I forgot I was in his office.
"Oh…" I straightened up quickly, cheeks slightly warm with embarrassment. "I was just… thinking, papa."
He smiled gently, the lines around his eyes crinkling with s father's warmth rather than an emperor's steel. He leaned back in his seat, setting aside the paper he had been reading. "Thinking about what, little dove?"
"Thinking about what, little dove?" Papa asked, his voice gentle yet curious.
I blinked, caught off guard for the second time today. my thoughts had wandered again, and I hadn't even realized it. My mind scrambled for an excuse, something light—anything but the truth.
"Hehe… thinking about what to eat for dinner!" I said with a sheepish grin. "I am so excited! Should I eat roasted chicken or steak?"
