Damon was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. The sharpness of her tone and the anger in her eyes were unexpected. Her emotions seemed to boil over without warning, leaving him momentarily speechless.

    It wasn''t the first time he''d seen such resentment. He recognized the look—it was one he was all too familiar with.

    "I''m not a noble," Damon said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

    "I don''t think you''ve ever heard of a noble family named Grey, have you?"

    Iris didn''t seem convinced. Her gaze shifted to the tea cup in front of him, her lips pressing into a thin line.

    "But you have to be," she insisted. "That tea etiquette... only nobles bother with that kind of refinement."

    Damon tilted his head slightly, perplexed. "Tea etiquette?"

    "Yes!" she snapped. "The way you hold the cup, pour the tea, everything about it screams noble upbringing."

    Damon chuckled softly, setting the tea cup down.

    "This is just how I normally drink tea. My mother was very particular about it."

    He sighed.

    "But no, I''m definitely not a noble."

    Iris studied him, her brow furrowed in uncertainty. After a long pause, she bit her lip and sat down, her shoulders slumping slightly.

    "I... I apologize for my outburst," she murmured, her voice quieter now.

    Damon shook his head dismissively. "It''s fine. You''re quite the hothead, though."

    Her cheeks flushed, and she avoided his gaze.

    "You don''t seem to like nobles very much," he observed, his tone neutral.

    Her expression darkened instantly, and her fists clenched on her lap.

    "I hate them," she spat through gritted teeth.

    The intensity in her voice struck a chord with Damon, sparking a vague sense of de?ja? vu. Fate, it seemed, enjoyed playing strange games. Not long ago, he''d said something similar to her father. He recalled the man''s response—calm, but firm—and decided to answer her in his own way.

    "I hate them too," Damon said, his voice steady.

    Iris blinked, surprised. Her head tilted slightly as she studied his face, searching for any trace of insincerity.

    He smiled faintly.

    "What? They suck. They treat people horribly. I can''t imagine why anyone would like them."

    Damon shook his head.

    "I agree he''s wise, but I don''t agree with that line of thinking. Revenge is... satisfying. Seeing the fear in the eyes of those who wronged you, making them beg for their lives, and taking it away—that''s satisfying."

    His lips curled into a thin, almost unsettling smile as he spoke. The words carried a dark edge that made Iris shiver.

    "A wise man once said, ''An eye for an eye makes the world go blind,''" Damon continued, his tone laced with mockery.

    "But that man probably never lost an eye. If he did, he''d want payback."

    Damon raised his tea cup, sipping it leisurely.

    "If revenge is what you want, I''ll help you. If the academy is what you want, I''ll help you. If it''s someone you want dead, I''ll help you."

    Iris stared at him, trying to gauge the sincerity in his words.

    "And what''s in it for you?" she asked cautiously.

    Damon held up two fingers. "I repay my debts and... personal enjoyment."

    She hesitated for only a moment before responding. "I want all of that."

    Damon nodded, his expression steady. "You''d have to kill people. Your father wouldn''t want that."

    Iris bit her lip, her gaze hardening.

    "He''s gone now. His ideals won''t help me anymore."

    Damon studied her closely. This wasn''t what he had expected. Carmen Vale''s daughter wasn''t the gentle, meek girl he had imagined. Instead, she was a spitfire, burning with enough hatred for the nobility to willingly team up with someone as shady as him.

    Despite his uncertainty, Damon made up his mind. He would grant her wish.

    "Alright, then. As my apprentice, I can''t let you go off on your own. You''re wildly ambitious. If you want to restore your noble house, fine, I''ll help. But first, we start with getting you into the academy," he declared.

    Iris nodded, determination replacing her tears.

    "You should be careful, Iris. What you want isn''t for the faint of heart. Think it over. I''ll be back tomorrow," Damon said, rising to his feet. Read the latest on empire

    As he turned, Croft landed gracefully on his shoulder. He opened the door and stepped out into the night, pulling up his hood.

    He clenched his fist tightly, the cool night air biting against his skin.

    ''This was not what I was expecting,'' he thought.

    ''If I do this, I''ll be making more enemies in the future. But... I''ve decided. I''ll help her see her ambitions through, no matter what. It''s just a few nobles. It''s not like I haven''t killed some already.''

    With that, Damon disappeared into the shadows, his resolve set and his path filled with the inevitable chaos that lay ahead.