Rias looked at the canal for a moment longer, her smile turning a little distant, and Martin noticed.
Rias usually carried herself with the confidence of someone who already had the answer before anyone asked the question. Calm, polished, and a little untouchable. But whenever she talked about the places she had visited, there was a softer look in her eyes.
It was not exactly regret, but something close to it.
"You really didn't get to enjoy any of those places?" he asked.
"Not properly," she said. "Hotels, cars, airports, venues, meetings. Sometimes a beautiful view through a window. Sometimes dinner with people I needed to impress. That was usually it."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It was still a privilege," Rias said. "I know that. But yes, sometimes it was."
Martin nodded, and for once, he didn't try to force a joke into it.
