethan said.
Enid blinked. "How wealthy?"
"Enough to be on the list of the top ten richest families in the country."
She actually stopped walking this time. "You're joking."
"I'm not."
She hadn't expected that. Ethan never acted like a big deal who comes off from a rich family.
If he was that rich, why was he at Nevermore at all? If it were her, she'd probably be at some fancy private academy with uniforms that cost more than her entire closet.
"That's… a lot," Enid said finally, voice careful.
"It is," Ethan agreed. "And it comes with expectations. I'm the last in my family line. Some responsibilities fall on me—especially when it comes to continuing it."
"That means…" Ethan hesitated, then said it plainly, "I may be expected to have more than one wife."
The words landed with weight—because he hadn't rushed them. He'd prepared her for them.
Enid didn't respond right away. She stood there, recalibrating the conversation she thought they were having.
This was supposed to be simple. A walk. A Raven date. Something light and new.
Not marriage. Not obligations. They were still young—why talk about adult things already? Why couldn't it just stay easy for a while?
She knew outcast society wasn't unfamiliar with arrangements like that. It wasn't forbidden. It wasn't even rare.
What unsettled her wasn't the idea itself.
It was how soon it had entered the conversation.
She looked at Ethan again—uncertain, but still listening.
"You probably think this is too fast," he said, reading her expression. "And that's fair. I'm not asking you to decide on anything."
"I just didn't want to start something without being honest."
"And," he added, a small smile breaking through, "I'm still really excited for Raven."
Before she could respond, he stepped closer and pulled her into a brief, warm hug. It was gentle and reassuring—over almost as soon as it began, yet lingering in the way it settled her nerves.
"And you should know," Ethan said as he pulled back, his smile soft but certain, "once you're in my life, I'll treat you like a princess. Not figuratively—a real one. If you ever want something, I'll make sure you have it."
Then, just like that, he turned and walked away.
Enid stayed where she was.
Her heart was still racing. Some of what he'd said lingered uneasily in her mind, but his sweetness made it easy to set those thoughts aside. Marriage was a problem for the distant future. For now, she could keep him to herself.
After all, every girl wanted to be treated like a princess. When a prince appeared and made you feel special, your thinking dulled a little—well, more than a little. You stopped noticing the small things you should have questioned.
Love, as they said, was blind.
As Ethan walked away, his expression remained calm.
Inside, it was different.
The responsibilities. The family legacy. The expectations.
Bullshit. All of it.
A carefully constructed cover for something far less noble.
If he were honest—if he admitted he was selfish, that he simply wanted freedom and a harem of beautiful girls—he'd be judged, condemned, maybe even slapped on the spot. This was modern society. You didn't say things like that out loud.
So he reframed it.
Wrapped desire in duty. Disguised indulgence as obligation. Made his wants sound like sacrifices he had no choice but to bear.
It was easier that way.
"What a burdensome duty."
If anyone actually knew, they'd tear into him immediately. "Oh, this is the responsibility?" they'd say. "Being rich and wanting multiple partners? Wow. Truly heroic. Someone get him a medal."
Enid returned with a noticeably cheerful expression.
"So," Wednesday said, eyeing her, "I assume he accepted your stupid dance offer."
******
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