"Lady Verona, forgive me for coming at this hour. And for… missing dinner." A faint smile pulled at the corner of his lips.
They were now sitting across from each other on the couch. Verona had offered some tea, but Elric had politely declined.
"You don't need to apologize," she replied. "I know you're busy. Truly, it's all right."
He studied her as if triple-checking that she genuinely meant it. Only then did his shoulders ease a little.
A small silence fell between them, but not the awkward kind. Elric's gaze drifted around her room, lingering on the canopy curtains, the rugs, the soft blue drapes he had chosen weeks ago.
"Are you… comfortable here?" he asked suddenly, as if the thought had been circling in his mind since the moment he walked in. "Is there anything that doesn't suit you? Anything you dislike?"
