Kiera sat quietly on the far end of the couch with her mind elsewhere.
The faint clinking of cups and the low murmur of conversation filled the Noble's Guest House, blending with the distant hum of the evening wind brushing past the windows.
A half-finished cup of tea rested in her hands with the steam curling lazily upward as she absently traced the rim with her fingertip.
The soft dip of the cushion beside her startled her.
She blinked and turned her head slightly to look at Brandon sitting beside her.
Kiera's eyes flicked around the room, and there were other empty seats around them. Which meant he came and sat beside her deliberately.
Her expression didn't change much, but there was a subtle flicker in her gaze before she asked, "Is something the matter… Father?"
Brandon's body stiffened, and the teacup in his hand stopped halfway to his lips as he turned slowly to face her.
