Vivi, who had practically sold herself at a discount, clutched Garen's hand tightly and refused to let go, waiting nervously for his final response.
Robin, who was at odds with her own boss beneath the surface, looked relaxed as though she were merely an outsider, her interested gaze shifting between Garen and Vivi.
Crocodile, whose plans had suffered a serious setback, hid his scarred face, dark as thunder, behind thick cigar smoke. The room was so quiet that only the faint sound of cigar tobacco burning in the fire could be heard.
At last, Garen had a chance to speak.
With a resolute expression, he said what he had long wanted to say but had repeatedly been interrupted before he could:
"Crocodile, stop dreaming!"
"No matter how generous your terms are, I will never cooperate with you!"
Hearing Garen's openly hostile declaration, Crocodile did not seem surprised in the slightest. The invisible murderous aura around him merely grew much denser.
Vivi, meanwhile, finally let out a great sigh of relief. Her soft arms, which had been clinging to Garen's arm almost pleadingly, slowly loosened as she relaxed.
But just as she forgot the tension of having her life hanging by a thread, Vivi immediately remembered the ultimate condition she had promised Garen in her desperation not long ago. A shadow once more fell over her bright eyes, where the traces of tears had not yet fully faded.
Vivi had indeed felt a vague affection for Garen before, but she had never imagined she would have to give herself to him in such an unwilling manner.
There was no romance, no story—only a naked exchange of interests. It was undoubtedly an utterly terrible emotional experience.
And Garen's image as a perfect knight of light and justice in Vivi's heart came crashing