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[sub][color=7F6B5D]D A M I E N   E S T A T E  |  E V E N I N G[/color][/sub]
[sub][color=gray]I n t e r a c t i o n s :
Anastasia / Charlotte [@princess] , Olivia [@Potter] , Fritz [@JJ Doe] , Farim [@Lava Alckon] 
M e n t i o n s :[/color][/sub]
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[color=93a477]"If it [i]was[/i] a competition,"[/color] Zarai flashed Farim a cocky smirk, all in good fun. [color=93a477]"[i]Ya habría ganado el corazón de mi princesa[/i]."[/color] With a dramatic flourish, she tossed her hair off her shoulder, chin lifted high in another display of mock seriousness. The facade quickly melted away, however, as her focus shifted to the pretty lady beside her, her expression softening.

[color=93a477]“Annie is right! You’re stunning from every angle.”[/color] Zarai gasped in excitement, her eyes gleaming as she glanced back at Sir Barrios with an enthusiastic grin before turning back to Olivia. [color=93a477]“You must let me paint you! Every beautiful person deserves to be immortalized on canvas. Then…”[/color] she paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully, [color=93a477]“I suppose I’ll have to paint this whole table! Sir Barrios included, of course. He [i]is[/i] the most handsome knight in all of Puerto Vira,”[/color] she added, her tone playful yet matter-of-fact. Sir Barrios coughed quietly into his hand.

The sight of a familiar figure approaching the table immediately drew Zarai’s attention. 

Fritz.

She watched as he twirled Anastasia and greeted Olivia and Farim with ease, his charm as effortless as ever. She’d spent restless nights rehearsing what she might say to him after her mother’s outburst, but the moment his touch grazed her skin, every word was thrown out the window. 

[color=93a477]“My Lord.”[/color] Zarai greeted him, smile faltering just for half a second, a brief pause she hoped went unnoticed. His hand brushed her cheek, and though the touch was gentle, her breath caught for a moment. Heat rose from her neck up to her cheeks as she glanced up, meeting his eyes—those deep, dark, and inviting depths of warmth as he silently asked if she was okay. In response, she smiled, offering silent reassurance.

Behind her, she sensed Sir Barrios's unease, the subtle shift of his posture giving away his discomfort. No doubt, he had been instructed by her mother to minimize her interactions with the count, and Zarai didn’t wish to make things harder for him. Still, it would be unthinkably rude to ignore him, and such behavior would certainly not be tolerated by the Duchess of Puerto Vira!

[color=93a477]“Join us, Count Hendrix—Fritz,”[/color] Zarai grinned up at him,. [color=93a477]“You’d be a delightful addition to our table! And… consider yourself added to the list of beautiful people whose portraits [i]must[/i] be painted!”[/color]

Zarai's smile widened as Charlotte wrapped her arms around her and Olivia. She gently returned the hug, [color=93a477]“It’s wonderful to see you too, Charlotte,”[/color] she said warmly before waving as Charlotte departed to join Cassius and Lorenzo. 

[color=93a477]“The week has been…”[/color] Zarai hesitated, the weight of recent events pulling at her thoughts. Too much. Too much had happened in such a short span of time it felt overwhelming. Her gaze drifted briefly to Fritz. [color=93a477]“Interesting,”[/color] she finally said, though the word barely scratched the surface of what she truly felt about everything or anything or anyone.

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