12 Sealing the shady deal.

"Hold on right there, Penelope," I said, calling out her name which earned a glare from the damn woman, however, I don't care. 

Right now, I'm not going to let this person do whatever the hell she wants. I might be scared of her, but that's it. 

It doesn't mean I would offer my precious life to please her. Even if my life might be in a predicament; even if I might get that tragic ending in the end; even so, I still have a bottom line when it comes to these things, and this is crossing the line that I establish.

So with a solemn expression, I moved my mouth despite feeling scared shitless in my heart. "I do agree that I could become your eyes and ears, but I won't agree to become your slave," I said honestly, staring at her directly in the eyes. 

Penelope sneered, "who said I'm negotiating with you? This isn't a proposal. It's an order."

Seeing where Penelope stands, I sighed and stood up. "Then this discussion is over," I said and left without turning back. 

"Sit down little liar," Penelope warned, but I ignored her as I turned to walk away.

No. 

I will not sit down and agree to this ridiculous thing.

I'm not going to become a slave. That's the last thing I want for myself. I would even rather choose to face my tragic ending than be a slave. Freedom is one of the only things I have now after transmigrating in this world. 

"Little liar, if you don't come back here, I swear to you…"

I heard Penelope warning me from behind me. But I pretended to have a deaf ear as I continued to leave.

I might have agreed with Alexandra to become a guinea pig, but that was because I also need to know something about this body. 

What's more, when I made the decision to accept the deal with Alexandra, I had no idea that she was the mysterious beta lover of Penelope. If I knew that the red haired woman also had a role to play, then I might not have agreed. 

Plus, I had no choice but to accept that deal, since I don't know any skills that might get me a passing score in the academy. 

It's just that…it turns out that I suddenly have a dark attribute, and I'm suddenly going to be an alpha instead of omega, which made me feel doubtful, so of course; knowing that there's someone who is willing to examine my body for free; I decided to agree with the deal. In other words, that deal with Alexandra is a negotiation made and decided between two parties; that's the difference between Penelope's slave proposal and Alexandra's shady deal.

Anyhow, I can't agree to become a slave. Even for me, becoming a slave is too much, so I won't agree.

Well, I already know what I need to know. I already got the crucial information I need, and I think that's enough nonsense for today. 

I feel exhausted. Mentally and physically drained. I need to rest.

'Ugh, my back hurts like hell,' I cursed in my head as I felt my sore back as I walked like a grandma.

With a deep sigh, I continued on my way towards the wooden door. When I opened the door, I found Alexandra standing from the opposite side of the wall. The red haired woman had her head down, looking in a trance with this worried expression on her face. 

"Hey," I called to get Alexandra's attention.

The red haired woman instantly looked up and hurriedly came to me. "What happened to your neck?" Alexandra said, furrowing her brows in concern. 

'What happened? Your girlfriend happened,' I answered in my heart, but I didn't voice that out. After all, Penelope will probably hunt me down if I showed her true colours to Alexandra.

My brows knitted as I sighed. "Nothing," I lied as I averted my gaze. 

"Are you sure?" Alexandra asked again. "Did Penny do anything to you?"

"Penny?" I raised my brow at her. 

"Oh, I mean Penelope, the dean master," Alexandra hurriedly said.

With a quiet sigh, I averted my eyes and shook my head. "No, she didn't do anything, the dean master and I just had a casual talk," I lied again as I looked elsewhere. 

"Really? Then what happened to your neck?"

Here we go again with Alexandra asking every little detail of a matter that isn't her business. 

I took a deep breath and said, "just got scratched by a wild crazy cat." 

"Cat? I don't remember Penny having a cat," Alexandra said suspiciously.

"I do have a cat, but it suddenly escaped through the window, anyway, why don't the two of you come inside? So we could officialize Nasrin's employment, what do you say Alex?"

My body froze as I heard Penelope's voice behind me, feeling the tip of the sharp blade pointed at my back. 

 Oh goodness. This woman is crazy!

I quickly turned to Alexandra to silently ask for help, but it didn't seem the red haired woman noticed; her eyes were twinkling as she stared at the damn woman behind me. 

"Really? Then let's go inside and wrap this up," Alexandra said enthusiastically, walking quickly inside the room. 

While Penelope, on the other hand, cleverly used my body as a shield to hide the dagger that was still pointed at my back. She had a firm grip on the back of my clothes, turning my body to the side; smoothly covering the dagger with my body as Alexandra walked in. 

"This discussion isn't over yet, little liar." I heard a low growl as Penelope whispered in my ears. 

I held my breath as I felt the dagger pressed further at my back. "Nod your head if you understand," Penelope ordered in a whisper. 

I nod my head quickly. Terrified that Penelope might suddenly thrust the dagger at my back. 

'Damn woman,' I cursed, feeling my heart thump on my chest.

"Good," Penelope muttered, and I felt the sharp pointed object was slowly being retracted, which made me release a sigh of relief.

"What are you two standing there for? Come quickly and let's finish this," said the oblivious red haired woman from inside the room.

"Right, let's go," Penelope beckoned as she walked to the sofa and sat next to Alexandra.

I took a deep breath calming my turbulent heart. As I walked towards the two, I felt a huge pressure weighing upon my heart. 

