Baa!
Kristan stretched out both hands with trembling eagerness to receive the flute. For a fraction of a second, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes, his entire face betraying emotions he usually kept buried deep—longing, hunger, ecstasy. It was only an instant, but it was there, raw and naked.
Then, just as quickly, he masked it again, regaining his habitual smug composure… only to crush the flute against his chest as if it were a newborn he was afraid to lose, "Ahhh, my treasure!!" he cried, voice thick with obsession.
Robin caught everything. That subtle shift, that glimpse of the real Kristan that slipped through for the tiniest blink—he noticed it clearer than the blazing midday sun. But instead of commenting, he only grinned wider, letting a sly chuckle slip. "Come on now, my dear nephew, say it out loud. You know what I want to hear."
