Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 221
At three in the afternoon, when most people preferred to stay at home feeling drowsy, the streets should have been relatively empty. But today, Chambord Street was different. Traffic was somewhat congested.
“Hey, what’s going on up ahead?” people in the blocked carriages, who were supposed to be composed gentlemen and ladies, couldn’t help but pull up the windows to inquire.
Some clever servants jumped off early to find out what was happening, and soon the gossip causing the traffic jam spread from one end of the street to the other.
“At the intersection by the theater—two men are fighting over a woman.”
“I heard it’s Madam Bianca…”
“One of those men must be Movanlitz, the inspector’s youngest son. I’ve heard a lot about him.”
“Why are they fighting? Bianca’s methods aren’t ordinary.”
“Jealousy.” A gentleman in a small two-seater carriage concluded haughtily after listening to his coachman summarize the rumors vividly.
“Don’t say that. Love always blinds people.” His lady companion shook her fan, her eyes shifting as she leaned closer to the gentleman. “If someone told you that tonight at the ball, I could only enter arm-in-arm with another man, would you fight for me?”
“I would discreetly let him know who your man is in a more dignified way, not brawl in public like dock workers,” the gentleman said, feeling very satisfied with his answer as he ran his fingers through his well-groomed hair and beard.
The lady companion pouted slightly and turned her gaze outside the window.
She knew who Bianca was. The entire city of Siva knew. That charming brunette woman had emerged unexpectedly a year ago, quickly becoming the center of attention in Siva’s social circles.
Her talent in poetry and painting, her graceful speech, and her impeccable social skills made her unstoppable. Rumors even suggested she was the secret mistress of a king. All the men in the city were proud to associate with her. Fame was like a snowball—once it got a little push at the right time, it could effortlessly grow larger and larger.
The man sitting next to her was a nouveau riche. Although he spoke elegantly, he would undoubtedly fawn over Bianca if given the chance. Should she dye her hair brown too?
She was daydreaming about trivial matters when she suddenly noticed the carriage moving—not forward, but to the side of the road. Was someone important passing by? She exchanged a glance with the gentleman, and they both looked out the window. As another carriage passed by, they saw the person inside and were both stunned.
The window of the other carriage was open, revealing an astonishingly beautiful woman sitting inside. Her long, golden hair seemed to cascade down to the seat. Her milky skin, combined with her gem-like blue eyes, sharp nose, and delicate chin, was all perfect.
“What a beautiful person. What beautiful blonde hair…” She was mesmerized, and the gentleman beside her leaned forward, disregarding decorum, eager to get a closer look. But the carriage was fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
A disappointed sigh made the little girl next to the blonde beauty giggle.
“Shall we close the window? Everyone is staring at you.”
“Close it,” the beauty said wearily.
“I bet your fame will spread throughout the city before sunset,” the girl said, pulling the window shut with a “snap,” blocking all prying eyes.
“What do I need fame for?” The blonde beauty yawned widely, ignoring etiquette. “I’m still growing. By autumn, there won’t be any dresses I can fit into.”
“Alas, it’s a pity you’re a boy, Cici,” the girl said, tilting her head at him. “Otherwise, with your beauty, you could become a legend.”
“What legend, like they describe Yitzfa? ‘The blood from the goddess’s fingertips fell to hell, transforming into a fairy embodying both innocence and allure’?” Cici glared at her. “Give up on that idea. My skeleton won’t agree.”
Cici had always been adorable since childhood and loved dressing up prettily. But after he turned sixteen, he started growing uncontrollably tall, and his facial features began to show sharp angles. Nowadays, when he sat quietly in makeup, he looked quite convincing. But once he stood up, most men who lusted after his beauty would automatically feel shorter than him.
“Then why do you dress like this to come into the city?” The girl helped him adjust his skirt.
“Because I like pretty dresses, of course,” Cici said with infinite loneliness. “I want to grasp this last bit of youth and dress up for a while longer. Soon, no matter how much the tailor tries, I won’t be able to face myself in the mirror.”
As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the intersection. The main cause of the traffic jam was gone, but carriages and weapons were still strewn on the road. Cici and the girl didn’t glance at them, heading straight into the theater’s side street, where the Fox Family’s property was, their prepared stopover.
