"Don't tell me…"
Elena's grin widened, and Ren immediately knew he had been had.
"Ahahaha! Relax. I got it." She gave him a playful pat on the back, laughing at his reaction. "You should've seen your face!"
Ren's expression was impossible to describe. "You'd better hope you still get to stay with me on this quest."
Elena's laughter rang through the quiet garden. "Oh? So you do want me to stay with you, after all?"
Ren rolled his eyes, though the corners of his mouth betrayed him with a faint smile. "I never said that. But having someone as skilled as you around wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."
"Skilled, huh?" Elena raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. "Is that your way of admitting you need someone to protect you?"
Ren scoffed. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much. But having backup never hurts. You never know when trouble might show up."
