"You don't have your mask on," Nicholas said after a few moments of silence and Key sighed
Key can't keep or even put on her façade, not that she would pay attention to after waking up and seeing their captain who has the same face as the man from her nightmare.
Mykola was everything to her, he was her first in everything that proved just how beautiful it is to live in this world, yet he's also the one who paid the greatest consequence of her existence.
"Have you lost anyone, Captain?" Key asked and Nicholas looked at her for a moment before scoffing
"Who would dare leave me?" she just shook her head at his response
"You're not so sure about that," Key replied and took a sip from her mug
"Have you?" Nicholas asked her and Key nodded
"I've lost a lot of people over the years, Captain, more than I could ever count." Key replied
"Why did you stay?" Nicholas asked and Key looked at him for a moment before chuckling
"What do you mean by that, Captain?" Key asked but she knew what he was talking about
Kitten told her before that Nicholas ran a background check on her, he hired someone to investigate her past but apart from her traveling history, they can't trace her back to Chela's family because she is using their mother's maiden surname.
Perhaps it was because he knew of her traveling history that he asked her why she stayed, especially when she hated conflicts and it will only take a little digging to uncover that her short stay in a place meant that a conflict arose.
"You were banned for two games," Nicholas said and Key looked at him intently
"You wanted me terminated," Key chuckled softly when she saw the surprised look in his eyes
"Dewy and Bright didn't need to tell me," Key said and took another sip of her lukewarm water
"Why stay?" Nicholas asked her and Key shook her head with a small smile on her lips
"If I say I have nowhere to go, would you believe me?" Key asked and Nicholas gave her a deadpan look, which made her chuckle
"I want to see this to the end, Captain, I don't want to quit just yet," Key said with a soft smile on her lips
That was also the reason she continued law school even when it was frustrating her to tears throughout the whole three years of earning her JD or her Juris Doctor degree.
She wanted to see her name at the top of the board exam passers.
"How about you, Captain, why did you stay?" Key asked him but she didn't receive any reply
"I heard Black Lily was recruiting you." She added and Nicholas shook his head
"I'll win the trophy with JLNC," Nicholas said and Key couldn't help but shake her head
In her mind, she was already commending him for that remarkable loyalty to JLNC but considering the fact that his father is the vice president of the company that handles JLNC, that's no surprise, unless he is some kind of prodigal like Key.
Key didn't finish her drink and excused herself to go back to her room. She didn't wait for the Captain's reply as she went up to her room and sat down on her bed after reaching for her phone.
She scrolled through her contact list and pressed on a contact registered under the name 'Sunset'.
She took her earphones from the nightstand and connected them to her phone just as the person from the other line picked up.
[Good morning, Chantel,]
A beautiful woman appeared on Key's screen and she was smiling as she greeted.
"Am I disturbing you, Honey?" Key asked
[Oh no, Sanchi and I were just on our way back to the hotel.] Honey, Key's sister-in-law, replied with an assuring smile
"Oh, are you not in Angliae?" Key asked and closed her eyes and shook her head when she realized that her brother and his wife are on a business trip
[Talon came,]
At the mention of that, Key immediately knew what her brother wants to say. He already gave her every bit of information she needed with those two words and the expression on his face.
"I see, I'll call just call him then," Key said
[You didn't double take, did you?] Her brother's tone and expression were stern as he asked the question
"Sunset Cali," Key groaned and she heard the couple on the other line chuckling
[That really sounds weird,] Her brother chuckled and Key shook her head
"Your parents gave us those names in reference to how they met, Sanchi," Key reminded
[When are you coming to takeover? Grandfather is definitely not pleased that you chose E-Sports over the family business, Chantel.] Sanchi said and Key sighed
"I can't handle something as large as your corporation with this constant instability." Key replied and she noticed how the couple looked at her with worry and concern
"I'll be fine, see you soon, brother, Honey," she said and hung up
She stared at her phone screen, hearing that the old man isn't please with her decision didn't matter much but the fact that he's still asking her to handle the company his ancestry built from the ground up despite her constant acts of getting into his nerves is something Key didn't expect.
