Seraphina's POV
I kept staring at my grandmother and was trying to find any sign that might indicate where she was sick and unwell.
I wanted a simple clue that could warn me so I could stop it this time. But all I saw was the same straight back, the same sharp eyes that could make even my father go silent.
Alistair squeezed my hand and pulled me forward. My feet felt heavy as I walked toward her.
When we reached her, she looked up. For a moment, I couldn't read her face. Then she gave me a rare, small smile.
Everyone in the room froze for a second, stunned to see Old Madam Lan smile like that.
She wasn't the type to hand out smiles. People knew her for her cold, stern face and the way she carried herself with a straight spine and unshakable will. She was stubborn, yes, but she was also the woman who had held the Lancaster family together when her husband's health had collapsed, taking on every burden without flinching.