The Collegium cleared very slowly, each of the people wanting to be able to stay and gawk at the stranger in their midst. He had begun to argue about their decision to keep him, but the Triumvirate ignored his protests and left the room via the ramps that led to the door high on the wall. Guards cleared the room otherwise, pushing the lingering citizens out by the force of their presence alone, and finally it was only Yeri and the human left. He was bowed over on his knees, showing grief that she had to admit seemed similar to how her people grieved.

And yet she watched him from where she stood, her lip drawn between her teeth as she considered his actions. He could have easily told Triumvir Junghwa that it had been Yeri who had brought him here, unlawfully, and that would have brought a punishment down upon her. Her mother had been positive that the human would show anger and violence and told Yeri that she would never have to worry about being found out, but when the tables had tipped in Junghwa's favor, the woman had not hesitated to try and trap Yeri. Any shame on her would reflect on her mother, and that would bring more power to the other two Triumvirs.

But this strange human hadn't even fallen into her trap... instead, he had lied for Yeri. She knew that he had seen her in the ocean above, that he had recognized her in the cell when they had spoken. And when he had glanced at her before speaking to Junghwa, she knew that he knew who brought him there. So why hadn't he ratted her out?

That was why she had forestalled on the plan she and her mother had discussed. Sungryung had played her part beautifully, pinning the human with accusation after accusation, and yet he had held steadfast to the easy temperament he had shown. It was Yeri who had hesitated on her accusation, knowing that it would condemn this human and now too curious as to why he had not condemned her in turn. She could always later say that he did something to her if she needed to get rid of him.

She realized with a start that he was looking at her now, and she ripped her lip from her teeth and settled her expression into one of arrogance. "Are you done?" she asked coldly.

He was still on his knees, face streaked with tear tracks, but his expression shuttered at her words. "I am," was all he said as he climbed to his feet.

He followed her without a word as she left the room, not even paying attention to the surroundings he had so openly stared at as they had made their way to the Collegium. Yeri pushed aside the questions that continued to build in her mind, but she had one that she couldn't dismiss so easily. And so, when they re-entered his cell and she shut the door behind them, she had to ask it.

"Why?"

He looked up from where he had been gathering his few belongings and looked at her curiously. "What?" he asked, brow crinkling in confusion.

Yeri sighed, leaning back against the door as she thought of how best to explain things to him. Were all humans so thick-headed, she began to wonder-

"I'm teasing," he added softly, shaking his head ever so slightly as he went back to his things. "There was no point in it. I don't know your situation and I can't understand your anger, but tell me, why should I have pointed you out?"

'Because I tried to drown you,' she thought immediately, but she didn't say it. She only watched him as he continued speaking.

"Besides, there seemed to be factions there, things I don't understand. And honestly I don't want to be caught up in any of them, I won't be a pawn in someone's game. So keeping that little fact between you and I seemed like the best choice. You would be in big trouble if I hadn't, right?"

Her face darkened at the reminder and she turned away, angry at herself for being too weak to follow the plan, and angry at her mother for being... her mother... and angry at this huma