The opening stance revealed far more than words ever could.
And it revealed just as much about Adelyn.
Tressa's expression changed almost instantly. Her confident look stiffened into surprise as she stared at the woman standing opposite her.
Adelyn, on the other hand, merely met her gaze and smiled.
"What?" she asked lightly. "Don't tell me you were hoping to duel someone who didn't even know how to fight. How's that any respectful?"
The furrow between Tressa's brows deepened immediately. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.
That wasn't what she meant.
Earlier, she had indeed been wary of Adelyn's confidence. Yet moments later, this woman had somehow convinced her that all of it had merely been empty bravado.
Was ...
Was that deliberate?
The more Tressa thought about it, the more convinced she became that Adelyn had intentionally misled them into taking her lightly.
"You ..." she said slowly, her eyes narrowing. "You're quite deceptive."
