Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 60
“Good day, Lady Joanna.”
In the dim room with curtains drawn, Duke Winnet sat upright on a high-backed chair with his hands clasped together on his lap. Upon seeing Joanna, he observed the etiquette befitting an imperial nobleman, took her hand, and kissed it. Joanna accepted this silently with a slight smile.
Alois watched coldly as the Duke feigned cordiality with Joanna. He hadn’t changed much in the past two years, with his brown hair neatly plastered to his head and his shrewd tea-colored eyes glaring at the three like a raptor. Those eyes were very similar to Darius’s. Thinking about it, they were actually distant relatives, with the Duke’s grandfather Frank IV being the father of Darius’s grandmother.
“It’s an honor for a commoner like me to serve you, Your Grace.” Without waiting for the Duke’s permission, Joanna found herself a soft, comfortable-looking sofa and sat down as if she were the master of the room.
The Duke spread his hands. “Alright, time is pressing. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.” He looked at Alois, who was holding the box. “I admire the courage it took for you and your men to bring this precious cargo over such a great distance. You all deserve a generous reward.” Like an orator, he paused deliberately to pique their curiosity. “Surely, Hikari has already paid you the deposit?”
“Yes.” Joanna called Alois and Joshua to her side. Alois was somewhat nervous, although he knew his disguise was perfect. However, whenever the Duke’s eyes were on him, he couldn’t help but doubt if he had been seen through. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken the risk. In our line of work, we don’t start without seeing the money.”
“I understand your sentiment.” The Duke smiled understandingly. “I will, of course, pay the balance. But before that, may I inspect the goods?”
Joanna raised a finger and shook it from side to side. “Pay the balance first, then you can see the goods.”
“Ah, Lady Joanna, you are too distrustful of me. Moreover, the rule of trading is to exchange money and goods simultaneously. Don’t you understand this basic principle?”
“Rules are made by people. Each matter should be handled appropriately,” Joanna replied unyieldingly. “You know this cargo is of extraordinary value. I’ve taken great risks to infiltrate the Empire and deliver it to you. Don’t I deserve some special treatment? Besides…” She mimicked the Duke’s tone. “This is your place, surrounded by your men. Are you worried that I might play tricks? Do you doubt my reputation in the underworld? That’s overly cautious, not the demeanor of someone capable of great things.”
The Duke’s smile turned sinister. “Does Joanna Begrel, who has betrayed twice, actually have ‘reputation’? Is there something wrong with my ears?”
“Assassinating an innocent girl for your own unspeakable purposes doesn’t seem very upright either,” Joanna retorted.
“You seem to know a lot about my affairs?”
“The Lord watches over you from three feet above.”
The two exchanged cold smiles, but eventually, the Duke lost the momentum and compromised by pulling out his communication terminal and dialing a few numbers. A few seconds later, Joanna’s terminal buzzed with a message from the bank confirming that a sum had been deposited into her account.
“I’m very satisfied.” Joanna nodded to Alois. “Give it to him.”
Alois placed the silver box on the coffee table and stepped back. The Duke crouched down, pulled the box towards him, fiddled with the smart lock, and entered a password. The smart lock lit up green, indicating the correct password, and the box clicked open. The Duke didn’t lift the lid. He only opened it a crack to quickly glance at the contents, then closed it.
“The goods are correct.”
The Duke stood up, brushed off the dust, pulled a silk handkerchief from his chest pocket, wiped his hands, and tossed the handkerchief onto the coffee table.
“We’ve all gotten what we wanted.” The Duke extended his hand to Joanna. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Pleasure doing business.” Joanna smiled and shook his hand. “May we leave now?”
“Of course. Would you like me to send someone to escort you?”
“No need, I can still afford a taxi.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Likewise.” Joanna, unwilling to continue the pleasantries, turned and walked straight to the guest room door. She pushed it open forcefully, startling the black-clad servant standing outside.
In the room, the Duke said, “Escort Lady Joanna downstairs and help her call a taxi.”
“Yes, sir!” the servant replied.
Joanna didn’t refuse the Duke’s “kindness” and followed the servant to the elevator. The screen showed the elevator was on the first floor. Joanna irritably pressed the down button several times before the elevator slowly began to rise.
“So slow.” She turned to the black-clad servant. “Where’s the restroom?”
“Uh… down the hallway to the end, then turn right.” The servant pointed out the direction. “Do you need me to show you?”
“I can find it myself!” Joanna frowned. “Do you intend to follow a lady to the restroom? That’s extremely rude!” She signaled to Joshua, who understood and lowered his head. “We will watch the elevator for you.” Joanna then walked towards the restroom.
She ignored the guards and servants stationed along the hallway, quickly walked into the restroom, and locked the door. There was a window in the restroom. She glanced outside and saw a dozen black hovercars driving into the hotel’s back door.
‘What did Alois say earlier? The princess is also staying in this hotel, just upstairs? Ah, Winnet, that old fox, came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone, didn’t he?’ Joanna thought. ‘Assassinate the princess first, then kill me. This way, he can claim that the evil space pirates killed the princess, and the Duke becomes a hero for subduing the terrorists. What a brilliant plan, a damn brilliant plan!’
She quickly sent two messages, one to Leonard and one to Joshua.
To Leo: “I’m in the public restroom on the 23rd floor of the hotel.”
To Joshua: “Come to the restroom. Knock twice.”
A minute later, someone knocked on the restroom door.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Damn it!”
Joshua and Alois stood side by side in front of the elevator, watching the numbers on the screen slowly increase. 7, 8, 9…
The black-clad servant occasionally glanced towards the restroom and at them, his eyes filled with deep vigilance and hostility.
14, 15, 16…
“The captain sure is slow,” Alois said casually.
17, 18, 19…
Joshua’s communication terminal suddenly buzzed. He took it out and looked at it. “The captain said she forgot to bring paper and asked us to bring some.”
Alois said, “Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up.”
20, 21, 22…
The black-clad servant stopped them. “Let me handle such a small matter.”
“You probably don’t have the kind of paper the captain is used to.” Joshua said, “But I do.” In a flash, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at the servant’s head, pulling the trigger!
23!
“Ding.”
The elevator door slowly opened, revealing three black-clad men inside. They were masked and holding submachine guns, the barrels pointed at Joshua and Alois. As soon as the door opened, they would start shooting.
But Joshua was faster!
Three beams of light shot into their chests.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three shots. It wasn’t Joshua.
Joanna pushed open the stall door and ran to the window. At that moment, the restroom door was kicked open, and several masked, armed men burst in, starting to shoot without a word.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the laser beams shot out, Joanna jumped out the window, with only one beam grazing her hair, cutting off a few strands of fiery red hair.
Joanna was falling rapidly through the air! The urgent wind swept past her cheeks like sharp knives cutting through her skin. Gravity, like an invisible hand, pulled her towards the ground. The fierce wind made it almost impossible for her to breathe, but she still shouted with all her might, “Leonard!”
Before the words were fully out, she fell into the cockpit of a Gondola.
The Gondola was unmanned, or rather, not piloted by a human.
“Just in time!” Leo’s voice came through the speaker.
“Leo, I absolutely love you!” Joanna grabbed the steering wheel and made the Gondola spiral upwards like a bird riding the wind, quickly returning to the window she had jumped out of.
“Boys, get on!”
<<< || Table of Contents || >>>
Kinky Translations 