Wanted or Not?

"I spoke with the young mistress, and she does not want him..."

Three days earlier:

"I understand the controversy, rumors and witnesses who say I had murdered my mother, Azallyn Clyde, in cold blood on my own grounds. But I do think you will find it very pleasing for me to confess that indeed, it is all true."

Levi stood in the middle of a large conference room. In front of her was a table of six powerful women who had demanded her presence to confirm the rumors spreading like wildfire all over the country. The woman on the far left, Madam M. of the wealthy Michaelis family, wore a rich purple dress and hat. She was a fine, sophisticated woman who admired hard work and the will to take what one deserved. But even so, Madam M. mainly looked for perfection, anything short of that was automatically considered a fail to her and her high expectations.

But she was first to speak after Levienne Clyde's rather "short and simple" confession:

"Levienne Clyde, daughter of Azallyn Clyde and possibly the next head of our council of the E.N.D, have just confessed to murder of a well-respected and most precious member. You yourself are a night creature, same as your mother and yet you took advantage of that power to kill your own flesh and blood without hesitation."

Madam M. chuckled softly as if she had just heard an amusing joke when she was speaking of such a dark event so casually. Levi was unshaken but was quickly getting impatient.

"You have exceeded my expectations, Levienne Clyde. I approve."

"Forgive me, members, but are we really to accept Levienne Clyde? An owner of a slave establishment is a completely different role from being a council member, never mind the head mistress of the E.N.D. She's young, and I doubt she'd be able to handle such a jo-"

"Tch."

The members all shot a glare and arched brows at Levi who had just disrespected all of them with a single sound, though she did that out of annoyance. Still, she continued as she was getting tired with them underestimating her abilities.

"Countess Charris, I really do not appreciate your words. Haven't I already proven that I am capable? My slave establishment was the most respected, and the most popular slave establishment in all the country. My slaves were trained well and no one declined a single one from my successful auctions. I have been attending meetings, balls, and other bothersome events since the day I was born so that I may learn and perhaps, take control as my mother did before me. Speaking of, I killed my own mother, didn't I?"

Levi, who proudly spoke, stunned the other members with her bold words filled with pride. Countess Charris, a woman of harsh judgement but shocking accuracy, was relieved of how Levi responded to her little test. But it seemed that Madam M. started adding more even though she had already approved:

"Indeed. Levienne Clyde is an astonishingly hard worker. No doubt of it, she gets this from her mother. A powerful woman like Levienne Clyde will be more than just beneficial to our organization but also help for us to collaborate with other covert organizations so that we may achieve our goal faster and more efficiently."

Madam M. took a few silent moments before speaking again, "What do you think, Amei Lia?"

Levi lifted her gaze to observe the woman on the far right. A woman in a simple but beautiful black dress that reached the floor with her long midnight-colored hair tied back into a neat bun with her bangs covering her left eye. She hadn't uttered a single word during the whole conference, but Levi was told that she barely ever spoke in general.

"I have no words on this."

'this little bi-'

"Forgive me for saying this Madam, but I'm afraid I will be needing your opinion on this matter which holds great importance to me." Levi's aura was dangerous but nothing compared to her eyes. Levienne hadn't had showed this look to anyone for a while now but she was wildly pleased with who it was directed to and the reason why...

"..."

"Well, I guess it cannot be helped. But that does not change anything. Do not think of this as an order seeing as I am not the head mistress of this meeting or anything, but see it as more of a request. I have been summoned by you members of the council another time in three days at this hour. By then, I will hope to hear your answer."

Apart from Amei Lia, the other five members were pleased and had great hopes of Levi. But without that last approval, Levi would lose the position without even obtaining it.

'Tch. My future in running this organization is in the hands of her...you better not make a decision you'll regret, Amei Lia...'

"Well, members, I believe it is time for me to take my exit. I'm afraid I have other affairs to take care of. I wait until the next one."

After Levi left the conference room, the members had a discussion among themselves.

"She really is like her mother, isn't she?"

"No. She's a completely different person from Azallyn. She has intuition and the ability to use reasoning. Thinking rationally is an ability that Azallyn could only dream of, but dreaming was also something was incapable of."

