The garden had been arranged to appear effortless.
Stone paths curved through trimmed greenery, leading toward small seating areas placed with deliberate distance between them. The design encouraged quiet conversation, not crowding. Even the placement of shade and light seemed intentional, allowing each corner to feel separate without being isolated.
Liora had chosen one of those corners.
She sat with her back to the climbing vines that framed the outer wall, the table before her set with a single cup of tea. The steam had thinned by the time footsteps approached, but she did not reach for it immediately. Her attention remained on the space ahead, as though she had already accounted for the interruption before it arrived.
Evelyne did not hesitate when she entered the garden.
