Family Z 15

In a small, sunlit room, Lia sat on a bed and watched the busy main street with the many people gathering around from the window.

It was a bright morning and she could see the excitement going on outside. However, she had no idea what it was all about. Her head was still muddy and dizzy from the realisation and anger that she was only a tiny step away from getting Elder Z.

Lia knew that she has been too confident in her power. It was a fatal mistake that proved her ignorance, naivety and arrogance. From now on, she had to be more careful and diligent in her planning.

If she wasn't to 100% sure her plan would work then she would meticulously adjust it until there was not even the tiniest bit room left for failure.

For a while, she sat there just absent-mindedly staring out of the window. The dust that was dancing in the sunlight looked like snowflakes gracing every part of her pale skin where even the golden light could not resist dying it.

The view slightly stunned Noel and his heart made a light jump. He had to cough to get himself to calm down. Lia's wide eyes turned cold as she realised she wasn't alone anymore.

Noel felt that this cold façade of her might be after all just a cold façade. He had no clue as to why she wanted to destroy the Z family nor did he feel like he should intrude in her private matters.

As long as she wasn't a foe, it didn't matter to him.

"How are you feeling?" Noel approached her.

Lia snorted, "Look at you caring about me."

Their relationship was ambiguous, they weren't close to even be called acquaintances but they were familiar and comfortable enough to constantly try to mock or bring the other down.

"Calmed down yet?"

"No."

"Well, then just endure it," Noel smirked and sat next to her.

Lia didn't move or said anything.

"If you open the window you can hear it," Noel reached over her to open the window yet the pleasant smell of her slightly stunned him.

"Hear what?"

With much effort, Noel managed to open the window and withdrew, he deliberately moved a little further away from her.

"You're still planning on taking down Elder Z but that's not necessary anymore."

The loud and rushed, anxious and excited chatters were chaotic and wild but as soon as they found their way into the room through the window, there was a huge bomb of news waiting to explode on Lia's head.

She instantly rushed to the window and leaned her head out. It was even clearer to hear now. Her fingers gripped the window frame until they turned white and she muttered under her breath,

"How could this be?"

Elder Z. The Elder Z she was desperately trying to take revenge on was found dead in the palace's garden.

It was said that the murderer who killed the Z family also got Elder Z.

Lia's legs were weak and she had to stabilise herself. How? How in the world was Elder Z dead? How did he die in the palace?

"You didn't sneak out yesterday an-"

"No!" Lia's anxious glare wiped the grin off Noel's face and he turned serious.

Lia's brain was working furiously. If he was killed inside the palace that could only mean one person was the culprit. Min.

But why would he do that? And the more pressing matter was, did he find out about Lia? Was he enraged and thus killed Elder Z on accident?

But that couldn't be, even if Min was a scum, he was always calm and wouldn't show his emotions, so why?

Why would he kill Elder Z? What benefits were there for him? Or… did her killing the Z family made Elder Z useless for Min?

A thousand questions swirled in her mind but her ears still picked up the gossip outside.

"Apparently, the murderer is so strong, he was able to get inside the palace!"

"I've heard it was someone from the palace who had a grudge against Elder Z!"

"Really? But killing the entire Z family, that's nuts!"

"It wasn't one! It was several!"

"Doesn't matter. Damn, either way, that's bloody dangerous. Heard the Ghost King's angry and the killers are still loose."

"No, are we all going to die?"

Then under all the theories, one stunned the entire gossiping people into silence, "According to insider info, the Ghost King and the families believe, it must be one of the hidden families."

"Hidden families? What's that? The dark underlord?"

Slap!

"You watch too many mortal things! They corrupt your mind."

"Hidden families," Lia mumbled and turned to Noel. Noel had no expression on his face.

"Do you know what they are?"

Noel shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows. They might be some bogus people made up to pinpoint a culprit."

There was some truth in Noel's words, after all, she was framed like this as well. If there was something unknown it instilled fear into people, but the moment this unknown thing was attached an identity, people would fear it less and instead hate on it.

But a vague premonition grabbed Lia. She had heard this term somewhere.

"The hidden families," Lia repeated and squinted her eyes.

"Forget that, the Z family's gone now and your purpose is also achieved, isn't it? So, what you do now?"

"Who said, I've achieved my goal?"

"Then?

"I've already told you about my plans to kill the Z family. Don't you think it's only fair if you share something of yours too?"

Noel thought for a while about it, "Well… don't feel like it."

Then he smirked again. Lia was incredibly irritated and thought for a second to throw him out of the window.

