Days had passed since their visit to Gorris Kingdom.
Nicole couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Kazana had vanished from public sight. According to his wife, the illness had worsened. He spent most days locked inside his hut , drifting between fever and restless sleep as he fought against the Duchess's lingering influence.
The palace itself had become strangely quiet.
Even the servants whispered.
Nicole sat beside the tall arched window overlooking the royal gardens, absentmindedly dragging a brush across the canvas before her. The painting was supposed to be of the spring lilies blooming beneath the stone terraces, yet every stroke of color darkened into greys and blacks without her realizing it.
She sighed.
"…Again."
With the edge of a cloth she wiped away another ruined section.
Jasper stood nearby, leaning casually against one of the marble columns with his arms crossed. He had been watching her for nearly fifteen minutes.
