Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

The boldness and presumption of the two young pups from the Carmen family became the talk of the town among the Paris nobility the next day.


As for the incident where Miss Reed's Suggestion Magic led someone to strip down and kiss in front of everyone at the event, the elder nobles wouldn't comment, but for someone like Romiel, it was definitely a belly-laughing matter in the young people's salon.


"I'll fight for Miss Reed's freedom, hilarious! Are they living in some ancient times 300 years ago? My cousin Lina loves Durin—didn't they see it with their own four eyes?" When the Carmen brothers walked in, what greeted them was Romiel's unbridled mockery.


And indeed, when Durin heard about this, Romiel had already been beaten to a pulp.


But the Carmen kids didn't fare well either; the rascals from the Kriegen family swept through the salon like a tornado. A dozen restless teenagers wrecked the place, and the Carmen boys got a sound thrashing, too.


Chapter 200: The Forest Sea