Chapter 1581: A Date

Lory rose from the bed and then gave the white rose to Abigail and said. "He told me I can trust you."

Abigail accepted the white rose. She paused for a moment, bringing it closer to inhale its soft fragrance before lifting her gaze back to Lory. "Are you a Noxcra agent?"

Lory gave a small shrug, her tone easy. "You could say that."

The vague answer didn’t seem to surprise Abigail. If anything, it only confirmed what she had already suspected, for she knew that people from Noxcra were the kind who always acted with discretion.

She turned and walked back to the dressing table, setting the white rose down with care before asking, "What do you want from me?"

Lory studied the elegant woman before her. Fargo had described Abigail as opportunistic, manipulative, and cunning, and after witnessing how easily she had led Robert by the nose, Lory had no intention of underestimating her.

"It’s about Robert Augburn," Lory said. "What do you know about him?"

Abigail smiled but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. Only then did she glance over her shoulder. "Would you like a drink?"

"I don’t drink when I’m on duty," Lory politely refused.

Abigail chuckled under her breath, lifting the glass as she walked toward the table. Lory followed, taking the seat across from her.

"There’s nothing particularly interesting about Robert Augburn," Abigail said at last, swirling the wine in her glass. "He’s a typical rich man who’s grown bored with how easy his life is, so he’s always looking for something to make his day a little more exciting."

"And you’re that ’something?" Lory asked, the corner of her lips curving with a hint of mischief.

Abigail’s smile sharpened, a playful glint flashing in her eyes. "I’m the prize everyone wants at the Grand Ivory," she said lightly, almost teasing. "Something he has to compete for, and that alone is enough to excite a man like him."

She leaned back unhurriedly, confidence settling over her like silk. "And it’s my job to keep men excited."

Lory narrowed her eyes slightly. "I’d guess he’s told you quite a bit, if only to boast," she said, her tone casual but probing. "Do you know what business Robert Augburn has in Arwegian?"

Abigail set her glass down this time. She leaned forward, her slender fingers lifting to gently cup Lory’s chin, guiding her gaze upward.

"Didn’t he tell you?" Her eyes glint mischievously. "I don’t work for free."

Lory let out a quiet chuckle but didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned her elbows on the table, folding her hands as she tilted her head slightly.

"And what is it that Miss Rose wants?" Lory asked, already prepared for a long, difficult negotiation.

A flicker of something danced in Abigail’s blue eyes, quick, bright, almost hopeful. It vanished just as fast, but not before Lory caught it.

"Then, how about this?" Abigail straightened slightly, her tone turning light again, almost playful. "....Someone once promised to take me on a proper date, but to this day he still hasn’t fulfilled it."

She tapped her finger lightly against the rim of her glass. "I’m not asking for an extravagant dinner or a parade through expensive boutiques. No... I want something normal, something ordinary."

Her lips curved faintly, though a trace of melancholy lingered beneath them. "You know...like watching a movie, eating ice cream, walking in the park, everything that a normal couple does. In short, I want the whole girlfriend experience."

"Wait a minute, you want to exchange information with one day date?" Lory frowned, still unsure whether Abigail was being serious or joking with her.

"Yes," Abigail answered straightforwardly. "I’ve been waiting for three years, and it’s embarrassing to admit, but I’m starting to lose my patience," she added sheepishly.

Lory stared at her, dumbfounded. "I think after three years, you’re allowed to scream at that man." Lory sincerely said.

Abigail shook her head and sighed softly. "No. I know he’s busy, and he’s been through a lot, so I don’t want to trouble him... but lately, I kind of..." She trailed off, not finishing her sentence, and instead gave Lory a gentle, helpless smile.

Lory was taken aback. She hadn’t expected someone like Abigail Rose to show such an expression, and at the same time, a surge of anger rose within her toward this ’certain man.

The corner of Lory’s lips twitched slightly. "Let me guess, this scummy man is the same person who told me to give you that flower."

Abigail immediately pursed her lips, clearly displeased. "Hey, he’s not scum," she protested, her tone firm. "He’s a hero. And it’s not his fault, I’m the one who forced him to make that promise."

Lory clicked her tongue in exasperation while studying Abigail closely and wondering where the cunning woman who had so effortlessly made Robert spill his secrets as water had disappeared to.

"If I can give you that," Lory said, leaning back slightly as her gaze sharpened, "what kind of information will you give me, Miss Rose?"

Lory pushed her personal opinion aside and forced herself back into a business mindset, her expression turning calm and professional once more.

"In return..." Abigail said, her expression shifting back into that calculating, cunning composure she was known for, "I’ll tell you everything I know about Robert Augburn, what kind of projects he’s working on, who he’s been in contact with, and all the rumors I’ve heard about him..." She paused just long enough for the weight of her words to settle, then added almost lazily, "Also... his recent interactions with General Versen."

