Chapter 142: Meeting at the Wings (4)
"What?" Arthur’s voice came out strangled, his face contorting in genuine shock at her words. He could feel his carefully constructed composure beginning to crack under the pressure of her unwavering stare.
"Your time in the rose field. Specifically before meeting Aziel here..." Her voice carried the weight of absolute certainty. "It had holes in it. But never mind that for now..." She leaned back in her chair, her posture deceptively relaxed despite the intensity radiating from her golden eyes. "Tell me what your goals are."
Arthur sat in stunned silence for a long moment, his mind racing as he tried to process how she could possibly know about details he had deliberately omitted. Cold sweat began building up on his forehead, small droplets forming as his body responded to the stress of being cornered. The comfortable atmosphere of the reunion had completely evaporated, replaced by something that felt more like an interrogation chamber than a meeting room.
"Excuse me?" He looked desperately from Kay to Lara, searching their faces for some sign of support or explanation, but both of them awkwardly avoided eye contact, their expressions betraying a mixture of guilt and helplessness. His gaze finally landed back on Ms. Pellion, who continued to stare daggers at him with the intensity of a predator that had cornered its prey.
"You heard me, boy. Your goals... tell them to me." Her voice dropped to a lower register, carrying an unmistakable tone of command that brooked no argument. "And just so you’re aware, I’m not asking... I’m telling. It is very important that you be transparent with me, and you lied to me in your story."
The accusation hung in the air like a blade poised to fall. Arthur, whose nerves were starting to get the better of him despite his best efforts to remain calm, took a deep gulp of air before fumbling with his words as he tried to formulate some kind of response.
"I-I don’t have any..." he stammered, the lie feeling foreign and uncomfortable on his tongue.
"You’re lying!" The words exploded from Ms. Pellion’s lips with such force that Arthur physically recoiled in his chair. "I will give you one more chance, boy. What are your goals?"
Arthur coiled back, genuinely startled by the sudden shift in her demeanor. The angelic facade had cracked, revealing something far more dangerous underneath. ’H-how does she know? I-is it an ability of hers?’ The thought raced through his mind as he tried to understand how she could see through his deceptions so easily.