Elisabeth stood frozen.
Her mouth worked but nothing came out, and the certainty that had carried her through every word since she'd first spoken Quinlan's name was gone.
Ayame saw it. The shock was real, not performed.
Elisabeth was the Goddess's hammer, the Dawn Breaker who chased undead and heretics across the continent.
She didn't conduct healing sessions, or even if she had, she didn't control the finances behind it.
She had no idea what the people behind her were doing in the Goddess's name, and that ignorance was written across her face in full.
"We bought her debt. She's the wonderful woman who designed our home's interior." A warm and genuine tone crept into Ayame's voice.
"She helped me pick the colors for my room, argued with me for an hour about where to place the wardrobe because she insisted it would block the airflow from the window. She was right, by the way."
A small smile.
"She still works for us, so you can ask her yourself if you don't believe me."
