Behind her, she heard Mokko let out a whoop that he quickly tried to muffle. Lucy's jar made a cheerful bubbling sound.
The judge continued down the line. There was a female doe beastkin at station four, whose fish plating earned a special commendation.
At station five, the head judge shook her head. "You need another retest, Alphonse. Your techinque is beautiful, but your presentation leaves much to be desired."
And finally, station six.
"Your moon cakes," the judge said to Millie, "were always beautiful. That was never in question. What we needed from you was proof that beauty wasn't just decorative—that it was built on a foundation of solid technique and balanced flavor."
Millie stood perfectly still, her white ears perked forward.
