Chapter 29: Perfect Pair

The Srca family fell into chaos the whole of last night all because of Rip's one declaration.

In the end, Sling fell helplessly to his son's demand and reluctantly agreed but not before warning his son multiple times how inhumane and cruel and terrifying—and all the negative adjectives he could think of—the special training was.

And all he got in reply was—

"If you can do it, dad, I know I can do it too!"

Making Sling regret his earlier thoughts. 

He didn't care if his son can do it or not. He just wanted his son to not have to go through such torture at his young age or, really, any age!

But what could he do? Rip was so determined that not even the world ending could convince him to change his mind.

When Sling reported the happenings of last night to Ian—his perfect butler mask almost crumbling—Ian merely smiled. He was not displeased about Rip's unreasonable request or worried at all about a young child going through that kind of training. 

"Okay, I grant it. Rip will be able to join the special training from today on. I believe that he can do it." —And make it through better than you.

Sling was grateful and touched at Ian's trust in his son, almost teary-eyed. Sling nodded solemnly, excused himself, and went back to monitor the special training progress. On his way out, Sling met Levi who was heading into the garden viewing room. They greeted each other as they passed by.

When Sling turned around once again, he was startled to find Shade before him leaning against a wall. 

"Oh! Shade! Long time no see, my only colleague. Where have you been?" Sling greeted Shade as he approached the other party.

Shade's usually expressionless and calm face showed a hint of confusion. Shade spoke, not understanding what Sling was talking about, "...That's not true, I've seen you everyday."

Now it was Sling's turn to be confused. "What do you mean? I haven't seen you in weeks!"

Pondering over this matter, Shade suddenly made a sound of realization, "Oh!" He then clarified, "I mean, I saw you. You didn't see me."

??? Sling's face turned into question marks. 

Right now, he was no longer Butler Srca with his trademark impeccable smile, he was a confused Sling who had no idea what his colleague was talking about.

"Good morning, Butler Srca."

"Good morning, everyone."

Instantly, Sling switched to his "Perfect Butler" mode and turned to greet the passing maids and servants who were doing their usual daily tasks before heading to the special training building. 

After their backs disappeared from view, Sling still maintained his professional setting but turned back to face Shade, needing to understand what the other meant.

Shade did not have the urge to laugh at all when seeing Sling's transformation into seemingly another person. What Sling did was not strange and unfamiliar to him, for sometimes he also had to pretend to be another person when doing his missions so as to not raise the guard of the target up.

At times he would act the part of an enthusiastic door-to-door salesman, others a gloomy drunk. There was even a time he played the part of a clown.

Anyways, this ability was also a part of his assassin skill set.

Knowing that Sling was still confused, and seeing that the other party was his co-worker under the same master, Shade took the time and patience to explain.

After being given the explanation, an astonished Sling finally understood why he hadn't seen Shade in a while and why he said he saw Sling. 

It turns out, Shade saw it as his duty to ensure Ian's safety so he followed Ian everywhere in his shadows where no one else could see him. 

That's why, every time Sling goes to report to Ian, Shade sees him but he doesn't see or notice Shade.

"Hm…" Butler Srca sighed. "No wonder I didn't see you around lately. You were hiding in the dark."

"Protecting our master." Shade emphasized.

Butler Srca nodded. "Yes, protecting our master. Well, now that that mystery has been solved, I'd better get to work. My son is still waiting for me outside to take him to the special training building."

Shade nodded in understanding. They both said their goodbyes and Shade went back into the shadows while Butler Srca went to find his son.

Inside the garden viewing room.

Levi took a seat in front of Ian. Since currently there were no maids available—as they were all undergoing the special training—Levi had to take a bottom-up placed teacup, turn it for the mouth to face up, and pour his own tea from the readied teapot.

After tasting a sip, Levi placed the delicate porcelain teacup back down. Leaning back into his chair, he fanned himself lightly.

A peaceful and pleasant silence filled the glass room. 

