Baron Afanas had centuries of conquest, chaos, and indulgence behind him—so why, of all things, was he now distracted by his own familiar? It was absurd. Ridiculous. And yet, as he watched them go about their duties, he found himself amused, intrigued... perhaps even fond. Of course, he would never admit such a thing outright. No, no—he was still the fearsome Baron! But maybe, just maybe, his lingering stares and sudden favoritism told a different story.