"After witnessing the reaction you had there, I doubt I'll be able to believe whatever you speak," she said, her tone tinged with amusement, but her eyes still sharp, an observer's eyes dissecting every twitch and word.
Aziel sighed, tilting his head, his expression torn somewhere between defeat and mischief.
"Fair, I suppose. But for the record, I only panic when someone throws my classified information across the room. You'd do the same if your privacy was on public sale."
"Except mine isn't," Lycoris replied flatly, folding the paper neatly before handing it back.
"Not yet, anyway."
Aziel awkwardly accepted it before tearing it to pieces, as they exchanged a weird look.
Alkroz, who had been silently watching the exchange with a faint, entertained look, rubbing the bridge of his nose, finally spoke.
"Good. You two are already at each other's throats. That's a promising start."
Both of them turned toward him simultaneously, equally unimpressed.
