Lyra walked toward the desk without saying a word.
Arthur remained standing where he was.
Then she began removing pieces of her armor.
It looked like a routine to her.
She loosened the shoulder guard first, unclasping it smoothly before placing it carefully on the desk. Then came the forearm guards. Each piece was set aside neatly, as if she had done this exact motion a thousand times before.
Arthur watched quietly.
At least… he tried to keep it quiet in his head.
Focus.
But it was harder than he expected.
Without the heavier parts of her armor, her movements became lighter. More relaxed. The rigid commander's appearance softened slightly as the layers came off.
Her posture remained confident, but now it carried a more natural ease.
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck.
This… is surprisingly distracting.
She reached behind her shoulder to undo another clasp, and Arthur quickly looked away for a moment.
Seriously… focus.
He had seen plenty of strong women before.
