AVIONA'S POV
We lingered at the table long after Ingrid had swept out, her perfume still clinging to the air. My fork scraped softly against the porcelain as I nudged the last piece of vegetable across my plate, tracing idle circles while I waited for Renli to speak. Perhaps to say our tour of the palace would continue.
At last, Renli set her utensils down with a soft clink and leaned back in her chair.
“I can tell nothing in this palace has managed to impress you,” she said, her tone hovering somewhere between amusement and disappointment.
I didn’t answer. I only met her gaze.
She arched a brow. “Are you planning to spend the whole day nodding and shaking your head at me?” she asked, her voice lilting with mock exasperation. “You do know you’re allowed to talk to me, right?”
Of cour
