Elijah turned halfway around, halting Michaela. "I have some tasks to attend to, Michaela," he stated with a sense of finality.
"But..."
Michaela's lower lip protruded in a pout, a familiar reaction when things didn't go her way. "You just arrived home. You always spend time with me upon returning."
Elijah's gaze briefly met Joana's, reminiscent of their earlier glance in the dining room.
"Yes," Joana intervened, maintaining eye contact with Elijah. "You've just come in. How about taking a short break?"
Elijah's reaction to her proposal seemed to suggest her words had unsettled him before he responded. "I apologize, Princess," he remarked, shifting his attention back to Michaela. "I have a considerable workload to manage. We can engage in playtime tomorrow, alright?"
Despite her disa
