A chilling silence settled around them, a dry, gritty tension sinking into the air like shifting sand. Eileen felt paralyzed, her breath caught in her chest. She wanted to faint after hearing the Emperor's words, but somehow, Leon continued speaking as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
"Strange, isn't it?" Leon remarked lightly, adjusting his hood back over his head. He tugged it down just enough so only Cesare and Eileen could see his eyes.
"If I startled you today, my apologies. Let's meet again in the Imperial Palace."
With a final nod to Eileen, Leon turned his gaze toward Cesare. "You'll bring the Duchess with you, yes? Play a song for me on the piano when you arrive."
Then, without another word, he swept past Cesare toward the main road, his guards following silently until they vanished from sight.
