The moment her face was exposed, the man's expression shifted. His smug grin faltered, his confidence draining as his eyes widened slightly.
'Disgust.'
Aeliana recognized it immediately. It was the same look she had seen countless times before—the quick flicker of revulsion, the way his gaze darted to the marred skin on her face, the blackened lines and cracks that betrayed the sickness within her.
It was always the same. No matter how tough or confident they were, the moment they saw her, they recoiled.
She saw his lips curl back faintly, his earlier arrogance replaced with something he couldn't fully conceal. A grimace. A slight step back.
'There it is,' she thought bitterly, her heart pounding in her chest. 'That look. The one they all give me. They can't even hide it.'
Her breath hitched, the familiar wave of loathing surging through her chest like fire.