He was dumbfounded but eventually resorted to joking, "...However, if you really want to see, I can take it off for you!"
It was a mere joke, yet it startled Fiona Schmidt. She widened her eyes, watching the smile on the man's face shift from astonishment to delight.
Turns out Norton Abyss isn't a block of wood, he does know how to joke like this.
Though he had no other intentions, he wasn't stuck in the past, offering room for change...
"Then take it off!" Fiona pushed away his hand, crossing her arms and raising her chin, her expression full of provocation as if waiting to watch a good show.
The man was stunned, his mouth twitched, then he stared at her with a look reserved for seeing a monster.
"Fiona, are you sick?" He raised a hand to her forehead, testing her temperature.
Fiona forcefully shook off his hand, resisting the urge to laugh: "You're the one who's sick!... What, scared to take it off? If you dare say it, you should dare do it!"
