" Do you have no hope of breaking the curse at all?” Severin raised his eyes to meet Elle’s gaze. For a moment, Severin saw what his servants could see in Elle. He saw the compassion in her face and the way she did not shrink from his intimidating gaze. He recognized the sparkle of intelligence in her beautiful eyes, and her humble, unadorned beauty instead of criticizing the size of her mouth or the length of her nose. Severin blinked and squashed the thoughts like unwanted bugs. "
― K.M. Shea , Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairy Tales, #1)