Chapter 42

Jean accepted Kyon's gratitude with no enthusiasm. He shook him finally off and continued with his walk, hoping that the slave would try and keep his promise. Who knows... Fortune favors fools. If the proverb was wrong and the boy had only wasted his time, Jean would punch him so hard that the wretched slave would forget his own name. Anyway, even one handkerchief from the lady was to die for.

Suddenly, Kyon had an idea. What if he offered Jean to clean his keys. It could turn the tide in his favor. The Stone family might consider him a valuable asset. Then he remembered Synergy penetrating Martha's wrist and gave up on this silly, unrealistic idea. Master Jean's cultivation was way higher than hers. He would run out of Synergy within reach of Jean's inner tissue, anyway.

So, Kyon was on his own. Thanks to the miraculous ointment, he felt almost no pain. It was too bad there was nothing left in the tube. It meant the next "combat" could be fatal...

Losing time now was tantamount to suicide, so Kyon got down to exploring the park. He wiped all the dirt off his face with a black sock, ruffled his already shaggy hair, combed it over his forehead to cover the slave mark, and left to explore.

The territory of the park was not too big - about two football fields - however, the thick maze of tall, thick bushes made the servants practically invisible. Most of them crouched down and cut, trimmed, watered, swept something with the help of the wind element. They were secured behind the green thicket.

But at the same time, the park was far from deserted: dozens of servants scurried around in all directions.

Kyon wished his evil lady had security guards. He could easily pretend to be someone of her immediate circle and dispose of her... The answer was actually there, but he wouldn't know about it.

The servants stared at him, wondering why the gentleman looked so battered. His hairstyle hiding the slave mark, his black clothes were not typical for the slave's usual wardrobe. That's why they took him for someone he really wasn't. Whenever the servants met his eyes, they bowed respectfully, just in case.

Kyon enjoyed their respectful attitude. It was like an echo of his past life. But it wasn't the time or place to indulge in sweet memories – he had to find a way to complete Jean's task. Kyon continued exploring the area.

He didn't forget for a moment about Dinah and Anna. Those two wouldn't bow to him. He would have to bend his back, and in case the dark-haired was ill-humored, his teeth would touch the hard ground.

Should he meet Juno... It would be bad, too bad. Kyon moved in short bursts, carefully inspecting the territory beforehand.

Well, the garden was beautiful in its own way... Style, composition and architecture, benches and ponds... Every detail spoke of the painstaking work and good designer taste. But Kyon didn't have time to admire it. He had some other burning issues to solve: where to find a short-cut, an area with many / few servants, a hiding nook, etc.

The initial exploration took him about half an hour. Then he finally approached the main entrance to the mansion, large and spacious. Servants were walking in and out every moment. There were no guards or doors.

Kyon adjusted his hair over the forehead and moved forward, trying to blend in with the servants. He should learn the internal structure of the mansion instead of idly wandering around in the maze of the park. It was a sure risk, but he had no other choice. If he got caught... well, he would improvise.

The territory around the mansion included hot streams, the training ground, and the park. It was surrounded by a high wall with an impenetrable barrier. The main entrance to the mansion was the only way to come inside or leave. There was another exit that was under close guard. Everyone had to check in and out. Any loiterer would be detected and punished. When Flitz brought in Kyon, they put him in the register, subjecting him to a restricted residence. He could walk inside the mansion all he wanted as long as he wasn't caught.

Kyon studied the hall, looked into a couple of unlocked rooms and found the living room when suddenly, he ran into Anna, the blonde maid. He cursed under his breath - she walked too quietly!

«What are you doing here? You can't be here.» - Anna said with ice in her voice.

Myriads of thoughts flashed through his mind. Anna, Dinah's sister, was a superior maid, too. He had never taken any liberties with her, so their relations were still neutral. It was out of the question to show his character now. He had to live the part of a slave wholeheartedly - never look her in the eye for more than a couple of seconds, no firmness in his voice, be respectful... It was time to use his acting skills. Anna didn't know about Juno's order to keep his mouth shut, so he had to seize the moment.

«Excuse me…» - Kyon took a bow to seem respectful enough. - «I have to answer the call of nature, but there's no bathroom at the training ground…» - He theatrically crossed his legs.

The ice between them started to melt. This maid was sensible and rather lenient by her nature.

«The second door down the hall. Don't take too long… And stay out of my sister's sight. Next time come only with lady Juno's permission.» - Anna added in a softer voice.

