The quiet atmosphere within the private cabin deepened once more after Seraphina repeated her question, the soft glow of the hanging lights casting warm reflections across the polished table while the faint sounds of the restaurant beyond the walls remained distant and muted. Neither woman rushed to speak immediately, yet unlike before, the silence no longer felt uncertain. It felt deliberate, as though both of them understood that whatever was said next would shape the direction of this conversation far more than anything prior.
Aurelia remained calm throughout it all.
She lifted her utensils once again and continued eating with composed elegance, entirely unhurried, as though Seraphina's question had not cornered her in the slightest. The contrast between them became even clearer in that moment—Seraphina sitting perfectly still, observant and guarded, while Aurelia carried herself with an ease that bordered on unsettling confidence.
