He paused for a few breaths before slowly reaching out to take the clay pot.
As soon as his fingertips touched the surface, he felt a refreshing coldness.
But the heart felt as if someone had quietly warmed it.
A sudden memory of Kaelan's words popped into his mind.
"She's just pretending to be gentle, waiting for you to bow your head and ask her to bond with you. Then she'll turn on you, whip you, and laugh at your lack of ambition."
But the Seraphina in front of him now had her eyes curved in a smile, her lips holding a faint smile.
She didn't match the memory of the woman who had whipped him in the rain.
He took a sip of the juice, and the sweet-sour taste slowly spread in his mouth.
First, the tongue tasted a slight acidity, followed by the sweetness as the pulp settled.
The flavor suppressed the greasy feeling left by the roast meat and quietly pressed down the lurking gloom in his heart.
Instinctively, he swallowed again and then lowered his head to drink lightly.
