By dismissing the soldiers it had mustered, the Federation had effectively accepted the peace offer, yet it remained silent. The two sides stayed deadlocked, staring each other down.
Jonas, however, was in no hurry at all.
In Jonas's office at the Alt Conglomerate, Iris sat across from him, taking small bites of coconut cake. A dab of cream clung to the corner of her mouth, but she left it there, occasionally looking at Jonas as though hoping for something.
"Want Mr. Jonas to wipe your mouth for you?"
Another voice sounded in her head. Iris stiffened, then lowered her head slightly and continued eating her coconut cake as if nothing had happened, ignoring what her other self had said.
"If you want Mr. Jonas to wipe your mouth, just say so. You heard earlier, didn't you? The Federation's about to surrender. Mr. Jonas must be in a great mood. Go on, say it!"
"No... saying it would trouble Mr. Jonas. The Federation hasn't surrendered yet, has it? If I bothered him now, he'd surely get angry, wouldn't he?"
"You've done so much for him! You're exhausted, so can't you ask for a little reward? Come on, hurry up. You'll finish the coconut cake soon."
Jonas sat on one side of his desk, a wall of windows behind him. The sunlight streaming through cast his shadow long. Iris sat opposite him, her blue dress making her fair skin look even brighter.
The coconut cake in her hand gave off a faint, sweet fragrance. Each time she brought it to her lips, she took a delicate bite, as though savoring something.
Outside the windows, the city bustled, but inside the office, the two seemed to inhabit a quiet little world of their own. Iris felt distracted, however. Whenever she took a bite