"So, you lost."
Early Thursday morning, while having breakfast, Shade suddenly said this to Luvia, who had just sat down beside him, as he read the newspaper at the table.
The diviner blinked blankly.
"What did I lose? Do you mean my breakfast isn't as good as Dorothy's? Oh, Shade, I've been practicing often—"
Shade hurriedly said:
"No, no, what are you talking about? I equally respect and admire every girl willing to make breakfast for me, and sincerely appreciate and like all of you."
That made Luvia blush a little, but at least the expression on her face had turned into a smile.
"Then where did I lose?"
"Last night, halfway through, didn't you still insist that I send Little Mia into the wardrobe? Before going to sleep, that wasn't what you said. Back then, I said I wanted to see what you thought of Little Mia not going into the wardrobe, and you said it wouldn't affect us. But look, you aren't used to being watched by it either."
The cat, lowering its head to lap at its goat milk, heard Shade mention its name. It quickly turned its head, trotted over, and rubbed against Shade's hand. Very perfunctorily, then it hurried back to its milk bowl and continued lapping.
As for Luvia, she reached out and slapped him because of what Shade had said, her face half flushed with embarrassment and half with annoyance.
"Who knew Little Mia wouldn't sleep properly at night? When I said I didn't mind it, I meant it curling up beside us and sleeping, not standing by the pillow and staring at us with those huge eyes! In the dark after we turned off the lights, its eyes even glowed. Who could stand having a pair of eyes staring at them without