"It was just as you expected, your highness," Baron Petrov spoke, his voice laced with a hint of trepidation. His gaze remained fixed on Prince Maximilian Knight's stern profile, observing the flicker of emotions that danced across his face. "The Duke paid her a visit, and their encounter was brief." The baron's eyes then shifted to Duke Kier, who sat in a regal chair, an air of quiet intensity surrounding him. Time seemed to stretch as an uneasy silence settled between the three of them.
A heavy sigh escaped Baron Petrov's lips, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and respect for the duke. Despite the tense atmosphere, neither of them dared to break the silence with mere pleasantries. Instead, they found solace in their shared understanding of the gravity of the situation that loomed over them.