The aunt looked at Estov as she swirled her cup of tea, watching the liquid move in slow, deliberate circles. Then she set it down and fixed her gaze on him.
"You said you wanted to help her," she said. "May I ask how, exactly, you intend to do that? And while we're at it—who are you, really, to be carrying the Aston name?"
Estov flashed his most charming smile, the one that had worked on nobility and commoners alike across multiple worlds. "Great Aunt, it's me—Aston. Surely you remember? We used to play together when I was small."
The aunt's expression didn't change.
She simply turned to her servant and gave a single, silent nod.
