Arthur could tell that something was off about Yura and Lucius.
Naturally, Malinda could tell too.
And in a sense, Malinda saw it more clearly.
Because-
Malinda was a woman.
A woman who bore the title of Lady of the Long Night, no less.
Malinda could see that, aside from certain little schemes, Yura also carried a faint trace of blood.
Malinda wanted nothing to do with a woman like that.
So she had told her off in an utterly domineering fashion, leaving her to withdraw on her own.
And if she refused?
Then she could hardly blame Malinda for being ruthless.
"Don't you think the Eastern could use a little more legendary flair?"
Arthur spoke softly.
His expression was perfectly natural, his eyes even gazing directly into Malinda's. His body showed no stiffness or discomfort, yet he was genuinely aware of the warmth against his arm.
Had she gotten used to it?
Had she become desensitized?
That couldn't be right, could it?
She'd adjusted to me that easily?
Arthur kept questioning himself.
Only then did Malinda suddenly realize something was wrong.
Before taking Arthur's arm, she had thoroughly steeled herself.
She had also deliberately avoided eating.
Not just for one meal.
She had eaten nothing since yesterday afternoon.
She had even kept her water intake to a minimum.
All of it was to ensure she was in the best possible condition for today's appearance-when she had stepped down from the carriage, she had counted 13,114 people looking their way. By the time she approached the Eastern's gangway, the number watching her had risen to 52,100.
Those were her rough counts.
There were bound to be discrepancies.
But remembering even that approximate figure had taken plenty of effort on Malinda's part.
Even if she had only been counting to distract