I sat down on a nearby seat and patiently waited for that receptionist to return. In the meantime another customer had arrived, they were covered from head to toe in a similar style to the guard from the front. The person's bodily structure stuck out a bit which gave away that they were a man even though they wore a wooden mask.
He glanced around the room before his eyes landed on me. I didn't have any coverings on my face, but from his angle he wouldn't be able to see much of my features in the first place.
He took a long look before heading over to sit down right beside me. There were plenty of other spots to sit in the room, but this man chose to sit next to me, so I immediately became a little suspicious of his intention.
Moments pass he merely sits quietly beside me. Even though nothing has happened I still keep him in my peripherals just to check on his movements in case he would think of trying anything.
"Um, Madame? May I have a word?" Finally the man spoke, his voice was a little scratchy and rough as he turned towards me.
"Yes?" I responded, turning only a few degrees towards him.
'Has he finally thought of a move to make? Wait, he already knows I'm a woman? Well I suppose it isn't too difficult to find out, perhaps he caught a lucky glimpse when he sat down or so.
Hmm, but what about that receptionist, where is he? I feel like it's taking him an awfully long time to find someone, especially when I'm supposed to be considered a VIP.'
"I'd like to ask you a few things if possible."
"..."
"I'll take that a yes, so Madame I'd like to know why someone like you would be down here."
'Huh? Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?'
"Sir, what do you mean by that?" I spoke with an indifferent tone.
"Women as beautiful as you usually wouldn't be down here all by their lonesome. Do you perhaps have some troubles? If you so wish I could be of some use to you, but for a fee of course!"
His little flirty line wouldn't work on me, but in his same opportunity to speak he both offered a suspicious service and spoke like I would already accept it without a second thought.
"I'm quite alright, I believe I can deal with my own problems." Believing this rejection would stop him from speaking to me once more I directed my attention back to the doorway the receptionist went through.
"Oh, but Madame you haven't even heard my offer yet! You don't know what services I even offer, would you like to know?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Well I'll tell you anyway since we're waiting here. Maybe you might hear something you would like." For a man with such a voice like his, I didn't expect him to be so energetic.
"Stop."
"Alright, well first-"
'Why is he so persistent?'
I turned toward him enough for him to see my eyes. I stared at him with these eyes of mine and in them a gaze all too familiar for me to create came out. A cold soulless gaze which showed no emotions to those I wasn't looking at, but to those who I were looking at they would feel a sense of fear. The colors in my eyes were still the same, yet it would look like I was a heartless and emotionless person.
"Ahh! You finally looked at me! I'll take it as my win!"
'What? He isn't feeling much fear now is he?'
"Now that I've finally gotten a chance to see your eyes I have to say! They really are quite beautiful aren't they? Even with your face covered by this hood of yours, your eye color really shines through! Just simply amazing!"
Just as I was getting annoyed by this man, the receptionist finally arrived with a man. He had a small pin of the information network's emblem on his chest. The man walked up to us, but before he could introduce himself the man beside me stood up.
"Ah! Branch Manager Jin! Just in time, I've come to purchase some more information!" The man beside me spoke as he looked at me, even though he had a mask on I could feel a smug look plastered on his face.
"Ah? Brother Ye? You're here too? I'm sorry, but could you wait here for a while? I have an important guest here."
"Huh?" I felt all the smugness leave his body when Manager Jin refused him.
"I'm sorry about him Madame, you are the holder of the VIP token I've heard of right? If you don't mind, could you please show your token again? I'd like to confirm it with these old eyes of mine."
I took it out once more and gave it to the manager. He raised the token up around and inspected it from all angles.
"It's real, Madame right this way!"
The manager immediately began to lead me into their rooms down the hall. I felt the man from earlier stare at my back as we left, but I had no reason to return the look
Soon we arrived at a staircase leading farther up. After reaching the 3rd floor he picked the room at the end.
The room within was quite luxurious, in the middle were two sofas and a table between them. The table had a small variety of snacks on a silver platter as well as some other decorative clothes and such.
Without wasting time I sat down wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. The moment he sat down I asked a question.
"Do you know who put up the wanted posters of this man?" I took out the papers that Darling showed me earlier and placed them on the table.
The manager had a cup of tea in his hand, but when he heard my question his hand began to shake a bit.
"T-that, um yes… why, if I may ask, are you looking for him?"