Penelope won't stop unless she gets what she wants. That thought scared me witless. It doesn't seem she would stop unless I become her slave. 

However, I will never agree to that kind of arrangement.

Despite having my thoughts in chaos, I still tried to remain calm on the surface and chose to sit on the single couch. Even though I got so distracted, I haven't forgotten my goal yet. That is, to play the middle-man; the matchmaker; in other words, I'm playing the role of cupid. 

With my sorted thoughts, I turn to look at the two that seem to have a odd atmosphere around them.

Penelope had her other hand resting on Alexandra's lap, staring affectionately at the red haired woman. While Alexandra, on the other hand, had a business smile plastered on her face. I would have believed Alexandra's facade if I hadn't seen the sweats building up on her forehead.

"By the way, Alex, why did you think that I did something to your personal assistant?" Penelope suddenly asked with some venom, and I noticed her hand snaked possessively around the red haired woman's thin waist. 

Alexandra's face paled and awkwardly said, "what are you talking about? I didn't think you would do anything to her, just…"

"Just?" Penelope urged softly in Alexandra's ears.

The red haired woman cower timidly and said, "just…I just thought you would damage," she paused.

Alexandra glanced at me and cleared her throat, then she turned to look at Penelope again as she continued, "I mean, you can be overprotective sometimes, so I was worried that you would scare my gui…personal assistant, but I guess I was just being paranoid."

"Of course, I wouldn't do anything that would scare your little assistant, Alex," said Penelope as she raised her lips to a smirk. 

I feel like I would start vomiting blood if I continue to watch the two spouting nonsense. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to support them with their relationship, but hearing them talk about me like that is too much.

Alexandra was talking about me like I'm some kind of object. While Penelope, well Penelope is Penelope, smoothly lying about her crimes to the person she loved. 

Even if this body doesn't originally belong to me; as a human being who grew up with morals and principles in my original world; hearing them talk about this body in such a way would also make my blood boil in anger. Why do these people have such twisted minds? Why can't they be normal?

Naturally, it's because the author is trash. The author wrote a trashy novel with trashy characters in a trashy world. 

This is why I hate that novel. It's such a trashy novel where characters lack morality and humanity. 

And now I'm here inside the world of that novel I hate. Inside the body of the character I hate. Meeting characters I hate. 

Damn it. How did I end up coming here in the first place? 

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I'm beginning to lose my sanity again. I need to remind myself that these people are like this, because they too, experience immoral things in this world, which led them to have immoral character. 

I understand this fact, because I'm not originally from this world. However, these people were different. They grew up in a world filled with immorality, which is what is considered normal in this world.

Still, even if I understand this reason, right now, I'm just really exhausted. I can't keep up with how this world works. I need to rest first so I can adjust my state of mind. 

Of course, I'm not going to be someone who would lose their reason, but I need to learn how to handle these people soon. I'm pretty sure I'd meet more in the future seeing how I already met four characters in that bloody novel. For that reason, I need my soul to be ready, and also, I'm actually feeling a little dizzy after that encounter with Penelope earlier. 

I lost a bit of blood earlier, so I badly need rest. 

At that, I cleared my throat to get the attention of the two. Which earned a death glare from Penelope, but I don't care. I'm tired, and I want to hurry up and rest.

Despite feeling scared that Penelope might suddenly throw a dagger at my face; I still took the last remaining energy in my body and moved my mouth to speak. "Contract," I said hoarsely.

"Right, right, let's wrap this up first," said the red haired woman, bringing out a stack of paper from her satchel bag on the table, and Penelope started reading the contract seriously. 

So I also took the employment contract in my hand; suspiciously reading each word with narrowed eyes. 

According to the contract, I'm only allowed to work as an assistant after: class hours, if I'm on break, or on a rest day. So it doesn't seem that I would be forced to sacrifice my academic life.

That's good. I thought as I continued to read.

However, according to this contract, I might be subjected or undergo some experiment as Alexandra Cassidy's assistant. Only I know that becoming an assistant was just the front cover. 

'So I really am a guinea pig, huh,' I said in my head as I continued to move my eyes from left to right. 

Well, whatever. I already knew this would happen, and I also need this free examination anyway. Besides, according to this contract, the subject will not be exposed to anything dangerous or anything that would risk the life of the subject party. 

It was also mentioned that as long as I said the safe word, then they would automatically stop the operation at hand. All in all, it isn't a bad deal for me, since there's something I want to confirm with this body; that wasn't mine in the first place, but I guess it's mine now, right?

Anyway, there's something that I must confirm, and this deal would help me find that out. What's more, this employment contract also offers payment. I was paid one coin of silver per session. 

It isn't a bad deal. Especially because I also need to save up some money; for the time when I can finally escape and live a hermit life in a far away forest. 

Even though I know I can use this body and the identity of Nasrin Urduja; to get some money from the old man of this original soul; as a human being, I can't do such a thing. Also, I'm only interested in the money I earn, and I would only feel comfortable spending the money I earn. 

I can save up some money while discovering what really happened with this body. That's why this deal is pretty convenient for me. 

So after reading every word on the paper, I held the quill pen, signing the papers. Alexandra also made me put my fingerprint seal on it, and I saw the two did the same which means that my employment was finally concluded.

'I'm now an official guinea pig.'