"I love you, Lackey."
Those words made the air inside the dining room feel strangely heavier.
Even Lackey froze for a brief moment, the spoon in his hand stopping halfway before it could reach the plate.
It wasn't as though he had never expected something like this.
Even a blind man could see how much effort Penelope had been putting into speaking with him lately. The way she lingered near him longer than necessary, the way her eyes unconsciously searched for him whenever he entered a building, the way her voice softened whenever she spoke his name.
Considering everything he had done for her... and considering how gently he had treated her compared to the cruelty she had endured before... affection was inevitable.
Still, hearing those words directly from her lips caught him off guard.
Especially this soon.
