The moment those words were spoken, the room froze; it was as if some mage had cast a spell that froze the whole atmosphere, but that didn't last for more than a moment—'cause just a second later, the expression of Nathalia turned stunned, her expression twisting up a little as at that moment only a single reply came from her.
"Wh-What?"
She tried to play it off, but seeing the hardened gaze of Elda, Nathalia knew she couldn't play dumb at the moment, so she tried her best to get reins on her mind as she took in a deep breath, answered with a nod.
"I love Austin."
Her words were simple and straight, but the effect they once again had in the room was immediate: the gaze of Lanora flickered, a certain sense of danger; Nyla's face twisted for a moment, after which it settled back to a certain sense of calm, seemingly as if nodding in understanding.
"When did this happen?"
