charade

━━ never-ending puzzles.

DEPRIVE FROM ANY RETORT, ALL THAT Y/N COULD REPUTE TOWARDS RINDOU is her parted lips below the crimson mask that she clothe herself in, her mind lacked the apprehension regarding the last words that gush out of the hombre's mouth. Deliberately, her reaction hung in the air for a spared minute even when she already hearkened that the host had already started introducing the most preceded folks of today's party.

Fuck. What did he just say? Overcast thoughts clouded her mind, a little bit different than her previous demeanor as the resting hand who's sitting on her lap harshly gripped the lustrous cloth she's wearing. She can't even count just how much beat did her pulse and heart made for the past minute as the emcee started calling out for the executive's names whilst pointing the spotlight's luminance to the person whom they're directing to.

"Hanma." She whispered to her left, careful not to let the others hear.

"Hmm?"

"Bathroom. I need to go to the bathroo-." Eyes momentarily blinded by the light's radiance, she clicked her tongue in aversion and stood up as it's a cue for her to step away from the table without even waiting for Hanma's response. To her gratisfaction, nobody paid her any care as they were too fixated on rounding an applause towards the names of the people that the announcer is speaking through the microphone. Hence, she proceeded on her early wants to go towards the comfort room - either to calm herself or absorb what she just heard awhile ago, she doesn't really know. All she wants to do is think things thoroughly at first.

Because it really happened. While she was there freely thinking that everything around her schemes is going smoother, a backlash happened and now she's stuck on whether to go with the flow of being their executive or stick to the plan she have on fooling them or for instance, blame Sanzu Haruchiyo - the second executive of Bonten - on poisoning her using aconitum, one of the deadliest elixir to ever exist. Why Sanzu? Because drugs and chemicals are his forte added by him acting as if he's Manjiro's tough guard which took y/n a hard time to get closer towards the King.

Once when they're playing chess, Hanma taught her that in order to bring down the King piece, you have to take down it's pawns one by one first without getting your ass caught amidst of the riotous, obviously. He also advised her that all chess pieces around the King are considered as either his knight or pawns, except for the fact that each one of those piece has a different path to walk to either outwit, detriment, or advanced towards their respective rival. In short, this whole chimera that she's getting worked up to should've work if she's not considered as the King's fellow chess piece or pawn - one that evidently backfire ever since Rindou told her that the position she was applauded to is being one of their executive.

"I've already ingested a dose. Fuck this." She murmured, referring to the amount of poisonous liquid pastille that she took. Opening the door of the bathroom, she twist the knob twice to lock it before ambling closer towards the huge mirror placed above the sink range. Leaning over to the frigid tile, she removed the mask that Kakucho lent to her whilst staring at how the glass in front of her mirrored her visage. E/c piercing eyes went to glare at her own reflection, quietly indulged into another cloudland as she heft a troubled sough.

Five hours utmost is all she have until the poison itself will start conquering every single one of her cell and what's worst of all is she doesn't have any antidote - the greatest mistake she made from all those years. Nor is she wary of it since she's highly relying on her drug and poison tolerance. With that thought alone, she shut her eyes tightly and calmed herself before leaving the area. Y/n knows herself that being in such state of edge will do her no good.