We don’t talk for the rest of the day. The flight home is silent, and as soon as we land, Dominik walks into the castle and disappears into one of the many rooms. Not wanting to disturb him, I went off to my room and stayed there until nightfall.

We meet again in the dining room, Dominik tentatively calling me for dinner. I sit next to him and begin eating, waiting for him to make conversation. After 10 minutes of silence, I sigh and place my fork and knife on the plate with a ...