Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 86 ❆ Family Business

That didn't make those men any less of scums, though.

If I would have to admit something I've been thinking all along, it's that being courtesans was too much of a waste for my mistresses. I was always suspicious. They were never the simple ladies.

And now that they were taking me and Maun...to the black market. The notorious place of fiction novels where all shady dealings were made.

It wasn't as dingy as I thought it would be—nor underground, shadowy dark. There were more people than I thought there would be. There were also a lot of people wearing cloaks and mask, like us.

It was only now, while we walked down the busy and crowded streets, that I was realizing how sheltered I really was the past decade under my mistresses's umbrella. I really admired them for being able to keep this side of the business so well under wraps.

They gave me the childhood they thought I deserved.

They were—are—amazing.

"Evy, are you okay?" Maun pulled on my pinkie. "You don't like it when there's a lot of people, right?"

I gazed at this thoughtful and sweet soul and smiled. "I'm okay. Just lend me your arm."

He did, and I clung to it like a koala. It was a comforting anchor when I felt like I was getting swept away by the reckless tides. As long as I didn't focus on it, I should be able to sail through this swimmingly.

"No worries, children. We're almost there," Mistress Veronika said.

She wasn't lying.

We finally came to a mid-sized building. Probably five stories tall. It was rather plain-looking, even a little worn down in some places.

Having watched many movies and read many novels, I had learned to never judge a building by the exterior. These plain-looking places often kept the biggest secrets.

"Is this it?" I asked, cranking my neck back as I examined it.

We entered, and my mistresses pulled up to the counter. "Hi, we'd like to take a room. We have a reservation," he told the receptionist. "Room DB13590."

The receptionist did not even as much as glance our way, simply retrieving a key from the cabinet and tossing it to us.

"Thank you," Mistress Kora said, taking over the keys and nodding at Maun and me.

We followed them through a surprisingly clean hall down a set of creaky, wooden stairs. It didn't take very long for us to reach a door. The room number didn't exactly match what was on the door. In fact, it was blank. Still, my mistresses used the keys they were given and stepped inside.

We followed in not long after.

The room behind the door...there was actually someone inside.

"Sir Illuna," Mistress Veronika greeted.

He smiled. "Kora, Veronika. I was surprised you reached out," he said. "Although not really. Because I was expecting to meet again at some point.

I gazed at him in surprise, and he seemed to catch this. He nodded over to me as he gestured everyone to take a seat.

"Fancy meeting you again, Miss Evyionne, and Mister Maun if I'm not mistaken," he said. "When was our last meeting? Ah, yes. Sir Pier's home, when you healed his wife."

Maun curiously gazed at him. I had to pull him to sit down and whisper a brief reminder about how staring too long was very rude. Though Sir Illuna didn't seem to mind it.

"I thought that that Angel's String Harp was very familiar since there wouldn't have been others who owned something like that. As it turns out, Marian has given her most prized instrument to you."

"Is this...the family business?" I asked, shifting in my seat. "What is the family business?"

"It's a complicated field," Illuna replied. "I guess you can say we're a part of an underground business. We collaborate with governments in many places to deal with the unsavory side of politics."

"Like an underworld?" I asked.

"That's right. Because this world is not all sunshine. It needs the dark to keep its days turning," Sir Illuna replied.

"So...what do you do?"

"A lot of things," Sir Illuna replied. "You're a little too young to know them specifically."

"Are you good people, then? I know that's a dumb question." I said.

"We aren't." He looked over to my mistresses. "Though we try to be. We operate often on the principle where some evils can do good. Redemption, which I know you're familiar with."

Wow, this was tricky. Although I hadn't lived that long in my previous world, I knew for sure that organizations with these sort of principles tend to get carried away trying to execute their ideologies. I was scared it would be that type of group. I believed in my mistresses, but I didn't want to be a part of extremists.

"You don't have to be scared. We work closely with the governments in many places, so our work are legal in some sense," Sir Illuna said. "For example, I am responsible for the branch of information. There's nothing quite as powerful as dealing with knowledge and information."

"I see..." I whispered. "Do you have a pamphlet?"

There was silence. Then came the laughter.

They all started wheezing, clapping at their thighs or at the arms of the chair.

"Evy, this is not a cult," Mistress Veronika wheezed.

"Yeah, if cults gave out pam—hahahaha—phlets," Mistress Kora said. He then stilled and looked at me. "You don't have to force yourself if you don't feel comfortable. We can go back right now, if you wish."

I pursed my lips. "I'm fine. I know my mistresses are good people. You wouldn't do bad things for no reason."

Illuna nodded. "For now, why don't we start with the request you had for tracking down the young sibling of that boy? In this way, you can see how we operate," he offered.

I nodded. "Alright."

"Actually, I have already sent my investigation team to track down the trail surrounding the case, so you already have somewhere to launch off on. It's not uncommon for syndicates to traffic human beings, but the one you're getting involved may be a touch sensitive in your case, Miss Evyionne."

There was only one reason why it would be touch sensitive to me. "Is it related to my mother?" I asked.

"That's right. The empress...We found that she's affiliated with the people who brought harm to Oblivion. And..." Sir Illuna cast a glance at Mahn, who, at some point, had taken out a small block and was now carving with his knife.

"Maun?" I intoned softly.

He looked up and gazed at me questioningly, like a puppy waiting for a command. I didn't want to see him as a dog, but the mental image was like that for some reason.

Cute. And squishy.

"Yes," Sir Illuna said. "Though I would assume this is not the right time to talk about it. All the information you need is within this envelope. After you look it over, make sure to destroy it thoroughly."

He handed over brown envelope to me and I accepted gratefully. "I understand."

I cast a quick glance at Maun.

As it would turn out, our lives intertwined in the most unexpected of ways. The coincidences shouldn't be simple—maybe it was destined.

Maybe I ought to talk about it with him before I went through the information in the envelope. I knew for a fact that he hadn't said one word about where he came from and how he ended up the way he did. My mistresses knew, but I didn't yet.

I was hoping he could at least open up to me. I didn't want to find out unless it came from him directly.

But would he be willing to talk about it now?

Well, no harm in asking later.

Next update is the last chapter before Epilogue.

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