Hellfire. There's a small seed of desire for her to lash out, to lose her temper and ask why she has to give ground like this when he evidently doesn't. It doesn't show, but she feels it, like the barest flicker of a candle.

"Even though I know you'd sooner say that than lie through your teeth, it doesn't make me feel any better." She leans her weight forward, looking him in the eye defiantly. "But I'm not asking you for much more than you've already been doing. You originated the damn concept -- at least humor me on this."

Irhya bites her lip hard, and it shows. "Can I keep myself from flinching? Eventually, sure. Do I understand that by not cutting you down, I'll inevitably help further your goals? Well, it's the same with Emet-Selch, and we've been through even more here on top of what happened on the First. And I get that a promise like that might be hollow coming from you, but..."

She clenches her teeth and smacks her fist on the table. What isn't immediately clear is that it's not merely the idea of helping an Ascian maintain a flagrant lie that's upsetting to her. Maybe any appeal to his emotions is null and void, but damn it, she has to try. Better than having to kill him again and end a long, lonely fight.