"A-Anyway, when is this auction?" Reo asked, voice slightly strained.
He stammered it's not because his scared towards her but because Clara had been staring at him with an oddly irritated expression just moments ago.
Her arms had been crossed tightly, her aura prickling with cold discontent. She hadn't said anything aloud, but the tension was clear. Something about him or rather, something about Althea had clearly upset her.
Caught off guard, Reo instinctively tried to redirect the conversation.
Clara narrowed her eyes slightly, seeing straight through the change of topic.
For a moment, she looked like she might press the matter. But instead, she exhaled long and slow and reluctantly let it go. She uncrossed her arms, her posture loosening.
"Don't worry," she muttered. "The auction's one week away. You can stay here for the night… or longer."
She added the last part with a second breath, quieter than the first.
Reo nodded slowly, his thoughts already drifting toward plans.
