Bitter sweet

"Imbecile!" a lady dressed in black garb with a hat and a net covering her face cursed as a resounding slap echoed in the hall they were in.

Reginald turned in the direction of the slap, his lips sealed.

It felt like a mosquito bite but he didn't dare to act like it didn't hurt him before the lady that struck him did much more.

"One job." The lady muttered. "I gave you one job yet…"

Just then, a powerful force erupted from her and crashed down on Reginald, pressing him to the ground.

Not daring to utter a word, he quietly received the punishment.

He knew what he'd suffer if he returned without completing the task but he did.

This was because taking too long would have led to even worse consequences.

It was better to take the punishment now and figure out a way to complete the task.

After a few seconds, the pressure was lifted and the lady let out a sigh.

"I was told you had him, so how?" she seemed to have let go of her temper as her voice turned milder.

Only then did Reginald respond. "… I have no idea what happened. You told us that their bloodline was sealed… but when we got there, it was quite the opposite."

"Are you trying to say that I am the one at fault?" The lady glared at Reginald with a hateful gaze.

Reginald pursed his lips. "No, but I lost one of my brothers because of this. It won't be right to say that we didn't do our best."

The lady remained silent for a moment before she remarked. "… You are right. But my findings showed that they were sealed. So how come they were able to fight back? "

"I have no idea," Reginald replied, not doing well to hide his frustrations.

The lady muttered. "... I didn't want to waste too much time here but I don't have a choice."

Reginald didn't bother to respond.

They weren't close enough for him to know her situation though he had an inkling.

In any case, all he planned to do was do his job as a mercenary.

Though pained by the disappearance of his brother, it only meant more money for him.

"If the oldest is unaccessible, our best bet is the second boy."

"What about the girl?" Reginald remained apprehensive about whatever it was that killed his fourth brother.

Would it be smart to attack a person that potentially had a hand in the disappearance of his brother?... He didn't think it was worth the money.

The lady scoffed. "… Unless you want to waste my time, you can go ahead and bring the girl."

Reginald blinked in confusion. "But you said any of the three would do."

"I was wrong… no, we were wrong." The lady corrected herself. "The girl is useless. It's the boys that have what I want, so you will focus everything on finding the oldest or killing the journalist. Understood?"

Reginald pursed his lips. "Understood."

"Do not worry. I will give you something to use. Something that would help you overcome obstacles that might crop up." The lady said, noticing Reginald's apprehensions.

It was best not to completely push him away, after all, she didn't completely have the upper hand.

There was a reason she could only meet in such dark and musty places.

"Thank you, Madam. We will do our best."

A crooked smile on the lady's face could be made out from under the net covering as she muttered. "I look forward to that."

***

Alex woke up to a nice view of the ceiling.

Blinking a few times, he looked toward the window to discover that it was past opening.

Normally he wouldn't sleep so late but considering the events of last night, it was right to say that he was beyond exhausted.

Emily had thrown quite the tantrum last night when she woke up to find herself in a room different from what she was used to.

If not for Alex helping her fall back to sleep, the chances of her running away from Mr. Sanders's manor was not slim.

He glanced to the side to find Emily snuggled up next to him.

Her complexion was rosy and her demeanor peaceful.

"If only it would remain like this," Alex muttered, but he knew well enough that it was wishful thinking.

Until he could find a way to resolve her mental state, there was no way he could make further plans.

For the time being, his primary goal remained killing the bastards that attacked the Regulus home and finding Douglas.

Once done, then he could move on to begin his main mission.

Sighing helplessly, he tried to leave the bed only to feel a slight tug on his sleeve.

Glancing down, he noticed Emily's hand wrapped around his right arm, almost like she was scared of him leaving.

Reaching down gently, he tried to pull his arm away but as the expression on her face distorted he was forced to let it go.

With a smile, he thought. 'It's not too bad to stay in bed for a bit longer'

Just then, there was a slight knock at the door after which the door was opened to reveal a middle-aged maid standing outside.

With a hand gesture, Alex obliged for her to come in which she did while carrying a tray with a kettle and teacup on it, accompanied by a few snacks.

The maid walked over to Alex's side and whispered into his ear. "Sir and Madam are waiting for you downstairs."

"... I can't leave her," Alex replied softly while gesturing to his right arm.

Revealing a saddened expression, the maid nodded in understanding. "I will tell them. Maybe you can wake her up and feed her."

"Mn, thank you." Alex didn't refuse as the maid placed the tray on the side table and excused herself.

Alex glanced at the tray and using the memories of the previous 'Alex', picked up the most likely snack to grab Emily's attention.

Picking it up with his left hand, he placed it close to Emily's nose and dangled it just out of reach.

A moment later, Emily's eyes opened like clockwork.

The smell of chocolate was one she could never ignore.

First meeting Alex's eyes, she glanced down at the piece of chocolate cake he was holding and couldn't help but sniff it.

Revealing a greedy gaze, she soon realized something which caused her to stay in place.

"Come on, eat it… or you don't like chocolate anymore?" Alex teased.

Revealing a wry smile, Emily took a small bite and chewed slowly.

A moment later, she muttered. "...It tastes bitter."