I tried to sound sympathetic. "Erm… an unfortunate situation you've got there, Your Majesty. You must be… terribly discontent with your workload and the lack of compensation."
The air hummed around us as Nico hauled me through the hall, his grip like iron wrapped in velvet, effortless yet suffocating. Stone walls stretched overhead, carved with ancient runes that pulsed faintly, echoing with the hum of the Eternal Palace.
Should I tell him I'm the Interim Owner? Technically, that would give me the power to terminate—or extend—his contract at will, with full legal compensation. But then… the math hit me.
One hundred years' worth of pay. A century. For a creature who probably doesn't even count time the same way mortals do.
My brain threatened to short-circuit just thinking about the paperwork, the logistics… the sheer absurdity of it all.
