I smiled at him and patted his head, saying, "You better not, kid."
As I walked toward the cell door, I continued, "Rest up for now, I'll tell the guard to release you by tomorrow."
With another sincere bow, he exclaimed, "Thank you very much, Princess!"
Leaving the cell, I returned to my room and rested.
The next morning, after the negotiations had concluded, I informed Ade that I had hired Malone as my personal butler. Upon hearing this, she grew furious and slapped me on the back, scolding me for making such a significant decision without consulting her first.
"Zinnia! You big goof, why did you make such a big decision without my knowing!" She scolded while continuing to hit my back. Her hits were bearable but still stung a bit.
With teary eyes, I explained myself to her, saying, "But Ade, considering his backstory, I could not just ignore him!"
