As soon as we arrived at the manor, Abelard greeted me with his usual reserved formality, and we promptly stepped inside. Almost immediately, he spoke in a low, measured tone:
"Your Grace, a letter was sent for you."
A letter? I raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he carefully extracted an envelope from within the inner pocket of his coat. The seal on it was unmistakable—a symbol everyone in the court recognized instantly as that of the Imperial Palace.
The sight ignited a spark of both annoyance and reluctant intrigue within me. It was not long after news spread of my awakening that the emperor had already sent word. "What could they possibly want now?" I murmured, barely concealing my exasperation.
Because the sender was the emperor himself, I knew I could not simply dismiss the letter. With a tired, weary tone, I replied, "I am too exhausted for this…" as I returned the envelope to Abelard's careful hands.
