Sylphia returned to the inn tired, but smiling. She had spent the entire day laughing, running, and shouting with the city kids, as if she'd never known another life. When she opened the door to their room, she found Veynessa sitting on the windowsill, legs pulled up, eyes sharp as they watched the world outside.
"Why... did you want me to play with them?" she asked quietly, approaching.
Veynessa turned her head with a faint smile.
"Because I thought it might bring you a bit of joy. You've lived your whole life behind palace walls. You've only ever known the servants... and me. The only child your age you've spent time with is Shion. That's... not much. And seeing your face while you played—I think I made the right call."
Sylphia nodded, her eyelids drooping with each passing second. She raised her arms and stretched, then yawned widely behind her hand. Her movements slowed, foggy and soft, like the mist over a lake at dawn.
"I'm sleepy..."
