Vyan was the first to look away, breaking the moment before it got too awkward.
"Um, you asked why I was late, right?" He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to scrub away the embarrassment. "Three of our mages got lost in the forest."
"A-and?" Iyana prompted, her cheeks heating up.
"And we found them after searching for a few hours, that's it," Vyan concluded.
"I thought you said it was a long story," she pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
He let out a strained laugh and took a sip of his champagne. "Did I now? I guess I just have a natural talent for saving time."
Iyana shook her head hopelessly, and soon, an awkward silence settled between them, as comfortable as a bed of nails.
They quickly finished their drinks and went inside the room, only to get caught up in more awkwardness. They both froze, staring at the single bed in the middle of the room as if it were an alien artifact.
