infiltration

Leonard has his time talking with Lorraine, her recovery is slow but that's something Leonard could wait for, he still has 10 years. 

Leonard makes Richard participate in whatever Lorraine does as well, he makes Richard do those stuff because Leonard once said. 

"If you're guilty about being a bad father then it's not too late trying to fix your mistakes."

Leonard's way of coercion made Richard feel more guilt, Leonard knows what he is doing is wrong but if the outcome is for the better, then he just shrugs it off. 

On a Sunday afternoon, the garden is blessed by the winds, the flowers shake along with the leaves and there, in the middle of the garden, a tree stood strong. 

Under the tree is a girl with white hair and green eyes in summer clothing, she was sipping tea whilst enjoying a book. 

"Hmm… this is going to be tough."

She mumbled, she volunteered as bait and it was approved by Richard however he had a condition. 

"Leonard is coming as well."

She couldn't help but yell "what?!" and be stiff as a doll, She knew that Leonard snitched. 

The kidnappers' den is something to be taken seriously. 

So she wondered why in the hell would Leonard do this move. In the end, she just released a deep sigh. 

"That's quite a sigh from you sister."

An innocent voice echoed from her back, she turned just to see her supposedly little brother. 

"Heh."

Lenneza smirked, this little brother of hers is good at stirring her up. 

"Well, I couldn't help it. My beloved little brother will come with me on such a dangerous expedition."

"Oh that's why I'm going with my esteemed sister, that place is dangerous after all!" 

Leonard kept the innocent act while Lenneza just kept being herself, Leonard just made her eyelid twitch. It makes her question, 'aren't you embarrassed?' Then once again she knew about Leonard's diary. 

She knew how good of an actor he is. The word 'dignity' could disappear in an instant if Leonard was the one holding it. 

She sighed again. Leonard just sat down opposite Lenneza. 

"Sister, I'm quite curious."

Lenneza raised a brow. 

"About?"

"This incident."

"...?"

"It was never leaked to anyone… or was the objective properly disclosed."

Leonard smiled at Lenneza, however, was having sweat on her forehead, yet her smile didn't waver. 

"I find it strange that sister already knows what it's about… like… she's known beforehand."

Lenneza couldn't help but keep her poker face. She thinks that Leonard is suspecting her of being an accomplice, why is it because she's of commoner origin?

"See, sister, anyone would find it strange that a cold-hearted person would suddenly become warm towards you."

Leonard chuckled, his smile was enigmatic, and changes in his facial expressions were completely nil. 

Lenneza on the other hand, is sweaty and her heartbeat was racing, she thought it was about the kidnappings. 

Turns out, the suspicion is on a completely different subject. 

"Is that so?"

"Of course~"

Leonard placed his gaze at the blue sky like reminiscing about something, then he looked back down at her, and his smile brightened more. 

"I'd like it if you gave all of that affection to Lorraine."

Leonard looked at Lenneza seriously, he was looking at her in such a way that it feels like he was a foreigner. Lenneza squinted her eyes, her smile somehow contorted in an ugly expression. 

Leonard being the one on her opposite side chuckled. 

"Do you hate Lorraine?"

Lenneza noticed her behavior and fixed her face, she couldn't help but sigh at her behavior. 

"No… no… it was just me."

Leonard's look that was like he was foreign ticked Lenneza, she didn't know that it affected her this badly. Ever since she read Leonard's diary she wished for nothing more than an actual bond with him. 

Her regret and guilt swelled up over the years Leonard was gone, she couldn't take it when he looked at her like that. 

"Is that so? Well anyways, the reason Father knew that you became a bait was because of me."

"..."

"Oh, I also convinced him to follow through."

"Why?"

Lenneza clenched her teeth. 

"What do you mean why? For this mission to be successful and save people? Isn't that hard to understand?"

Lenneza knew how much Leonard contradicts himself, he would say he doesn't want to do this and that because they're troublesome but in the end, he would do it anyways. 

His behavior is very self-destructive, She knew that if they ever got in trouble Leonard wouldn't hesitate to come to her aid. That's what she's avoiding the most, putting Leonard at risk. 

"And besides, two heads are better than one sister, what would you do when you're alone in a dangerous position?"

