Evie returns home after work to find her father, Griffin Sage, in good spirits and cooking dinner for her and her ten-year-old sister, Lyssa. Though the soup is watery and unappetizing, Evie insists they eat every drop because their father cooking is a sign he is feeling well—a rare occurrence since his illness began. Evie notices the two empty chairs at the table that once belonged to her mother, who left the family, and her older brother, Gideon, who is also absent.

When her father asks about her work at the manor, Evie deflects, calling it uneventful. Lyssa expresses excitement about Evie working in what she imagines is a castle, forcing Evie to downplay her workplace. Evie reflects on the burden of lying to her family, knowing that association with The Villain is punishable by law. Despite the danger, she admits the secrecy excites her rather than frightens her, comparing her recklessness to her mother's nature.

Evie redirects the conversation to Lyssa's school lessons, finding relief in her sister's innocent chatter. She reflects on how aged she feels at only twenty-three, worn down by caretaking responsibilities and past mistreatment. She justifies working for The Villain by noting his fair treatment of employees, his respect for women, and his secret preference for heavily sweetened cauldron brew—a detail she finds endearing and that makes her pulse quicken.

After dinner, Griffin begins to clear the table, but Evie insists on doing the dishes while Lyssa cleverly asks their father for a story. Griffin settles into the chair that once belonged to their mother and tells Lyssa tales of villains defeated by heroes, unaware that Evie now works for those he despises. Evie scrubs the dishes with stinging cheeks and shortened breaths, humming a melody her mother used to sing—a bittersweet comfort tied to painful memories involving dandelion fields and an unspecified traumatic day.

As Evie watches her father carry a sleeping Lyssa to bed, she catches her own reflection and forces a practiced smile. She recalls her mother's words—that Evie's smile could fix a broken world—and acknowledges that this proved untrue. Still, Evie keeps smiling, hoping it might somehow be enough to protect the people she loves.