I squinted my eyes at his response which caused a few beads of sweat to form on his forehead.
"Manager Jin, since when did the information network become the ones asking questions?"
"I.. um, I'm sorry, it was my mistake!"
'Judging by his reactions he must have some sort of connection with the one who wanted for these to be hung up.'
"Manager Jin, do you perhaps happen to personally know the one who posted these?"
"I-I-I-"
'For a manager of this kind of information network he is quite odd. He doesn't seem able to control his emotions as they simply spill over into his every action.'
"Tell me the truth, I haven't planned to do anything with him."
Finally he relented, "Yes, Madame I know who posted it."
"Would you kindly tell me who he is?" I looked him in the eye, but he avoided my gaze.
"His sire name is Ye."
"Is that all? You must surely know his full name."
"Madame please, could we talk about something else?"
"Alright, then where could I find this person if I wished to meet him?"
"This… Madam, please don't make this too difficult for me."
'I shouldn't force him too much, what if I have to come back to her again in the future? I guess I will make it "easier" for him, but since he has barely answered my questions I'll get another use out of him.'
"Fine, but I have a request. Get some of your men and I want you to take down every single one of these posters. I don't want to ever see a single one of these or anything similar again!" This demand of mind wasn't something he would decline.
This Ye person is most likely the same one as the man we met at the clothing shop. As a VIP customer this request is trivial and even if he didn't want to, he should know what it means to possess this VIP token.
"*Phew* Yes Madam! Of course! This task is nothing for us, we'll be done with it before even a ray of light shines onto the city!"
"Good, I think I'll be taking my leave now."
"Ah, of course, Madame, I'll escort you out."
Entering the reception room I saw the masked man stand up immediately as he saw me exit the hall.
'Hmm, could this "Brother Ye" be the same as the Ye mentioned before? Wouldn't that be a little too coincidental? It shouldn't be, the voice of that man was much deeper compared to the immature sounding man at the clothing store. Besides, I miss the warmth of my Darling's body snuggled up next to me, so I should hurry home.'
But before I could walk out the masked man stepped out in front of me blocking my exit.
"What are you doing? Get out of my way."
"I'd just like to know, who are you? I've never met anyone with a VIP token before."
"Brother Ye, please don't block her way. You'll regret it if you do so. As someone with a VIP they must be special if not powerful."
"I'm simply asking for her name, is that too much? Madame, if you'll please, could I know of your name?"
"..."
I stared intently at his eyes and the more I looked at it the more repulsed I was, in fact it even felt a little familiar. Since he was the one who offered himself to be searched I might as well take it and to think I was going to let him off.
Within a split second my hand appeared on his mask. His eyes went wide, but before he could react I ripped the mask off his face.
The horrid face of a disgusting young man didn't appear, but it was a middle aged man who had a surprised look.
'Perhaps I was simply overthinking.' Such a coincidence as finding the very man I was looking for in a place where I was gathering information on him would have been too much.
"Madame, let's not get ahead of ourselves! We haven't even told each other our names yet." His voice sounded different compared to when the mask was on, it was softer and lighter, but I'm guessing there was a voice changer embedded into the mask.
"I'm sorry, I was mistaken."
I returned the mask to him before walking around him out the door.
"Hey! You still haven't told me your name!"
"There's no need for you to know, we'll never meet again." I spoke without turning back, my eyes focused on the exit of this place. The only thought on my mind currently was to get out and return to the warm embrace of my Darling.
'This trip wasn't very fruitful. That manager Jin knows the culprit, but is clearly protecting him. At least all the posters will be taken down. My Darling will not have his good image torn down if possible. If not then I'll just have to join him, my Darling will not be alone no matter the outcome.'
I quickly exited the underground and returned through the array. Back in our house I opened up the Darling and I's bedroom. When I came up close I noticed an additional hump from the blanket which normally wouldn't be there.
When I came up close I realized that it was actually Jinzi who had taken my place in the bed. They faced each other while hugging tightly. Seeing the scene a number of situations occurred through my head of how this happened, but in the end I begrudgingly got onto the bed beside Darling and hugged him from behind.
The warmth I was missing felt just a bit colder than normal and in response I pressed my body against him even further.
'Damn you Jinzi! While I was out restoring Darling's image you came up and usurped my spot without hesitation! What a good sister you are!'