I'm a villain within the hero's party

Cero watched silently, thinking to himself, "Jin Claye... he looks nervous on the outside, but his body language says otherwise. Interesting." The tavern fell into complete silence.

When Gabby’s hood was pulled back, everyone stared. His face was marked with deep acne scars and a patchy complexion. His nose was crooked and flat, and his eyes—though sharp—were slightly uneven, one squinting more than the other.

The knight who removed the hood quickly pulled it back over Gabby’s head, almost as if he regretted it.

One of the other knights muttered, "Ugly kid."

But Desmond shot him a sharp glare that shut him up immediately.

Gabby finally spoke, his voice cracking, "I’m just not confident about how I look... I don’t feel like someone who should be seen beside Sir Jin."

Even though Desmond was a noble known for his pride, he felt a pang of guilt. He lowered his voice and said, "We’re sorry if we made you feel that way, Gabby."

Jin rushed to Gabby’s side and gently rubbed his back. "I told you it was a bad idea," he said softly. "He has social anxiety. Just being stared at is enough to make him cry."

"As a token of apology," Desmond said, "we will donate two military horses to you."

Jin extended his hand and replied, "You don’t have to—but if you insist, we’ll gladly accept. We could use the extra safety." He glanced around the tavern, noticing the eyes of several serfs watching him with quiet malice.