The following day, Sera received a guest she'd been expecting to see for some time now. It hadn't been the first time Atticus Reed had visited her in Lysanthia, but his visits had been discreet, with only a few people aware of his involvement with her.
Atticus had been waiting for her in the receiving room, enjoying a cup of warm tea. He quickly set the cup down as soon as Sera arrived, before giving her a polite bow.
"There's no need for such formality, Mr. Reed," Sera said as she gestured for him to take a seat. "I hope you didn't encounter troubles on your journey here."
"I have to make a stop once in a while because of the blizzards, but aside from that, there's nothing else worth mentioning," Atticus replied, his sharp eyes taking in her appearance with a merchant's assessing gaze. "You look well, Lady Sera. Lysanthia's climate, for all its harshness, seems to suit you well."
