By the time morning sunlight spilled gently across the dining hall windows, the clock on the far wall had already struck seven. The warm scent of freshly baked bread and soft scrambled eggs filled the room, steam rising from plates that the staff had prepared exactly on time—like always.
But the seats closest to the head of the table remained empty.
Hugo and Lea had yet to come downstairs.
Kael noticed it immediately. He was already dressed neatly for the morning, leaning one hand against the polished surface of the long dining table while he glanced up toward the staircase with faint worry tightening his expression.
"They should've woken up by now," Kael muttered, checking the clock again as if the hands might suddenly shift to justify his concern.
Across from him, Marina poured tea into two cups—hers and Kael's. She didn't carry the same urgency in her posture. If anything, she seemed remarkably calm, her movements precise yet gentle.
