On her way back to the Blue Manor Mary stopped by the general house and informed Asrin about the black market. That place seems to have been on a watchlist for a few months now as they tried to find who was behind it, it was nearly impossible for anyone to meet the market's owner unless they were of high status and had a lot of money to spend so the law department didn't find any noble willing to risk his life by going there.
Asrin couldn't believe her eyes when she heard that Mary went there on her own and met the owner who turned out to be James. Which finally gave them a lead to act upon, but that didn't prevent Asrin from giving Mary a two-hour lecture about how she could've died by going there.
Mary silently listened, she knew that Asrin was right. One of the methods Asrin mentions was spiking drinks and food, which Mary had encountered, and if not for that large man Arad, she might've died there or even worse.