"Take it as a compensation for rudely holding my house captive."

"Seriously? I haven't done none of that," Noel made a surprised expression.

Lia knew from the beginning that there was no malice in any of his actions, there was only distrust.

"If you nicely beg me, I'll think about it."

Lia was sure the only purpose for his existence was to annoy the hell out of her. She walked away from the window and stood in front of him, then with a swift movement she kicked him from the bed to the ground.

"I beg you," while her foot was still on his stomach. Noel's face was blank. He didn't calculate she would do something like this.

"So childish."

"What?" Lia bore her foot deeper into his stomach.

"I'll tell!"

Only after he apologised a few times was Lia content and let him go. Mumbling a thousand curses under his breath, he sat back on the bed and rubbed his stomach.

"My goal… you want to know?" Noel went back to being an arrogant brat with his smirk.

"I don't even want to know it anymore," Lia couldn't deal with him and was ready to walk out of the door as Noel's solemn voice caught up to her.

"My plan's to wipe out the C and P family."

As Noel's words fell, Lia's hand froze on the doorknob. She trembled slightly and had to calm herself down.

"All this time, I wasn't messing around but gathered information and devised a plan, at least tried to."

"How?" Lia felt this was an incredible opportunity.

From what she has witnessed yesterday evening, Noel had exceptional skills. If she were to team up with him and if he could be her ally, then taking on both families would go smoother than the disaster with the Z family, wouldn't it?

No, she had to get herself under control. She still wasn't sure if he was trustworthy or not.

"Well, I've got an informant who-"

"Who?"

"It's a secret," Noel made a hand gesture by holding both of his hands in the air and closing then opening his palms. It was obvious he was teasing her.

Lia grabbed both of his hands and Noel was stunned, "I also want to get rid of those two families."

Noel showed a wry smile but had no intentions to pull his hands back, "Miss, aren't you overly ambitious?"

"No," Lia stepped back and brushed the hair that fell in her face behind her ears,

"They'll get what they deserve. If you hadn't revealed your plans, I would've gone and killed them anyways. They are my next target but since you also are after them, it'd be better to work together than to get in each other's way, don't you agree?"

"With your sloppy skills?"

"I still managed to kill the Z family while you only fooled around."

"Yes, being almost or already exposed and I wasn't fooling around. Only trying not to lose like you," Noel stood up and headed to the door.

"Tell me about your plan and-"

"Let's get something to eat first, shall we?"

Lia hesitated. She was in the capital now, she didn't dare to openly show her face. It seemed like Noel read her worry and said, "I know a private place."

Lia wasn't hungry and she wanted to quickly get to plan Elder C's and Elder P's demise but suddenly she had the urge to fill her stomach. She was helpless in face of Noel seemingly influencing her and agreed. She put on the cloak and hid her face.

Outside, the streets were still vibrantly buzzing with the rumours and Lia tried to listen as much as she could as Noel carelessly pushed through. Her ears pricked up whenever the hidden families were mentioned.

There were tales about them being a secret organisation of immortal families banding together to take down the families and Ghost King.

Tales about them being anti-Ghost King. Tales about them being alumni from the academy and were wronged, which was why they were trying to get their revenge.

Tales about them being immortals who wanted to get a kick out of things and called themselves the hidden families to rival the families of the council.

Tales about them acquiring unknown powers and actually trying to test out how strong they were.

They all felt absurd and Lia, after a while, lost interest in them. She hid her face deeper under her hood and avoided all the stares. She would have to find out about the hidden families herself.

Noel brought her to a small and dark alley in the outskirts. They entered a small building where a restaurant was located on the second floor. They were seated in a private room and Noel ordered a few dishes.

Lia wasn't a picky eater and since Noel was paying, she would let him choose. She was more interested in hearing about what he found out, what he planned to do about those two families.

"Why do you want to take them down?"

"It's a mission," Noel started eating.

"Mission? What do you mean?"

"You're very curious. If you tell me, then I'll tell you."

Lia sighed. Noel was right. It didn't matter what motivated both of them, this cooperation wasn't based on their reasons but on their mutual goal to see the C and P family vanish from this world.

As to why he wanted to do that or why he had the mission and who gave it to him, it all didn't matter.

They both silently accepted the fact and didn't intrude the other's privacy. They didn't need to know it for them to work together to succeed and it was better, after all, the moment someone found out about your reasons and motivations, you'd be vulnerable.

And who dared to be vulnerable when their lives were on stake?