As the old man walk out of his shop, two shadows move as well. They followed him until outside the city.
"you may come out now!" he shouted as he unsheathe the dagger tied on his hips.
Walking out from the shadow of the tree "how did you know we are following you?" the man asked
"i maybe old but there is no way my senses will get dull, so who are you?. And what do you want?"
"hahaha i see, is that why my drug has no effect on you?"
"i see,. So you two are the people from before, what do you want?"
"give us that dagger.. we are here just for that so can you hand it over?. Don't worry we won't hurt you." The woman ask as she really don't intend to kill today.
"im sorry but i can't" he look at them, his expression shows that he will fight if they force him so the man beside the woman reacted.
"very well, i will take that by force mister" he attack the old man but was dodged. "oh.. what a good reflex.. there is no way you are just an ordinary old man. No ordinary man can ever dodge my move."
"thanks for the complement but im not the type that loses in a battle" he smiled and do his stance, this time it was the old man who attacked and slashed his dagger almost hitting his opponents neck but the man was just as skilled as the old man.
"looks like you stand to what you said old man. I often wish to find someone capable of making me use my secret stances" he hold tight the handle of his sword and sway it up then he fold his knee as he sway his sword on the side then at great speed he leap forward and attack the old man but it missed so he sway the sword and jump towards the old man. As he was getting older his back can't support his large body so as a result he stumbled backward.
"although your a good swordsman that weight of yours hinder your movements.. and besides, its time for the drug to take its effect."
"what do you mean?." The old man ask in confusion "don't tell me some kind of drug is in your sword?"
"you nailed it!... look at your back.. that slight wound will be the reason of your defeat. Im an assassin, although i want to fight fair the fact that i had forgotten about the drug on my sword can never be denied. Im shame to have win because of such unfair circumstance"
"i see, my senses may have dulled after all.. i should have known." He look down and stared at the dagger in his hand "i guess its a goodbye.."
My dear wife and my lovely granddaughter, forgive your husband for leaving earlier that what we planed. My dear, grandpa has to go now. Im really sorry. I should have stayed longer.
"don't worry mister, you will only fall asleep.." the woman then smiled and reassure the old man the safety of the drug but then the old man spit a mouthful of blood
"oh my God!... what - whats happening?. Don't tell me its.. its... " the woman's eyes opened wide as she had a hunch "could it be.. my poison?"
"hey what the hell is going on?!" the man ask the woman beside him
"im so sorry mister, i didn't mean to kill you really!.. we are not supposed to kill" the drug i made is some sort of poison that made a person fell unconscious but i made a mistake and put something else...
Looking at his sword he then turned to look at the woman beside him "so you mean to say this sword is for..."
"yes.. and you are not supposed to bring that because i hid it on my room!"
"wait!.. you sneak in my room again?"
Scratching his head "well.. yeah",
"you see i miss this baby of mine so i took it, i don't mean to keep it with me for so long. My plan is to return this back secretly to your room as soon as we get back.."
The old man who was listening doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry... "really, do you guys have to debate now?. He laughed at how things turned out to be a mistake and it looks more like a joke.
"how about this, i know that she had with her the antidote. We will give it to you but in return, you will fight me once again and of course we will take the dagger with us" looking at the old man laying down he add "what do you think old man?"
"hmm... that sounds good.."
SPURT!... the old mans blood gush out of his body. An arrow pierced his chest, the assassins who was startled to see what happened look at the old man in disbelief.
The old man look at the where about of the arrow and saw who was behind the attack "you!.. how did you found me! you are supposed to be dead.." his eyes then turning blank as it lose its shine.
Shit! Im losing control of my sight! What should i do?. I have to do something. He secretly took something out from his pocket and injected it to himself.
His breathing slowdown and alas!, as he took his last breath he thought of the two women in his life. "i really don't wanna leave you like this.."
"why did you do that for?. Are you crazy!" the man who was supposed to save the old mans life shouted at the person who arrived. The culprit, the person who killed the old man. The woman only rooted on the ground, although young, she knew who this man was.
"its masters order, bring that dagger now" he then walk back where he was from and disappeared in the sight of the two assassins leaving the cadaver of the old man
"im sorry.. mister" the woman and the man said their apologies, no choice but to leave the old man behind.
------
At the palace
Waking up at night the Emperor stretched his hand and straightened his back "hmmm, ahhh did i fell asleep?"
"yup, you did.. and you have been sleeping for let me see ahm.... three...four hours now" she look at her uncle and said "uncle, you haven't sleep a wink have you?."
Yawning "Look.. although im here you should not abuse your body. What if it break down?. I can't prolong your life that easy so please don't give me more headache"
"im sorry but as you can see i already sleep so don't worry.." he lazily stand and walk beside Lenards
"sleep my foot!.." she glared at her helpless uncle "please go back to your room and sleep some more"
"im sorry lady Yan, here.. i brought you your strawberry cake..." he looked and saw the emperor looking back at him.. he awkwardly look before speaking again "your - your highness you are here, would you like some cake?"
"what? Am i not supposed to stay at my sons room?" the emperor ask Kamui
"no - no im sorry i didn't mean that way your highness" he panic as he tried to explain himself
she interrupted the conversations of the two before her uncle make fun of kamuis expressions
"thank you master Kamui please just put it down on my desk and your highness, try his cakes.. he was a good baker and chief" she change the course of topic before she could smack the head of her air headed uncle.
Looking at how her niece change from a nagging woman into a professional physician, he shake his head "i see, i shall ask for that then" he look at Kamui and smiled.
