Jade, momentarily ensnared by her own thoughts, broke free with a nod. "Sorry, just lost in my own thoughts, I suppose," she articulated, her voice trailing off into the dimly lit corridor.
"That's fine," came the unruffled response from Alfred, the stoic butler whose expression remained as impassive as the stone walls that lined the grand hallway. With a genuine warmth radiating from her smile, Jade added, "Thank you, Alfred. I owe you drinks one of these days."
The butler's reply was as unchanging as his demeanor. "Sorry, I don't drink," he stated, his voice devoid of any inflection, as if carved from the same cool, detached professionalism that seemed to be his second skin.
As they continued on, Jade couldn't help but query, "Is he always that... straightforward? Though I've only met him twice, you'd think he would have some personality to him."
