Bailonz Street 13

Lucita would probably guess that if I didn’t return, I had set off towards the Black King. Now all that remained were Jonathan and Mary who were here.

It would be best for Mary to be safely protected without knowing anything. If she were to insist on following us outside and get hurt, I would never forgive myself.

As for Jonathan… At least he’s someone who can protect himself, so I plan to ask his opinion. Whatever he chooses, Jonathan seems like he’d make a choice he wouldn’t regret.

“How should we explain this to Jonathan?”

I muttered, feeling a bit lost. Liam smiled gently.

“Let’s start by facing him first. Something will work out.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. You’re good at handling unexpected situations.”

That’s too flattering a statement.

I turned my head to look down the corridor, which was quiet. The previous whispering was no longer audible. Not that those beings had disappeared – I could sense they were still beyond the doors. They were just lying low and keeping quiet, seemingly aware of the dark clouds looming over London. Perhaps this place would be their last stronghold.

As we closed the reception room door, the ornate door reverted to an ordinary wooden one. If you didn’t carefully remember the way back, you might get lost here. No, getting lost is the mansion’s purpose. I realized this was how Lucita protected the mansion, confusing intruders’ eyes this way.

Memories of when I first came here flooded back. People I thought I’d never be involved with started entering my daily life one by one, making me live in this reality.

Did my expression look complicated? Liam watched me carefully and gently placed his hand on my shoulder. Then he said:

“Right now, just think about yourself, Jane.”

“I still think I should at least say hello. And explain the situation.”

“Isn’t Plurititas probably doing that?”

“Oh no. I’m suddenly feeling anxious.”

Liam seemed to realize what he’d said only after he’d said it. He must have recalled Plurititas’s excellent explanatory skills. Ahem, Liam cleared his throat and nodded towards the end of the corridor.

“There’s the butler. Let’s go ask about your brother-in-law’s room.”

* * *

Following the butler’s guidance, we turned down several corridors before reaching a staircase.

It was truly strange. I was sure we had been going in circles. The walls full of portraits all looked the same. But then a staircase appeared, and climbing it, we were on the second floor. It seems one loses their sense of space in this house.

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Just as I was about to lose my mind, the butler pointed a bony finger at one of the doors.

“Your companions are beyond that door.”

Speaking curtly, he rubbed his bent back and went back down the stairs. His face was scrunched up as if he hated being in the same space as us more than death itself.

‘Does he hate people?’

But what could we do? We couldn’t say “You should show us the way out too” to someone who clearly disliked us. Fortunately, I have the all-purpose detective Liam Moore with me, so it should work out somehow, right? That’s what I tell myself.

When we knocked on the door the butler had indicated, we heard the sound of slippers dragging. Soon, Jonathan opened the door. Inside, a neat room was visible. At a glance, it looked like a hotel room.

“Are you alone?”

“No. The boss is inside.”

So they’re in the same room. I’m not sure if it’s because they came together, or if Plurititas was complaining of separation anxiety again. At this point, shouldn’t we report this to the labor department? My face must have shown exactly what I was thinking because Jonathan smiled broadly.

“Don’t be like that.”

“If you’ve gotten mixed up with a bad employer, make sure to tell me. I’ll try to do something about it.”

“What kind of image do you have of my boss, sis?”

A crazy old man. Like some kind of matryoshka doll, revealing a new level of craziness every time we meet.

Come to think of it, am I living in a huge world of crazy matryoshka dolls? I thought Liam was the strangest person, but when people even stranger than Liam started appearing one by one, I gave up trying to understand.

But I couldn’t say this out loud, so I kept my mouth shut. Jonathan gently urged:

“Come in, sis.”

“It’s okay. I need to get going again.”

Wouldn’t it be crazy to go inside where Plurititas is lurking? If I had to choose someone I didn’t want to be in an enclosed space with, Plurititas would be my first pick. Sorry to him.

