After listening to her complaints, Ryan's expression hardly changed. He only said mildly, "If you're short of money, I'll give it to you as much as you want."
This completely unguarded generosity and goodwill left Elodie stunned on the spot, at a total loss for how to respond. In her view, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Ryan's behavior had to mean he had ulterior motives.
Their conversation was heard loud and clear by Mario outside the door, who immediately barged in and cut Ryan off. Turning to Elodie, Mario addressed her respectfully. "Miss Elodie, have you come to give us a commission?"
Elodie snapped back to herself and said she wanted him to investigate someone. A man with dark green hair and deep violet eyes.
Seeing the two getting along better and better, Ryan's expression darkened at once. He forcibly interrupted their conversation. "I have a way to make big money that might be able to help you."
Mario frowned immediately and objected. "This needs careful thought. You can't decide on impulse. You have to consider the safety of the company."
That remark was like fuel on the fire. Ryan's gaze turned so cold it was frightening, and his tone brooked no refusal. "Get out. Now."
Knowing all too well his captain's temper, Mario did not dare say another word and bolted, afraid that even a moment's delay would doom him.
Once Mario was gone, Ryan's tone toward Elodie softened in an instant, as if he were a different person. He said quietly, "Not long ago, a certain item went up for sale at a black market auction. It might help you get out of your predicament."
Hearing this, Elodie fell into thought. The black market is full of all sorts of people. If her father learned she had gone there, the consequences would be unimaginable and would only invite more trouble.
Seeing through her concern, Ryan said she could go under a false identity. With so many people and so much chaos there, no one would care about her background.
Faced with a chance to make money, Elodie really found it hard to refuse.
Ryan added that in exactly a week it would be Ishtar Temple meeting day. Elodie understood at once. Ishtar Temple meeting day was when the heads, wives and legitimate children of the four great families, including the royal family, gathered together. But since childhood, such invitations had never once been delivered to her.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and as expected, she received no invitation. What she did not expect was that the Duke and Duchess would transfer almost all the servants from the estate to her annex, making it clear they did not trust her at all.
Before leaving, the Duke reminded her, "Elodie, you're to rest at home these days and not run around."
Outwardly Elodie agreed meekly, but her mind was already made up. She still slipped out of the estate and went to the black market as arranged.
Ryan pointed to the item on the auction platform. Elodie followed his gaze. On the stage lay a plain-looking ruby that could not have been more ordinary.
The auctioneer raised the gem and introduced it. "This ruby is an heirloom from a family that was wiped out. The starting bid is five hundred gold."
To avoid being cheated, Elodie cautiously raised it to five hundred and ten. But as soon as she spoke, the auctioneer brought down the hammer at once. "Sold."
Just like that, she obtained the ordinary ruby for the low price of five hundred and ten gold.
Only then did Ryan tell her the truth. This was no mere ruby. It was one of the seven deadly sins' sealing stones. Legend said that the empire's seven great families had sealed sin within them, and the Pedia family also possessed one such stone.
Elodie had indeed heard rumors of the sealing stones. Such things should be hidden in a secret place that only the family head and heir could enter, under heavy guard. How could one end up on the black market?
Ryan explained that there had originally been seven families charged with sealing sin, including the royal family, and now only five remained.
Elodie asked what use the sealing stones actually had. Ryan answered gravely that they could summon the sins sealed within them. By making a deal with the sin, one could borrow its power, but the user must pay a price.
Only now did Elodie realize that the core of a sealing stone was summoning sin and making a deal.
Ryan reassured her that she did not need to be afraid. As the holder of a sealing stone, she could use the sin's power directly without paying any price. A secret not even the five great families knew.
The more Elodie heard, the more puzzled she became. If even the five great families don't know this, how do you?
As if he had expected the question, Ryan admitted on his own. "I once made a deal with Pride."
Elodie was shocked. Wasn't Pride sealed by the already destroyed Apel family? And the ruby in her hand came from another exterminated line, the Pitan family, and sealed Greed.
For the first time, she realized that Ryan hid an alarming number of secrets, but for now she had no intention of digging deeper. The most important thing was to verify the stone's power.
Following Ryan's instructions, she lightly placed her hand on the ruby. The instant her fingertip touched the gem, golden light burst out, and the blinding radiance engulfed her in a flash.
Ryan had not expected this at all and was visibly stunned. He tried to stop it, but it was already too late.
Elodie felt the world spin as her consciousness was forcibly dragged into a strange space. It was unreal and eerie, unlike anything she had ever seen.
Still reeling with shock, she watched as a pitch-black fox sauntered up in front of her. She froze. What is a fox doing in a place like this?
The next moment, the fox spoke human language, its voice lazy and sly. "Human, I am Greed."
Elodie forced herself to stay calm and asked where this place was.
The fox snorted. "Where else? This is nothing more than the temple where you humans sealed me long ago." It narrowed its eyes and added, "By the way, you're the first human who's ever been able to come in here."
Elodie's heart stirred. She desperately needed power to escape her predicament. Greed's ability might be just what she needed. So she said, "I want to make a deal with you. I want your power."
Greed looked her over, its tone full of disdain. "Human, my power isn't cheap. You can't afford the price."
Elodie sneered inwardly. Testing me? Useless. She had already heard the key information from Ryan.
She spoke with certainty. "Drop the act. As the holder of the sealing stone, I have the right to treat you as my slave and use you without paying any price." She reached out her hand and ordered, "Let's start by practicing a handshake. From now on, I'm your master."
In Elodie's eyes, this black fox was actually kind of cute and nothing like the ferocious being of legend.
But Greed coldly declared that its master was someone else. Elodie demanded to know who.
With reverence in its voice, Greed answered. "Naturally, the greatest god in this world, Lady Icar."
Elodie was not swayed in the slightest. "Right now the sealing stone is in my hand, so you'd best recognize the situation." Without another word, she grabbed Greed, intending to take it with her.
The moment she touched it, Greed suddenly stopped struggling, sniffed the air, and its eyes changed in an instant. "You carry my master's scent."