"Leo, is there something wrong with me?" I asked the knight beside me as we walked down the hallway.
I've been noticing the awkwardness and hesitation from the staff since breakfast. They look very cautious and even deliberately avoid me. I don't think I've done anything that deserved to be treated like that. Well, not something within their knowledge, though.
Today, my schedule is only doing translation for the report Darren asked for. Easy peasy. I stayed in the library and finished an hour ago.
"You really don't realize, Sir?" Leo asked.
"How many times did I tell you to call me Caden?"
"I need to show some respect when we are here," he said in lower voice.
Yeah, understandable. We are in Sealgair manor and he's talking to the Lord's partner. Even Harry called me 'Sir' when people were around. "So?" I followed up my previous question.
"The smell around you,"
Huh? Did I forget to take a bath? No, I certainly took a bath this morning. I'll feel too filthy if I don't. After yesterday.
"I took a bath this morning," I defend myself.
I hear Leo letting out a long sighed. "Sometimes, I forget how dull you are regarding this," Leo commented. He calls me 'Sir' but is brave enough to utter those remarks. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, didn't grasp what he's talking about. I wait for his answer.
"Master Darren's scent thickly lingers around you. Not everyone is able to withstand Alpha's pheromone that strong," he explained briefly, "Sir."
Oh! I read Alpha also emits pheromone to mark their possession. Wait, isn't that only happening between Alpha and Omega? I guess I don't learn enough. I tried to study more about this world's secondary gender, but reading books that only contain general facts, old customs, and society's expectations which was written by the authorized party is no fun. Where all of this secondary gender system come from? Why do they use such a hierarchical system? Is there any effort for emancipation and equality? My research with Rose which focuses on the origin of evolution, genetic difference, and treatments, is more interesting.
I probably just biased.
Wait! "And you are not affected?" I suddenly realized and asked Leo who's been following me everywhere today.
"I'm trained to resist this situation," he answered. Well, I expect nothing less from this infamous knight.
I plan to visit Yuuri and Kei later this evening, I hope the smell lessens by then. Does perfume help reduce the scent?
"Caden," a voice called me and I saw Darren approaching me.
"Hey," I greeted him back.
I looked at his companies who are staying behind and found Caleb with two other men dressed in military uniforms. Ah, that's why he asked me to work in the library instead of his office today. Caleb was looking at me with a displeased eye but kind enough not to talk with me. It's been a while since I saw him here. I mark him ignoring me as an improvement itself.
"Where are you going?" Darren asked.
Yuuri's place. "Out," I said. Darren raised his eyebrow as he hadn't heard about it. To my defense, I actually want to head him first to inform my walks to town. "Leo will be with me," I add. I haven't told Leo but by having him with me, I raise the probability of my request getting passed. Well, Darren should be accustomed to my little outing knowing how often I went out.
"Darren, come on," Caleb called his cousin, preventing Darren from asking more questions. As he didn't have a chance to argue, he let out a short sighed. "Take care," he said, giving me a light kiss. He smiled before leaving me to follow Caleb. I return his smile before he leaves me there.
For once, Caleb is useful. Unintentionally.
"We are going out?" Leo finally asked me when it's back to just the two of us. I thank him for not giving unnecessary comments when Darren was around.
"Didn't I tell you this morning?" I obviously lied.
"No!" Leo argued.
"Well, that's what we are doing for today," I told him as I walked first. Leo who was confused and stoned a while before regaining his senses and followed me. "Wait, Sir! What?"
I ignore his question and continue walking. Even though now Leo will follow me, slipping out from him in town later is easier than getting out of here with permission now.
It's already past noon and it's better to visit them before the customers start coming. I quicken my walk.
"Why did you smell like that?" That's the first word that Kei utters when he gets into a private room with only me.
I let out a long sigh, Yuuri already asked me about my scent when I first got here, one of the reasons we got a private room. And I thought the perfume would subdue the smell.
"Sorry," I apologize to Kei without further explanation. "Let's get down to business so I can leave early," I said.
Yeah, it seems not wise to go out with my current condition.
Kei gave a sigh as he took a chair across me. "It's too late," he said.
I raised my eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"The prisoners, they're dead"
"..."
"They died a week ago"
What? How? "Why?"
"They got sick and died," Kei said. How did they get sick? By the story I heard from him before, the prisoners get decent treatment to keep their life. "I heard it was an unnatural death. They looked fine in the morning, but suddenly fell ill in the evening and soon died. The medical report said they were poisoned but no poison can be found on their food. Also... it seems the poison is already within their system even before they got caught."
So, it seems like the client got a way to dispose of them in case they were caught. Did those assassins know they were poisoned?
"Do you know what kind of poison is it?" I asked.
"Sorry, the person I asked seems not to know, besides I don't think he'll tell me that detail," Kei answered.
I could think of some potion that could act like that. But... Why did it not take effect immediately? Did they get a chance to return?
"Okay, so do you have stories about who might be behind them? Or what they are after?" I continue asking.
"I heard they said they only got instructions and money but never met the client even once," Kei said. "Well, I doubt that. Doesn't it feel weird? I assume those people were made to drink some type of poison that could be fatal if they didn't drink the antidote, which probably will be sent when the mission succeeds. But, how come the client would be sure they drink the poison in the first place?"
Wow, Kei nailed it, he really is smart. One thing that he thought wrong, it is not that hard to spy on people to make sure they did what they were asked. Besides, I could think of many other ways to poison people without notice. So, it seems they really don't know they were poisoned.
Hmm... who is able to pull this stuff? What's their intention?
The knock on the door distracts us. The door opened and Yuuri peeked in.
"Sorry to cut you short, Rene. The guest has started to come... I think it's better for you to leave," he said. I gave him a nod and he smiled back before closing the door.
"So, what are you going to do?" Kei suddenly asked. He oddly looks interested.
I raised my shoulder. "Nothing." The dots have yet to make any connections.
"What? I'm having a hard time to gather that information and you are doing nothing with that?" Kei expressed his displeasure.
"For now," I continued. Well, it's not like I'm gonna involve him if I do something. "By the way, Kei," I start, "do you take private customers?"
Kei stiffened from my sudden question. There's a rule for all the employees here. I forbid them to take any customer without booking. It's not like I prevent them from gathering extra money, it's just too dangerous for them. The point of the booking system is to screen those people to prevent any harm to the employees.
"I'm sorry," Kei said silently. I sighed, stood up, and approached him. "Is that person the one you got this information from?" I asked. He answered with a nod. "Do you think they could be trusted?" He nodded again. "Can I know who that person is?" I read all the customer's profiles from the past few days and there's no one who is potentially able to give such confidential information. Kei surely met that person in private.
"It's... complicated," Kei said in an even softer voice. I sighed.
As the person who holds too many secrets, it's not wise for me to dig too much if they are unwilling, to tell the truth. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Just be careful," I said to him. Kei is not a stupid person, he can manage on his own.