The atmosphere inside the gazebo grew heavier after Nuya's words.
Aksai sat still, his hand frozen halfway to his wine glass. His mind was blank for a moment, unable to process what he had just heard. When her words finally sank in, his chest tightened as if something inside him had cracked.
He looked at Nuya, disbelief and a faint trace of hurt in his eyes. "You said… you won't be coming back to the Dadangar Subcontinent?" His voice came out low, uncertain. "What do you mean by that?"
Nuya didn't respond right away. She only looked down, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the table. The silence stretched, and Aksai's expression slowly hardened. He let out a faint chuckle—one that carried no amusement, only quiet anger.
"So that's how it is," he said, his tone laced with forced calm. "Do you think this place is a backwater town now that you've found yourself a good backer in your father?"
