Rui's eyes fluttered open, her body aching in places she didn't know could ache.
The perpetual gray light filtering through the windows gave no indication of time—it could have been dawn or dusk for all she knew.
She stretched languidly, wincing at the delicious soreness that reminded her of the previous night's activities.
Her hand reached across the silk sheets, expecting to find Zou's warm body beside her.
Empty space greeted her fingers instead.
"Zou?" she called, her voice still thick with sleep.
Silence answered her. The chamber felt strangely hollow without his presence.
Rui pushed herself up, grimacing as her muscles protested. The sheets pooled around her waist, leaving her bare skin exposed to the cool air.
She slipped into a silk robe and padded barefoot through the corridors.
The Duke's mansion—Zou's mansion now—felt different in the afternoon light. Less intimidating, but oddly empty.
"Zou?" she called again, her voice echoing against stone walls.
