Olivia crossed the threshold of her grand drawing room, the rustle of her dark silk gown the only sound in the tense air. She took her seat with an elegant, practiced poise, gesturing for Cedric to take the armchair opposite her. Behind them, fading seamlessly into the dim corners of the room like a gargoyle carved from ice, Matthias took his post. As a masked Imperial Knight, his duty required his silent presence—and his complete, agonizing isolation.
Cedric settled into his seat, leaning back with a deceptive casualness. His sharp, calculating eyes flickered from Olivia toward the towering, masked guard in the corner before returning to her. A faint, condescending smirk touched his lips.
"Must this guard follow you even in here, Olivia?" Cedric asked, his tone smooth but laced with an undeniable undercurrent of irritation.
Olivia met his gaze.
"He is my assigned knight," she replied, her voice clipping the air with absolute finality. "Therefore, he stays."
