"My lord, take a break and have some pastries. Would you mind if I took a look at that gunpowder formula?"
His face brightened at her arrival, and he instinctively made space.
"Perfect timing. Come check this for me."
Josephine studied the schematic, tapping a critical point.
"The formula is correct, but the process needs some adjustment."
Benedict's tension visibly melted away.
"Good."
"Why wait so long to ask?" She tilted her head. "I could have helped sooner."
He held her gaze, his voice solemn.
"I did not want you thinking I kept you here for my own benefit. I will protect you, but more than that, I want this to feel like home."
Her vision blurred with unshed tears.
Meanwhile, in the former Crown Prince's palace, Alistair remained shackled to grief despite his confinement be
