Reinahrdt's presence was like a blazing sun, bright, warm and commanding. He had become stronger, sharper and most importantly, his presence gave others a strong sense of reliability.
Unbeknownst to her, she found herself admiring that change far more than she should have.
"The Toto village, I can no longer postpone this plan. Even if the cost is uncertainty."
Verdia was no longer listening to him; her eyes continued to gaze at him, mesmerised. For a brief moment, she forgot the garden, the maids, even Arthur's laughter in the background.
Her thoughts drifted to the first letter announcing his visit, and the rush of joy she'd felt upon reading his name, not a mother's joy, but a woman's.
At that time, she had carefully buried those emotions; after all, she was his stepmother. Yet when she saw him again after so many months, all those memories of their encounter couldn't help but surface in her mind.
