Maribel's expression shifted the moment the guards disappeared, the last of the tension in the room settling into something quieter, something more personal.
When she looked at me again, it wasn't with the usual quiet focus of a maid carrying out her duties, but with something gentler—something closer to concern. It softened her expression, easing that practiced composure she always held so carefully in place, unless when she was joking around.
"I am sorry," she said, her voice gentler now, lacking the sharpness from before. "I spoke too harshly. But… are you certain you are alright?"
For a moment, I simply held her gaze, weighing the question rather than answering it immediately. The faint ache in my chest had not fully disappeared, but it had dulled into something manageable, something I could ignore if I chose to. That alone was enough. I exhaled slowly, letting the tension settle where it belonged.
