Annabeth's offer was incredibly kind, and in any other circumstance Juliana would have taken it at face value and thought of it as such. In her current state of mind, however, when she had already spent the past several minutes trying to discern every possible hint of an ulterior motive, she was focusing on all the wrong things. The woman had said I cannot simply let you walk. Did that mean that she didn't intend to let her pass? Or worse: that she was planning to force her company on Juliana outside of the inn? There was no particularly polite way to refuse such an outwardly generous offer, not when they were within earshot of this strange man. That being said, she could hardly think of a worse outcome to her current predicament. As soon as they were outside and alone, Annabeth would drop the pretense and come right out with whatever it was she wanted to say, Jules thought. It might be even worse if she didn't, though, because then this tension would just keep lingering all through the walk home.

Merlin, the walk home. She'd have to show this woman right to her parents' house. So much for the confidentiality she had carefully curated over the past five years of conducting research. So much for keeping her friends and family clear of her work and any associated danger or scandal.

But didn't she deserve this, in a way? She had betrayed A's trust by being here in the first place when she had said she wouldn't be. What right did she have to her privacy when she was willing — against her better judgement, but in the end willing all the same — to violate theirs?

The interjection from the stranger prevented her from spiraling into panic once again. He didn't seem to have made any assumptions, which meant it wouldn't be considered unduly rude to decline the offer. There was a chance — slim but extant — that she could still get out of this without any further damage. "You needn't worry," she said hurriedly. "I'll be quite alright with some fresh air, I'm sure. If you'll let me through —"

She probably ought to have waited for some sort of response, but it wasn't as though anything would have changed her mind, anyway. Pushing past the other woman, she slipped into the main room and then to the street beyond, trying both to hold down the remaining contents of her stomach and to avoid looking like she was obviously fleeing.