After their plates were cleared—automatically whisked away by the table's built-in service system—and the surface reset to its original interface, the soft ambient lighting adjusted itself back to study mode.
The map projection returned.
Lesson folders reopened with quiet precision, and the smooth blue glow of geographical overlays filled the space between them once more.
Isabelle straightened her posture, eyes returning to the timeline she'd last highlighted. She didn't speak immediately. She didn't have to. The material was there. Waiting. The flow she'd carefully structured before the meal snapped back into place like it had never been interrupted.
And to her quiet surprise—Damien followed.
No snide remarks. No teasing interruptions.
He simply leaned back into his seat again, fingers scrolling through his synced tablet. Highlighted keywords. Added his own notes. Occasionally tilted the screen to match hers when something didn't align.
It was… seamless.
And oddly?
