The woman leaned one hand on the oak desk, her long, manicured nails clicking against the wood. "The rumors about the king's new… interest," she said, letting the word hang in the air. "I am Bianca, the Head of Design. I've worked by Alaric's side for ten years. I've seen many women try to catch his eye, but usually, they have a certain... pedigree."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her cold eyes.
"You're quite a surprise, Sofia."
Sofia felt the familiar sting of judgment, but this wasn't the mansion, and she wasn't a prisoner. She looked Bianca directly in the eye, her voice steady. "The King hired me. I'm here to do a job, not to fulfill a rumor."
Bianca's eyebrows arched in mild amusement. "Is that right? Well, 'logistics' can be a very demanding role. I hope you're as good with numbers as you are with... distractions. I'd hate to see the production of our Royal silks suffer because the King's new assistant was too busy being 'presented'."
