Struggling to regain her composure amidst the smoke, tears welled up in Eileen's eyes as she managed to respond.
"Th-thank you…"
Despite smoking being common among soldiers and the Grand Duke's knights, Eileen had never encountered the smell of tobacco before. As a result, those around her, including Cesare, who occasionally smoked, would refrain from the habit for hours before meeting her. Their attentiveness stemmed from their knowledge of her aversion to smoking.
This encounter marked the first time in Eileen's life that she'd been directly exposed to smoke. Despite witnessing Eileen's distress, Ornella continued smoking. Feeling overwhelmed by the smoke and intimidated by Ornella, Eileen wanted to escape as quickly as possible. She hurriedly tried to excuse herself, "Then…"
"Ah, wait a moment," Ornella interrupted.
As Eileen turned to leave, Ornella raised a hand, halting their departure. Eileen and the footman could only wait patiently.
