Take off your mask

Verina had told herself not to look disgusted as King Ditun spoon-fed her younger sister, who was beaming happily with each bite, eyes sparkling and lips giggling. She could not believe that anyone would be so comfortable in his presence, particularly her sister, whom she had come to rescue.

Ditun? What ordinary person bears such a name? She couldn't deny that it fit him perfectly - a monster, a killer, and possibly the one who had set that village on fire and was now hiding behind a mask.

He was not to be approached, and the fact that he could make her sister smile in that way only made it worse. Oh, Clumsy Dalia, perhaps she had forgotten what sort of man he truly was.

She tried to ignore their endearing gestures by casting her eyes around the grand dining room, admiring the magnificent colored lamps on the walls and the one above.