Lory’s brows lifted, genuine surprise slipping through. "All of that just for one date." Lory still found it hard to believe it.

Abigail pouted coquettishly. "What, is that not enough? All my information is always legit, Miss..." She trailed off, only then realizing she still hadn’t gotten Lory’s name yet.

"Bennet. Sylvia Bennet," Lory introduced herself smoothly.

Abigail rolled her eyes. "Why bother asking? That can’t be your real name."

Lory only grinned, offering no answer. "Aren’t you worried someone might find out you had been selling their information?"

Abigail leaned back, then looked at Lory with quiet elegance. "Oh? Are you worried, Miss Bennet?" She teased, and then she waved her hand nonchalantly. "Don’t be. I have my own ways. Besides, I only trade information with him and his people, and he always handles it carefully so it can’t be traced back to me."

Her expression softened slightly, the sharp edge fading. "He’s always been considerate like that..."

Lory didn’t say anything. She had always found it strange to hear a woman speak about that idiot Fargo with such admiration.

Abigail’s gaze suddenly flicked back to Lory, sharp beneath the playful smile. "So what do you think, care to make a deal with me?" she said with a playful yet confident tone.

Lory remained silent for a moment, still unable to comprehend why someone would exchange valuable information worth millions of Rohm for a mere date, and with Fargo of all people.

Lory let out a quiet breath, somewhere between resignation and acceptance. Well, the ption is clear, she’s gonna sell Fargo.

A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes as she reached for her phone, then she began typing rapidly. Her fingers moved across the screen for a while before a reply finally came in.

Lory squinted her eyes, then typed again, after that she waited for another second, then she received the reply, and the corner of her lip curved faintly.

Not long after that, a notification sound rang from Abigail’s phone.

Abigail froze for a moment, clearly startled. Then she quickly pulled her phone from her pouch. As soon as she read the message, her eyes widened, and a faint flush of excitement crept across her cheeks.

Still, Abigail maintained her calm and elegant demeanor, though the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her unusually good mood. She set her phone down and looked at Lory curiously.

"May I ask," Abigail said carefully, studying her from head to toe, "what your relationship with him is... are you—?"

Her gaze lingered, inquisitive and slightly suspicious.

"NO!" Lory blurted out immediately.

A shiver ran down her spine, goosebumps prickling across her arms as she recoiled slightly in her seat. "Whatever you’re thinking, it’s wrong. Completely wrong. There’s no way—eew."

She made a face, visibly disgusted, as if the mere idea had offended her existence. The thought of anyone assuming she had a romantic relationship with Fargo was enough to make her gag.

Lory’s reaction piqued Abigail’s interest. She had never thought there would be any woman who would react with such obvious disgust at the mere idea of being involved with him.

In Abigail’s eyes, that man was like a distant star in the night sky, untouchable, brilliant, far beyond her reach, while she was nothing more than a toad lingering in the mud, only able to admire from afar.

It had been a blessing in disguise when she was nearly devoured by a cannibal tribe during the chaos of the Dark Age war. She still remembered it clearly, the smell of smoke, the blood, the sickening smell of burning flesh, and the crushing certainty that she would die there, just another forgotten corpse in that hellish world...

And then he appeared.

Like a storm tearing through the night, he came and saved her. Not only that, he gave her a protective amulet to keep her safe and a map that showed the safest path to L’Markieth—the only haven left in that ruined world.

Abigail knew she wasn’t the only one he had saved. There had been many others, countless lives he had pulled from the jaws of death. Still, his kindness had stirred something in her heart she thought had died along with her family.

Three years after the war ended, she met him again by chance.

It was completely unplanned. He seemed surprised to see her, too, and she... The truth is, she had almost forgotten how to breathe in that moment.

When he asked her to become his informant, gathering valuable information from the guests at the Grand Ivory, he offered generous payment in return for every useful piece of intelligence, and a way out from this place if she wanted to.

Naturally, she accepted. Though at first, she pretended to hesitate, teasing him by asking for a date and making playful demands, acting as if she were difficult to persuade.

Even though the truth is she was overjoyed to know she could be useful to him, even in such a small way.

Abigail had no big dream; she knew her place well enough not to expect anything more. She understood the distance between them, the gap that could never be crossed.

Still... just one date. One simple date that alone would be enough for her to feel content for life. 𝐟𝑟ⅇ

"You’ll see. I’ve fulfilled the deal, now it’s your turn," Lory’s voice pulled her out of her daze.

Abigail blinked once, the memories fading as she returned to the present. A small smile curved her lips as she straightened in her seat.

"Sure," she said lightly, then took a deep breath. "Where should I start...?"