Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

The first one that came to Cain's mind as he rushed back to his dorm room was Jayden. Almost from the moment he had met her, she had been the personification of pride.

She had refused to be looked down upon based merely on her race as a demihuman and had excelled in everything she did. While she hated studying and anything that relied on cognitive abilities, there was no denying that her physical abilities were outstanding.

Cain opened his door and froze.

Jayden was sprawled across his couch. One of his shirts was pressed to her face. Her eyes were closed. She was breathing fast, uneven, and far too involved for someone who was supposed to be relaxing. Her other hand was buried inside her shorts.

Cain stared. Entrusting one of the Sins to her had never seemed more questionable.

She did not even notice him coming in.

"Jayden," Cain said flatly.

Her eyes snapped open. The shirt slipped from her hands. She scrambled backward, nearly falling off the couch, one leg still tangled in her shorts. Her hair stuck out in all directions.

"I… it is not what it looks like!" she blurted.

Cain raised one eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks exactly like what it looks like."

She blinked at him, then opened her mouth. "I… I was just—"

"Comforting yourself with my laundry," Cain said calmly.

She froze, then gasped. "I was not!"

"You were holding my shirt and breathing funny," Cain said.

"I… I… it was soft," she said, voice high-pitched and panicked. "It smelled nice!"

Cain stared at her. "That is your excuse?"

"It is!" she shouted, clutching the pillow on the couch like it might protect her from the truth.

Cain ran a hand down his face. "How did you even get in here? I did not give you a key."

Jayden's eyes flicked toward the window.

"You did not use the door," Cain said flatly.

"I got in the window," she said proudly, as if that solved everything.

Cain blinked. "I live on the third floor."

"So?" she said, shrugging. Shorts twisted, hair messy, face still red.

"So normal people use doors," Cain said evenly.

"Doors are boring," she said.

Cain rubbed his temples. "You also do not normally break into someone's dorm to do… that."

Jayden hugged the pillow to her chest. "You were not supposed to be back," she said.

"So this is my fault?" Cain asked.

"Yes," she said immediately. "You walked in."

"In my own dorm," Cain said flatly.

"Yes," she said again, blinking, completely oblivious to the absurdity.

Cain sighed. "You are impossible."

Her cheeks flushed darker. "I am not! I just… I like it!"

Cain blinked. "You like what?"

She pointed at him and then the shirt on the floor. "That! I like your shirt! And… you!"

Cain stared. "You like… what exactly?"

She scrambled backward on the couch. "I like you! I just… I was… I was…"

"Comforting yourself," Cain finished for her.

"Yes!" she shouted. "But you are mine! I just… I wanted it close!"

Cain pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are unbelievable."

She hugged the pillow tighter. "I am not!"

"You broke into my dorm, through the window, on the third floor, to… use my laundry," Cain said slowly.

"I said it was soft!" she said. "And it smelled nice!"

Cain leaned against the desk. "That is not a defense."

"It is!" she insisted. "I like it!"

Cain stared at her, expression flat. "You are lucky I have seen worse."

She blinked. "Have you?"

Cain shook his head. "Never mind. Sit down."

She plopped back onto the couch, still clutching the pillow. "I am embarrassed," she admitted.

Cain did not respond.

"I… I did not think you would come back so soon," she said.

"That is the problem," Cain said. "You did not think."

She pouted. "I was thinking! I was thinking about… about you!"

Cain raised an eyebrow. "About me?"

"Yes!" she said. "I like you! I like your shirt! I like you!"

Cain blinked. "You just said that."

"I know!" she said, sounding frustrated. "I said it again because it is true!"

Cain shook his head. "You are impossible."

She tilted her head. "No, I am simple," she said. "I like what I like."

Cain leaned back. "You are definitely simple-minded."

"I am!" she said, smiling brightly despite her red face. "I like you! I like your shirt! I like… everything!"

Cain sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You are going to give me gray hair before the week is out."

"I am yours!" she shouted suddenly, hugging the pillow to her chest. "You are mine!"

Cain blinked. "That much is obvious."

She bounced lightly on the couch. "See! I am not embarrassed! I am yours! I just… I did not think you would catch me!"

Cain rubbed his temples again. "Next time, use a door."

Jayden tilted her head, hair sticking everywhere, pillow in her lap. "Doors are boring," she said simply.

Cain sighed. "You will be the death of me."

She grinned. "Maybe. But I am yours, remember?"

Cain stared at her silently, wondering how she managed to be so direct and simple-minded while simultaneously driving him insane.

She plopped backward onto the couch, kicking her legs lazily, hair tangled, pillow pressed against her chest. "You are mine," she said again, voice soft but firm. "And you are mine too."

Cain rubbed his face, leaning back in his chair. "I know."

She sat up quickly. "Good! I like it when you admit things!"

Cain leaned forward. "You really are impossible."

She laughed, a short, breathy sound, bouncing lightly on the couch. "I know! But you like it."

Cain pinched the bridge of his nose again, closing his eyes. Was this really the person he could entrust Pride to?

He was truly doubting if she really was the right person for this sort of power but Cain felt a throb of heat come from his heart in that moment as a gold light began to manifest itself around Cain.

While he was questioning it, Pride had seemed to make a move on its own, having taken an interest in Jayden somehow. Whether that was a good or bad thing was something that Cain would only find out later.