"The bill of promise," Nay called out while stretching her hand towards Theo. "Give it to me."

It was one hell of an audacious thing to say to one's equal. And Nay, despite being a slave, clearly had no qualms pushing through with such a request.

Theo, however… He remained calm, rooted in his spot by the window.

He slowly turned his eyes, taking his sweet time to scan the girl's face.

Nay squinted her eyes a little.

'Did I go too far?' the girl thought.

Her muscles tightened in reaction to her shifting mood. Before she could even take control of it, her body readied itself for the fight.

Her request wasn't small. In fact, it wasn't even rational.

And it was already a miracle her provisional master didn't try to take her head right here and now.

Theo took a deep breath before slowly sighing it all out.

The young man shook his head before raising his eyes back on Nay's face.

'I don't like the look in his eyes…'

Nay's body trembled, torn between two factors that suddenly tugged it in opposite directions.

Shackles befell her soul, tying it up to the fate of the young man ahead.

'Shit!' Nay panicked a little, not expecting a damn fate revelation to come at such a random time!

The girl's blood started to pump faster through her veins, the sense of urgency and pressure taking an instant toll on her composure.

Yet… Right as the will of the world itself bound her fate to this young man… Something deep, at the very bottom of her soul…

It screamed in primal terror.

Nay's eyes widened…

The training kicked in.

Right when Nay was about to lose control of her face, countless hours of extensive exercises showed their worth.

Nay's face froze as it was.

"No."

Theo's sudden answer only added to the momentary mental baggage Nay had to deal with.

But there was one more thing. The look on her provisional master's face…

Taken aback by the depth of her discovery, Nay dived deep into Theo's eyes, seeking the strange exhaustion sitting at their very bottom.

'Just what did he see to make a face like this?' Nay asked herself.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

This single question muted all her other struggles, putting them all on a second plan.

"I'm not going to give it to you," Theo spoke.

Raising her eyes, Nay redirected her focus from her inside back to the real world.

Theo's pose already changed, he was now making a step forward with a complete indifference written all over his face.

"I'm aware how easily you could break free from our bond," the young man spoke, staring right into Nay's eyes.

A gulp of saliva moved down the girl's throat.

'I knew it…'

Unable to deal with everything happening at once, Nay simplified the situation and produced a straightforward outcome.

'He's quite interesting, isn't he?'

"And I'm more than certain you could find ways to cash this bill, even without my rank's crest," Theo paid no attention to Nay's inner struggle.

Or maybe he couldn't notice it from beyond Nay's perfected mask?

'It doesn't matter how I feel,' Nay thought, tensing her entire body… Only to relax right away.

Feeling the wave of comfort spreading through her body, Nay's forced her mind to relax.

'Right now, I need to get that bill!'

Carving out a mission out of nothing to find an anchor to focus on, Nay somehow regained a part of her usual spirit.

"Didn't you say it before?" Nay asked, gently lowering her upper eyelids as she batted her long eyelashes.

Yet, just like he didn't react to seeing her in the official uniform, Theo either failed or refused to react to Nay's teasing. And while it provided her with a strange sense of security…

'Why do I feel slightly offended?' Nay asked herself.

She then took a small, short breath before putting a tiny smile on her face.

"We are in this shit together, regardless of our intentions."

Nay recited the words she remembered her provisional master speaking before.

She then lowered her head a bit before taking a step forward. She made another step, pushing her hands gently to the sides.

And then, she suddenly started to fall, in the most natural trip one could imagine.

Nay pushed her hands to the side, desperately seeking something to get a hold on… Only to fall into Theo's arms, who conveniently stood in the perfect spot to catch her.

Falling into her master's embrace, Nay kept her face low. Yet, as she glanced upwards…

'This little…'

Theo's face was free of a single spot of red.

If anything, he appeared to be bothered and at most annoyed at the whole act.

Still, Theo caught Nay by her shoulders, stopping her face a mere inch away from his chest.

As suddenly as Nay started her assault, she withdrew two steps back. Yet, as she turned around and showed her master a wide smile…

Nay giggled as she waved the bill in question.

"You might be a tournament's champion, I will give you that," Nay grinned as she stared at the now openly hostile face of her master.

He wasted no time giving himself to feelings of betrayal, hesitation, or disbelief.

Theo appeared to pay no mind to those formalities, jumping straight into the most efficient way to bring the best possible outcome given the momentary circumstances.

'He really is damn interesting!' Nay couldn't hold her giggle back anymore.

For the first time since they met, she showed her master her true smile, something she left unused for several years now.

"Don't forget, I'm four ranks stronger than the noble you somehow defeated!" Nay giggled again, lowering her guard and allowing her sense of superiority to shine through her voice.

'I might be a slave, but I'm of the thirteenth rank!'

A sense of pride exploded in Nay's chest…

But she had no intention to go against this curious boy.

Not yet at least.

'His reactions are even more interesting than I thought they would be,' Nay thought, watching how Theo's face filled with indifference.

And for the first time, Nay's body twitched.

'He doesn't even have the blessing, so how in all hell…'

The girl's eyes turned wide.

The man in front was of a mere fifth rank. A fly she could swat away regardless of her slave status. And without blessing, he could not employ aura to transmit his killing intent.

And somehow, despite lacking the means to, Theo…

He made Nay twitch!

Nay shook her head.

'This meeting was far more interesting than I ever thought it would be,' she thought while heaving a long sigh.

Nay then turned around, facing the doors while raising her hand and waving the bill in the air.

"Don't you worry," she suddenly changed her tone, no longer pretending to go against her role or master. "I brought you new clothes, so change while I'm out. And I will bring this bill back sometime soon."