Seraphine sat silently, her slender fingers resting lightly on her lap as she observed Kana.
The girl's hand gripped the pendant so tightly that her knuckles turned pale, her expression a mix of defiance and fear.
There was a part of Seraphine that almost admired her resolve, but the sting of Kana's rejection pricked deeper than she liked to admit.
A faint sadness crept into her chest — the kind that made her throat tighten — though she masked it behind a cool, serene expression.
Still… she couldn't help the quiet, inexplicable warmth curling within her.
Kana's refusal, while frustrating, also meant one thing: the girl wasn't ready to sever the invisible thread between them.
It was foolish to feel happy about such a thing, Seraphine knew, and yet she couldn't stop herself.
The silence stretched until Kana finally spoke, her voice hesitant yet edged with steel.
"Why didn't you… take it by force? You had plenty of chances. I was unconscious this whole time."
