At that moment, Claire Sinclair's thoughts were perfectly clear as she spoke slowly. "Mrs. Hale, we have an old saying in Aridia: one should not accept a reward without merit. This means one cannot accept gifts or favors for something they haven't earned.
The one you are indebted to is my sister, not me. If I were to accept your kindness, it would be a reward without merit. In Aridia, such an act is considered unrighteous.
My sister was a person of great principle. For the sake of her reputation, I cannot accept your kindness. If I did, wouldn't that make me a vain and unrighteous person?"
When Mrs. Hale was young, she had studied abroad in Aridia, where one of her required courses was Aridian classical studies. She understood these principles, but they were concepts that only people of prestige and cultivation could truly grasp.
