Back at the estate, Elize noticed it immediately.
The shift.
Subtle—but undeniable.
It wasn’t announced. Nothing changed in obvious ways. The lighting was the same, the corridors unchanged, the structure of the house intact.
And yet—
Everything felt reoriented around her.
Staff movements adjusted the moment she entered a space. Conversations didn’t just stop anymore—they collapsed too quickly, as if her presence triggered a silent instruction. Even passing servants avoided lingering too long in her direction, not out of fear exactly, but out of discipline.
She was being processed differently.
Not as a guest.
Not as an outsider.
As something under evaluation.
Elize kept walking, her expression neutral, but her awareness sharpening with every step.
The estate wasn’t reacting emot
