~Elsie's POV
He looked at me for a moment longer, like he was trying to read something I wasn't even sure I was showing.
Then his voice came again, flat, controlled.
"Are you telling me the truth?" he asked, eyes fixed on me, "you look like someone who had a bad dream."
That question caught me off guard more than I wanted to admit.
I blinked slowly, trying to steady myself, and for a second I wondered why he even cared enough to notice something like that. It wasn't like him, or at least not the version of him I had learned to expect. Still, I forced my expression to stay calm, because I didn't want to give him anything more to question.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, even though my voice didn't sound as steady as I wanted.
He didn't push further.
He only nodded once, like that was enough answer for him, and then his eyes shifted slightly to the table.
That was when he noticed the food untouched.
His gaze returned to me almost immediately.
