Crow lowered his gaze as Penelope stared at him with such astonishment, feeling self-conscious about admitting his decision to her. He’d never expected that he would even consider becoming a noble, let alone go so far as to actually take the title. Honestly, he’d never thought the choice would come up at all. He was a peasant, born and raised. In all his life, he’d never heard of someone of his status rising up to nobility, so it wasn’t something he’d really thought about before, since it had seemed impossible. Yet, here he was now, readying himself to completely change the course of his life to give Penelope the future she deserved. It was a surreal feeling.

As she tried to convince him that he didn’t have to take the job for her sake, seeming to think he had just made his decision based on what they were doing now, he shook his head. “But I didn’t just start considering this right now,” he objected with a frown, looking up again to meet her gaze. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it since the moment my father made his offer. It just took me until now to realize that this is the best option for us.”

He shifted his weight slightly as he explained, “Until yesterday, we never thought it was possible for me to be anything other than a thief. It’s not like peasants jump to nobility every day, after all. So… I just think that if there’s a way for us to be together that doesn’t involve you losing everything, then I should take it.” He shrugged faintly. “It makes more sense than denying the offer and making you sacrifice it all anyway, doesn’t it?” A soft smile formed on his lips as he studied her face. “Besides, I already know I won’t regret anything. As long as I’m with you, I’m going to be happy, even if our future together looks a little different than what we were expecting it to be.”

Leaning in, Crow met Penelope’s lips in a tender kiss, pulling her into another embrace. “I’ve made up my mind,” he said when he pulled back again, speaking to her with more certainty than before. “I’m going to take the job.”