"Your grace, would it be alright if we do not notify Roxanna about this first?"
Inside the carriage, Neirin glanced at Adlen before withdrawing her gaze and looking outside the carriage. Neirin noticed how he was fidgeting in his seat with a troubled expression on his face. Adlen looked like he was anxious and worried about something.
"Since we are already on our way, it's better just to go and avoid unnecessary pleasantries."
Neirin doesn't really care about those things that the nobles regard about. Besides, she was never a noble.
Adlen doesn't look like he was convinced. Hence, he added, "I am sorry for Maric's rudeness, your grace. He lived all of his life like that and.."
"It is nothing to be concerned about, Adlen. Just like what you said, he lived like that. Besides, his hate among nobles is something I am amused by. His words were true enough since all of the nobles only care for hypocritical politics that exhausted people."
With Neirin's dismissal, Adlen nodded and didn't insist further.
The carriage ride was slow and silent but wasn't as awkward as before. Adlen had gotten used to the company of Neirin, and so was Neirin.
The carriage's wheels rolled through the paved path of the capital, turning left as they reached the intersection of Hillman Lane and Baker's street. The carriage entered baker street, and unlike the ambiance from before, the road here was accompanied by street lights.
Another was that there were still people outside walking on the streets, busy with their lives. Most of them were drunk men holding bottles of wine and alcohol, looking for something to do. Few women accompany them, laughing at their lame jokes and boosting their egos.
Neirin scoffed as she laughed inwardly. It was different from the street they had come from before, and there was no unexplained fog that surrounded the road and the houses.
After a few minutes of travel, the carriage reached a four-story building. There were different carriage park just on the side of the streets, and even from the windows outside, people could see how bustling the inside was.
There was a commotion outside. Neirin looked over.
"How dare! I am a very well respected person, you bloody bastard!"
"Let go of me!"
She saw some guards throwing a man outside with his clothes as he did not have any money to pay for the night. The man tried to reason out wanting to come inside, but there were even guards at the door. He wasn't the only one kicked out. Some men were already out of the building and were puking their lungs out on the ground, uttering words of love to their muse that they couldn't even meet tonight.
"Horrible," Neirin mumbled as she remembered that this was the same sight she had seen back in her previous life.
'It is always like this here, your grace." Adlen tried to reason out once again. Neirin chuckled as he opened the door.
"I know. I am not surprised."
Adlen got out of the carriage first, and Neirin followed. Since their carriage didn't have any engravings nor any indications that they were from a respected family, the guards looked like they were already prepared to throw the person who got out of the carriage if they caused trouble.
"Lessa," Adlen was back at calling her fake name again. Neirin glanced at him.
"Yes?"
"Should we announce your arrival or should we enter casually?"
"The latter," Neirin answered casually. The wind was getting colder and colder.
Adlen paused, looking like he understood something. It was also part of the headmaster's job to inspect what was happening to the guilds. Since the duke before was ill, he couldn't fully be hands-on in his job and trusted the guild members. But, it seemed that the headmaster has another thought in her mind this time.
"Are you also here to inspect the guild of flesh?"
"Perhaps?" Neirin observed her surroundings.
Since this was not Neirin's first time to be here, she had rough guesses of what was happening inside. Although it wasn't in her intention to inspect what was going on, announcing her presence like this, when she was dressed with nothing but a hat, trousers, and coat, would acquire suspicions and gossip in the morning.
"Lead the way, Adlen." Neirin suggested seeing that the guards were acting all suspicious now. Adlen nodded and led the way. Neirin soon followed, pulling her hat to cover almost half of her face.
Just as they were about to enter, Two guards who kicked out the guy earlier stopped them from entering. "May I know any of your business here?" They asked.
Adlen did not speak any word, but he handed a bag of money to the two. The two guards who received the money were surprised by the sudden move, but both did not reject it. Instead, the bag of money found its way to their pockets while they moved to the side, ushering Adlen and Neirin in without a word.
After entering the door, they passed by a hallway where the portraits of women were displayed. Neirin looked around these portraits seeing familiar faces.
"We have entered the great hall, Lessa."
Right in front of her, Neirin saw a big chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall and some musicians playing a piece of a song that was popular among men these days. There were tables and chairs; in every table were two men and three women engaging in conversations and unnecessary flattery.
"Lessa, here." Adlen ushered Neirin to a table just beside the musicians playing. As Neirin was getting comfortable in her seat, Adlen called a servant to ask for the menu and order. Adlen ordered a fine wine and gave the servant a tip.
As soon as the servant left, Adlen shifted his gaze to Neirin while, on the other hand, Neirin was watching the musicians perform their piece.
"Should we ask for the master, Lessa?" Adlen asked, quite curious as to what was inside Neirin's mind.
"Wine would be good for now, Adlen." Neirin tilted her head a little bit as she heard different voices and words coming from the people around her.
Everything inside here reeks of nothing but carnal desires and lust. Even the decorations in the great hall were made for seduction and sex. The walls seemed thick, as Neirin couldn't hear any unnecessary noises coming from them.
Most women here dressed in a very revealing manner exposing their shoulders and cleavage. Some even have their skirts torn and a hand crawls from their legs up to their body. Neirin wanted to jest if the hand she was seeing was part of the women dresses too.
Most men boast about what they have and how great their family and money are. Some were even married and in a relationship. But those conditions do not matter in this place as long as you have money to spend.
The music was finished, and a different piece was played again. The wine came and Adlen, who was busy thanking the servant earlier poured Neirin a glass after tasting that the wine does not contain any poison.
Neirin sipped the wine as she observed her surrounding. It was sweet like a lady wooing a man to her bed without thinking of any consequences that might be attached to them after they had done the deed.
It was a little unfamiliar seeing that women were the ones wooing men. In most cases in high society, it was men who followed the women's skirts.
"What is your opinion on this place, Adlen?" Neirin started a conversation. Her eyes were busy wandering.
Adlen paused and looked around. He then grimaced and rolled his eyes. "It's too indecent and disgusting for me, Lessa. I am contented with what I am doing now."
"Compared to you, leaching off money on these men seemed a pretty good job since they're idiots. Have you seen their eyes turned darker as if it was begging for something." Neirin jest. The conversation ended there as Neirin did not make any more comments and emptied the glass of wine Adlen had handed her earlier.
Just as Neirin emptied the glass, a woman sat on the chair right beside Adlen. Startled as he was, Adlen glared at the woman before sipping his wine and emptying his cup.
"May I have the honor to serve you today, my high esteemed guest?"
"How could I demand something from the master? I am only here because of my master." Neirin was feigning ignorance as she emphasized that Adlen was her master.
Neirin stared at the woman. Right in front of her was a woman dressed in red seductive dress. She had a mask covering her upper face. Her lips were painted red and even though she had a scar, she looked elegant and classy.
It was Roxanna. The guild master of the guild of flesh.
It was her habit not to let others see her face casually in order to maintain privacy and to protect herself.
"Then, how many I help you?"
"A room." Adlen was the one who but in. He acted on the way Neirin had projected.
Both of them were fast to take up the situation.
Roxanna stood up, ushering Adlen as though he was the one who needed to be protected. "Then please come in here, dear customer."
Adlen nodded. Neirin walked closer to Roxanna. She leaned and whispered, "I am smelling something stronger from you, Roxanna. Is that the aphrodisiac?" Neirin jest.
Roxanna bowed slightly. "Is it bothering you?"
"No." Neirin answered simply without attracting any attention to them. Just like that, all three of them entered a room.
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