Ray had said the word pay, so she deliberately chose the word transaction. This was more to express her unwillingness to be swayed like this.

When Ahel finished speaking, an unspoken tension rose between them. Don’t tell me I was wrong, she thought.

When Ray gave no reaction, she curled her hands into fists. But then he suddenly burst out laughing. His bout of mirth only lasted for a moment before he went silent again. He carried on staring at her before he said, “You’re funny… really funny…” His piercing green eyes glittered like he’d just made some great discovery as he stared into her purple eyes.

Unlike Ray, whose face was alight with glee, Ahel was frowning. She didn’t like feeling like she’d been cornered. She gulped as she held his unblinking stare.

Finally, Ray broke the silence. “Alright. I want something else from you, Ahel. I’m going to make a new offer, a long-term one, just as you predicted.”

Ahel had known this was going to happen all along. She had guessed correctly. She straightened up from her bow and said, “What is your new offer?”

“Stay in the Imperial Palace. And have lunch with me everyday. This is my new offer. Well, my two offers.”

Ahel remained silent, even after he’d finished speaking. She finally realized that the offer he’d made back at her home had been in preparation for this one. I walked right into his trap.

Ahel couldn’t have escaped, even if she’d known his plans. She would have landed up in this predicament regardless, because she was so desperate for any information about the tattoo on her neck. Now that she was looking at her situation in this light, she also realized that the information Ray had just given her was merely part of the bait. He did this on purpose. He wants to make it seem like he has the information I want, just so I’ll accept his offers. He was so meticulous about it. I should have known right from the moment he suggested going to the Imperial Palace that this was his intention.

Ray had probably spared her the details on purpose, and it was her fault that she hadn’t asked for them. Now, she also understood why he had asked her that question before they’d left; ‘Is there anything important you absolutely must bring?’

The question had been a hint. If she’d paid more attention she may have realized he was telling her that she would be living in the palace for a while.

She hadn’t understood then. She had thought she would only be staying in the Imperial Palace for a short while; but she understood now.

But what use was it to dwell in the past? The transaction had already happened.

A bitter smile spread across Ahel’s face. She strictly shoved away her thoughts so she could focuse on the present situation; the two offers Ray had thrown at her.

Stay in the palace and have lunch with him everyday. They weren’t difficult offers.

Ahel had no choice but to agree to them in order to get the information from him, because he knew someone who had something to do with the tattoo on her neck. But she couldn’t give in that easily.

The reason she had so easily accept his suggestion of going to the Imperial Palace was because today was her one day off at Ophelia’s, tomorrow she would have to go into work. But that wasn’t the only problem.

Ray, who had been silently studying Ahel’s expression, noticed that something was wrong. “Now that I think about it, you said you work somewhere or something like that, right? If that’s a problem, I can give you a new job in the palace.”

It was an unconventional offer. How could he give a struggling commoner like her a job in his palace? But then again, it wasn’t uncommon for such people to work in his palace, though it was a rare offer. Usually, commoners only got work in the palace through a recommendation letter from an aristocrat.

Not just anyone could work in the Imperial Palace though. One had to go through a rigorous process of interviews and documentation reviews, but passing that guaranteed one a spot in the Imperial Palace.

To commoners, the Imperial Palace was a dream job. So, it was natural for Ahel to feel uneasy and doubtful about Ray’s offer. What is this tattoo worth that he is willing to go through all this for me?

She stared blankly at Ray, the corners of his lips quirked up. He obviously thought that all Ahel’s problems had been solved through this single offer.

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But Ophelia’s was the least of her worries.

I wasn’t able to get to Pelanders today or yesterday. No one would really care whether she showed up or not. No one except for Canute.

He may have been the one who told her to forget about her parents, and who sent her to the assassin’s guild as soon as she was old enough, but Ahel trusted him. While she’d been at Pelanders, he would often just come and stare at her wordlessly before leaving; but he had looked for her every single day.

This could be nothing more than false hope, but I want to trust Canute. This made her all the more antsy to check in. It made her wonder whether Canute really was worried about her. I’ll tell him I’ll be gone for a little while.

Even though Ray had said he would give her a job in the palace, she had to drop by Ophelia’s anyway. Because showing her face and telling her boss she had to quit was common courtesy. Then after Ophelia’s, she would go to Pelanders Assassination Guild.