Bound by Deception

30.1 A Villain in Disguise

Nela was waiting for them downstairs with a plate of fresh cookies and two steaming cups of tea. She had taken the silverware out of the cabinet that Sterling kept only for special occasions and smiled when she noticed the couple approach, smiling blindly at one another.

"You look so beautiful!" She gushed, rushing toward Aria with a broad smile. She brushed the hem of the gown and fixed the edges that had threads sprouting out of them. "Oh, so gorgeous! I wore this dress to a ball long ago, you know? How young I was!"

"You're still young and lovely, Nela," Sterling said affectionately, squeezing Aria's hand. "Come, join us for some tea. Shall I call Hudson?"

"Oh, let the poor man sleep," Nela laughed. "I have no idea what he does at night, but it most certainly isn't sleeping. He's been exhausted for the past few days, you know? It must be from axing down that vexatious dead tree."

Aria and Sterling locked eyes. Neither of them wanted to tell her that the dead tree had actually been Edward spying on them. They didn't want to frighten her nor did they want to spoil the pleasant mood.

"Yes..." Sterling finally said, occupying himself with a jam-covered biscuit. "Listen, Nela, Aria, and I are going out for a while. I don't know what time we'll be back, but it'll probably be at a very late hour, so please don't wait for us."

"Of course," Nela said softly. She studied her silent master thoughtfully. "Does this risk your life, Sterling?"

"When has my job never risked my life?" Sterling grinned.

Nela shook her head. "Fine," she said. "Please be careful, both of you. I'd like to see you both back in one piece. What would you like for dinner?"

"Dinner?" Sterling chuckled. "I have no idea, Nela. Aria?"

"Uh...I'm fine with whatever," Aria mumbled, startled as she had been observing their banter with quiet amusement. "Something light, preferably."

"Fine. I'll think about what I should make," Nela said. She collected their empty cups and stood, bowing with the grace of a young woman despite being much older than Tamasa. "I'll see you both soon." And she left the room.

"She really loves you," Aria said, gazing at her partner. "It's like you're her son."

"She raised me more than my mother did." Sterling shrugged. "I see her like a mother."

"Nela looks young though, doesn't she?"

"She's from Taives. They have a longer lifespan."

"Oh." Aria stood, stretching her sore muscles. Her mind thrummed with anxious thoughts but also with excitement. She was eager to get back into the game after months of wasting behind Edward. "So, where do we start?"

Sterling pulled a note from his pocket, showing her the crude handwriting scribbled on the dark stationary edges. It was nothing but an address, located at the far end of town opposite the Corduroy Tavern. "I found it this morning. Looks like we're going to be having a visitor."

~***~

Bishops was eerily quiet when Aria and Sterling went out on the town. They were appalled to see that the streets were practically empty and the merchants that usually set up shop were nowhere to be found. The sky was pale and gave no particular hue to warn of an impending storm.

Aria surveyed the town with a half-lidded gaze, her hair spiking with every movement and sound that she heard, even if it was made by herself or by the man beside her. She envied how calm Sterling seemed to be; he sauntered down the street with a whistle, appearing to have no care in the world. It was like he wasn't going to be risking his life on a mission that Madame would have never approved of.

"Is that...Kazuki?" Sterling muttered in astonishment and he pointed to the tall, lax figure that was standing beside the entrance to the forest beside Corduroy Tavern.

"I think it is." Aria frowned. "What do you think he's doing here? He's not one to drink." Her stomach went cold. "Do you think...do you think Madame sent him?"

Sterling clenched his jaw. "It's possible," he admitted. "But let's go see if he's the one who gave us this letter. Maybe he has a good reason to be calling us."

"Apart from murdering me? Yeah, let's go see."

The tired-faced Kazuki turned when he heard them approach him. His dull eyes were pulled in a slant and he could barely give them a reassuring smile. It looked as though his soul had been removed from his body and rendered his skin a light, pale gray.

"Oh, you got my message," he said. "Finally. I was wondering if you'd come or not."

"My curiosity knows no bounds," Sterling responded. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Aria."

"I knew you would. In fact, I had hoped so." Kazuki pushed himself to stand. "Glad you're still in one piece, Ari."

"Please. I'm the best assassin in Rouver," Aria proclaimed haughtily, giving Kazuki a wary smirk. "I'm undefeatable."

"Cocky much." Kazuki elbowed her playfully, but then his expression grew serious. "Look, headquarters has been hell ever since you left, Ari. We have agents dying left and right, and Madame's doing absolutely nothing about it. She's moved the camera room into her private study and keeps the door locked. Nobody has a key but her. Something...something isn't right, and it's all been going downhill since you killed Edward."

"Are you blaming me?" Aria growled.

"No. I'm merely pointing out an alarming sequence of events," Kazuki responded cautiously. "I did a little snooping and found that all the recent hits that have killed agents have been close to Grandville territory. If these agents have been killing Grandville officials, how come we haven't had a counterattack? The army patrols daily but to what outcome? Merchants are being kept away from the city and income has gone down. Our exports are losing value."

"Shit," Sterling swore under his breath. "All of that has been happening? How come we knew nothing of it?"

"The government is trying to make it seem like nothing is wrong," Kazuki explained drily. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I know that they're working in tandem with Madame. I...I think they're plotting something. I'm not sure."

"Okay. So, what's your plan?" Aria tapped her foot impatiently. "And why are you involving us? Madame will kill you if she finds out. You have a wife and kid to look after. You can't be risking your life."

"I know what I'm getting into," Kazuki snapped. "I'm doing this to protect my family, and you're the only two people that I can trust. I'm telling you guys, something's not right. I - we need to figure this out, or else we could all die soon."

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Kazuki's back! Why is he helping them? What's going on in their workplace? Why is he suspicious? 

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