Athena's breath hitched. The faint pink dusting her cheeks deepened, and then—before Florian could even process it—she spoke.
Fast.
"I-It's nothing much, really! I mean, it's something, but it's not—well, it's not what you're thinking! Um—what I mean is, Lady Scarlett and I just… talked?" Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her gown, twisting the material as if anchoring herself. "After the test, she approached me. Out of nowhere. I was so sure she was going to insult me, or—or make some kind of remark, but instead, she just…"
Athena exhaled sharply, as if she still couldn't quite believe it herself.
"She apologized."
Florian blinked.
'Scarlett? Apologizing?'
"I-I was surprised too," Athena admitted, nodding as if she had read his thoughts. "She just—she said she was sorry. For all of it. Everything she's done to me." Her voice wavered slightly, like she wasn't sure if speaking it aloud would make it real or take it back.
