⟪ she frowns, or rather, continues to frown, dissatisfied with his approach. he had not seemed so soft-boiled to her, so what is his point in lying? as if he wouldn't cast aside anyone who failed him. it is like a rotten peach, after all: fail to remove it and it will spoil all the rest of them. ⟫

Not for me. I never failed.

⟪ she shrugs, and the burst of agitation she feels must go somewhere, so she begins to pace. ⟫

Of course, I would be punished just the same if I did. But father knows it won't be necessary. He would not have entrusted the nation to me otherwise. ⟪ and she is so convinced of that, she must keep moving or else the physical discomfort would be hard to ignore. ⟫