Chapter 144: End of Meeting
Ms. Pellion’s face immediately transformed, retrieving the same adorable pouting expression from earlier that had caught Arthur so off guard. Her lower lip jutted out slightly, and her golden eyes took on a wounded quality that made her look like a disappointed child who had been denied her favorite toy.
"Oh, what a shame..." she said with exaggerated disappointment, though the underlying threat from moments before still lingered in the air like a dangerous undercurrent. "Well, if you change your minds, you two are always welcome here!" The cheerful tone didn’t quite mask the calculating gleam in her eyes.
She turned her attention back to Lara and Kay, her demeanor shifting once again to that of a professional leader conducting business. "Now, let’s continue the meeti—"
"Wait." Arthur’s voice cut through her words like a blade, causing everyone in the room to turn and look at him with surprise. Ms. Pellion raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, her expression shifting to one of curious interest as she waited for him to continue.
Arthur stared directly at Ms. Pellion he spoke. "Why did it feel like my body itself was rejecting the proposition of lying to you? Is it an ability?"
Ms. Pelligon’s smile widened considerably, and she looked Arthur up and down with what could only be described as predatory appreciation, like a master craftsman examining a particularly fine piece of work.
"Very perceptive, boy! You really are promising..." she said, her voice carrying a note of genuine admiration. "Yes, it is an ability of mine. The longer someone stays around me and the more infatuated they become with me, the more vulnerable they subconsciously become." She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying the opportunity to explain her power. "Your body will start to yearn to tell me the truth... although usually people don’t even realize it’s happening and think they’re simply telling me out of their own volition. But you caught on... very impressive."
Arthur did not respond immediately, but internally he recoiled at the implications of what she had just revealed. The idea of himself being forcibly made vulnerable around her, of having his free will subtly manipulated without his knowledge, was deeply disturbing. It explained so much about how she had been able to see through his lies so easily, and it made him wonder what other mental influences she might be capable of exerting.
But he didn’t bother fighting it or making a scene, recognizing that there was still a meeting to take place and it was far too late to leave now.
Ms. Pellion went on to offer what seemed like a sincere apology for the intensity of her earlier interrogation, though Arthur noted that she didn’t actually apologize for threatening to kill them. With that uncomfortable interlude behind them, they resumed the meeting, and Lara and Kay began to explain various developments and situations that had occurred during their absence.
They confirmed several things that Arthur and Aziel already knew, such as the fact that almost two years had passed in the outside world while only a couple of weeks had passed in the castle. For Lara and Kay, the time differential was even more pronounced, as they had been trapped in the castle for even longer than Arthur and Aziel had been.