February 5, 2021: Avaler des couleuvres

Upon scrutinizing Syn's countenance, that was previously aloof, made an action through the slight raise of her left brow, Arthasia became keen on pursuing the newly emerged topic of interest.

"Do you know Konrad? Have you met him?" Arthasia raised her question right away. It was as if she was a reporter, who was thirsting for an exclusive scoop regarding the latest news that was the talk of the town.

But then again, it was done without consideration of how Syn would feel about the query, inducing a suspicion within Syn's mind that Arthasia brought the query up to spite her. Even so, she didn't have the need to explain her encounters with the woman, so she set aside her apprehension as she hoped to end the conversation quickly.

For that reason, she gave a response that would suit her and Konrad's taste, "Miss Arthasia, there are many men named Konrad. Who are you pertaining to?"

"Konrad Brecheisen of course, you silly!" As she spoke, Arthasia's voice resounded a tad loudly within the establishment.

Much to Syn's vexation, their table garnered the attention of the other customers. Still and all, she made no efforts to warn Arthasia not to do it again, seeing that the woman wouldn't listen to her words anyway.

"Konrad Brecheisen? Who doesn't know him? He's the owner of the Eddinu Corporation, right?"

"Well, yes, but what I'm asking about is if you have already met him personally."

"Obviously, I haven't. How can a mere part-timer like me rendezvous with Mr Brecheisen?" Syn replied, skillfully feigning ignorance despite the fact that her answers forthrightly contradicted with the reality of their circumstances.

Discontented with the young lady's rejoinder, Arthasia stuck her lips out. She then intertwined her hands and anchored them with her elbows that were propped on the table. As she placed her chin on top of her connected fingers, she breathed out her disappointment ahead of speaking.

"By your reaction, I thought you're one of his women. Honestly, him playing around is getting tiresome. Constantly hearing about these harlots whining and making a ruckus because Konrad stopped paying attention to them is annoying. They look stupid."

Throughout the time that Arthasia was talking, Syn felt a pang of guilt hit the resolution that she wasn't cognizant of harnessing. By fair means or foul, she was oblivious of the fact that she was profusely denying a certain desire these past few days. An obstacle had presented itself even before she contemplated to take a step forward - It warned her to cease her yearning, that she just became aware of, lest hurting herself.

"I don't know why they keep on going after that jerk. At this point, it's not even pitiful to see them getting trapped. He pays them for a night of passion laced with lies, not love. For Konrad, they're perishable goods. Why don't they get that?" Arthasia complained of her frustrations, trying to earn Syn's sympathy.

Granted that she was enduring a suffocating ache in her heart, Syn capably masked her visage with a disinterested front all the while lending an ear to Arthasia's rumblings.

"No matter how classy they are, if they are being paid for such an act, they're classified as prostitutes. They don't have the right to glorify themselves with their supposedly rich backgrounds and connections."

The accuracy of Arthasia's statement briefly offended Syn, but her conscience promptly acknowledged it. With that in mind, she had the urge to ask Arthasia.

"Do you hate them?"

"Who? Oh! You mean Konrad's women?" Arthasia responded right away, delighted that Syn was finally communicating with her.

"No, I mean prostitutes. You sound as if you despise them."

"Hmm, I don't really hate them. However, selling your body is quite a shameless concept to me. There are other ways to earn money, but they opted to take advantage of the weakness of men. That's pretty lazy and immodest in my opinion."

"I see."

The lady kept her mouth shut since didn't have the motivation to refute the woman's remarks. Syn figured that, with Arthasia's wealthy upbringing, she wouldn't understand a thing regarding the perspectives of the people who were deprived of any options.

"With that out of the way, let's go back to Tristan. Do you know how I can cheer him up?" Arthasia nonchalantly regressed the topic of their discourse to the original, absent the reflection that she had said something that greatly wounded the lady in front of her.

In the light of Syn's unwillingness to speak apropos her life with Arthasia, it was understandable that the latter uttered no apologies.

"Why don't you offer yourself up to him? You're his fiancee, so you ought to be active in pursuing him if he's not into you yet."

Ahead of addressing Syn's query, Arthasia straightened her body. She proceeded to look at the young man who was making his way towards where the two women were seated.

Once Tommy reached their table, he lowered the tray he was holding with extreme care and sai, "H- here's your order, Ma'am. Miss S-syn, the manager t-told me to gi-give you a cup of co-coffee also."

"Thank you."

"You're w-welcome."

Thereafter accomplishing his job, Tommy departed the spot in a hurry as to not disturb Syn and Arthasia's agenda.

Latterly of receiving her afternoon refreshments, Arthasia took a bite of the cake and a sip of the Americano. Meanwhile, Syn procured her drink to quench her thirst. As soon as the warm comfort of the coffee travelled down her throat, it calmed her distraught mind. She revelled in the cup of coffee during their moment of repose.

When Arthasia had drank half of her Americano, she dropped the container on the table and resumed their discussion, "I've been doing that for as long as I can remember, yet he can't seem to lower his defences."

"Did it not strike you that he might be in love with another woman?"

"What?! Are you saying that I am competing with someone?!" Arthasia slammed her hands on the table, making the dinnerwares rattle slightly, as she hollered.

Syn nearly wanted to cover her ears, irritated of how boisterous the woman was. She then beckoned Arthasia to sit, attempting to avoid the risk of upsetting the other customers. To her relief, Arthasia readily followed her.

"I was just asking you if there is. I am not confirming in any way that he has one."

"But what should I do if there really is a woman that he is attached to?"

"Why are you questioning me? That's your problem to solve, not mine. Let me you instead. What are you going to do if you find out that he has already fallen for someone else?"

Leaning back on her seat, Arthasia ruminated over the possibility while Syn patiently abided for her answer. Following a couple of minutes, the woman met the lady's gaze.

On the occasion that their stares landed on each other, Syn was rather disturbed of noticing the glints, malicious and determined, that were swimming on Arthasia's eyes.

"It's faster to eliminate little rats, isn't it? Good thing, Tristan is on his way here. I will make him confess so I can hunt down that nasty pest right here and now."