“I…” Rezo considers her words. Really considers them. Lioriley is, to put it gently, the sort of person who would put another’s wants before her own, so it’s not necessarily a stretch that she’d put her own feelings aside to care for someone.

But she is also an honest woman, and he cannot picture her feigning attraction out of misplaced pity. Even trying to picture it makes his skin crawl; she could never be so cruel.

“No,” he admits, “If I think about it for even a moment, I cannot doubt you.”

It’s just somewhat difficult for him to reconcile this with his own understanding of himself and his desirability.