The maid had barely closed the door behind me when I turned away from the room without a second thought. My feet moved of their own accord, silent against the polished floor, until I found myself back down the hall. I slipped into the shadows, far enough that no one would notice me—yet close enough that every word reached me as clearly as if I stood among them.
I told myself it was wrong. That I was prying. That it wasn't my place.
And yet… I stayed.
The chandelier's glow spilled across the marble, casting long shadows as silence pressed in.
Lady Selene's voice broke it, calm yet sharp enough to make even me straighten in instinct.
"Lisa. You left this house… ran away to the academy without telling anyone. Do you understand what you did?"
Lisa's shoulders folded in instantly, her hands twisting into the fabric of her cloak. That tiny, trembling voice carried through the vast hall.
"…I just wanted to see my brother."
