Lunch was in my hands.
But I had no way to eat it.
I sighed, standing just outside the courthouse, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. The others had left to... wherever they went. I hadn't asked. They'd needed the break just as much as I did.
The problem was simple: The Leviathan mask covered my entire face down to my neck, just like the others' masks. There was no easy way to lift it, no mouthpiece to remove. And considering we were being in public with hundreds if not thousands looking at me in person, there was zero chance I was going to take it off where anyone could see.
Which left me with a perfectly good meal and nowhere to actually eat it.
I glanced around, considering my options.
Sitting at small table near the far end of the courthouse lobby, sipping from a cup of coffee. She was alone, and judging from the way she was absentmindedly skimming through some paperwork, she wasn't particularly enjoying her break.
I made my way toward her.
If anyone had access to a private room, it would be her. And knowing how meticulous she was, she had probably planned for this in advance.
I stopped near the table.
"You need a place to eat."
She didn't even look up.
She flipped a page. "The girls already asked me."
I blinked. That made sense. They would have had the same problem.
Evelyn finally glanced up, her expression as unreadable as ever. "Follow me."
She stood, walking off without another word.
The evaluation room was cooler than I remembered.
Inside, the girls were already seated, their masks and outfits folded neatly on the chairs beside them. Unlike me, they'd had the luxury of changing back into normal clothes.
They all looked up when I entered.
"Took you long enough," Alexis said, popping a fry into her mouth. "Did you just stand around holding your food like an idiot for ten minutes?"
"...Five minutes," I muttered.
Sienna chuckled. "You should have come with us."
I exhaled, setting my lunch down on the table before reaching up to finally remove my mask. The moment the cool air hit my skin, I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake off the stiffness.
Camille groaned as she stretched. "I swear, if I have to slouch for another four hours, I'm going to develop a permanent hunchback."
I glanced at her. She was rolling her shoulders slightly, her movements stiff.
"Playing Mr. Dust ruining your posture?" I asked.
She shot me a dry look. "Fashion designers aren't built for this kind of thing."
Alexis smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You sacrificed your spine for the cause. We get it."
Camille ignored her, looking at me expectantly.
Then she pointed at her back.
I blinked. "You want me to—?"
I sighed. I should have seen that coming.
I stepped behind her, placing my hands against her shoulders.
The moment I started pressing into her muscles, Camille let out an appreciative hum. "You might be good at this."
"I had to learn a long time ago," I admitted. "It's useful."
I continued working through the knots in her back, focusing on the worst spots.
A flicker of something.
Psychological Insight activated.
It wasn't anything extreme.
Just a small twinge of something else in the air.
I glanced toward Sienna and Alexis.
Alexis was still eating, but she was chewing slower. Sienna, meanwhile, was fidgeting slightly with her tea.
Neither of them said anything.
I let out a small breath through my nose. Of course.
Sienna cleared her throat after a moment. "...Are you going to be okay?"
I raised a brow. "Huh?"
"When the recess ends," she clarified. "You're still going to be on the witness stand."
I exhaled, giving her a reassuring look. "I'll be fine."
She didn't look convinced.
To be honest—neither was I.
I sat in the witness stand once again.
The courtroom was settling back in, people returning from their breaks.
The judge glanced toward Damian.
"The prosecution may continue."
Another man walked beside him.
A tall, older gentleman with sharp features, wearing a simple suit.
I immediately felt a shift in the courtroom.
Damian adjusted his tie, then turned toward the judge.
"For the next portion of this trial," he announced, "the prosecution has brought forth a Lie Detector."
The murmurs spread instantly.
The judge tapped his gavel. "Order."
Damian smirked. "Mr. Leviathan is an experienced speaker. And while his words may be compelling, I would like to ensure that the truth is being told in this courtroom."
I forced my expression to remain neutral.
A Lie Detector—a person with a natural Lie Detection skill—meant that any falsehood I spoke would be called out instantly.
The only saving grace was that Lie Detection didn't work on half-truths. As long as I could phrase my words carefully, I could work around this.
The man sat down near the judge, his presence looming in the background.
Damian turned back to me.
"Let's return to the previous question," he said smoothly. "How is it possible that the members of the Masked Syndicate rank up so quickly?"
I had to phrase this carefully.
I kept my voice level.
"The members of the Masked Syndicate completed an event quest," I said simply. "And they were promoted. It's as simple as that."
Damian's smirk widened. "Really? That's your answer?"
He turned toward the Lie Detector. "And? Was that a lie?"
The man barely hesitated.
"...It was the truth."
The murmurs spread through the court once again.
For the first time, I felt the shift in the jury.
Damian had been setting up this whole case under the assumption that we had been lying about our abilities, lying about our ranks—
Every fact I had just stated was completely real.
This wasn't just my words anymore.
I saw it—Damian's fingers tightening slightly against the podium.
He recovered quickly, straightening his stance.
But the damage had been done.
I allowed myself the smallest sense of relief.
I should have known better.
Damian stilled. His fingers tightened ever so slightly against the podium—just a flicker of reaction.
It wasn't a smirk. Not a sneer. Just a quiet, knowing smile.
I felt my stomach twist.
Because that wasn't frustration.
That was satisfaction.
Like he had just confirmed exactly what he wanted to know.
"Very well," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "Let's move on to something else."
I didn't like the way he said that.
He turned back toward me, his smirk returning.
"Let's talk about the other individuals claiming to be part of the Masked Syndicate."
I really needed to stop jinxing myself.