Only the occasional sound of drinking tea and the clinking of porcelain against porcelain sounded in the spacious room. 

Neither Levi nor Ian started a conversation or made a sound.

Levi took the teapot by its handle and tried to pour more tea into his cup, only to find tiny trickles of tea coming out before it soon ceased. Levi put the teapot back into its position.

"There's no more tea," Levi commented. 

"Yes," Ian answered, clearly seeing that nothing came out of the teapot when Levi was pouring it.

"Since we had enough of the tea, let's chat," Levi suggested as his body leaned forward and straightened from its previous leisure posture.

"Yes."

"I feel like you have something you want to tell me," Levi straightforwardly handed out the reason why he came to see Ian today. Of course, that wasn't the whole reason, but it was the bigger one. The smaller one being that he hadn't had tea with Ian for years, if ever. When they used to, Angus was always there to prevent the two from starting a war.

This was the very first time they had tea alone calmly.

Ian's light purple eyes blinked. Unsure if he should tell Levi what Sling had told him about the gloomy-looking guy named Blake Levi was interested in. It was not that he doubted Sling's judgment, it's just, he didn't want to doubt Levi's preference. With Levi's keen eyes and experience, there's no way he couldn't see through what kind of guy Blake was. So if he saw that Blake had that hidden quality, unless he has this kind of preference, why would he want someone like that?

Ian couldn't understand. He was also partially in denial about Levi's taste in his subordinates. 

But now that Levi directly brought up this matter, Ian could only spill everything he knew.

"Last time we went to the special training building to watch the trainees, you spotted someone who caught your interest, right?"

Levi nodded. Recalling the black-haired and black-eyed trainee, Levi said, "So his name is Blake."

"Yes," Ian nodded. "Butler Srca had been keeping an eye on him like you asked, and even before that, he had been watching Blake closely because of disturbing reports about his past."

"So what is it you want to say?" Levi asked, curious to the reason why Ian hemmed and hawed, never getting to what he really wanted to say.

Ian finally stopped going around in a circle and cut to the chase. "The point is, I was informed by Butler Srca that trainee Blake showed the tendency of a backstabber, prone to betraying the people around him." Ian finished in one breath. Then he waited to see Levi's reaction. 

Levi didn't seem surprised by what Ian revealed. Instead, he again leaned back elegantly but lazily into the chair, as if there was nothing to worry about. "Oh." Was his only response.

Levi didn't react much to the revelation, as if he knew this fact all along and didn't care.

Ian had seen this coming, but even so, he was curious. Why was Levi so nonchalant about the person he's interested in who possessed the ominous trait of a traitor?

"Aren't you afraid that he'll betray you once you get close to him?" Ian couldn't help but ask nervously, his memories replaying the day when tragedy struck in his last life. He didn't want something like that to happen ever again. It was not necessarily betrayal that led to that incident, however, it was definitely deception. 

Just thinking that Levi might be deceived and betrayed after giving his trust to the other person, Ian felt uneasy as the darkness writhing around his darkened heart twisted and throbbed. 

He didn't want the people he cared about to get hurt.

A shadowy, dingy aura emanated out of Ian subtly.

Luckily, Levi didn't notice the abnormality in Ian before he said with a light and teasing smile, "A backstabber and a deceiver. We're quite the perfect pair, aren't we?"

Ian froze. 

The dark, ominous aura that didn't have time to solidify instantly melted away and dissipated. 

A blush immediately sprung onto Ian's cheeks at the thought that his thoughts had been seen through. His cheeks red and hot as blood vigorously pumped into his face. Even his ears reddened into the red of a very delicious and ripe strawberry.

Ian found himself too abashed to face himself and Levi.

It was true that he previously had always thought of Levi as a sly, disloyal deceiver who couldn't be trusted and was bound to betray them someday, but he never thought that Levi knew his immature thoughts. Besides, he has long since grown out of that ignorant and naive phase of his existence and he no longer thought that way. That was a whole lifetime ago!

