Mastermind
“Well done. We managed to vent.” The businessman behind Albert patted him on the shoulder.
Albert raised his glass with a smile: “I am sorry that we could not kill all of the succubi. Guards arrested lots of them so that is the limit of what we can do. Why is Her Majesty arresting them? Is it to elevate her fame? Is she trying to add it to her accomplishments?”
“You don’t need to worry about Queen Sisi. It has nothing to do with us. We’re satisfied with just letting off steam. Damn succubi, how dare they harm us! You found reliable men for the job, Albert.”
Albert pressed a hand onto the businessman’s shoulder as the latter turned away: “As we discussed at the banquet, should you not honour your end of the promise? I know that you have shares of the shipyard. You promised to sell your shares to me at eighty-percent of its original price. Although We did not document the deal, you should be aware that you cannot go back on your right, right?”
“… I know. I know.”
Though Albert wore a friendly smile, he inwardly fumed, “Damn businessmen are businessmen, after all.”
If a businessmen have to give, they pretend it never happened even if they had shook hands on it already. At the same time, they won’t think you’re generous but stupid.
“Let us proceed with that price, then.”
Albert knew that the businessman didn’t want to leave behind any traces of his involvement in the attack on the succubi, which was why he entrusted Albert with the dirty work. Albert took on the risk of being killed or cursed behind his back when he hired men to carry out the deed. For the sake of the shares, though, he decided to gamble on it. Finally, he had gotten his hands on them.
Albert went back to his lodging, reeking of alcohol after everyone was dismissed. Once he got inside, Lilia got up from her chair and went up to her husband’s side, wearing a blissful smile. She gently removed his cloak: “It appears that everything went smoothly for you today.”
“Yeah…”
Albert didn’t fill his wife in on what he did. Killing a group of defenceless succubi wasn’t something worth bragging about for a man.
“But it’s not safe out there tonight. I think I saw a place on fire. It was quite the large fire. People downstairs were saying that Mr. Achilles’ beloved succubus there was killed. He was heartbroken and almost died in the fire. Fortunately, his loyal pupil rescued him. How pitiful. Mr. Achilles has never loved anyone. When he finally found his love, sh-“
“Stop!”
Lilia recoiled for Albert had never been so aggressive and blunt with her. Albert froze when he realised his attitude. He quickly apologised, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be aggressive, Lilia… It’s just that it breaks my heart.”
“Hehe, indeed, indeed. I was upset when I first heard about it… Mr. Achilles is our friend. Also, the… man with the weird name we kept visiting, Mr. L-Lin Dongqing, was it…? I heard he is on good terms with the succubi. Leah is a succubus, after all. He might come back to investigate the incident, I guess.”
Albert froze. His sense of accomplishment from his hard-earned success tonight instantly became naught. He silently scanned the walls around him. Offending Achilles was a small issue, but that man? Lin Dongqing was able to single-handedly drive every businessman in the imperial capital to bankruptcy.
“If he was able to mow down every single businessman alone, would I not be small fry for him? Everybody witnessed what the consequences of offending Lin Dongqing were. What do I do?” mulled Albert.
Noticing the red in Albert’s face recede, Lilia quickly took her husband’s hand and suggested, “Are you all right? You don’t look too good. Are you, perhaps, drunk? Get into bed.”
Albert gently shook his head and tapped Lilia’s hand. He silently undressed and joined his wife in bed, facing away to hide his concern.
Lilia had her child, and her husband next to her. Lilia didn’t ask for riches or fame. She merely desired a humble life and peaceful family. Her long-lost brother had also returned to her. Lilia didn’t know what her husband was doing or what it would provide her with. She just wanted peaceful and blissful nights as this one.
Albert, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking, wondering if he missed anything: “Have I cleaned up properly? If I haven’t, then wouldn’t those two trace it back to me if they investigate it? Can I… get through this? Lin Dongqing might not investigate the attack since it doesn’t have much to do with him. Leah is the succubus with him, so I doubt they contact the succubi here too frequently. What about Achilles? His lover was killed. He’s definitely going to get to the bottom of this no matter what the cost is… Can I get through this? Man, I don’t know… But if it’s just Achilles, I should be able to escape intact… I think. Achilles might not find out, either. I need to protect my family… My child will soon be born… I must protect them.”
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