"Ahem, I want to ask you something. Why do you have a bruise on your cheek, Nivis?" Merlin asked, curiosity in his voice.
Nivis, slurping her noodles, was startled. She rubbed both cheeks, blinking in surprise.
"Bruise? What do you mean?"
Merlin's gaze fixed on her right cheek. "It's on your cheekbone. The color is a bit darker than the surrounding skin. That's clearly a bruise. What happened? Did you trip and hit your face?"
He meant it as a joke, but the air around them suddenly turned quiet and tense.
The smile on Merlin's face vanished, replaced by a rare, serious expression.
"What's wrong with you two? Why so quiet? Could it be that what I said is true?"
Nivis forced a smile. "Yes, I fell, Young Master. So, don't worry about it."
Merlin, however, didn't believe her. He turned to Luna, waiting calmly for the truth.
Noticing his gaze, Luna realized hiding it was useless.
"Something bad happened a few days ago while you were away. At that time—"
