Ezra's suspicion hadn't begun because of the debt scandal.
It had started much earlier.
Long before they arrived at this hidden construction base.
Long before they even met Baroness Orvain.
Being cautious had always been Ezra's way of living.
Ever since surviving the Trial of Steel...
That mindset had become even more deeply rooted within him.
No matter who stood before him...
Friend.
Enemy.
Or someone who appeared harmless.
Ezra never trusted anyone completely.
Even those who had already grown close to him.
He simply behaved the way an ordinary person should during ordinary conversations.
He smiled when appropriate.
He answered when necessary.
He listened more than he spoke.
That was the rule he had set for himself after realizing the life of his pervious life and his present life wasn't different.
He would interact with people naturally...
But never carelessly.
Because of that...
Gwen and Blake had never been an exception.
The very first moment he met her...