The girl jumped off the carriage first, standing on tiptoe to hold up a pretty umbrella. Cici, holding her shoulder, got off the carriage, his floor-length skirt covering his flat shoes.
“So, what’s the event tonight?” Cici asked.
“Hmm… the May Festival hosted by Viscount Elmore’s wife, along with several noblewomen friends. They’ve set up several large tents that can accommodate hundreds of people at the Meli Manor on the outskirts. Many artists and opera troupes were invited, as well as circus performances. The main purpose is to show off their wealth and influence.”
“Intelligence says ‘he’ will appear at the manor?”
“To be precise, ‘his’ target will appear. As a newly emerged bounty hunter, ‘his’ commissions and targets aren’t hard to find out… ‘He’ doesn’t seem to intend to hide.”
“He probably doesn’t understand the rules of this profession yet.” Cici chuckled. “After all, he’s a newcomer to the industry, right?”
The girl asked curiously, “Are you going to contact ‘him’ directly? The invitation is ready, but finding your other half won’t be easy.” Taller men were usually found in the military or the guard corps.
“Who says it’s hard to find?” Cici twirled a lock of his golden hair with his fingers. “If we have anything in abundance, it’s beautiful girls, isn’t it?”
The girl widened her eyes.
Meli Manor was originally a noble’s hunting ground. After the family declined, it changed hands several times before being bought by the viscount and converted into a manor that was part farm, part holiday villa. It was quite large, with woods, a lake, and an abandoned vineyard.
Viscount Elmore was very business-minded, investing in several promising new industries. His shrewd, socially adept wife assisted him. As hosts of such seemingly extravagant large parties, they actually profited greatly, including from the privately auctioned invitations they handled. Although this inevitably lowered the tone, the hype and speculation brought considerable profits.
“Although this makes the identities of some guests unclear—like us,” Cici whispered. “Guests who would buy high-priced invitations are unlikely to be thieves or robbers.”
The elegant girl at his side smiled. “So, merchants seeking opportunities or people wanting to connect with the viscount?”
“And people with ulterior motives,” Cici said solemnly. “Like me.”
The girl looked up at him. Cici, at the age between a boy and a young man, had features far more outstanding than average. Even without makeup, he was extremely eye-catching. His long golden hair was tied into a ponytail at the back. The deliberately low-key, dark long coat didn’t make him look any less striking but instead highlighted his fair skin.
Cici led her through the garden. Several tall white tents with pointed tops were set up by the lake, and music and laughter faintly emanated from the entrances.
Cici led her into one of the tents with soothing music, held her by the waist, and gently pushed her forward.
“Your job is done,” Cici said. “Please enjoy your evening.”
The girl was a bit reluctant, but Cici walked away decisively without looking back even once.
The lawn between the tents was dotted with many glass lanterns, about half a person’s height, making the entire manor as bright as daytime. As Cici walked briskly, he recalled the task Yitzfa had assigned him.
“Louis knows the Fox Family’s intelligence network well and is unlikely to appear in the fireworks area. However, by tracing back from his last task, we can roughly determine his next destination. He received the March bounty order at the Tree Hollow Tavern in Plyport, with the highest bounties being for ‘Brutal Sailor’ Uk, ‘Gunpowder Expert’ Ferram, and ‘Lying Clown’ Morin. Of these, Uk is the most notorious and has the highest bounty. Given Louis’s style, he would likely choose him directly. After being expelled from the pirate crew, Uk became an independent assassin, and internal intelligence has identified his next target as Ronan, the leader of the Sunbird Troupe.”
The Sunbird Troupe’s recent gig was to perform at the May Festival in Siva…
Cici exhaled and quickly slipped into the tent closest to the lake.
It was a circus tent, mostly filled with children and their attendants. A grumpy brown bear was circling the stage, while the animal trainer, with his face painted, held a whip in one hand and a colorful ball in the other, continually signaling to the audience.
Cici took out a pocket watch to check the time—it was only seven in the evening, and the tent was still full of pigeons, streamers, and candy. But in an hour or two, once the tired children were taken home, the nature of the stage performance would change, with the vibrant children’s decorations replaced by dimmer lights and alcoholic drinks.