Plus, he discovered the truth about Levi after that… had happened…

Though he should have guessed, since Levi was not dumb and all the clues were right there in front of his face. Not counting the amount of times he had been misunderstood like that by others besides Ian. 

Ian labeled that time his dark history, one which he never wanted to revisit. He had been so naive and simple back then that he could be called stupid despite his high IQ and photographic memory.

Seeing the embarrassed and furiously blushing Ian before his eyes, Levi's narrowly slit eyes shone brilliantly gold with mirth.

Ian was unprepared for what he saw, a pair of golden eyes stared at him from across the table, but before he could ask, Levi burst out laughing, making Ian forget his question and the confounding sight.

Levi laughed joyously, amused. Finally, this time, his teasing got to Ian. Levi felt a bit smug.

He hadn't satisfactorily teased Ian in a while as he had been away for years on company business, and lately, Ian seemed completely immune to his jokes and teasing. So witnessing Ian's current reaction, Levi laughed very heartily.

Of course, he still had an image to keep in mind, so he restrained himself slightly and laughed in a scholarly and elegant manner.

In reality, Levi knew from the very start why little Ian as a child started distrusting him and aggressively confronting him, after all, he had met many people who judged him based on his inborn appearance. But Levi liked cute little, innocent-looking Ian too much to blame him.

At first, he had much too much fun to clear up the misunderstanding. So by the time he realized that he took the joking around a little too far, the misunderstanding had become the ultimate truth in little Ian's mind and heart. Even if he explained, Ian wouldn't have believed him. 

Not to mention, Angus had always explained to Ian that Levi only looked sly and like a scammer—which Levi was really offended by—even though he was actually a really loyal and good friend. Yet even then, with his beloved older brother's words, Ian didn't believe him, stubbornly thinking that Levi deceived his brother.

—To be honest, little baby Ian's brainhole was really huge when he was young. Levi thought to himself.

That's why Levi didn't blame Ian for hating on him and acting so hostile to him every time they met. As it was mostly his fault for letting the misunderstanding about him stand.

"Oh, I haven't laughed so much genuinely in a while," Levi casually said as he fanned himself, his hair swaying gently in the breeze. 

Taking another appreciative look at Ian, Levi couldn't stop himself from laughing yet again. At last, remembering that he might anger and upset the embarrassed Ian with his laughing fit, he repressed his laughter to a titter.

However, Ian wasn't mad, though he did feel ashamed of his past actions.

A warm atmosphere descended on them. It was rare and unheard of. One that Ian couldn't bear to break. 

Hesitation. Embarrassment. Shame. Warmth. Contentment.

Only in front of his close ones, like Levi, can Ian find and experience the innocent, ordinary emotions that he lost along with his innocence. 

But it was not like they could stay in this silence forever. 

Levi took the initiative to speak again.

"I understand your worries, little Ian, and I appreciate it—I will always appreciate your concern and care for me." For once, Levi did not tease Ian about his delicate emotions and thoughts, instead, he seriously gave his thoughts. "However, I don't believe that he will ever betray me," Levi confidently claimed with no evidence or tangible support for his words.

Knowing who "he" was referring to, Ian remained somewhat doubtful but he decided to trust Levi. 

After what had happened in his last life, Ian never wanted to trust other people ever again. But he understood that that was ridiculous and impossible. Trust was not a feeling or concept one can control completely, and to have no one you can trust, life would be utter torture and paranoia, you will have to bear everything on your own.

Ian understands and acknowledges this truth. He will not blind himself obtusely in his pursuit for revenge, because that was not his ultimate goal, he also had people he wanted to protect at all costs.

Besides, it's not like everyone he trusted betrayed him.

He had his brother. His gang brothers and uncles. Isaac. Levi. And now, Shade and Sling.

However, even if he can't trust others, he will always trust the people who are close to him, because that's what it means to be close to one another. 

You can trust each other no matter what.

However…

One betrayal was enough. He will never allow it a second time. Those who betray him will only have one ending—Death!