"ah yes please, i shall bring one this instant.." without thinking through he dashed out and get a cake for the emperor.
"you are just like your aunt, she changes tree hundred sixty degrees from a loving wife to a domineering queen and then from angel to devil" he then look at her and continued "how come you girls are so complicated? When i want an answer you hide it from me and when i want you to stop showing off you then do it instead" he stand up and walk to the desk "hmm you're right" he was eating the strawberry cake of Yukihina
"uncle that is mine!" she shouted at her air-headed uncle and as she walk closer to him the door opened..
"uncle?" Kamui look at her waiting for an answer
For someone who has always been surprise many times in a day, i may no longer have to wait for my old age to come, i may have a heart attack soon "i.. i mean my ankle hurts so i asked his highness if he could help me sit since im kinda away from my chair. He - he" she laughed like a robot trying hard to make her actions unnoticeable
"here is your cake your...." he walk and as he get closer he saw the cake on the desk already in half and the emperor himself was still chewing the cake inside his mouth... his mouth agaped
"that - that i offered his majesty that he can eat my cake since he was already here waiting, its not a good manner if i eat while he is you know... hehehe" she then smiled at Kamui convincing him. Once she look at the emperor she throw a dagger like stare on him and in a flash she look like a professional physician again.
Without any sign of reply the uncle and niece look at the butler who's standing awkwardly at the center of the room. Her eyes slightly twitching out of irritation, did he found out the truth? She inwardly ask herself.
------
"what is grandpa taking so long?.. " as she was beginning to feel agitated, she could no longer wait so Aly ask her grandma "say grandma did grandpa mention anything about him staying outside or that he will be back late?" she then look at her grandma who is just as worried as she was "no, he didn't say a thing, not even once did he came home this late"
"I should have stayed at the shop."
"hmm?."
"well i set out to somewhere because i took some item to a store at the market so i asked him if i could go and get it. Although it is alright for him, im starting to think that i shouldn't leave him behind"
"its not your fault grandma after all i always do the same thing but nothing bad happens right?.,"
"indeed, but still im worried."
"i see.. then i will go out and look for him, grandma you stay and wait for our return" she smiled at her grandma but to her surprise "no!... we will wait for him here together, you are no longer a kid.. what if you encounter a bad guy outside and hurt you? What do you think will happen to us if we lose you?"
"that...."i should have known this would happened but still i forgot "im sorry grandma, i will wait here with you.." she only gave a slight smile before looking at the door.
idiot grandpa! Making grandma worry..
"would you like to eat some snack?" she look at her granddaughter, although worried she was really pleased to have a kind loving granddaughter.
Turning around, she look at her grandma and smile "hmm... lets do that while waiting, ahm.. can i have some coffee grandma?"
"ok... wait for your milk"
"ehh?. grandma i want coffee so that i don't fall as sleep"
"silly girl..that is my intention!" she laughed at her granddaughter "look, we still have some cookies, have some. It taste good with milk"
"i knew it!, you were planning this all along don't you grandma?."
A smile form on her lips "hmm... that who knows"
In a low voice Aly said "you should have told me about you wanting to eat snack in the middle of the night. Its always a pleasure to eat you know.." she pouted her lips and look at her grandma who enjoys watching her different expressions.
Sipping her milk "then it wouldn't be a surprise right?. I specially wait for this night just to see your expressions after all"
Putting her right hand under her chin she look at her grandma helplessly "you do enjoy scheming against your granddaughter for your entertainment, don't you grandma?."
"of course" she put her hand on her chest and wink at her granddaughter
O_O Alys lips twitch at how proud her grandma was "grandma, how come you are still cute despite being an old scheming woman?"
"haha isn't that why you love this old woman?. Don't forget that i still look young like an older sister?."
"nah.. at least not as beautiful as i am" she shakes her head and wink back at her grandma
"shamelessly declaring your beauty eh?"
"don't forget that im your granddaughter so who do you think will i succeed this from if it wasn't you?"
"hahaha how about your grandpa?"
"hmm.. that will do but me being good at plotting against someone is from you" she look at her grandma and showed her white teeth
------
Running "i really don't like that man!" she hissed out of anger "why did he have to show up and kill an innocent old man?. Why not just take what he wanted to take and leave the old man alone!"
"we are assassins, its inevitable i don't like him either but what can we do?. It is masters order" he coldly said looking down "im sorry"
"for what?." She look at him and said "if its about you getting the sword, of course im still mad. Not only did you took it without my permission but you also use it to kill an innocent man"
"im really sorry ok?. Please don't get mad, i really didn't mean to kill the old man!.. i just.. its accident ok."
Sighing "anyway its not you who finished him on the end",
"you know what?., i really like that old man"
He stop from running and said "hmm? What do you mean we just met him yesterday."
She followed suit and stop from sprinting "i don't believe when he said that he noticed us following him. I believe he knew about us from the very beginning but he didn't do anything. I wonder why.?"
"who knows, maybe because he thought that we are harmless?"
Of all people you.. harmless? Looking at the ground "that i don't think so either"
"how about explaining it to your dear brother without mincing your words?. You know that im not good at guessing and i hate it.. i'd rather be doing a manual labor than do the thinking"
"i know!, that is why i took the job with you right my dear idiot brother?" she look at him not showing any sympathy at all.
"hey come on!. Don't be mad!!! I won't do it again OK?. And would you please stop calling me an idiot with that cold face of yours?. Its scaring me!"