Chapter 219: A Request
Lucian was quiet for a long moment.
The silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant murmur of the palace beyond the music room walls. Sunlight continued to stream through the tall windows, casting long golden patterns across the polished floor. Dust motes drifted lazily in the warm light, undisturbed by the stillness that had settled over the room.
Lyria waited, her amber eyes fixed upon his face, watching him with that quiet patience he had come to recognise as uniquely hers.
Lucian exhaled then.
"I apologise," he said at last. "That was not how I intended matters to proceed."
Her expression did not change.
"I was irritated," he continued. "There were no refreshments at all. Not in the garden, nor here. It seemed… deliberate."
He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts.
"And I wished to spend more time with you."
Her brows lifted slightly, though she said nothing.
