"Not the answer you were expecting, huh?" Ashley's voice cut through the silence from her spot in the corner of the cave. Noelle turned, her eyes narrowing at the girl, irritated. "What do you mean?" she asked in a low, dismissive tone.
Ashley, still resting from the exhaustion of overusing her mana, stretched her arms and smiled faintly. "I can see it in your eyes," she continued, her tone casual but observant. "The way you talk, the look in your eyes—you must really hate nobility, don't you?"
Noelle didn't respond, though the accusation stung. She simply scowled, leaning her rusted great sword against the wall, trying to ignore the noble girl's words. She had learned the hard way that nobles only sought to manipulate and use commoners. David and Ashley might have saved her, but that didn't mean she would let her guard down. She wouldn't be fooled so easily.
