"No, I don't need your money, just let go," Eliot answered once again, determined to get her off his back no matter what.
The problem wasn't solely her ability. It was the fact that Angelica, Jenica, and Bright were from birth trained to manipulate anyone and any situation to their advantage. That fact alone, that possibility of being manipulated, was something he detested. He hated the thought of being used. So even if she swore not to pry into his head, he would still refuse her.
One thing these siblings all shared in common was their constant playfulness, which they used to make a target let down their guard around them. The bright smiles and sweet nothings were just a ruse, a method they used to create a personality in a target's head—the personality of a harmless, playful individual. This completely eliminated the thought of possible manipulation, thereby making the individual an easy target who wouldn't even realize they were being used.
The biggest problem was that you could never truly read them. They were masters of facades, actors who, when in character, embodied the character completely. You never knew when they were genuine or when you were being deceived.
That was one of the main reasons Eliot was so disturbed to find Jenica here. She was one of the worst of the three siblings. And that was majorly, but not completely, because of her ability. This ability let her pry into someone's head, read their thoughts, suggest thoughts, hijack an individual's body—though that depended on how powerful the individual was. The worst of it all was her ability to read and manipulate emotions. She was the full package, and someone he didn't need at this point in time. She was too dangerous, not only physically but also tactically.
"Look, this is not a joke, neither is it a lie. I am serious, alright? I will pay. Okay, how about ten thousand imperial gold, huh?" she asked with a grin to which Eliot responded without much thought.
"You asked I play along until he was taken care of. As I can see, he's been taken care of. I don't need payment or your reward, just let go of my arm."
He pulled, but she kept her hold, her smile still firm as she leaned in. At this moment, he finally realized he had a problem. She wanted something from him. That was the only explanation, but now the problem was... what?
"Alright, name your price," she offered, to which he felt a severe migraine coming up. It was obvious getting out of this situation wouldn't be easy. Well, he could just try what he had done with Lungris, but that would be stupid as she would instantly see him as an enemy, and that animosity wasn't what he needed at the moment given they would still meet again.
"I am not in need of money. Why can't you understand that? Or are you deaf?" He tilted his head, to which she sighed.
"Look, I am giving you a good offer. Just act as my boyfriend until all this is over. In return, you get protection during the exploration, and money, lots of money. It's a win-win situation, so why won't you take it?" She pulled even closer and asked, the smile on her face at this point cracking.
"I need you to understand something. I am not interested in whatever you have to offer. Look, if you don't let go right now, I will have no choice but to use force," he said, to which she sighed, her smile finally failing completely.
"Look over there," she said, pointing to a corner to which he stared at her for a while, then at the direction she was gesturing at, only to find Enforcers standing at every corner.
'What?' He frowned, shocked by this sight.
He had been here all this while yet was only noticing now? Yeah, something wasn't right here.
"The moment you leave me, those men would instantly take you, and trust me, you don't want that to happen," she said.
"Why?" Eliot inquired, to which she gave him a blank look.
"I don't know, maybe because the guy you just threw down these stairs is the son of a grand duke?" She made an animated gesture, to which Eliot glanced back.
'It seems I miscalculated a lot. Perhaps it was the fact that my mana veins were in normal state that I wasn't able to see or sense them previously. If I had, I wouldn't have resorted to that. I had been too hasty to get rid of Lungris. Now I just gave her a solid hold on me. What do I do?'
Eliot wondered, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find a solution. The only possible solution was remaining close to her, as her identity itself seemed to be protecting him.
"So, I advise you not to resist too much. Those guys can be really rough when handling lower-ranked nobles. You might just end up kicked out of this mansion or even worse, killed." She shook her head in what appeared to be pity, to which Eliot gazed at her for a long time. Then he glanced towards the far railings which Lungris had been blasted off.
"Let's go." She hugged tighter, then began pulling him away.
'This confirms it. The link trades my emotions for the benefits of the slave mark,' he thought, placing his free hand on his chest. 'After I used the link, I am starting to feel this way again.'
He recalled the first time he had made the slave seal and activated it. For that briefest moment, that slightest gap in time, he had been rendered completely devoid of emotions. He became less of a human in a way, only responding to situations solely prompted by reason. It was a state that was disturbing to say the least, as only probabilities of outcomes, variables, possibilities, and results mattered. If there was no objective, there was no need to act.
That was the case now. At first, after using the link to utilize Anna's affinity, he had just felt a brief haziness that barely affected him. But as time progressed, he started to feel strangely apathetic.
"Jenica?" he heard, only to realize they had reached a higher floor of which three young men and two girls approached them.
'Great, more variables.'