The aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the small, candlelit room. You sat across from Lady Tamayo, watching as she delicately poured the steaming liquid into two porcelain cups.

She was always so graceful, so composed—yet there was something in her eyes tonight, something distant.

“You’re lost in thought again,” you murmured, taking a sip of the tea she had prepared.

Tamayo offered a soft smile. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Only to me.”

Her smile lingered for a moment before fading, her gaze lowering to the cup in her hands. “I was just thinking… about time.”