He was completely baffled by her unwavering commitment to the lie.
"I... I fell on a tooth-shaped rock?" Bartholomew stammered, looking down at the glowing purple bite mark on his cravat, his mind spinning. "That is... that is the most insulting, deeply absurd thing I have ever heard! You were literally holding me in a headlock!"
"You tripped," Seraphina nodded sagely, maintaining absolute eye contact. "You tripped, and you fell into my arms, and then you hit your face on my teeth. It was a tragic accident. It's fine, I forgive you."
Bartholomew let out a sound that was half-sob, half-scream.
He threw his hands into the air, executing a flawless athletic backflip out of pure, frustrated energy, landing perfectly on his feet three feet in the air.
