"Back already?" Ursula asked when she greeted Zach and Derot at the entrance to her annex. Zach nodded. Derot bowed until his upper body was parallel to the ground.
Zach's status might have been enough for Derot to enter the palace grounds without so much as a pat down. But it was not enough for him to dare think about acting without utmost respect in front of the Empress Dowager.
Ursula glanced at Derot and then looked at Zach and his cheeky smile. She sighed. Had he really dropped all formality just because she let slip her mask and acted friendly? She shook her head.
"It's getting late." Ursula turned around and started walking to the door of her palatial mansion.
Zach's smile faded, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. It wasn't that late, and as a powerful summoner, the Empress Dowager shouldn't need to go to bed before the sun did, even if she were old. With a sigh, he and Derot, who didn't dare show any disappointment, turned around.
