The merchant looked up first, her irritation immediately shifting toward confusion when she noticed the collar around his neck.
"What do you want?"
Ray gestured toward the scattered packages.
"Are those supposed to be part of the missing shipment?"
The younger woman frowned.
"Who are you?"
"Someone trying to understand why you're arguing loudly enough to wake the entire district," Ray replied with a polite smile.
A few onlookers chuckled.
The merchant, however, didn't seem amused.
"This doesn't concern you, boy. Go back to whoever owns you."
Lira finally caught up, looking thoroughly mortified.
"My apologies," she said quickly, placing a hand on Ray's shoulder. "He's accompanying me from the eastern district, and we were just leaving."
"Actually, I was curious about something," Ray continued, ignoring the warning pressure of Lira's hand.
The younger woman studied him for a moment.
"Curious about what?"
