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Not surprise.

Recognition.

“You know that format.”

“Yes.”

“Crown Prince Anik?”

“No.”

That answer came immediately.

I leaned closer to the screen again. “King Crencik?”

“No.”

I looked at him. “Then who?”

Veyr reached across me to enlarge the metadata.

His forearm passed close enough that the heat of him radiated against my skin, a near-touch that made my breath catch. My own arm went still, every nerve aware of the narrow space between us.

His movement halted for a fraction of a second, muscles tensing along his forearm as if he’d felt it too—that charged, almost painful absence of contact.

Then he continued, and neither of us breathed until he withdrew.

“This authorization belongs to the royal household,” he said.

“I got that far.”

“Secondary lineage means a royal son who does not hold the King or Crown designation.”

I stopped.

“One of Anik’s brothers.”

“Yes.”

The room seemed to become quieter.

I looked back at the identifier. “Which one?”

Veyr studied the credential. “The personal name is masked.”

“Can you tell from the sequence?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

I gave him a look.

His mouth tightened slightly. “I am not withholding it.”

That landed harder than I expected.