"Are we friends now?"

"... Amalia?"

A cold female voice echoed in her ears, snapping Amalia back to reality.

Her fingers gently brushed her blonde hair aside, revealing a small portion of her fair, delicate neck.

"Is there anything on my face?" Livia asked.

Amalia's gaze lingered on her after feeding Auri, a faint confusion in her eyes.

Seeing this, Astrid almost wondered if the transformation potion she had taken earlier had expired prematurely, causing her disguise to fade along with its effects.

If Livia's true identity were revealed now, everything she had worked for would be undone.

"No," the blonde girl replied softly, bending her knees as she settled back into her seat.

Noticing Amalia's reluctance to continue the conversation, Astrid decided not to press further.

In early spring, the nights in the capital were chilly.