Shady

(hah moooood I've been so irritated with Ky in this one like whyyyyy are you lashing out at literally everyone trying to help you staaaahp. Like. How is she better-adjusted ...

Ky blinked again, hesitating for a long moment as she tried to process her surprise. Somehow, it was harder for the praise to register than it would if Lady Constance ...

(Right??? Like this was a twist I did not see coming haha he had such golden retriever energy early on but now he's an impulsive idiot cheater whew buddy -- ...

Ky blinked, thoroughly stunned. "He... he did? Ma'am?" She'd inferred that he'd told them about her and Tadaaki, seeing as Loquitur called them the spies right away. But she assumed ...

"...I don't think I believe in ghosts," Ky said. Although all this time in the tunnels was making her question a lot of things she thought she knew. "I think ...

Ky blushed profusely at that, but smiled, genuinely flattered. "That's very, very kind of you to say, ma'am."

"It's-- it's fine." She shook her head, embarrassed. "I..." She cleared her throat, glancing away. "It's fine. I'm just spooked, I guess. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes ma'am." Ky smiled a little and dipped her head. "...I mean. Not really. We're very simple people. But... he was a very good father anyhow."

Ky started despite herself. Her rational brain knew it was just him being silly. But her knees still locked and she stumbled backward a step in alarm before she could ...

"Not at all." Ky shook her head, forcing a slightly bigger smile, though this one didn't reach her eyes. "I think about him a lot anyway -- it's nice to ...

"But how ?" she pressed. "Surely he wasn't being well-fed? And wouldn't it have been easy to follow him up a tunnel when they noticed he was missing? And how ...

"Hmm..." Ky's brow was furrowed as she followed along behind him, perplexed. "I just don't understand how he had the strength to do all that without being caught. I can't ...

Ky puffed up, pleased at the praise on behalf of her father. She was proud of him. And it was wildly gratifying to hear a noble complimenting him. She wished ...

Had Gaius told him? Why did he keep bringing the diaries up? "And he managed to tunnel all the way into the Keep, gather supplies, and plan an escape -- ...

"Ouch... bold move."