"It's been a while, Lisa. I heard you were sick. Are you feeling any better now?"
"Um… y-yeah. I'm fine. Really."
Her voice slipped through the narrow gap in the door, hesitant and soft.
"But what about you?" she added quickly. "I heard you were seriously injured. Is it really okay for you to be walking around already?"
"The imperial healers are on a completely different level," I replied with a light shrug she couldn't see. "I'm perfectly fine now."
We spoke like that for a moment, separated by the door.
She kept her eyes wide, alert, yet made no move to open it any further. The gap remained just large enough for a conversation—nothing more.
There had to be a reason.
Maybe she didn't want me to see how sick she looked.
Or maybe… something else entirely.
"Well, I should get going then," I said after a brief pause. "We can talk again another time."
I'd already accomplished my purpose—confirming she was safe. Staying longer would only make things awkward.