The Sunbird Troupe would perform in the latter half. Adult performances were popular in any country, featuring risqué jokes, revealing costumes, and tacit interactions as standard acts. However, this troupe had an even more… special nature.
Cici circled the edge of the tent, slipping out through an exit behind the stage. It led to a slightly smaller preparation tent used by the performers. On the left were various animal cages and colorful prop boxes crowded together, while on the right were several makeup tables and a long clothing rack filled with brightly colored costumes.
Two or three men were already dressed in those exaggerated skirts, checking each other out. One of them suddenly reached into his clothes and pulled out half a “breast”.
“I told you water balloons wouldn’t work,” he muttered. “They’re leaking.”
“Try using bandages? You can compress it naturally.”
“What a strange method…” The man stopped mid-sentence, raising his head along with his companions, their eyes lighting up simultaneously.
Cici felt a bit uneasy under their gaze but maintained a calm exterior. “It just requires a special technique.”
Damn, their makeup was too thick. While it’s understandable to need heavy makeup on stage, even this much makeup didn’t fully cover their rough facial features. The Fox Family always pursued refinement and beauty, and Cici himself decided to stop dressing as a woman when he could no longer conceal his physique. But these men, regardless of age or build, were far more incongruous than he was—this drag troupe was reportedly quite popular, and despite mentally preparing himself, Cici was still a bit shocked to witness it firsthand.
“Are you a guest?” The man with one deflated breast stared hard at Cici’s face. “Backstage isn’t a place for young masters.”
The companion beside him even moved closer to Cici, his gaze almost piercing through Cici’s coat and shirt, constantly blinking, his thick eyelashes fluttering.
Cici: “…I need to see your leader. Where is Ronan?”
“No way!” The one-breasted man shouted jealously. “When did the boss hook up with such a handsome guy? Kiss me, and I’ll tell you where he went.”
“You’re not Ronan’s type.” The thick eyelashes looked at Cici suspiciously. “He likes more masculine ones. You’re too pretty, little brother.”
Seeing his hand about to touch his chest, Cici had to step back. “He has a message from the Fox.”
He pulled out a silk handkerchief from his chest and handed it to the thick eyelashes.
“It’s indeed the Fox’s emblem,” the thick eyelashes said, taking the handkerchief.
The heavily made-up men’s expressions suddenly changed. Cici continued, “He’s targeted by the ‘Brutal Sailor’. If he acts alone—”
“He went to the villa to negotiate performance times!” The one-breasted man immediately said, “He left twenty minutes ago, and no one went with him!”
……
As the troupe leader, Ronan handled various miscellaneous tasks, including external negotiations. Today’s circus performance might be delayed, and since the others had already started putting on makeup and couldn’t move easily, he went alone to the villa to communicate with the steward.
Viscount Elmore wasn’t only a nobleman but also a successful businessman. The Meli Manor was large and luxurious, and the scale of this festivity was astounding. Besides the large play tents on the lawn, there were smaller banquets on the other side of the lake for guests of higher status, likely the viscount couple’s real social circle.
Ronan glanced towards the lake, noticing someone setting something up by the water. He stopped curiously. A few minutes later, sharp explosions pierced the night, and brilliant fireworks continuously exploded in the sky, dazzling and magnificent.
The guests in the tents couldn’t see this; it was probably prepared for the distinguished guests on the other side. Ronan looked up at the continuously ascending and blooming fireworks, marveling at how much it must have cost.
“Ronan?” Someone walked towards him.
Ronan turned around and saw a person dressed in the villa’s servant uniform, but the fireworks were too loud to hear clearly.
“What?” he shouted back, walking towards the person. But as the distance closed, he suddenly felt something was off—this person’s clothes seemed a bit tight, and their eyes weren’t right when the fireworks lit up the night sky.
Ronan stopped, but the other person suddenly lunged at him, revealing a metallic glint from their clothes’ movement, causing Ronan to instinctively squint.
Clang!
The sound of sharp weapons clashing rang out between the fireworks. Ronan saw the man, who had initially charged at him with a dagger, barely turn mid-air, deflecting an arrow that flew from the side.
A person in a black knee-length single-breasted coat lowered an unusually small crossbow. Fireworks exploded behind him, making it impossible to see his face clearly in the backlight, but Ronan instinctively moved towards him—no matter what, he had just saved his life.
