Hearing their hushed, tragic apologies, Heena actually laughed.
She didn't mean to, but the sheer absurdity of their pity caught her completely off guard. She raised a pale hand, half-covering her mouth as a bright, genuine sound of amusement escaped her lips.
For the men in the hardware shop, the sound was completely mesmerizing.
In this matriarchal empire, women of standing simply did not laugh like that in public. The female bosses, guild leaders, and noble heirs they interacted with were stoic, harsh, and heavily guarded. If a woman smiled in the market, it was usually a cold sneer of contempt or a predatory smirk. To see a tall, imposing woman in a black cloak laugh with such casual, unbothered warmth was like watching a tiger suddenly roll over in the sun.
"What do you mean by sorrow, My Lord?" Heena asked, her dark eyes crinkling with lingering amusement.
