"I must say, you are quite different from what I had imagined, Sir Croceaus," Etrinia remarked as she took her seat, her gaze firmly fixed on the man before her.
Contrary to her expectations of a middle-aged gentleman, he was strikingly handsome—if not among the top five, he was certainly in the top ten of the most attractive men she had ever encountered.
"Same goes for you; I anticipated a true beauty at this meeting," Avendial replied, his eyes closed and a teasing smile playing on his lips.
However, his tone quickly dulled the light in Etrinia's eyes, her expression shifting as she absorbed his words.
"I apologize for not fitting your standard of beauty, Sir Croceaus," Etrinia responded, her voice laced with disappointment.
It was evident that his comment had unsettled her, marking the first time someone had implied she wasn't beautiful.