Arguments

Dryzza leaned forward, her interest piqued as she inquired softly, “Can you tell me more about this mistress?”

Her proximity seemed to draw out a subtle shift in Joline’s demeanor; the initial hesitation that had characterized her behavior now seemed to dissolve. Joline’s gaze briefly flickered toward her child, a fleeting glance that revealed a mother’s concern, before returning steadily to Dryzza.

“It’s not the mistress you should be asking about,” Joline whispered in a tone laced with unspoken gravity. “Rather, I should tell you more about the young master.”

She spoke with a quiet intensity that suggested her words carried a weight beyond their immediate meaning.