"Hehe~ They're patiently waiting for you at the dining table, darling~" Liyana answered, her voice as sweet as ever.
"…Is that so." I nodded slowly, but something about the way she said it caught me off guard.
There was a pause.
Just a second too long.
Not enough to be suspicious on its own, but… it lingered in the air.
Why did she hesitate like that?
"I'll wait for you here, so hurry up, darling~" she added cheerfully, moving closer and settling herself down at the edge of my bed with practiced ease.
Her fingers gently cupped my face, her thumb brushing along my cheek as she looked at me with those loving eyes of hers.
I'd grown used to Liyana's clinginess by now.
Her touch was always warm—almost possessively so.
But… today it felt different.
Not unpleasant.
Just awkward.
Like there was something I wasn't seeing.
"Darling?" she tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
"No… it's nothing."
I forced a small smile and looked away.