Kyon bowed gratefully, holding his hand to his heart as if he owed his life to her:

«Thank you, lady Anna… You're so nice and kind…»

The maid skeptically rolled her eyes and went about her business, not bothering to answer him. The slave was nobody and meant nothing to her, but he was a cutie. Flitz knew the boy to pick, and had dressed him well, too. Black suited him.

Kyon locked himself in the bathroom, sat on the lid of the toilet, and thought hard. {Would she have believed me if I had lied that I was under Juno's order?} - He remembered the moment when Juno pressed on her wrist, and two servants came on command. She could send orders at a distance, right? He didn't want to take risks of testing the theory. No one likes liars, after all.

On second thought, it wasn't a pressing question at the moment. There were more urgent things to think about. Kyon needed to get the basic grade, and for this, he had to find some clothes for Jean, preferably female, better smaller than XXL size, desirably with pleasant smell that resembled Juno's, or the pervert would smell a rat. Ideally, he needed to get Juno's things.

For the first time in his life, Kyon had racked his brains on how to steal lingerie. He used to sort out where to invest a trillion credits, which direction to guide the development of humankind, how to save the planet from an asteroid. Now, it was the scene I've-hit-rock-bottom… Moreover, the importance of the question was greater than any time before!

{I've reached a new low today.} – Kyon concluded with a smile of self-mockery. He needed brainstorming ideas… Suddenly, he had one. It was frail, weak, and almost hopeless. They might cut off his head and balls for this, or maybe they'd spare the balls.

Kyon left the bathroom and continued to explore the house, carefully, walking on tiptoes. Some rooms were locked, for example a weird storeroom. Others, the important ones, opened with a formation. Ordinary service or guest rooms were not locked.

He did not dare to go upstairs. If they caught him, he would lose his arms and other vital organs.

The walk through the mansion dragged on, but he found out some useful information. Actually, he found what he had been looking for! The final step was to find the kitchen... It's always useful to know where the kitchen is…

However, as soon as he looked around the corner (this damned element of architecture had always brought him bad luck!), he bumped into the dark-haired maid. Nice meeting.

«What are you doing sneaking around here?» - Dinah snarled sternly, piercing him with her icy gaze.

Kyon's life flashed before his eyes. He was busted. She must have spotted him as a crouching thief, no less. A shiver ran down his spine. He lowered his eyes and played the pity card:

«I am starving...»

Dinah clenched her fists till her knuckles turned white. This slave looked at her as if he owned this place in the morning, and now he was playing the victim of unfortunate circumstances. His innocent eyes downcast, his plaintive voice... What a disappointment! All her expectations were down the drain! She instantly filled with rage and an urge to beat the boy to death, but an unrivaled assassin like her would never lower herself like that.

Dinah gave Kyon a black stare.

«Seriously?» - She squeezed his shoulder.

Kyon collapsed on his knee with a painful moan. She had hit a sore point in his shoulder with her thin fingers. How cruel of her!

Crocodile tears glittered in his eyes, but they didn't have any effect on merciless Dinah. They made her even angrier: he wasn't the one he had pretended to be.

A chill spread all over his body, as well as weird pressure. It was as if she had chained him to the bottom of a deep river. His mind was filled with an oppressive sense of danger.

«You must have a death wish if you dared to leave the training ground, entered the mansion, and got close to the kitchen where you are off-limits. What punishment do you deserve? Hmm?» - Dinah was getting more and more irritated because Kyon kept averting his eyes. She grabbed his chin with two fingers and tugged at it roughly: - «Look in the eye when the adults talk to you.»

Kyon squeezed out a maximum of charm. Dinah was too cold and dangerous. What did he do to fall in her disgrace? He had sneaked into the mansion, so what? It was not the point.

He mumbled:

«Forgive me. I am a starving fool. My stomach is a traitor seeking my death... Don't punish me, please…»

Dinah felt a rush of anger. However, her emotional outburst surprised her. How could this little brat get under her skin? What a humiliation for the patriarch's superior maid!

Dinah decided that he wasn't worth neither her attention nor emotions. She kicked him in the guts with all her might, and the slave went limp. Then she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him out of the mansion.

«Take him to the training ground and lock him up.» - Dinah ordered the servants.

Kyon had trouble breathing. She had nearly broken his ribs! Anna was an angel compared to Dinah. So much for being sisters. He wished Marina was here now!

Two servants dragged him to the training ground, threw him on the floor, and locked the gates.

Kyon sighed with relief. Meeting Dinah was not as terrible as it could have been. Anyway, it would be better for him to steer clear from her in the future.