Rodrigo's grip tightened around the letter until the parchment crinkled beneath his fingers. The air in the courtyard seemed to drop ten degrees. When his eyes lifted slowly to Ruri, all warmth had vanished from them.
"What did you just say?"
Ruri's shoulders shook as she struggled to draw air into her lungs. The ground beneath her feet felt unstable. "Father… Father said he's accepted the dowry." Her voice cracked on a sharp breath. "And the wedding will be held immediately after the Hunt."
A silence settled between them.
Rodrigo lowered his gaze back to the letter. His eyes moved over every line, tracing each word as though searching for a mistake in the ink. The muscles along his jaw gradually hardened. By the time he reached the final sentence, his expression had become an unreadable mask.
Without a word, he folded the letter with chilling precision, then exhaled a controlled breath.
"Take her inside." His eyes shifted to her bodyguard.
