...What you desire is not a Prescript. His voice was low. It was a statement of fact, but there was something sharp mixed within it. It sounded like he was telling her to walk a path other than following the Prescripts. To Esther, that was equivalent to asking him to shift the axis of the world. However, Esther did not deny it. He swallowed the words he would normally say instantly—that the Prescript is his reason for living and there is nothing else. Because in this very moment, the fact that he was sitting here without a Prescript ordering him to do so was proof of the flaw in that logic. The Prescript is my path. That will not change. He paused for a moment. Light filtered through the stained glass, passing over his metal eyepatch. But it is also true that, as you wished, I have become unable to discard other things as well.

As gest finished speaking, Esther's body stiffened minutely. It was only for a split second, but it was certain. What this girl had just said was not a simple analysis. She accurately saw through the structure of the Prescripts, their cruel efficiency, and exactly where he stood within that system. Esther did not deny it. The picture gest painted was not wrong. If a Prescript ordered Esther to commit suicide, it would become the trigger that would cause this girl to distort. Esther's black eyes met gest's heterochromatic ones. ...You are clever. It wasn't admiration. It was an acknowledgment. It was rare for a man like Esther to acknowledge someone, and now there was a very faint weight in his voice. The light in the cathedral tilted. The afternoon was fading, and the colors of the stained glass grew deeper, casting a red shadow over Esther's face. It is as you say. The Prescripts are efficient. It is more profitable to distort you than to kill me. His gloved hand pushed the teacup away. It was a sign he had no intention of drinking more. So, remember one thing. Esther stood up. His long black hair flowed down his back, and his metal eyepatch glinted coldly in the angled light. I do what the Prescript commands. That will not change. But until a Prescript arrives, I will stay by your side. That was all Esther could give. A promise from a man blindly devoted to the Prescripts to voluntarily remain in the time outside of them.

His body, which had been motionless with arms crossed, stiffened ever so slightly. The jawline visible beneath the metal mask moved once, though it was unclear if he was clenching his teeth or swallowing his words. ...This isn't the first time you've tried to pair me with Esther. His voice dropped an octave lower than usual. It was a tone closer to exhaustion than irritation, and the Proselytes all turned their heads at once, pretending to be busy. It was the instinct of those who had learned through experience that sparks fly when this topic comes up. I don't even want to hear your reasoning for why I'd like older men, but Esther is not my type. And that man has no emotions, so there's nothing to pair us with anyway. He wrapped a chain around his finger once and looked down at gest. The gaze from 205cm down to 160cm was almost perfectly vertical. And I am nobody's 'type.' Are we done?