Matteo was clearly surprised to see Selara inside that chamber.
For a man who had spent decades polishing his reactions into something respectable, the mask failed him rather badly. His fingers tightened around the cane, his posture stiffened, and for one brief breath his face held the exact expression of someone who had opened a familiar door and found a blade waiting on the other side.
Selara noticed. The official who had escorted her intervened before Matteo could say anything else, stepping forward with the careful brightness of a man trying to smooth a cracked vase while everyone could hear it breaking.
"Lord Matteo, what a pleasant coincidence," he said. "Director Selara wished to learn more about this year's winning product. She said she wanted to evaluate it personally, given her history with the event, so we brought her here."
Matteo rubbed his brow with two fingers, slowly enough that it almost passed for thought instead of irritation.