Cici ran quickly across the cold grass. The lawn by the tent and lake was a distance from the steward’s villa, but if Uk wanted to commit a crime, he wouldn’t choose the busy road with frequent attendants. Cici observed the surroundings and headed towards the path near the lake.
His intuition was indeed sharp. Shortly after deviating from the main road, he saw a man running somewhat frantically towards him.
Seeing Cici was like seeing a savior, the man shouted, “Please help, sir!”
“Ronan?” Cici asked.
The question made Ronan wary, and he stopped immediately. But he quickly realized the newcomer wasn’t with the violent thug. When they returned to help, they saw the ill-fitting servant uniformed Uk being kicked, rolling on the ground before stopping. His weapon was thrown far away, and he curled up in pain, unable to understand how he was so quickly overpowered by someone physically weaker than him.
Louis shook off his scraped hand and took two steps forward. Then, he stomped heavily on Uk’s wrist with his hard heel, timing it perfectly so Uk’s scream blended in with the sound of the fireworks.
Cici watched for a while, tilting his head, and confirmed that this person was indeed not Charlie—even if the rabbit-headed shopkeeper fought, his style wouldn’t be this harsh.
“Louis?” he called out.
Louis turned his head but didn’t move his foot off Uk.
Cici had no choice but to raise his hands to show he had no weapons. Ronan’s gaze shifted back and forth between Cici and Louis, almost forgetting the man who had just tried to kill him.
Half an hour later.
“You’re saying the ‘Brutal Sailor’ was hired by my brother?” Ronan asked in shock. “I gave up my inheritance rights ten years ago…”
Cici shrugged. “Your father still left you part of his estate. Since you don’t have children, he apparently hopes you die sooner rather than later.”
Ronan was deeply affected, and his gaze towards Louis became even more intense. “Did you also take on a commission?”
Louis said, “I don’t take commissions from anyone.”
After leaving White Bridge, Louis wandered the continent. Initially, he aimlessly sought out reclusive mages during his travels, but every time he picked up money at contact points, Alexander’s letters would inevitably follow, nagging and trying to persuade him to return. Louis found this tiresome. Once, he accidentally earned a bounty after beating up a troublesome drunkard, so he decided to cut off all channels that the Wolf Family could use to track him. Now, Louis no longer feared getting hurt or bleeding and was even more adept in fights.
Cici laughed. “Ah, how unfortunate. I’m here on a commission concerning you.”
Before Louis could speak, Cici quickly added, “The client is Charlie.”
Louis turned to look at him, and after a moment, his gaze shifted from Cici’s eyes to his chest.
“You’re from the Fox Family,” he said softly. “I assume you’re not foolish enough to joke around.”
Cici felt a chill down his neck under Louis’s gaze and hurriedly took off the pocket watch from his coat, handing it to him.
This was the pocket watch Charlie had with him when he went missing in the former Wolf King’s basement, and Louis recognized it.
“He’s back?” Louis snapped the pocket watch shut with a click.
Cici nodded. “Yes, he’s uninjured and in good spirits. He wrote to the Wolf Family, but they couldn’t locate you recently, so he commissioned…me to find you, hoping to invite you to Lemena.”
Louis said, “Since he’s fine—”
“There’s no need to go to Lemena.” Cici finished his sentence. Louis raised an eyebrow.
Cici said solemnly, “Charlie said you’d respond this way. He asked me to tell you: brothers don’t need a reason to meet, nor can they haggle. Also, George hasn’t met his father yet. You must arrive at Brandenburg with a gift before his fourth birthday, or Charlie will launch a severe retaliation.”
Before Louis could speak, Ronan, who had been quietly listening, exclaimed, “Father? You have a child?”
Cici: “Huh?”
Ronan looked even more heartbroken than when he learned his brother wanted to kill him. “Why do good men always marry so early? You don’t look like someone who’s had a child at all!”
Louis: “……” He hadn’t actually fathered a child, but this guy was quite deranged. Louis stepped back, put the pocket watch in his pocket, and turned to leave.
Cici quickly followed. “Hey, do you agree? Even though my task was just to deliver the message, it feels like the job isn’t done if you don’t go to Lemena.”