"Amei Lia," Madam M. interrupted the others in the midst of their bickering. The others were now intrigued, and silently listened:

"I understand you have your reasons for being skeptical on this, but give the girl a chance. Put your petty feelings aside for the next meeting. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Madam M."

"Excellent."

...

Back to Present:

"Mr. Blackford, what do you mean? The young mistress hasn't even seen Sayrid yet, how can she come to this conclusion, or a conclusion at all?" Levi was just at the end of her rope, but somehow remained to keep her tone polite enough.

Mr. Blackford, a tall and rather kind man, sighed, "She claims she has seen enough. You know very well that she's quarantined in this mansion, meaning one thing if she says she's SEEN things. I'm very sorry Miss Clyde but it seems she no longer takes interest in this contract."

"May I see her?"

Mr. Blackford stared at Levi who looked like she was about to break down in tears right in front of him if he didn't approve of her request, and not in her usual threatening way. Not wanting to see the heartbreaking sight, Mr. Blackford asked Levi to follow him up to the third floor, the floor of the young mistress.

Levi was led to a glass stained door with the design of a rose. What always stuck out about this design was that there was a large scythe that cut through the stem, cutting the beautiful flower in two.

'Tch. You're a young mistress, not a grim reaper for plants...'

"I'm afraid I have some business to go over with my wife, but I will surely say my farewell once you finish up your own with her." Mr. Blackford gave Levi a warm smile before going back downstairs. Levi was about to knock when she felt a soft breeze dance in her hair, causing her to suddenly whip around, seeing a masked woman in a white dress reading a book on a couch.

"Young mistress, forgive me for intruding but I would really like to hear what you have to say about Sayrid and this whole situation."

"Why don't you sit down next to me," Levi nodded and thanked the woman before hearing her out:

"I've seen Sayrid four times. The first three are for each year on the day he became a slave in your establishment and each time, I saw something new. But the fourth time, I saw something I'd never seen in Sae before, greed."

Levi was starting to panic, hoping that the young mistress wasn't talking about what she thought she was thinking about...

"He tried to drown himself just for the bitter pleasure of temporary peace. Though, he is amusing, I can't have a fool by my side. That greed within him will only continue to grow, same as darkness. Once that greed is at its peak, Sayrid will only fall the same way his parents did."

"M-Mistress?"

Levi's heartbeat was quickening at the mention of Sae's mysterious past which was solely based on his deceased parents. The young mistress turned her head, facing Levi and observing the scared look in her eyes.

"Hmm. I'm a cruel woman, Miss Clyde. Please do not make me any more so by asking."

Levi stared at the floor and clenched her fists tightly, 's-she knows...SHE KNOWS!!!'

"Four times was all it took for me to decline. Perhaps I'm acting like Countess Charris for being so quick to judge one I know very little of. Hmm, what a rather amusing thought. But I can see how much you care for this particular man, so I'll ask of you this,"

There was a pause, because the young mistress saw Levi who was starting to sweat, her knees shaking. Her breathing suddenly got ragged and her lids were slowly closing. The young mistress knew of Levi's odd relationship with Sae and never once did she question or judge, but she certainly was observant in how Levi reacted whenever they talked of Sae.

'Azallyn was wrong about many things, but she was right about one thing...'

"The wild horse. Send Sae to the Blackford mansion alone with the horse only. I will be expecting him exactly one hour before dawn. Can you arrange that?"

"That horse...is gone..."

The young mistress chuckled softly, "Miss Clyde, I wouldn't ask of you to finish a puzzle when you don't have all the pieces." the young mistress gently took Levi's hand to lead her to the window, showing her the beautiful black stallion running freely in the meadow behind the Blackford mansion.

"Will that be all, Miss Clyde?" Levi simply nodded, still a bit unstable. Her mind started showing her pictures of her mother with the rod in through her head, and the thought instantly excited her.

"Miss Clyde, do not think of such things in this mansion."

Levi froze. Like Sae, the young mistress knew things without anyone having to say anything. Though, Levi always felt the need to punch Sae when he did this, she nodded and apologized to the young mistress before saying farewell.

'...you are no Clyde."