Crow felt warmth creep up his neck and flush his cheeks at Penelope’s words. She actually understood him? Was that even possible? As much as he racked his brain, he couldn’t remember a single time when someone ever sympathized with him before. Everyone always wrote him off as a heartless criminal or a twisted man with no moral compass. Sure, there were some people who took the time to get to know him at least a little bit, such as Evelyn, but he could tell they had all kept an emotional distance from him. It was only natural. He was infamous for lying and betraying, so they had every reason to believe he would do the same to them. After all, who would be crazy enough to trust a thief?

Apparently this knight was. Crow smiled melancholically as she listed the times when he had helped her without seeking personal gain. She was right; there had been a few moments when he put his own needs aside for her. He wondered why that was. As long as he had been on his own, he had always put his own interests before anyone else’s, even causing them trouble if it meant he could attain his goals. But now, it seemed that something inside him had changed. It had taken him until this moment to realize it, but he actually cared about when Penelope was unhappy or in trouble.

[i]Is this what it’s like to have a friend?[/i]

“Looks like you caught me,” Crow laughed and held up his hands in a shrug. “I do have a heart.” He dropped his gaze to the ground for a moment before continuing somewhat bashfully. “Also… thanks. No one has ever tried to understand me before. It’s… nice. Nice to know that not everyone thinks I’m a thoughtless criminal, I mean.”