An offer you (truly) can't refuse

The man arched his brows, staring down at Emily, the expression on his face full of incredulity. "What, don't remember me?"

'…Should I?' Emily squinted her eyes, taking a good look at the man.

Sleek black hair, slightly messy, contrasting with fair skin. Midnight blue eyes, deep and mysterious like the night sky. Handsome features with a hint of arrogance. Tall, or at least above average height, and well-built, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Dressed up like a commoner, perhaps a mercenary, but his posture and the way he carried himself had the air of nobility…

'Nope. Doesn't ring a bell.'

As far as Emily could recall, there was no character in the novel with a matching description. Could he be a nameless extra? But with a face like that, he should at least be a major supporting character…

Seeing the dazed expression on her face, the man let out a short, mirthless chuckle. "I guess that means you don't. Do you at least remember Jeriah? Jeriah Lamels?"

"…Who?"

The man scoffed, glaring at her with disdain. "I guess that's what all those people you used ever were to you, pawns not even worth remembering, huh?" he asked, his voice cold and chilling.

Emily lowered her head, clenching her fists. She was not the one who wronged all those people…

'Should I just tell him the truth?' a thought crossed her mind. She cast the man a surreptitious glance. He didn't seem to hate her as much as the Artinan guards, but he did dislike her nonetheless… Would he believe her? Or would he just leave, thinking that she was lying or had gone mad? As she didn't know a single thing about the man, it was difficult to figure out the best way to ask for his help…

"…Nevermind. I'm not here to reminisce about the past," the man said with a sigh, interrupting the silence. "I have an offer for you."

"An offer?" Emily's head snapped right up, as she stared at the man, focusing all of his attention on him. "What kind of offer?"

"Your execution is scheduled to happen in three days, right? Do you want a way out?"

"Of course! But… What do you want in return?"

The man smiled in response. His smile was bright and wide, however, perhaps due to the circumstances, there was something unsettling about it. Rather than reassure her, it gave Emily chills. Then the man said, in a low and melodic voice, speaking ever so slowly as if to torment her, "Nothing much… You just need to do what you're best at…"

Emily gulped loudly. She had a hunch that she wouldn't like the answer, but she still had to ask, "That is…?"

"Seduce men, spread gossip, cause chaos in the high society, ruin the reputation of a few nobles… The same things you had been doing here before."

'…Of course.' Emily couldn't help but sigh. She brushed her hair back, as she tried to appear as dignified as possible in her current state. "Sir, I know what reputation I have, and I can't exactly say it's undeserved… However, I do not wish to behave in such a manner anymore. After seeing where it led me, I reflected on my actions, and turned on a new leaf. Of course, I am still going to do my best to pay you back for the mercy you have shown me, but not this way. I do not wish to repeat the same mistakes," she calmly explained.

The man raised his brows, surprised by the answer. "Huh. Are you sure? You are definitely unwilling to fulfill my request?"

"…I'm sorry, but I would much rather repay you in a different way." Emily exhaled with relief. The man didn't appear to be offended by her rejection…

It turned out it was too early for her to be relieved though, as the man shrugged his shoulders and turned around on his heel. "Hmm. Well, that's a shame, then," he muttered, as he moved his hands, about to cancel the barrier surrounding them.

"Wait!" Emily called out desperately, reaching out to grab onto the hem of the man's cloak. "A-are you just going to l-leave me here?"

"Yes?" The man glanced down at her, pulling on his cloak to free it from Emily's grasp. "I need someone to break an engagement. I came to you because I thought it would be best to use someone experienced… But if you're unwilling, then that's that. Why would I save a deposed queen of a foreign kingdom, if you're not going to help me? I don't want to start a war."

Emily pressed her lips together. She hated to admit it, but the man had a point.

"Well then, goodbye. Have a nice three days of life…"

Gritting her teeth, Emily made a quick decision. Become the most annoying type of villainess or die? The choice was obvious. "Alright, alright! I'll help!"

The man smirked, immediately turning back toward her. "That's what I'd like to hear. Get up then, I will tell you the details once we're out of here."

Not wanting to anger the man, her only ticket out of the dungeon cell, Emily rushed to scramble up to her feet. However, the harsh conditions and lack of proper nourishment she had been subjected to for days now had left her severely weakened. She could barely lift herself to a sitting position, let alone stand and walk…

"Tsk," the man clicked his tongue, seeing her struggle. Then, without a word of warning, he cast a spell, lifting Emily up in the air.

"Ah!" Emily called out in surprise, suddenly finding herself levitating three feet above the ground. There was nothing she could do but flail her arms around, instinctively trying to hold on to something. As she did so, however, she felt an invisible force immobilize her whole body.

"Quiet now, and be still. I'm going to remove the barrier, and we're leaving. You don't want the guards to catch you while you are running away, now do you?" the man chided her. Then, not waiting for her answer, he removed the barrier spell, and the cell turned dark again.

Momentarily blind, as her eyes hadn't readjusted to the darkness yet, Emily had no idea what was going on. She could vaguely feel herself floating, then being carelessly tossed somewhere… A shudder passed through her body as she suddenly entered a cold, dense liquid, which felt like slippery eels brushing against her skin. It only lasted a fraction of a second before the sensation was gone, replaced by the gentle breeze, the rustling of the leaves, and the scent of fresh air.

A beautiful starry sky, adorned by a large crescent moon, greeted her when she finally opened her eyes again.

Her sight momentarily became hazy, blurred by the tears. Never in her life had she thought she would be this happy just to be able to see the sky again…