The next morning, Aurelia woke with a strange lightness in her chest—mixed with an ache she couldn't fully name.
She touched her cheek instinctively, remembering the warmth of Eren's hand the night before.
"Don't thank me for feelings I can't control."
He hadn't meant to say it.
It slipped out of him like truth escaping through a crack in armor.
And it had changed everything.
She got ready for class faster than usual, her heart already racing at the thought of seeing him.
Would he act normal?
Would he avoid her?
Pretend nothing happened?
When she stepped out of her room, she found her answer.
Eren was already waiting in the hallway.
Back straight.
Hands in pockets.
Expression unreadably cool—
too cool.
Their eyes met.
Something flickered in his gaze.
Quick. Sharp.
Emotion hidden under layers of discipline.
"Morning," Aurelia said softly.
"Morning," he replied, voice controlled, a bit too carefully.
She bit her lip. "You're early."
"I'm always early."
But he wasn't always this stiff.
They walked down the hallway in silence.
But not peaceful silence—
a silence filled with things unsaid, too heavy to ignore.
Aurelia finally swallowed and whispered, "About last night—"
"Forget it," he cut in calmly.
Her heart sank.
"Forget… what?"
He didn't look at her.
His voice stayed neutral, emotionless.
"I shouldn't have said certain things, nor done certain things. It won't happen again."
That hurt more than she expected.
"Eren…"
She stopped walking.
He stopped too, turning just slightly.
She searched his eyes.
He didn't look away, but there was distance in them.
"You don't have to pretend nothing happened," she said quietly.
His jaw tightened. "Aurelia—"
"I'm not a kid," she whispered.
That made him flinch.
Barely, but she saw it.
"I know you're not," he said, voice low.
"Then stop treating me like one."
A muscle in his cheek ticked.
He looked away for a moment as if gathering himself, then faced her fully.
"You don't understand what you're asking."
"Then explain it," she insisted.
He exhaled sharply—controlled, frustrated.
"Aurelia, I am your guard. Your protector. Your grandfather entrusted your life to me. Every decision I make has to come from discipline, not… emotions."
Her chest tightened.
"But you have emotions," she whispered.
He stiffened.
"And last night—"
"A mistake," he interrupted quietly.
Her breath caught.
He saw the hurt flash across her face.
His eyes softened—just barely—but he didn't take it back.
Before anyone could speak again, the driver appeared at the end of the hall.
"Miss Aurelia, the car is ready."
Eren stepped aside, motioning politely. "Let's go."
The distance between them felt larger than the estate itself.
On campus
Classes felt longer today, every minute stretched thin by awkwardness.
Eren sat beside her like always, but he didn't lean near her, didn't brush her hand, didn't look at her unless necessary.
The absence of closeness felt louder than any whisper around them.
During lunch, Aurelia poked her food without appetite.
Eren watched—secretly, she thought—but looked away when she raised her head.
By late afternoon, the air between them had become unbearably tight.
They walked toward the parking lot.
Aurelia finally stopped under a tree, forcing him to face her.
"Eren," she said softly. "Can you just be honest?"
His brows lowered. "I am always honest."
"No, you're not."
She took a step closer.
"You're running from something. From us."
He exhaled shakily.
"Aurelia…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"You don't understand what you do to me."
Her heart stopped.
He closed his eyes, as if fighting something inside him.
"You make me lose control," he admitted.
"And that can't happen. Not with my position. Not with your name. Not with your grandfather watching."
She reached out, hesitating, then touched his sleeve.
"But I don't want you to be a stranger," she whispered. "Not after everything."
His eyes opened.
And they held a warmth, a longing, that contradicted every word he'd tried to bury.
"Aurelia…"
His voice trembled—for the first time she'd ever heard.
And then—
A car door slammed in the distance, snapping him back to reality.
His expression hardened instantly.
He stepped back.
"Get in the car," he said gently.
Too gently.
Like he was afraid of what would happen if he stayed close.
Aurelia nodded slowly, but her heart squeezed painfully.
He had stepped away.
But not because he didn't feel anything—
because he felt too much.
And for the first time, Aurelia realized the truth:
Eren Kael wasn't fighting her.
He was fighting himself.
And he was losing.