"Don't you find it uncomfortable living alone in the same room as a man twenty years older than you?"
"Not really, it's not like you are ever going to do anything to me."
It was easy for Elektor to get used to living with Joan; painfully easy. Joan remains Elektor of his wife. When Joan was merely a girl who cleaned his room twice a week, he did not pay much attention to her physical attributes. He inquired about her daily life and thoughts so as to get to know her. But now that they are in the same room together all the time, Elektor began to notice Joan in a different light. The color of her eyes, the complexity of her skin, the way she speaks, even minute mannerisms and habits such as playing with her hair with one finger while she was reading are exactly the same as his wife.
"Why didn't you take the king's offer? You could have everything back."
"Take his offer and leave? Why would I want that? In here, if I don't need to worry about earning for food or a roof over my head. I could have any book I desire, any food I desire. The only restraint I have is that I can't leave the perimeters of this compound. Although I don't know how true that is now that you guys moved me here."
"You can still do all that, it's just that now I am living with you, that's all. But if you had taken his offer you could've left and you wouldn't be spied on anymore."
"Hah, I doubt that. That man does not trust me and neither would anyone that sits on that throne. I'd rather know who is keeping tabs on me. Besides, it's not a bad deal now I get to wake up to a pretty girl serving me breakfast. Better than paying for a maid."
The girl got used to his flattering. At first she blushed at Elektor's crude comments but now that they have been together for a month, these comments no longer phased her.
"So what else do your superiors want to know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Unless you were eavesdropping on your king's conversation, you wouldn't have known about his offer. Just ask the questions they want to know, no need to be subtle."
The girl is taken aback. This is her first real surveillance assignment and she slipped up.
"T-that's all they want to know." Joan stutters, another amateur mistake.
"They really should have trained you better. Or maybe I wasn't important enough and that they are just using me as your training tool huh. Fine, you can ask me whenever you regain your confidence. Don't be shy, I will answer your questions."
The girl does not know what to do. Her flustered face is apparent to Elektor. Not only did she fail her interrogation, the person she is interrogating pointed out her mistake in her interrogation! Joan realizes she cannot allow Elektor to dictate the flow of this conversation. She has to say something. Anything.
"...Do you want anything in particular for lunch?"
Another blunder! Ever since Elektor arrived at Kaph, he has never made a request for anything. He has always eaten whatever the caretakers brought to him. She should have known this. She does know this. Her face flusters even more. Her eyes dart left to right while she fumbles around the pages of her book upside down. Elektor finds teasing Joan humorous. He wants to continue but enough is enough. In the past ten minutes, Elektor has learned more about Joan than he had in the month since they started living together. Perhaps all of this is just an act, an act to lower Elektor's guard. If this is the case, then she is a great actor and a great spy. However, Elektor does not care, he has nothing more to lose. To him, Joan's reactions are genuine.
"Eggs. And noodles. Ummmm In beef broth. And bring me today's newspaper."
And with his words, Joan speeds out the room.
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