I always knock on the door of Reiner's office before I go in. Obviously the work of Iryna's Governor often requires a lot of discretion, but Reiner is also a very private man, and I've noticed that he doesn't like to be startled. So I knock, I hold my breath, and I only go in if he invites me or I hear no response.

This time, I walk in and unexpectedly find Reiner at his desk, leaning into his SmartStone screen, reading intently. For just a moment, I get to see him without the face he wears when other people are around. His eyes are narrowed and his brows creased slightly towards the middle. His lips are pressed together and he takes deliberate breaths through his nose. He's thoughtful, calculating, determined.

Then his gaze flicks upwards, catches mine, and his posture shifts. He straightens his back, squares his shoulders, and smooths out his expression into a pleasant smile.

"Gideon!" He greets me warmly. "Sorry, I must have missed your knock."

"That's alright, I'm very sorry to intrude." I can't read his screen from here. I'm looking at it from the back, so the letters are mirrored. I have enough trouble reading, even from the right side. "Could I ask... If it's not too personal... What're you reading? You seemed very... Concentrated."

"Oh, this?" Reiner lets out a sheepish chuckle, and spins the screen around in my direction. "Nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just catching up on what the gossip mags have to say about me. Always a fun read."

Ah. If I was a public figure like Governor Reiner, I hate to imagine what nonsense would get printed about me to sell magazine subscriptions. At least Reiner seems to have a good sense of humor about it.

"What's this?" I bend forward, frowning as I skim the paragraphs. "It's about... you and Selwyn?"

"Yup." Reiner rolls his eyes dramatically. "Apparently there's a secret conspiracy. Selwyn's not a real person. I'm just pretending to be him so I can judge the Champion Tournament myself."

I laugh, and Reiner's smile widens. "Where'd they get that idea?! That's ridiculous."

"I'm glad you think so." I'm not sure what he means by that, but I'm fairly sure it's a good thing. "They got the idea because I haven't appeared publically with Selwyn since he arrived in Iryna. But of course, as you are well aware, it would be a conflict of interest for me to choose the next Champion, since I was the one who removed our previous Champion from the office, after she... You know. So I've kept my distance from the Tournament as much as I can. I don't want to seem like I'm rigging the competition for my own gain."

"Of course not." It makes me sad to think about Kesti. I still don't fully understand why she turned against Reiner like she did. If I was Reiner, I would want to make sure that something like that never happened again. But Reiner has different priorities. He's always thinking about how others see him.

...I suppose that's why he looked so concerned reading that article. Even if it was a silly theory that obviously couldn't be real, it still means that people are suspicious of him. And it's true, he does have a motive to tamper with the tournament's outcome. But he wouldn't do that. Right?

"Gideon." My attention immediately snaps back to Reiner, my train of thought derailing. "You okay?"

"Why Selwyn?"

"I'm sorry?" Reiner frowns, his body growing tense.

"Oh, uh..." I didn't think it was that weird of a question, but I hurry to explain. "I mean, since you didn't want to judge the Champion Tournament yourself. Why did you choose Selwyn to do it?"

Reiner relaxes. He must have misunderstood me, or I wasn't clear enough, but now he seems reassured. "It's simple. He came from Evridiki, which is so far away that no one in Iryna has reason to know him. And he goes back home when the Tournament is over. So if anyone can be an impartial judge, it's him."

"That's convenient!" I say it with a big grin, expecting Reiner to laugh, but he doesn't. On the contrary, he scowls, his eyes flicking back to the screen in front of him. He closes the tab with a sharp sigh.

Huh.

Maybe I should read this article.

...No, I'm just being foolish. I just said a minute ago that the whole idea was stupid. Now I'm second-guessing myself. Why would Reiner think to put on such an elaborate charade? Who would it be for?

"What magazine was that again?"

"Doesn't matter. What did you come in here for, anyway?"

Now I really feel like an idiot. My cheeks burn. "...I'm so sorry, Governor Reiner, sir. I totally forgot."

"Good. Forget this whole conversation, while you're at it."

I leave in a hurry, assuming that I'd caught Reiner in a weird mood, and hoping I hadn't made it worse.

...But I didn't forget that conversation. And later, when I learned the truth, it made a lot more sense.