"Is that what you tell every Young Master you try to seduce?"
They were both frozen by the question. Had the Young Master really said that? Had they misheard him?
"You see..." Lei started as he took hold of their arms. "I'm nothing like other Young Masters. Truly."
The pleasantness of the situation had suddenly evaporated. The Young Master's hands had taken hold of an arm each.
"You've gone quiet. What's wrong?"
Had they offended the Young Master somehow? Or was it...? The two did not know.
The next second, their backs were against the glass wall.
Gulp-
Their gazes were stuck to the ground, as the Young Master placed his palm against that glass wall.
They slowly and quietly moved their feet closer to the wall. They knew that the Young Master had more than enough strength to shatter the glass wall. If that were to happen...
From the right side and from the left side, his arms stood in their way. The two instinctively stuck closer together. They weren't breathing.
They knew they couldn't do a thing. They knew no one would do anything against the Young Master. Not for them anyways.
They were prostitutes. But their rates were incredibly high. Why? Because they targeted a select clientele. The Martial Artists who are part of the famous Sects. Only they could afford their rates. But this did come with additional risk. Young Masters are crazy after all. Taking the big bucks home means risking life for them. And they were aware of that.
They were aware of the rumors about Zhao Laohu, which they completely believed. Killing a Merchant for giving him tea that was too hot, killing a woman for chuckling while they were... Countless rumors, and they believed every single one of them. Still, they had stepped in. They had still accepted the job. That's how good the pay was.
At first, the fear made them breathe heavily.
Now, they weren't breathing anymore.
Their legs were shaking. Why was the Young Master silent? It was driving them crazy. Their gaze remained on the ground, frozen.
"Why did you go quiet?" The Young Master asked.
They took a quick breath in.
Apologize. No matter the reason, apologize. What for? They did not know. It did not matter! Apologize!
Just when they braced themselves to apologize,
"Come on, now..."
The Young Master's fingertips slowly and gently raised their chins. Their gaze connected with his and,
"The two of you are the most beautiful Mortals I've had the chance to see in my life. Those with beauty like yours shouldn't be quiet. They shouldn't look down."
The two suddenly felt their faces flush. When was the last time that they blushed this way?
They failed to utter even a word in response. Their fear from earlier, their blushing... What the hell is happening?
"Mmm..."
The Young Master's hand moved away from their chins.
He scratched his head.
"How much is Ui Feng paying you?"
They felt their heart sink again! Is that what it is? They were told not to let anyone know that they were paid to... Is that it? Does the Young Master think we tricked him? Ui Feng told us not to...!
They fought against themselves to not lower their gazes. They stared into the Young Master's eyes and,
"Ten... Ten Bronze Coins." The blonde muttered, which greatly surprised the brunette.
"And how much for the one I choose?"
The two were immediately taken aback. They blushed, but for a totally different reason than before.
"Twenty... Silver Coins."
"Is that a lot?"
Their fear turned into confusion, but they didn't forget who they were talking to.
"I... I suppose it is?"
"You suppose?"
"It is, Young Master." The brunette answered, coming to the blonde's aid.
"Haha! I see." The Young Master chuckled before stepping back. "I have a job for you, interested?"
Their confusion grew. What a horrible roller coaster!
"I'll make it worth your while."
They exchanged a look, unsure what to do.
"Oh, come on. It's not every day that you get the chance to have a Young Master indebted to you, is it?" He smiled.
'...'
Do Young Masters even repay their debts?
***
"No, I don't want it!" Sun shook his head repeatedly. "I ate enough! No more fish, no more duck!"
"How about some chicken then?" A third fork approached him.
"I TOLD YOU I-"
A hand was suddenly placed on Sun's shoulder.
"Older brother?"
"Come walk with me, Sun."
The younger brother sighed in relief. Everything sounds better than being put in the middle of so many beautiful women. They were especially intimidating after all. Sun did not know that they had been paid to please and seduce the Young Masters. Also, he wasn't used to getting so much attention. And they were a lot older than him too!
"Think you can carry those?" Lei asked after pointing at two large and full plates.
The food was steaming. It had just been made. Lei had ordered Ui Feng to bring more food.
"Um... Sure?"
"Do you need me to carry one of them?"
"No! I can do it!"
"We'll be going down flights of stairs, you know?"
"I can do it!"
Each plate rested on the palm of one of his hands. Each plate was as large as his arm was long. Still, he insisted! Though he did not know what the plates were for.
Lei, who was walking behind Sun, clapped his hands suddenly.
"Let's go see the Servants!"
"Yes... Huh?" Sun almost dropped the plates from the surprise. "The Servants? Why would older brother...?"
"Why not?" Lei shrugged.
Minutes later,
"Oh, Young Sun! What brings you-" They found the Servant washing his hands, no doubt about to eat with the rest of the Servants. The instant he noticed who was walking behind Sun, his body froze and his whole demeanor changed. It seemed like he had almost swallowed his tongue. "Young Masters! It is a pleasure to... A pleasure to... A pleasure to..."
'What is he? A broken record?'
"You're about to eat?" Sun asked.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes, Young Master, hahaha!"
'Why is he laughing?'
"Good! Then you can bring-"
"Let's go in." Lei interrupted.
"Yes, of course..."
All color had disappeared from the Servant's face.
'If the Young Masters... Well, Sun should be okay but... If Young Master Zhao comes in... What if the others are sitting comfortably... What if they're badmouthing him or...'
The Servant brought his hands together.
'Might as well get my prayers in now. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. Gods, I know I didn't talk to you for a while but-'
"Show us the way." Lei interrupted the Servant's thoughts.
...
About twenty minutes later,
"That was amazing! They were so happy!" Sun's eyes were glittering.
"Yeah, yeah..." Lei answered absentmindedly.
"Do you think-"
"Give me a moment to think." Lei interrupted coldly.
The two continued walking back to the grand hall.
'The Servants in the kitchen and those in the pavilion... They all seemed scared as fuck right upon seeing me. They do like Sun a lot though. Both meetings went pretty much the same way. We're bringing them food, but they were so scared it's actually kind of funny. Those in the kitchen seemed to appreciate the most... I suppose tasting the result of your labor does feel nice.'
Lei clicked his tongue.
'No one seemed more scared than the rest... No one stood out. They've already sent Assassins, so nothing can be ruled out. Poisoning the food doesn't seem likely... Except if the person chosen is really good at hiding it. No one was more surprised than the rest... Meeting the Hero in two weeks. Does that mean I have nothing to worry about until then? I doubt it...'
The younger brother walked silently, with his lips pressed together.
"Sun."
"Yes, older brother-"
A hand was laid on Sun's head. He winced slightly, which reminded Lei of the Silver-Grade Beast Borara.
"You've been very helpful."
"Um..." Sun's eyes moved from one side to the other. "Thank you...?"
***
A couple of hours passed. The Young Master was back in his room, lying on his bed.
'Two weeks before the Hero shows up... Two weeks-'
He shivered but managed to hide it, as her hand gently caressed his chest. A dark-haired woman with hazelnut eyes.
A red-haired woman's tongue moved up his neck.
"Shall we get to it, Young Master?"