Aurora's gaze remained locked on Reis as silence stretched between them. Neither of them looked willing to back down first.
The forest breeze stirred the dark purple strands of his hair while the smell of roasted sweet potatoes and damp ground lingered around the cave, but the tension between them had grown so thick that even the atmosphere itself felt heavy.
She was still holding the demon claw knife loosely in front of him, her thoughts rapidly calculating possibilities after hearing his question. Trust him? A fox beastman? That alone sounded ridiculous. Especially one who looked at her like he found the entire situation entertaining rather than dangerous.
So instead of answering directly, Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly, "Then how about you try and convince me that you'll keep your end of the deal."