She had expected that he would have badgered her current father in paper to not give her anything or remove her from the family registry, not this.
She heaved a deep breath before contacting Talon Le Strange, the third son of the great-grandson of the cousin of the maternal great-grandmother Chela and Sanchi.
It didn't take long because after a few minutes, three faces appeared on the screen.
Key waved her hand and they immediately greeted her.
[Aiti!]
[Aiti…]
[Primogenitrice-mere,]
"How are you doing?" she asked them in Spanish
[Aiti, we can't understand you,] the youngest of the Rothschilde troublemakers complained in a whining tone while the older troublemakers shook their heads
[I can, aiti, we are doing fine.] The older Rothschilde troublemaker replied in straight Spanish causing the younger one to shoot glares
[I apologize for picking them up without asking for your permission, Primogenetrice-mere.] Talon Le Strange apologized and Key shook her head
"TL, I'd like to talk to the two of them alone." Key said and TL bowed before leaving the room
[You want to talk to us, Aiti?] the youngest of the Rothschilde troublemakers asked excitedly and Key smiled in relief
[Did you dream of him again, Aiti?] the older one asked and Key's eyes softened
[Coin, I'm sure Aiti missed us,] the younger one said and pushed the older one who remained unruffled even after getting pushed
[Do you really miss us, Aiti?] the older one asked in Greek in a tone and expression that made Key feel the cynicism in the question
"Coin, must you really treat me that way?" Key asked in a jesting tone but she felt offended by the child's tone
[You usually call us whenever you dream of Mykola, Aiti, that's why I expected you to be calling for the same reason.] Cash replied, still with the same expression and tone
[Brother! You're talking to Aiti!"] the younger one said in disbelief and pulled the other one's shirt
"Cash, no need to get physical," Key warned the younger one who looked bullied by her tone
[But Coin…] Cash whimpered
[I'm right,] Coin said and he stood
"Coin, sit back down," Key called him out and the child looked unwilling but still sat down
[I'm right, aren't I?]
Coin didn't back down and Key had no one to blame but her, Kitten, and Chela for this as the three of them were the ones who raised the two Rotschilde troublemakers to have such conviction and attitude.
It's such a surprise that the younger one didn't seem to develop the same attitude as the older with them as role models.
"Yes," Key replied honestly and she saw how the older child clenched his fist
[But you missed us too, right, Aiti?]
Cash didn't inherit the attitude but with regards to conviction there is no denying that the younger one is a reflection of their fortitude.
[She didn't,]
Key could see how the older one tried to make his tone gentler while talking to his sister, a trait similar to the great-chairman of the Rotschilde.
"I did, I missed the two of you, Cash," Key said and she saw just how the younger one's eyes lit up in delight after hearing her replied
[See, I told you, Coin!] Cash said in delight and hugged her older brother
[But you missed us because we resemble your old lover, Aiti,] Coin said in Spanish just so his sister wouldn't understand what he just said
"I missed you, even if I didn't dream of Mykola." Key said and Coin scoffed
[Did you dream of him again, Aiti?]
Unlike Coin's expression, Cash looked like she's worried and concerned of Key
[I want to hug you…] she trailed off then lowered her head
[Even if I'm not auntie Poupee…] Cash added and Key smiled
"I'll hug you as soon as we see each other, my love," Key said and the young child looked up with glittering eyes
[You promise, Aiti? Kami-chan said you can't break your promises!]
Key chuckled at Cash's tone and expression because only then did she see how similar the younger Rotschilde is to her beloved friend.
"I promise," Key said
[We'll see you soon, right?] Coin's expression and tone changed at the mention of the word 'soon'
"Yes, soon," Key nodded