Perfect and Sweet

The Alexanders are having tea after lunch. The servants love this perfect scenery. Once in a while they eat or drink tea together without any servants.

They look picture perfect in their eyes but in reality this kind of setup is a meeting.

Konrad lifted his hot tea and enjoyed it for a moment before he started.

"Kali." Konrad said as if he shortened his question of 'What happened last night? Let's start with you Kali'

Kali takes a sip from her cold milk tea before telling her story. Her drink was spiked and woke up in a room with some masked men. She jumped over the fact she killed three men that night and skipped to the part where she wandered around. She also mentioned that the fox masked man was the bidder who outbid her for Luna so she just stole it from him and somehow they met again in the imperial palace.

Theo sighed at her while Gio suppressed his laugh.

Konrad who received the report from Vico about the stealing incident didn't say anything and just motioned for Theo and Gio to proceed with their report.

After Kali disappeared, the brothers both immediately secured one of the guest rooms or rest areas, and informed one of the servants to bring a set of tea with honey for Kali who was shocked from the sudden black out. While Gio guards the room, Theo stays inside and guards for anyone that will try to sneak in on the empty room, that is until Konrad arrives.

Konrad give Theo instruction to stay in the hall and socialize, the story that his sister was not feeling well and currently resting, must be spread for two main reason, first is to avoid giving the nobles an opportunity to openly look for her, in disguise of help and check her code somehow in the midst of it and second reason is to create a chance to inform Kali about the situation.

That night after she overheard the conversation of the Dela Cortes, she hadn't thought of the first reason behind it.

"Why are they so obsessed about Kaleena's code?" Kali frowned and asked but it was a question directed to herself. She thinks of reasons.

"Tell us what you think." Konrad coolly said.

" . . . If proven I am fake, they might hold it as weakness to the Count but if not, Kaleena is either someone they desperately need or a threat to eliminate."

". . ."

"The real question is, are they somehow involved in her disappearance? Seeing that they need to confirm by code first , meaning the real Kaleena is not proven dead, not at least from their knowledge."

The four of them reached the same conclusion but didn't actively discuss what they were thinking of. The reason why Kaleena's disappearance case was easily forgotten despite being a daughter of a powerful family. It is because someone in power tried burying it.

"This is the list of households that sent a spy." Kali rests the list in the table.

"Don't tell me you are planning to seduce them into submission? Like last night with Francis Delacorte?" Theo stares at Kali with a stiff expression.

"Better than us guessing their next plan. What if my luck runs out the next time they succeed in cornering me?"

The impromptu plan last night was a simple and clever method to not make big things bigger but everything is ultimately left to her hands, a gamble or faith on her ability to return and be aware of the said situation.

"This way, even if they did something it is still within my control." Kali continued as she drank her milk tea.

Giving them an opportunity to approach will lessen unexpected situations like last night.

"What if you get caught in your own trap?"

"They gross me out." Kali's inner thoughts leaked out. It's true she was gross out looking at their swooning eyes and hearing overly cheesy praises.

"Ahem. . . Do you know you need a teacher for that?" Konrad asked with little color in his cheeks.

"No need. I learned alot from novels."

Konrad remembered instructing all Kali's vulgar books to be burned only to find out she bought hundreds of them.

". . ."

"I learned a lot of things." She said it sounded convincing but to Konrad it sounded like it had double meaning.

Kali's true reason in reading novels is to create the perfect and sweet image of the noble Kaleena but somehow along the way she begins to see herself immersed and addicted to it.

"I have a bad feeling about that." Gio openly looks creeped out.

"We will have a talk about those things you learn some other time." Konrad lifts his tea to drink again.

*knock knock*

"Your Grace," The butler from the other side called.

"Come in" Konrad gave permission.

The butler briefly gives greetings while holding a small tray in his hand. He approaches Konrad's side and bow.

"A letter from the Imperial Palace has arrived, the messenger is in the parlor and waiting for a response."

Kali didn't miss the slight frown formed in Konrad's forehead.

'Is he annoyed?'

Konrad opened the white envelope sealed with the Royal Family insignia, fleur de lys.

"Inform the messenger, I abide the King's order. I will depart after some preparations."

"Yes, your grace."

After the butler left,Konrad threw the letter in the middle of the table.

"Unidentified dead bodies were found inside the Imperial Palace." Konrad said while looking at Kali with indifferent expression. The same expression that Kali always sees but this time it was uncomfortable to look at.

"..?!" Theo silently read the contents and frowned as he let it down to the table.

"It's a summon letter for an investigation." Konrad said without averting his eyes on Kali. Kali unconsciously bit her inside cheeks.

Theo and Gio look at Kali silently too.

"Do you have something to do with it?" Konrad's tone is mixed with curiosity and accusatory.

"I only killed three."

"Only?" Theo repeated with a frown look and unbelievable tone.

"Explain, why am I only hearing this now?" Konrad's cold voice continues to make Kali uncomfortable.

"It didn't think it was important. I left their bodies in some rooms in some place far away from the grand hall. I thought it will not be discovered until they begin to rot and I will be long gone from the capital by that time" Kali was uncomfortable at unfamiliar treatment but she still answered Konrad with all honesty.

There was long silence in the room. A different silence she always had with the count. The atmosphere is heavy and the temperature continues to drop. She frowned as if the air began to become dense , making it hard for her to breathe normally.

Theo's head is down to his hands as if he is massaging his head while Gio's fists are closed and glaring down as if he wants to drill a hole in the table.

"Killing at imperial grounds. You consider that as not important?" As if double checking her answer, Konrad asked.

This time Kali openly frowned. It is now hard to breathe. The table is shaking a little and the teas are on the verge of spilling.

'If I say the wrong thing. He will kill me." Kali arrived at this conclusion while enduring the pressure.

"Argh." Kali closed her mouth immediately trying to hold on to the little air she had. The less air she has, the less she can hold on to her thoughts.

'One Chance' She clenched her hands, crumpling her dress. She only has one chance to save herself. A word that can save her.

'What about summoning the inventory? . . . No, I will not be able to win. . . . Think. Think. .' Kali had hundreds of thoughts running in her mind as she hastened up. There's no more time to waste. Fighting back is not an option. Not at least at her current level.

'What was it? What was my reason?'

"b,boun-t,ty." Kali managed to say the word in a cracked voice.

Konrad slowly lifted his aura but maintained his straight face.

*Cough *cough

"Explain"

Kali gripped her throbbing chest as she cursed internally. 'Fuck, those mana powers.' She glared at Konrad with hostility before she shut her eyes and returned to her normal expression.

"Kaleena Alexanders has received a bounty. A Thousand Sakhat gold for her code and Hundred thousand Sakhat if brought alive." Kali repeated Feyawi, the Casino owner's words.

Nobody reacted. "The exchange location will only be revealed after confirming Kaleena's Condition. . . that means either I go missing or my arm does."

Theo and Gio flinched while Konrad glared at her explanation.

"I know that some rare items can record and save codes but that is not what the commissioner wants. His requirement is to 'confirm' Kaleena's Condition before the exchange. How will the commissioner 'confirm' the condition if the code has only been copied?"

"...?!"

"The people I killed are the same people that will sell me for 100,000 gold as a whole or 1,000 gold as a part. Why can't I kill them?" She said it with a side smile. A genuine amused smile.