An hour had passed since Lucian and the court officers had left, leaving guards posted at every entrance of the mansion. Right now, Ruelle sat at the dining table with her parents.
She could smell the fresh wax on the wooden floor, which made it obvious that the house had been prepared on short notice. Her fingers rested quietly on her lap while her eyes stayed on one of the vases as they waited for the food.
"The seat here is empty. Why are you sitting there?" Her father's voice drew her attention away from the empty vase.
Ruelle looked at him, surprised. She replied, "That is Caroline's seat... And you always preferred I sit beside Mother."
Something seemed to pass behind her father's eyes, which she couldn't deduce as it faded quicker than it had appeared.
"Well, Caroline isn't here," her father said, as if that explained it. "Sit here now."
