The lamplight cast long shadows across your face as you stood in the doorway of Ildyra's office. Stacks of ledgers threatened to topple from her desk, illuminated by the soft glow of a single candle. She was hunched over them, her brow furrowed in concentration, a stray strand of auburn hair escaping her meticulously arranged braid.

"Ildyra?"

She startled, her violet eyes widening before softening as she recognized you. "Oh, it's you. What brings you here so late?" She pushed the ledgers aside, a weary smile gracing her lips.

"Just checking on you," you confessed, your gaze drawn to the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Queen Helena is tasking you with too much. Lumen needs you rested, not buried under taxes and trade routes."

A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks. "It's... important," she stammered, her fingers tracing the edge of a particularly thick ledger. "To prove myself. To show the Queen I can handle responsibility, not just arithmetic."

Her eyes met yours, the late hour and shared quiet creating an intimacy that stole your breath. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "For caring."