Hedda's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her neutral expression.
"Farewell? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't," Vex smiled, but there was something different about that smile. Softer, less calculated. It was the kind of expression that broke through years of careful merchant training, revealing the human being underneath the professional facade.
"Simply an old fool who sees patterns where none exist."
He put the crystals back in their box and slid it toward her across the wooden counter.
"Take them. Same amount as the last transaction and the box at no cost... Buy good armor with the remaining money. Our cute princess lets you have it if you haggle well, right?"
"Master Vex, these are better quality and..." Hedda began, genuinely surprised by the unexpected generosity. In Yino's culture, such gifts always came with hidden costs or expectations.
