Me, an outsider

"Why didn't you bring it up while we were back at the valley, then?"

Leinei's question was pretty important… because it forced me to reveal the calculative reason behind my decision to hold this discussion back. 

"Once again, that's because I was still trying to figure it all out myself," I spoke with a sigh, preparing myself to drop the stinky bomb. "And well…" 

In the end, Leinei proved not to be as stupid as I was starting to believe she was. 

"Is it because if you spoke of it back then, it would be more convenient for Madam to test this theory out? Is that why you've waited until we came all this way back, just to make sure I would be the one risking my life by testing it out?"

While Leinei squinted her eyes and looked at me with a clear lack of sympathy… There was also a hint of acknowledgment and even… respect?

'She's not as angry as I thought she would be,' I thought, genuinely taken aback by how mild the dryad's reaction was.