Still laughing, he picked up the fancy teacup he stole and drank from it straight to the mouth, not even bothering with proper manners, since he didn't bring any cup or plate with him. As the warm tea slid down his throat, he suddenly froze and tilted his head up, eyes narrowing.
"Whoa," he murmured under his breath, "this is the first time I saw someone with the same hair color as mine."
Owen blinked, licking a bit of frosting from a small cupcake he was nibbling. "What are you talking about?"
Axelius stood up and pointed to the tree in front of them. Owen followed his finger and saw it too—a girl sitting high up on a thick tree branch, her back leaning against the trunk, a book in her hand. She had soft black hair just like his, tied loosely behind her back, and wore a simple black silk mask that covered her lower face.
"She didn't hear us, did she?" Axelius asked, lowering his voice a little.
