Tiger's Den (1)

"Do you know your mission?" Slayer asked me.

Like the hell am I supposed to know! I frowned at his pathetic questionnaire, unable to comprehend what was going on– in this man's head. He had me tortured for the last few weeks and was acting nice all out of a sudden. I seriously doubted him!

"You can stop giving me glares." He told me as he stared at his watch.

"You-" I arrogantly opened my mouth to rebuke badly at his man and give him a piece of my dirty mind.

"I know you hate me. But bear with it, this is how I test loyalty." He tells me coldly. "You might as well tell me where you come from?"

"The place you KIDNAPPED me from," I said angrily, emphasizing on the word of Kidnap.

"Do you think I had a choice? You were clinging onto me."

"Then you should have pushed me away."

"I didn't have time."

"Well? Why? You could have shoved me away just in time." I refuted back. "You must really be a criminal if you didn't have time. And you must also be the one who put Elerdia on fire didn't you? What do you want with me? What do you want with Elerdia?"

"I am looking for someone." He says arrogantly as we pace around the dark hallway.

"The Emperor? Sure! Go kidnap him!"

"That's not what I meant." He told me. "Aren't you afraid of treason?"

My eyes rounded up as I snarkily commented: "Well, do you think I am committing treason?"

"You are ordering an enemy to invade and attack your King. Isn't that treason? Isn't that your Land? Kingdom? You are quite bold."

"Mister. Where do you think my two wonderful feet are standing on?"

"On the ground." He answers.

"Who owns the ground?"

"Me."

"Hmmm... do you know who kidnapped me? Who threatened me? Who almost assassinated me? Who told me to work as a spy on my own land?"

"..." He stared at me.

I clap my hands to gain his attention and tell him: "Yo. Sir. Do you think I am in a position where a fatty could accuse me of treason?"

I angrily grit my teeth when he doesn't respond to my question. I rolled my eyes at him. He thinks everything is a hilarious comedy, while I– was kidnapped, almost died, suffered his stupid torture, almost got executed, and all of the likes of injuries. I hated this.

"If you don't have anything to say, then you better shut up on accusing me of treason," I order.

Out of the corner of his eyes, I saw a dangerous glint in his eyes that screamed for murder as he said: "Do you know who you're ordering? Do not threaten me."

He reached out his hand to strangle me, but I laughed cowardly at him and said: "Me? threatening who? Don't think you're the most dangerous one here?"

***

***

He throws me a pile of papers to my face without having any conscience. I had to swear that I had never met such a disrespectful person in my life other than the ArchDuke.

"What is this?" I say as I read through the contents of the paper.

"A contract," Slayer says sully as he studies a huge world map hanging on the wall. My eyes widened in response. A c-contract? I look through the contract carefully and look right back at Slayer as if a miracle happened.

Why is he showing me a contract?

Again, I should be grateful that he isn't threatening me with a blood pact. If he threatened me with my neck at the execution table, I would have lost it. But since it's a contract... I could be free when it was over.

Of course, when the contract was OVER. FINISHED.

As expected... my earful must have helped him reach his conscience!

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*You must share all the necessary important details information with your master. Even if it's unnecessary.

"Why is it that we have a master-servant relationship?" I angrily said. I didn't want to be this psycho's crazy servant, who knew what would happen to me in the future.

"Why can't we?" Slayer responded. Anger and rage raised in my forehead. I clenched my fists to keep my temper at cool before my third eye opened.

*You will not share information with a third party or to enemies. Or else you'll be charged with treason.

"What if I secretly reveal information without your prior notice?"

"You can't."

"You wouldn't know," I responded.

"Are you testing me? You don't have to worry Ms. Mira– I have ways to tell and deal with someone who betrayed me." His hands went through his throat to signal me that he'll slice it off.

*You will obediently listen to your Master. Or else you'll be charged with disloyalty.

"What kind of sh*t am I supposed to follow? Am I dog?" I angrily yelled at him.

"Just bear with it. You don't know how many nights I have to spend revising it, you should be grateful that I am being merciful right now."

*You cannot lie to your Master. One lie is worth thousand-lifetime deaths.

*Slayer, the Regent of the North Clan is XXX's Master. You will not cooperate with anyone else other than him. Or it will be charged as treason.

"Is that it?" I say.

"After you're done reading the contract you can add your own to the rest of the paper. This contract terminates after two years." He replied instead.

I bit my lips. What can I add to my contract?

"How about not interfering with my personal life?"

"Can't do."

"What? Am I your dog you have to watch every day!?"

"Yes. A spy has to be supervised. You don't know when they runoff. Dogs also need leashes so they don't run around towards danger."

I curse him in anger. If I didn't have my personal life– he'll probably find out everything about my identity!

"How about differentiating work life with personal life? If I act suspicious, someone might find it strange. I have a lot of friends and foes."

"You won't be having a personal life because your mission is to travel somewhere else other than home."

"Where?"

"To Elerdia's Royal Court. You'll get your job there as a Royal Administrator. The second-hand advisor of the Emperor."

My jaws dropped. Right into the Tiger's den!?