Judging by how quiet the corridor was, there probably weren't many suckers willing to pay extra Silver Scales for the name.
But... it wasn't completely useless.
There was someone living right behind that door, after all.
Before knocking, He Xi quickly composed himself.
Something had felt strange to him over the past two days.
He suspected that on the night in question, his emotions had been unnaturally amplified by some outside force.
By his usual principles, what did the life or death of a stranger have to do with him?
Just like whether he found Annis or not, he didn't care at all about this woman's whereabouts.
Promising to protect an elf he'd met by chance? That didn't fit his personality at all.
There were two suspects: Salamachis, who had left whispers in his mind, or Zoya herself.
The "Favorability increased" notification was objective, but "favorability" itself might not be genuine.
Just as a hunter might admire prey he'd been chasing for a long time, that kind of "favor" was more about satisfaction at watching the prey walk into a trap, and an appraisal of its value.
Which kind of favor did Zoya feel toward him?
But no matter what, He Xi had no intention of taking back what he'd said.
He decided to play along.
On one hand, he needed this "favor" as a key to unlock more valuable entries from Zoya. On the other, he would stay vigilant and confirm her true nature.
Just then—
[Moon-Eyed Elf Zoya Selene's Favorability toward you increased. Parsing Points +2]
He Xi's eyes narrowed slightly.
Heh. Speak of the devil.
Inside the room, a pair of long, pale legs swung unconcernedly over the edge of the bed.
As the pages turned and the plot unfolded, their owner seemed completely absorbed.
Her