Ah, so she was the ignorant one? Her mouth twisted slightly in a bitter expression. Adelmar wasn't surprised that people of Below had one-way opinion about Above, but it seemed very exaggerated. "World would be different place if every person in Above held as much power to change anything as you account them of having," she said, staring down at her plate. Like her, many of Above were not actual owners of their lives - their family line, honor, promises, intrigues, addiction to luxury or simply having no other normal alternative and so many other things bound them to a path they simply had to trot down, pulling the cart until they collapsed. It was golden cart with gems and the path was made from luminescent bricks while they wore gorgeous saddles, but it was still a path they could not stray from. There was nothing else in their life than this and never could be. Of course, most were blinded by glamorous glitter, but not all. In truth, even Zenon was such a horse, taking a path set by his parents, until he would grow into his power and start adjusting it which then would affect many roads around him.

She looked at Mannik, thinking if she should say all of this, make this green eyed soldier think for a moment, reevaluate something in his life, about her... But then decided that his opinion didn't really matter anyway. Yes, she was foolishly hurt by his assumptions and the stark difference between them and reality, but in the end neither she or him held any importance. They were simply natural satellites of their respective planets - Zenon and Commander. And even if she said it, he would probably laugh or brush it off without second thought. Why waste so much breath, lay out her deeply personal pain in front of him to have it kicked under furs like dirt again? "Maybe not better, but certainly different. Then again, some things never change - someone always squirms under the boot of rulers," girl finished, taking the thought in a different direction.

When he told he would be blindfolding her, Adel laughed bitterly and set aside her nearly empty plate and taking few of the blankets. She didn't toss them, but stood up and carried them over, putting them next to Mannik in as neat stack as possible and before retreating to her corner, she looked in his face and spoke: "Why not blindfold me at the start and tie a rope around my wrists to drag me around by? I am just a thing for exchange anyway." Then, girl had stepped back, one of her hands balled in fist by her side. "Or do your high morals forbid that?" she asked, "Then you can just take me by hand and lead around, teacher, sir."

When he explained he needed to search her, she briefly closed her eyes, as if bracing herself for something and then rose her head even higher, staring at some point in wall as her fingers undid zipper of her coat. She took it off with elegant, smooth move and handed to Mannik. "Social pad in right bottom pocket. Key card in left chest pocket. No other items." If he checked, it was indeed so. Dress underneath was surprisingly simple for someone of her status - white, smooth fabric with lace additions at end of long sleeves and edge of skirt. She had no jewelry beside her earrings that she removed and placed in front of him, no gold embroidery on dress that had nearly prudish bertha collar.

Adelmar removed her boots and put them close enough for Mannik to take, if he wanted. Of course, there was nothing in the heel. She had similar white, lacy socks on her feet, but that was all. She moved over to wall, facing it and waiting. If he came to search her, girl rose her arms to sides, giving him full access if he wanted, her expression defiant, yet distanced. Being checked like a criminal would not break her, she would not let it. She was Wislawa, even if the name meant nothing now, not Above or Below.