"Does it hurt… when you eat?"
Elena didn't answer immediately.
For a moment, she just looked at him, her gaze dropping briefly to his hand near her face before returning to his eyes. There was something unfamiliar about the way he had asked that question… no edge, no mockery, no attempt to provoke her.
Just… concern.
It caught her off guard more than she expected.
"It stings a little," she admitted after a pause, her voice quieter than before. "But it's nothing serious."
The honesty in her answer came easier than it should have.
Maybe because he hadn't asked it like an accusation.
Maybe because, for once, she didn't feel like she needed to defend herself.
Alaric's fingers lingered for a second longer before he withdrew his hand slowly, as if only just realizing what he had done.
His gaze lifted back to her, studying her in silence.
Then, almost as if something shifted in his mind… his expression changed.