"I could handle those things, Leo."

"Then the outcome would be better if we worked together!"

Leonard smiled brightly, Lenneza couldn't help but frown, why is he being like this to me?

"Well then sister, I'll be leaving. The event starts tomorrow."

Leonard stood up and left, Lenneza could help but stare at his fleeting back. She is having a hard time understanding him, after all her only knowledge of Leonard's true self is his diary. 

Lenneza couldn't help but sigh again. She, however, didn't regret her decisions. The fact that he's back and he's better is something she's glad for. 

"Tomorrow's the day."

Lenneza stood up and left as well, they had to prepare for the raid and today I'd be their last chance to relax. 

Wolfenheim City, the biggest capital maker of Marchen territory, according to Markus, felt that the tracking started in the Long Note district, it's a relatively crowded district since it's full of markets. 

And the streets are wide but the people set their stalls, Richard allowed the people to have their stalls but regulation requires that they don't go beyond 8 feet of the street since this is a road and vehicles still run through them. 

"Hahaha! Good thing I starved myself!"

Leonard yelled as he bought from a stall, the stalls don't only sell everyday goods, they also sell food. Since Leonard is so good at sneaking he already knew where they were going beforehand. 

"Young master please—"

"I'm an orphan, remember?"

"Ugh…"

Markus, his bodyguard, is also attending this raid. There is a hidden tunnel under one of the stores that might've been used to traverse the mountainous region of Roshen. 

"Leo, please—"

"I ain't buying you anything, get it yourself."

Lenneza was speechless, she was about to scold Leonard but instead, she got to shut up. 

"This burrito is good as fuck I swear."

"Language."

"Oh sorry old man."

Who Leonard just talked to is Rens, he wore civilian clothing just like Markus, but the different part is that he had a badge. 

What is this badge for? Well, it would come in handy later. 

As Leonard stuffed himself with food and drinks they arrived at their destination, a barber shop with good air conditioning. 

"Do I need a cut?" 

Leonard spoke as he touched his hair. Right now Leonard's hair is black, not because of magic but because he dyed it, same with Lenneza, her hair is dyed as well. 

Not taking the mission seriously is courting death. 

Lenneza and Leonard cuddled up together and were pulled by Markus closely as they entered the barber shop. The barber looked at the kids and Markus, eyeing him up and down. 

"A faded cut, about 11."

And Markus showed his badge, the barber didn't show any change of emotions and pointed them to sit down. 

He took out a hair trimmer that has multiple buttons on top of it. And started tapping those buttons. 

"Who is gonna go first?"

The hair trimmer buzzed, there are conditions to enter the tunnel, and it's that to make the goods into a category. That's what the barber is doing right now. 

Leonard went to the chair first, but since his height still hasn't developed the barber just adjusted the height of the chair. 

Leonard became bald when got off the chair, he looked at the mirror and checked himself out. 

"Wow…"

It was shiny. 

Next was Lenneza, she got herself a cut as well but when she came back on out sit she had a Bob cut instead of being bald. 

Leonard stared at her for a while and Lenneza tilted her head wondering why Leonard was staring at her. 

"Where's the gender equality?"

"Puha-!"

Markus almost laughed but he controlled it. Rens smiled but he had his emotions under control, unlike Markus. 

"haha. That's funny, oh well come here."

The barber led them to the back of the shop and there was a green door with a few locks hung up. 

When the barber unlocked the door and went down the stairs behind it, the gang found themselves in a big underground tunnel that was big enough for a lot of people to hang around. 

There was even a car in there. 

"Alright, four of you. I'm leaving."

When they were about to walk off, the barber placed a hand on Markus's shoulder. 

"You better make sure your operation works or else those kids are done for."

The barber whispered and left. Markus, who was the receiver of those words, was stunned. 

The barber knew what they were in for. When Markus was about to turn around the barber was already gone. 

"Markus!" Rens yelled, "What are you waiting for!?"

"Ah yes! I'm coming."

Whatever it is, Markus just ignored it, if he wanted to the Barber could fuck up the entire mission but instead warned them. 

Markus isn't that stupid to know that the 'kids' in the sentence that the barber spoke of aren't Leonard and Lenneza, but the countless kids that were already kidnapped here.