The man looked exactly as he had when they first met, except that he was now dressed in a modern black three-piece suit that appeared to be tailored from expensive fabric. His polished shoes gleamed in the candlelight, and a neatly tied Windsor knot sat beneath his collar. A white rose, its petals still dotted with dewdrops, was pinned to his lapel, making him seem utterly out of place amid the medieval furnishings of Lina's bedchamber. He leaned casually against the bedpost, smiling at her as he beckoned her over.
Lina put down her comb and turned to face him, her expression immediately cooling. "What are you doing here again?"
"Hmm? Have you forgotten that we signed a temporary contract?" The man pressed a hand to his chest and widened his eyes in exaggerated surprise. "Now that the contract has expired, I've come to ask whether you'd like to renew it."