Louis ignored him.
Cici continued, “You and Charlie are really different. He never embarrasses people. By the way, did you know you have a nickname as a bounty hunter? Ask me, I can tell you.”
Louis stopped, glanced at Cici, who thought he was about to ask and quickly posed.
But Louis said, “Stop following me.”
Cici fell back, speechless, but then saw Ronan also following.
Cici: “Why are you coming along?”
Ronan righteously said, “He saved my life, and by extension, the Sunbird Troupe. Of course, I must repay this debt.”
Cici: “If you think he’s happy to have a drag troupe follow him—”
Ronan peeked ahead. “Hey, why is he walking so fast?”
Louis pretended not to hear the conversation behind him, hurrying across the lawn into the night. Ronan and Cici exchanged a glance and, without a word, chased after him.
The author has something to say:
George pushed the door open a crack and squeezed himself inside. All the curtains were drawn, and the room was dark, completely obscuring the bright sunlight outside.
George had been here before. He tiptoed across the carpet into the inner room and saw a pile of blankets on the big bed, with the canopy half-drawn, and all was silent.
Shivers was napping, George concluded.
This discovery made him happy because his uncle was strict about his schedule, never allowing him to sleep in unless he was sick. He often used the Brandenburg Knights as a standard to educate him—if his uncle knew the Knight Commander slept in when not following the Duke, George could confidently retort the next time he was criticized.
The four-poster bed had soft mattresses and sheets. George had to stand on tiptoe to see the person lying on it, but even if he reached out, he couldn’t touch them. So he brought a large pillow to use as a step and climbed up.
This bed was much bigger than George’s child bed. He climbed to the center, feeling proud, and just as he was about to lift the blanket—
“Ha! Got you!” The person under the blanket sat up before he could.
George widened his eyes, looking at the unfamiliar man in front of him, and was so scared that he fell back, trying to escape.
But the blankets were too big and heavy. George floundered like he was swimming, unable to reach the edge, and was instead dragged back by his ankle.
Shivers hurried through the corridor and had just touched the doorknob when he heard sobbing from inside the room.
He paused and then entered.
Yitzfa was sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding George. Both looked up at Shivers with expressions of seeing a savior.
“Strange,” Yitzfa said, puzzled, handing George to Shivers. “It’s the first time someone disliked me so much.”
Shivers bent down to pick up George, who immediately clung to his neck and buried his face, looking very aggrieved.
“He doesn’t dislike you,” Shivers told Yitzfa. “He’s just shy.”
Yitzfa followed them into the outer room. George gradually stopped crying, occasionally hiccupping.
“George is Dwight’s heir, born with a sense of caution.” Shivers jostled George a bit. “I should have introduced you sooner.”
Hearing Yitzfa wasn’t a bad person, George’s curiosity outweighed his fear, and he peeked out at Yitzfa, finding him quite good-looking.
Yitzfa had natural social skills, and half an hour later, he could walk around with George, the two heads close together, chatting happily as if they hadn’t just met.
Even Charlie, his real uncle, hadn’t gotten so close to George so quickly.
“I have many younger siblings,” Yitzfa said. “I raised quite a few of them. Kids like me.”
“They’re less fond of you when you send them off to work,” Shivers said. “Like Cici, who you sent to work for you. I’m sure Charlie designated that task to you.”
Neither mentioned Louis in front of George.
“He’ll complete the task,” Yitzfa said indifferently. George, small and warm, clung to him like a well-behaved little animal. Yitzfa found him much cuter than his siblings and happily carried him around.
“George, when is your birthday?” Yitzfa asked, already knowing the answer.
George counted, “In thirteen days.”
“When the time comes, I’ll bring a birthday gift for adorable George,” Yitzfa announced to George and Shivers.
Shivers patted both of their heads in turn.
“Of course,” the Knight Commander said. “Mr. Charlie has arranged everything. George will receive everyone’s blessings.”
Kinky Thoughts:
What? Shivers and Yitzfa don’t even have an extra of their own?! They only get like author notes afterthought? How boring! They are basically the entire spiciness of this novel!
Well, at least they’re together now. I’m happy for that.
<<< || Table of Contents || >>>
Kinky Translations 