NoGift

"You mean the Eastern guy?  He said he"s going to the forest to hunt game for dinner," Clay answered, a bit relieved that Argent was no longer asking about what he said earlier, about persuading the elf to ask for help from him.  

Hearing that answer, Argent was suddenly reminded of that time in Xing.  When she was searching for the whereabouts of her mother, and Lei Feng and his dark guards were helping her.  Most of their dinners, even their breakfasts, were made by Lei Feng.  Truth to be told, she kind of missed his cooking.

"Why did that Xing general come here anyway?" Aurum, who just walked out of the shuttle, suddenly asked.  She sat on a log beside Clay.  "Did you ask him to come, Brother?"

Argent didn"t answer immediately because of what she just saw.  Aurum sat beside Clay without even looking at her surroundings.  As if it was the most natural thing to do.  Looking so nonchalant, Aurum, herself, probably didn"t even notice what she"s doing.   

Knowing her sister, she wouldn"t approach anyone on her own if that person was not someone she felt comfortable with.  Most of all, she wouldn"t sit so close to that person.  Argent narrowed her eyes at the s.p.a.ce between the two.  

When did this two become so close?

"Brother?" Aurum called.  "What"s wrong?  Did you not hear what I said?"

Argent returned her gaze back to her sister.  "He came here on his own," she said, answering Aurum"s earlier question.

"Ha?  Why would he do that?  Our business in Xing was already over.  There"s no reason for him to be here at all," Aurum said unbelievingly.  

No, wait- could her long-standing suspicion actually turned out to be true?  That that stone faced general really did have those kinds of feelings towards her brother?  Just like that snake b.a.s.t.a.r.d?  She glanced at Argent.  Just how many guys would this brother of hers turned gay?

Although her brother was really a girl but those guys didn"t know that.  So them pursuing Argent actively like this was almost the same as admitting that they willingly turned gay for her brother.  And knowing her brother, she probably didn"t even notice it.  

"He said he was on vacation and had nothing better to do," Argent said.  "He was with me when that Harlequin told me to go to Victoria City, so he knew that something was about to happen there."

See?  With such a lame excuse like that, her brother didn"t even think much of it.  To think that overly serious looking general could actually say such a stupid excuse.  But then again, her brother actually believed it so it might not be that stupid.  Aurum sighed and shook her head.  Should she just give Argent a lesson regarding things like this?  So she would be more aware?

Argent, who had no idea about her sister"s train of thought, looked at the elf again.  He was still hugging his knees and not looking at anything around him.  He"s simply exuding a depressive atmosphere.  

She walked towards him.  "Raise your head." The elf didn"t have any reaction.  She sighed and kneeled on one knee in front of him.  She reached for his chin and forced him to look at her.  "Do you know who I am?"

Being forced to raise his head, the elf"s gaze collided with a pair of purple eyes.  There were no lingering emotions in those eyes.  No hate and anger, no joy and happiness, only endless indifference.   

He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.  Because that gaze just reminded him of someone else"s.  Someone he thought he could trust, but at the end, only betrayed him greatly.  

[Don"t blame me for doing this.  It"s your fault for being too stupid.  Believing all my lies and not even questioning a single thing.  Do you really think I will save the life of that b*tch"s son?]

That was the last thing he heard before he was stabbed at the stomach.

Argent, of course, noticed this.  She released his chin.  "Relax, I won"t eat you or something.  So just answer my question, do you know who I am?"

"No," the elf finally said.  

"Then let me introduce myself.  My name is Argent Blackbourne.  Does that ring any bell to you?"

The elf shook his head.  

So he was either living at a very isolated area or he was being kept somewhere isolated by someone.  Argent didn"t want to sound conceited but her sPhones had been spread around the world.  And with that interview she did with Aurum, she"s pretty sure everyone who owned an sPhone should know her face and name by now.

Being an elf, it could either be one of those two reasons.  But Argent was more inclined to believe that it was the latter.  Somehow, this elf simply exuded the feeling of being oppressed and bullied all his life. 

"Then let me tell you what that name entails," she said.  "I am the owner of Silver Corporation.  Currently one of the biggest and richest company in the world.  I"m also a n.o.ble duke from the Kingdom of Albion.  I have considerable amount of power and influence in my hands.  So just like what that guy said earlier, I could help you if you asked."

Help?  The elf finally looked at this tall teenager in front of him.  He still looked indifferent but unlike before, there was a silent determination in those pair of purple eyes.  But could he trust him just because of that?  

It was true that he needed help.  In fact, he badly needed it.  With just him alone, he couldn"t possibly save his mother.  Maybe that was the reason why he"s still here, even though he already had a lot of chance to leave.  Because deep inside him, he was waiting for this teenager to offer his help.  

When this silver-haired teenager entered that weird contraption, the elf knew he was the one leading this bunch of people.  Meaning he was also the one who ordered that kid to get him out of that dungeon.  And then he witnessed when that weird flying contraption released that light that ruined a whole building.  

Alongside with what the teenager said about being the owner of a powerful company, he could almost be certain that this teenager could indeed help him.  But the question now was, could he actually trust him?

"Of course, I"m not going to do this for free.  Because just like what I said earlier, I"m not some charitable inst.i.tution," Argent said.  "What we"ll have is an equal trade."

"Equal… trade?"  

"That"s right, an equal trade.  I"ll help you but you have to do something for me in return."

The elf fell into silence.  Then after a long while he said, "As long as I don"t have to kill anyone, then I agree."

"We have a deal then." Argent stood up.  "Now, since I already offered my name, don"t you think it"s only right that you do the same?"

"Janea," the elf said.  He raised his head and repeated, "My name is Janea."