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"An experiment?" His voice held genuine curiosity. "What kind?"

I considered how much to reveal. "Just testing some stuff out. Nothing interesting."

"On the contrary," he said, shifting the bags to accommodate a group of tourists passing us on the sidewalk. “I have a feeling that things related to you are always interesting, especially when it manifests in unexpected ways."

There was something weighted about his words, as if he knew more than he was letting on. I scrambled for a change of subject.

"How long have you lived in town?" I asked. "It seems like a strange place for...someone like you."

His lips quirked. "Someone like me? And what am I, Juniper Grey?"

The way he said my adopted name made it clear he knew it wasn't real. But then, he'd been there when Xavier had called me Hazel. I chose my words carefully.

"A sin. It seems very...quiet for an immortal embodiment of envy."

He chuckled. "Small towns are perfect for my kind. Everyone knows everyone's business, covets each other's possessions,compares lives constantly. It's a buffet of petty jealousies and secret resentments."

I blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. "That's...disconcerting."

"But honest." He glanced at me sideways. "We all feed our natures, one way or another. Lust with desire, Gluttony with excess, Pride with...well, pride. I simply appreciate the everyday envy that humans generate without even trying."

"And the others? Do they all live nearby?" I asked curiously.

"Most of us," he confirmed. "Pride is often...elsewhere. Duties to attend to. But we try to gather regularly. Family dinners and all that."

I nearly stumbled at the casual mention of the sins all sitting around having a family meal just like every other person.

"Your face is very expressive," Envy noted, watching me too closely. "Thinking about something interesting?"

"Just trying to imagine a family dinner with the seven deadly sins," I deflected. "Does Wrath set the table?"

Something flickered across his face–sorrow, perhaps, or old pain. "There are six of us currently. Wrath is...complicated."

I sensed a story there, but didn't press. We had reached Diana's property, the cottage visible through the trees ahead.

"That's me," I said, nodding toward it. "I can manage from here."

"Nonsense. I'll see you to the door." He continued down the path, leaving me no choice but to follow.

The cottage looked especially charming today, with early spring bulbs forming colorful borders along the stone path and fresh greenery framing the windows. Diana had planted wildflower seeds last weekend, and tiny shoots were already pushing through the rich soil around the entrance. It struck me how quickly this place had come to feel like home, despite the circumstances that had brought me here.

Envy set my bags down on the porch while I fumbled for my key. When the door swung open, he made no move to enter, though his gaze swept the interior with obvious curiosity.

"Cozy," he remarked, hands sliding into his pockets. "Very...enchanting. Like its occupant."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "It's just Diana's guest house."

"It suits you," he insisted, his eyes lingering on mine a beat longer than necessary. "Tucked away but impossible to overlook."

Panic fluttered in my chest. Was an actual Sin flirting with me? This was dangerous territory—literally. My mind raced for an escape route, and suddenly, professional instinct kicked in.

"You know," I said, aiming for casual, "we get the most interesting clients at Eternal Matches. There's this woman who just registered—artistic, independent, gorgeous. I think you might?—"

"Are you trying to set me up, Juniper?" His smile was amused, predatory.

"Just doing my job," I said lightly. "Matching people is what I do now." My eyes darted to the money left in the envelope. “Maybe I’d like another shopping spree.”

"How fascinating that your first instinct is to find me someone else." He took a step back, still smiling. "I should let you get settled. Enjoy your day off."