Jonathan stared at me blankly. Then he spoke:

“I know you’ve encountered those monsters more than once or twice. I don’t know how long you’ve been dealing with them, but I’ve been told about this situation.”

Plurititas, that loose-lipped old man. Thanks to him, I have less to persuade and explain, but I had no idea what or how much he had told Jonathan. I hurriedly mumbled an excuse.

“Well. Actually, it hasn’t been that long for me either. I just got caught up in it somehow, and I only know a little about how to defend myself…”

Jonathan sighed. His face looked so tired, as if he had aged ten years in just one day.

“Given the situation, I’ll be honest. I lied to you about something, sis.”

At that moment, I felt like I had been hit hard on the back of my head.

A lie? Jonathan? To me? To his sister? So this is what it feels like when the trusted ax cuts your foot.

Before I could recover from the shock, Jonathan’s bombshell statement followed:

“The work I do, it’s not just ordinary bodyguard work.”

My knees suddenly buckled. Jonathan yelled “Ack!” in surprise, and Liam hurriedly supported me.

I should have known. Yes, his expression was odd when talking about the money he received.

To be honest, if a stranger suddenly tries to hire you for a large sum of money, you should suspect two things. First, employment fraud. Second, human trafficking. But damn it, my poor brother Jonathan seemed to fit both categories.

“That crazy Plurititas!”

He’s probably listening inside. Listen up. Listen, you job scammer.

Regardless, the fraud victim’s expression was gentle. Why such an expression? For a moment, a thought I shouldn’t have entered my mind.

Does he… actually know? I mean. Everything.

Jonathan soothed me with a benevolent expression. But his words continued to strike me.

“Anyway, our boss wants a peaceful retirement too. To achieve that, he needs to live in harmony with humans, right? We have to deal with anything that disrupts that harmony.”

I was left speechless at his strange expression.

“You, you, then.”

Jonathan smiled shyly.

“He taught me on my first day of work.”

“Do… do you know what that person collects?”

“Smart brains? But I’m a bit slow, so I should be fine.”

Right. Jonathan is a bit slow. He’s also the type to strictly follow rules and procedures, not moving unless there’s a manual.

No, no, what are you feeling relieved about, Jane Osmond!

“How can you be sure he won’t turn you into one of those collections!”

“We negotiated everything while writing the contract. Come on, sis.”

“Okay, okay. That’s good. Did you check for any unfair clauses?”

“Yep.”

Should I be thankful that Plurititas left Jonathan’s head alone…

While I was leaning against the doorframe with a lost expression, Jonathan spoke:

“I knew a lot more than what you were trying to hide from me, sis.”

I replied emptily:

“I just had that thought myself.”

“I want to tell you that you don’t need to protect me, sis.”

“Ah, about that.”

It seemed like it was time to finally correct this. I’ve been called “sis” for so long when it’s not even in my destiny.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth towards Jonathan, who thought I was his sister.

“I’m going outside.”

“What? Sis, by outside you mean…”

I cut off Jonathan’s words. It was a fierce tone. Even I was surprised that I could show such coldness, so how much more shocked must Jonathan be hearing this? His face was colored with bewilderment. Maybe it was fear. His expression seemed to ask, “What on earth is she going to say?”

Jane’s memories overlap. On the day she decided to leave that awful old mansion, Jonathan wore a similar expression as Jane dragged her suitcase out into the rain. I shook off the recollection of memories by tightly closing my eyes.

“And I have one more really sorry thing to tell you.”

Don’t be scared, Jane. You can do this. It’s not even that difficult to say.

Taking a slow, deep breath, I fumbled to grasp Liam’s hand. His long, strong fingers intertwined with mine. I felt my head clearing up remarkably.

“I’m not your sister.”

Silence fell.

Jonathan’s pale green eyes were staring at me. He didn’t even blink, making me wonder for a moment if the pause function had finally returned. His body seemed frozen in shock, completely motionless except for his eyes, which kept trembling.

After a long while, Jonathan finally managed to move his lips. A strangled sound barely escaped his mouth.

“…What did you say?”