_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5">After the formal welcome reception concluded, the various noble delegations retired to their assigned quarters. The Orlov entourage had been provided with an elegant wing of the eastern residence, befitting an Archduke's status. Despite the te hour, Valentina found herself restless, her mind repying the evening's observations.
She moved to the window of her chamber, gazing out at Baron Cassian's territory under moonlight. The contrast with her father's domain was striking—even the grounds were arranged differently, bancing beauty with practical function rather than intimidating grandeur.
"Most curious," she murmured to herself, noting how the security patrols moved with precise efficiency rather than menacing dispy.
A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. Her personal attendant entered with a silver tray bearing a crystal carafe.
"Lady Valentina, I've brought your evening refreshment as requested."
"Thank you, Isabel." Valentina observed the human's composed demeanor. Unlike the perpetually terrified servants in her father's household, this one moved with quiet dignity. "How long have you served in Baron Cassian's household?"
"I was assigned to guest services three years ago, my dy," Isabel replied, arranging the service with practiced precision.
"And before that?"
A flicker of something—memory, perhaps—crossed Isabel's face before her expression returned to professional neutrality. "I was in the southern blood farms, my dy."
Valentina nodded, dismissing her with a polite gesture. Alone again, she sipped the perfectly warmed bloodwine, considering what she had witnessed during the reception. The silver-haired young man who resembled Baron Cassian had drawn considerable attention despite his ck of formal introduction. Her father and his allies had noticed as well, their whispered specutions growing more eborate as the evening progressed.
The entire summit had barely begun, yet already it presented puzzles within puzzles. Baron Cassian's territory operated unlike any vampire domain she had previously visited. Archduke Lucius showed unmistakable favor toward a Baron of unconventional background. And somewhere within these walls, an unintroduced young man with striking silver hair moved with the precision of a noble-born vampire while remaining carefully separated from the highest-ranking guests.
Her father had dismissed such curiosities as irrelevant to their purpose here. Yet Valentina could not help but wonder if these irregurities might prove more significant than the formal agenda of trade agreements and security protocols.
She finished her bloodwine and prepared for rest as dawn approached. Whatever secrets Baron Cassian's household might contain, the coming nights of the summit would surely reveal more than her father anticipated.
