Someone new

Ezio looked at the sign on the inn's front door and looked at the card on his hand once again then he took a step back. The inn was too shabby and it was even located at a shady location where one would usually see people who could assault you anytime.

He fell into a dilemma as he looked back and forth from the card to the inn and to his surroundings then back to the card again. While he was still debating, he heard the master's irritated voice.

"Aren't you coming? Or are you waiting for a knife to be embedded in your body before you decide to enter?" Cygnus gave him glare and did not wait for him. He directly went inside so Ezio had no other option but to follow.

To his surprise, the inside of the inn actually looked and felt normal. Everything inside it was how typical inns looked like and one would even forget that they were in the shady part of the town. If one could disregard how the inn looked outside, then it was by far one of the coziest and simplest place that Ezio had visited.

"Ah master, you came! I heard about your bakeshop, it is a pity that it had to burn down. Have they found the culprit yet?" The manager, Ezio assumed, came to them. She was a tall woman with a puffy hair of small curls that suited her darker skin tone. The warm smile on her face made her even more beautiful which awed Ezio.

"They'll be dead once I find them," was his only answer before he left and climbed the stairs to the second floor where the rooms were located leaving behind a confused Ezio.

"Oh well I guess the master is not in a really good mood." She placed her palms on her cheek as she sighed. Then, she finally noticed the gawking child. "Ah! Are you perhaps the child that was picked up by the master?" She suddenly gripped his shoulders and shook him a little bit.

"I-I, can you please let me go miss?" Ezio spoke after he was shaken a couple more times.

"Oh, dear me I'm sorry. I'm just excited to finally meet you!" She stretched out her hands in a hand shake then introduced herself, "I'm Nina, the one managing this inn."

Ezio looked at the outstretched hand then looked at her smiling face before he reluctantly accepted the hand shake while introducing himself, "My name is Ezio Constantine, nice to meet you Miss Nina."

Nina couldn't help raising a brow at the child's introduction but she immediately changed her expression with a smile, "How refreshing to finally see a positive person like you beside the master. Come have a seat first. I'll take you to your room later." She pulled him to an empty seat on the waiting area of the inn, where a small table was also placed. There were already cupcakes and a tea set on the table.

Ezio was not sure how those things suddenly appeared their in a short amount of time so he looked at the woman again. "Are you also using magic?"

"Yes, and I'm a good one too but the master, he is on a different level." Nina nodded as she handed him the tea and pushed the plate of cupcakes towards him.

"Have you known the master even before we came in?" Ezio became even more curious ad now that there was someone who was willing to answer his questions, he won't holdback.

"You can say that and now he even left me the task of managing this inn!" She laughed at Ezio's enthusiastic gaze. "Actually this inn is owned by the master."

Ezio did not expect those answers. He did not expect the master to own two businesses at the same time. He glanced at the stairs again. Ezio's attention was pulled back to Nina's when he heard her speak again.

"Enough of me, I heard from Mr. C that you can say the master's name without feeling like your insides were being twisted and pulled apart." This time it was Nina's turn to get excited.

"I only said his name," Ezio shrugged his shoulders like what he did was no big deal. "Oh and by the way, who is Mr. C?"

"Mr. C is the butler. I don't want to keep calling him mister butler all the time so I gave him that one. And saying the master's name is not easy, and it is a big deal because everyone who tried, died. Yet, here you are perfectly fine after saying his name." The atmosphere turned awkward all of a sudden and the woman's voice became stern.

Ezio has always wondered why the master has shown interest to him when he heard him say his name. So hearing the woman say those words made him a bit skeptical nut before he could ask further the master's voice interrupted them.

"What are the two of you talking about?" Cygnus appeared behind Ezio with a frown on his face. "I'm hungry, can you cook something?" He looked at Ezio for the first question then shifted his gaze towards Nina at the second question.

"We were talking about how he could say your name so easily and no, you know that I am not a good cook, why don't we let Ezio cook?" Nina smiled at the master even though she knew that he was in a bad mood.

Cygnus narrowed his eyes at the woman but he had no energy to deal with her, "Go and cook some food then bring it up to my room." He commanded with him pulling up Ezio to his feet and pushing him in the direction of the kitchen.

Ezio wasn't able to make any protests when he noticed that the atmosphere changed. The master was also looking at Nina without speaking. He decisively left because he did not want to get caught up between the two.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Cygnus touched the edge of the table as he braced himself to be able to lean forward. "Don't even think for one second that you can stand above me." It was only a whisper but it already made her broke into sweat.

"I'm sorry master," she immediately apologized. She then felt the master's body moving back but she still couldn't stop herself from shaking. She embraced herself to calm her pounding heart but it was still not enough because of the master's piercing gaze was still aimed towards her.

Cygnus stood there for a minute before he finally spoke, "So, what made you think that you have the upper hand against me?"

Nina had a difficult time speaking because of how shaken she was but she can't keep the master waiting or else something more terrible might happen to her, so even if she stuttered she still gave him an answer. "That-that chi-child his s-surname is Consta-" she gulped as she felt the air around her dropped lower but she still said it in the end, "Constantine."