There was a pause.
Not silence—just the breathless kind of stillness that followed something unexpected. Like dust suspended midair, waiting to fall.
Then came the next voice—older, female, Arcanis-born by the lilt in her vowels. Dressed in ivory silks and jeweled cuffs, her eyes flicked toward Valeria with a blend of curiosity and lightly veiled concern.
"You went alone?" she repeated, voice more incredulous than accusatory. "To Andelheim?"
Valeria nodded once. "Yes."
"But surely you brought at least a guard—an escort?" another noblewoman asked, frowning, her expression tightening in quiet disbelief. "Even for someone of your standing, traveling that far alone… that's hardly safe."
"It's the outer-east," someone murmured. "Marquis Vendor governs, yes—but the borders aren't without risk. Especially for a noblewoman."
