The walk back to the council hall was strangely quiet.
I walked beside Draven, hands behind my back, still feeling suspiciously pleased with myself.
The monster game had happened.
The Duke had wornsworn a monster mask.
Nobody could ever take that victory away from me.
Draven suddenly glanced sideways.
I looked up.
"What?"
His gaze lingered only on my dress.
Then my hair.
Then my face.
"You look like a fairy."
I blinked.
For some reason, that caught me off guard more than the kiss.
My mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Nothing came out.
Draven looked away first.
As if he hadn't just said something absurdly unfair.
I cleared my throat.
"...Thank you."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
That was all.
But somehow it felt like a lot.
A few minutes later we entered the council hall.
The room immediately fell silent.
Again.
Apparently the council had developed a hobby of staring at us.
Draven returned to his seat at the head of the table.
I sat beside him.
