The gentleman's piercing gaze scanned over his young, comely wife, Lady Lumine, who stood at his side with a demure smile on her lips. The frigid silence that followed was a weighty byproduct of unspoken words and unshared thoughts, permeating the air with a palpable tension.

"You are late." He murmured, his voice laced with palpable tension as his icy embers peered at the lady.