TYMC 12

Chapter 12

“Ail, shouldn’t you be heading back soon? Looks like your target is waiting.”

Cheblin’s wounded expression twisted crookedly.

Ail had wanted to say something to him, but maybe because he’d gotten hit on the head, he couldn’t remember anymore. Hmph.

“I’m going. More importantly, tell the Captain to change the messenger birds. Crows drool way too much.”

“Mm, Cherry doesn’t know anything about that.”

Shrugging with a sullen expression, Cheblin suddenly stood up and hurried away, saying he was busy.

Anyone could tell he was pouting. Seriously, where had all his age gone?

“I should at least get myself together. Time to work…”

Left alone in an instant, Ail rubbed his dry face with a helpless expression.

The match had probably started by now, so it seemed best to hurry.

If he delayed for no reason, Lis might once again open his pouch of gold coins for some random beggar.

Just imagining it was enough to make him dizzy.

“Young Master, I’m back—huh? The trash, I mean, the people are all gone?”

Not long after returning to Lis’s side, Ail blinked his watery blue eyes and looked around at the completely empty surroundings.

As if they had evaporated, all those people had disappeared without a trace.

“Ail, did you place the bet properly?”

“Yes, I bet on the person who looked the strongest. I may not look it, but I’m really good at judging people!”

Ail briefly wondered why the atmosphere felt different, but he immediately smiled brightly and answered Lis’s question cheerfully.

A shameless and confident lie became practically the truth the moment it left his mouth. …At least, that was what Ail thought.

Anyway, no matter who wins, they won’t be worth more than these gold coins. In that case, it’s better if I cherish them instead.

Betting money in a gambling den filled with match-fixing scams would only fatten up those thugs anyway.

Comforting himself with such convincing logic, Ail smiled in satisfaction.

Beeeeep—

“Match over! Contestant Number 3 wins!”

Perfect timing. The signal announcing the match’s end rang out.

Contestant Number 18, the loser, was being carried away on a stretcher, completely beaten to a pulp.

“Ail, who did you bet on?”

“Number 18. Oh dear, I lost my money.”

“…Didn’t you say you were good at judging people?”

Resting his chin on his hand, Lis tilted his lips into a crooked smile as he quietly watched Ail’s flat, emotionless response unfold like lines being read from a book.

The lies were so obvious, yet he said them with such confidence. Just looking at him was so absurdly shameless that laughter naturally surfaced.

At Lis’s questioning, Ail shrugged indignantly.

“My eyes work perfectly fine. He’s the one who was wrong. He should’ve found a way to win.”

“That… might be true.”

Such brazen words came back without the slightest hesitation.

Without realizing it, Lis had completely fallen for Ail’s smooth talk and secretly frowned to himself.

He could clearly feel his heartbeat quickening from the strange mix of faint displeasure and subtle amusement Ail stirred within him.

Even though Ail’s waist pouch was visibly bulging from the weight of gold coins, Lis pretended not to notice and turned his head away.

“There’s no one that particularly catches my eye. Shall we head back?”

“Yes. I think it’d be better to leave finding a bodyguard to Sir Demon.”

“Alright. I’ll do as Ail says.”

By now, the sun had begun to set. Staring blankly at the orange-tinted sky, Ail left the arena with Lis.

Perhaps because of the evening matches, there were still crowds everywhere inside and outside.

But then—

“Ugh, that oil smell.”

The moment they passed the entrance of the arena, a rancid stench of used oil stabbed violently at Ail’s nose, making his expression stiffen.

After walking a bit farther, an abnormal scene entered Ail’s sight.

“J-just a little more washing and—!”

“AAAAH! My eyes! I-I can’t see…!”

“M-more oil! Hurry and bring more! Right now! GRAAAH!”

A crowd of people swarmed around barrels filled with discarded oil from the arena.

Some had shoved themselves directly into the barrels and were flailing about, while others had buried their faces into oil pooled on the dirt ground.

I was wondering where everyone went… Did they all go insane together?

It was a scene far too revolting to continue watching.

Feeling his stomach churn, Ail quickly looked away.

Most of them had been the same people who had acted rudely earlier, so there was no reason to pity them, but the unsettling sensation crawling up his spine made him feel a momentary sympathy.

“…Young Master, let’s go.”

“Okay, Ail. Let’s go back.”

Swallowing hard, Ail quickened his pace.

Seeing Ail’s stiff expression peeking through his silver hair, the corners of Lis’s lips curved into a crescent shape.

This outing had turned out to be far more interesting than expected.

“Ail, I worry about you.”

“Gasp, the Captain does things like that?”

As I looked at Death with curious eyes, his neat brows twitched together.

“You’ve been raised in the assassin group since you were little. Surrounded by nothing but men, it’s true you’re rough compared to others your age. You’re only fourteen, but you’re strangely mature too.”

“Hmm, praise from you? What a surprise—”

“The problem is that whenever you open your mouth, you sound like some back-alley delinquent.”

My brows immediately furrowed at the painful follow-up.

If you’re going to praise me, at least finish it properly!

“Captain, I’m still a kid, you know. Comparing me to a delinquent is too much.”

“Brat, are you only a child at times like this? Seriously, where did you learn that shamelessness?!”

“Well, they say clear water flows from the source. Don’t blame yourself too much.”

I patted his shoulder as if it were no big deal, and Death’s lips twisted dangerously.

Then, after letting out a deep sigh, he looked down at me calmly.

“Ail, I’ve said this countless times—don’t get emotionally attached to your targets. The moment feelings get mixed into our work, it’s over.”

“That again…? You know me, Captain. I keep work and personal matters completely separate.”

“Right. That’s why I entrusted this mission to you. Because I know you can do it.”

Death’s ebony eyes fell warmly upon the younger member, breaking softly like moonlight.

I had joined Black Rose practically by being sold there because of my father’s debts when I was only three years old.

From then on, Death had practically raised me… so in a way, he was like another family member.

“Once this job ends safely, your debt will finally be cleared. When that happens, stop being an assassin.”

“Mmm, I don’t know. If I leave, who’s going to do the work? The others are busy, and you’re old, Captain. Your body’s getting heavy.”

“If you know that, show some respect to your elders, you insolent brat.”

Since my mother’s death, I had never again felt another person’s love, warmth, or sincere concern.

The bonds I had accidentally gained through misfortune were far more than I deserved.

“……Ail, you’re like a daughter to me. Whatever happens in the future, never get hurt.”

“Hm? I’ve never had some washed-up old man as a father.”

“What? And where did you learn that kind of way of talking? It was Cheblin, wasn’t it? Huh?”

The moment I saw Death’s hand reach for his dagger with bulging veins, I laughed brightly and ran away.

Maybe because of the mountain of affection hidden within his concern, my heart felt strangely warm.

“Ail?”

“…Ah, yes, Young Master!”

At the sound of my name being called, I snapped back to reality. I had been staring absentmindedly at the ground and quickly hurried back to Lis’s side.

Seeing a coin on the ground had made me think about Death for a moment, but I’d gotten too lost in thought.

It’s already been two weeks of this.

It had already been two weeks since I became Lis’s personal maid.

Though it was a short period, quite a lot had happened during that time.

And if I had to pick the biggest problem among them…