So, when Nora looked into the eyes of Mr Fenston Clemonte in her living room, she had no choice but to look away.
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I just—" She stopped for a moment and then sighed. "I missed you."
There was a small pause as she watched a soft smile break out onto Fenston's face, only amplifying what had been there just a moment ago. It seemed to droop like wilted flowers—beautiful but worn.
Putting his hands in his pockets, he said, "You have no idea how I've missed you, Nora." When he looked down, his voice lowered. "And your father... I... Well, you know... I missed him gravely, too. I do."
Nora felt her heart stop. It was astonishing how such a simple confession could set her heart alight in an instant. Though it was obvious what sparked her appearance in the Grand City, it was Nora's hope that everyone would avoid it like the plague.
So, she turned away, hating the tremble in her voice as she ran her hands over her stomach. "Shall we go to the manor?"
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Nora often forgot that Cami was born into a line of prestige. Having met as kids at school, they came to know each other by pushing each other on the swings and sharing quiz answers when the teacher wasn't looking. Nora had come to know Cami who had cut her own hair in the public bathroom with a pocketknife because her mother, Elaine, would not let her. Cami who never did what she was told simply for the sake of not doing what she was told.
After Cami moved to the Grand City when they were twelve years old, Nora was naive enough to believe that nothing would change. Being the daughter of one of the most prestigious doctors in the Grand City was one thing, but with the Surgeon General of Delalian Army as her mother? It had been naive of Nora to forget that Cami had a duty to honour her family's name.
Elaine Clemonte's rank not only gave her a title, but it also placed her in a position of nobility that most could only dream of. It placed her in close proximity with Delalia's military officials—making official decisions based on healthcare and providing military medical advice—and, above all, its royalty.
And with six years of absence between Nora and Cami, it was clear to Nora that the time for Cami to uphold her family name had come quicker than she realised. There was no forgetting Cami's nobility now.
Almost swallowed by the cushion of Cami's sofa, Nora brought the teacup to her lips, sneaking a glance at her best friend over the rim as she sipped.
Cami's black hair was silky, cascading down her shoulders in smooth waves, catching the sunlight in various shades. Her cheeks formed a natural rosy blush that complimented her pale face, round lips and hazel eyes. Delicate, thin fingers held her teacup with an elegance that reminded Nora of a swan gliding through water. Where Camille used to slouch and speak until her voice box ached at twelve years old, now she sat straight, ankles tucked beneath ach other, and spoke in a tone so gentle it blanketed Nora in warmth.
