Leonardo's assistant entered the room and said,
"Young Duke, the family elders are waiting for you to start the monthly meeting."
Maliny pouted, disappointed that she couldn't spend more time with her precious brother. She waved goodbye in his direction.
After Leonardo left, she turned to Druvok and smiled. She reached for his hand and gently dragged him toward the table.
"Sit down — let's have a tea party."
Druvok hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down.
Maliny called out to her personal maid,
"Mary! Bring desserts and tea for me and my new friend."
Then, she turned toward Druvok again.
"Druvok, you're here, right?"
Her blind eyes blinked in his direction, seeking a response.
Druvok stared at Maliny for a moment, then sighed and let out a simple hum.
Maliny smiled brightly and started talking cheerfully.
"I'll start by introducing myself. I'm Maliny, the youngest daughter of Duke Drime. I'm eighteen, and as you can see… I'm blind. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun together! We can listen to the birds, read books — well, you can read for me — talk for hours, or have lots of tea parties like this!"
She paused, waiting for Druvok's response, but when none came, she simply kept talking.
Druvok stared at her, uninterested in her chatter. 'She's blind, yet has such a big mouth,' he thought.
Maliny continued,
"I love pets. I have some birds. Do you like pets, Druvok?"
Druvok was starting to feel irritated by how much she talked. When Maliny didn't hear a response from him, she instinctively reached out to touch him, to make sure he was still there.
The moment her hand brushed against him, Druvok's muscles tensed. His patience snapped — he slapped her hand away sharply.
"Don't touch me, you filthy human!" he snarled.
Maliny's eyes welled up with tears. The harshness in his voice cut through her like a blade. She sat on the ground, hugging her knees, mumbling through her tears,
"Why… why are you so mean to me? I just… I just wanted to be your friend…"
She broke down, crying softly.
Her tears only irritated Druvok further. He growled,
"Stop crying, you crybaby!"
But his words made her sob louder. Druvok sighed heavily. A sharp pang of guilt stabbed at his chest.
He crouched next to her, his voice low and hesitant,
"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you… Stop crying."
Maliny paused, sniffling, and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
A mischievous glint replaced the sadness in her tone.
"Will you play any game I want… if I stop crying?" she asked, half teasing, half hopeful.
Druvok groaned and answered impatiently,
"Okay, fine. Just stop crying. You look uglier when you cry."
Maliny's eyes shimmered again, and her lower lip quivered.
"Am I… ugly?" she asked, on the verge of crying once more.
Druvok stiffened, realizing the trap he walked into. He sighed.
"No… You're… very pretty," he muttered.
Maliny's face brightened instantly. She smiled sweetly and giggled softly.
Druvok found himself unexpectedly smiling too, his heart softening at the sound of her gentle giggle.
'Maybe… she's not as bad as the other humans,' he thought.