They fell into a comfortable silence once again, but after a few minutes, Aditya's face became clouded with a thoughtful expression. He let out a sigh and gently squeezed Riya's hand, a look of guilt in his eyes. "Riya, I need to say sorry to you," he said, his voice tinged with sadness.
Riya looked up at him, concern in her eyes. "Why sorry?" she asked, her voice gentle and comforting, trying to understand what was bothering him.
Aditya's eyes were filled with conflict as he began to explain. "I feel bad because I can't give enough time to you, Julia, Lara, Alicia, and the others. Being the Emperor of the Istarin Empire, my responsibilities keep growing. My work is expanding, and it's taking more and more of my time. I feel guilty because I can't be with you all as much as I want to be." He paused, thinking about how he hadn't even visited Sasha once, even though he had promised her he would.
