"Only as needed to ensure their retainment of skills," she replied. A smile ghosted her lips — neither warm nor cold, merely appropriate. In the hierarchy of the estate, competence commanded respect; sentiment was a luxury the household could seldom afford.
He studied her for a long moment, then allowed himself the faintest of smiles. "Very well. Implement it."
Across the table, Lord Hayato traced the rim of his own cup with a distracted finger. He had summoned her for reasons that had nothing to do with the usual chores: a request threaded with obligation and an unspoken test. Tsubaki met his gaze, steady and composed. She had been trained her whole life to read the spaces between words.