"It made you seem... submissive," Melissa mused. "People assumed it was because you had no power, married to clear your ancestral debts, and no protector to lean on. But a human's psychology says otherwise. A person may accept unfavorable conditions due to circumstances, but their emotions—" she tapped her temple "—don't lie. Even slaves would sometimes show their dissent despite being loyal to their masters."
Her gaze softened, thoughtful. "But you? You never even flinched. Never looked uncomfortable. That was what confused me at first. Were you truly like this, or was it all an act?" She let out a small sigh, a knowing smile forming on her lips. "But the more I watched you, the more I understood. You're someone who just... flows along with the river, wherever it takes you. Rather than resisting, you've learned to survive by adapting, by surrendering to whatever life throws at you and slowly dealing with it."
Kael sat frozen, her words sinking in.
