CHAPTER 453: CHAPTER 294: OVERBEARING_2

But the current issue is that I also need to prepare for the meeting with the Lord and think of a way to remedy this...

"She said..." Susan simply repeated what had just happened, then took out the Gold Coin and placed it on the table.

Very polite, very worldly-wise, a very troublesome person, Lance thought.

Lance wasn’t afraid of her causing trouble. He could tame even people with disagreeable personalities like Boudica or Tamara. What he really feared were those who knew when to advance or retreat, because they have no obvious character flaws.

Picking up the Gold Coin, he examined it briefly and then handed it back to Susan.

"Since it’s from her, go ahead and take it."

"Hamlet officials are forbidden from accepting bribes, Lord. Your behavior could foster such customs," Susan said, feeling it her duty as a member of Hamlet to offer counsel, though she had only accepted the coin to put Amanda’s mind at ease.

"But this is my reward to you," Lance said with a smile, placing the Gold Coin directly in her hand. "Take it. How can you get by with empty pockets?"

He made the rules, after all, and the final interpretation was his.

In fact, as long as they had the ability and could get things done, Lance didn’t mind offering them better treatment—it was his way of positively motivating them.

After all, bribe money was supposed to go to the sanatorium; at worst, it would go to the reformation camp. But there was no burden in spending the money he personally rewarded.

Susan also knew that she wouldn’t likely persuade the Lord once he had made a decision, so she took the Gold Coin and stepped back.

Her entire focus was now on the Lord and Hamlet; money held little significance for her.

Amanda went back and dressed exquisitely. After receiving Susan’s notification, she stepped out of the carriage with her gift.

Seemingly noticing a hidden gaze from nearby, a smile involuntarily appeared on Amanda’s face.

With the backing of my organization, I’m full of confidence. How could a traitor like *her* possibly outdo me?

That bitch, dressed so provocatively... Tamara, hiding in the carriage and peeking out, couldn’t help but feel uneasy seeing Amanda’s fiery attire.

This woman knows men too well. What if Lance can’t resist the temptation?

But while Tamara wrestled with her thoughts, Amanda had already strode confidently into the house.

However, when Amanda pushed open the door and entered the room, what awaited her was not praise but Lance’s cold words.

"You are a spy."

His words made Amanda freeze. She stopped at the doorway. As her gaze met Lance’s piercing eyes, an immense pressure washed over her, momentarily stealing her breath.

What does he know? How much does he know? What will he do to me?

Involuntarily, the image of those large hands flashed in Amanda’s mind, bringing with it the sensation of suffocation.

But Amanda, after all, had undergone rigorous professional training and quickly composed herself. Regulating her emotions with her breathing, she took a step into the room.

"I am not a spy."

"Enough. Do you think I wouldn’t know that you Seekers of Omens are information peddlers? I suppose over the past few days, you’ve already packaged Hamlet’s intelligence and sent it off. Now you’re just waiting for a buyer to bid on it, right?"

Lance was utterly unsparing, his words directly exposing their naked chain of self-interest.

No one liked their personal information being collected and sold, and Lance’s displayed anger immediately put Amanda on the defensive, making her feel guilty.

Amanda was at a loss for words. Lance’s attitude towards her hadn’t been particularly good before, but it had never been this hostile.

But thinking of Tamara’s smug expression from moments before, Amanda knew there was a traitor among the Romani. It had to be Tamara who told him about the Seekers of Omens. And it went without saying that Tamara must have said many bad things to slander her and the Seekers of Omens organization.

But Amanda was actually mistaken. Tamara hadn’t disparaged the Romani; on the contrary, she had defended them at every turn. Her anger was vented solely on Amanda and the faction behind her.

Lance, however, didn’t care what she was thinking. He was merely looking for an excuse to seize the moral high ground and put this Seeker of Omens, backed by a powerful organization, in her place.

Deny it?

No, that was clearly no longer an option.

Amanda knew that regardless of whether she had actually collected and sold information, with Tamara, the traitor, slandering her, she wouldn’t be able to explain her way out of it. Not to mention, she *had* indeed collected some. However, due to the townsfolk’s vigilance, she hadn’t gathered much information; even spending her own money hadn’t yielded good results.

Amanda regretted it. Deciding to gather information first yesterday instead of contacting the Lord immediately had been a mistake. Tamara contacting him first has caused me so much trouble.

Seeing Amanda remain silent, Lance felt a bit troubled. I’ve pushed her this far, yet she can still maintain such composure. These Elites cultivated by the major powers are truly something else. Tamara was simply spoiled rotten and then went completely off the rails once she was out on her own.

Lance couldn’t be the first to speak, so the silence made the atmosphere between them even more tense.

In truth, Amanda was also feeling overwhelmed... Her silence stemmed more from not knowing how to handle the current situation.

If it were an ordinary town lord, I wouldn’t give a damn. Even killing one or two wouldn’t cause any trouble. No one would know I did it. Even if they found out, I have the Seekers of Omens backing me. Only true Great Nobility could put pressure on me. But what’s important about this man isn’t his noble status, it’s his terrifying strength. Someone like him would gain respect anywhere. No one wants to offend such a powerhouse.

Fortunately, Lance had seized the initiative earlier, unsettling Amanda and forcing her into a subordinate position, so her attitude naturally softened.

"There might be some misunderstanding between us," Amanda said. "What Tamara said is not the truth. She’s merely trying to influence you, wanting to use your power to intervene in the conflict between us and her."

"You have no right to speak to me about this. A criminal, a spy stealing intelligence—is this a common practice among the Romani? I want to see someone who can truly deal with this matter and have a proper discussion about it."

Amanda was caught off guard by this sudden demand. What does he mean by that?

But she still subconsciously tried to use verbal tactics to stall for time.

"I..."

"Don’t tell me the person isn’t here. I know you have ways to communicate. Don’t make me say it a second time. You won’t be able to bear the consequences." Lance, realizing what she was trying to do, cut her off sharply, shutting down her stalling tactics.

Realizing Amanda was composed and backed by an organization, Lance knew she would be difficult to handle. He definitely couldn’t use the same methods on her as he had with Tamara, especially since Amanda’s value had clearly diminished after Tamara was dealt with. Smart people without obvious weaknesses are hard to control. Lance couldn’t be bothered with further talk; he had to use the most primitive and direct method known among Transcendents: suppression through sheer strength. Besides, he now held the moral high ground, giving him even more reason to be relentless.

Hearing Lance speak as if he knew her methods like the back of his hand, Amanda’s composure finally began to crack. Her expression turned grim. What else could that traitor Tamara have told him? Originally, I definitely had ulterior motives for staying here; I wanted to connect with a strong individual like Lance to expand my network. But I didn’t expect to touch such a nerve, and now it feels like we’re on the verge of becoming enemies.

"I can’t decide on this matter," Amanda said.

"Then have someone who can decide come talk to me. I must have an explanation!" Lance insisted.

He kept the pressure on, his unconventional tactics making Amanda start to consider fleeing. This was a habit ingrained in the Romani psyche, passed down through their bloodline: rootless, their instinct when faced with uncertainty was to flee.

"Until this matter is clarified, I will not allow a spy to leave." Lance’s softly spoken words struck Amanda’s vulnerability like a blow; she realized she seemed to have walked right into a trap.

Explain? Argue? Resist?

In that instant, many thoughts raced through Amanda’s mind, but when she met Lance’s cold gaze, she knew they were all impractical.

There was no other reason. It was simply an overwhelming difference in strength...