Prologue – The Proposal of Royota to Bria Laurel. The Key to North Sea

Kimakura Royal Café –

Kimakura Royal Café, the oldest meeting point known to everyone, was constructed during the 19th century, amidst the Meiji Restoration period. It survived numerous revolts and both World Wars, all thanks to the underworld that operated through it. For years and years to come, the family and the café have been loyal workers and servers of the underworld. In recent years, the only individuals you see looming near the café are the so-called members and alumni of the lower world, but it's all tied to a string attached to a two-sided coin depending on a side.

On the opposite street where the café held was a school building, with a tree-lined street where students of the neighbouring high school walked. The students were warned by the teachers to never step foot near the café, but that made them go even closer. Numerous delinquents of the area came to pick up a fight with the high-class men of the underworld who sat there discussing their next not-so-legal businesses.

The chatter of the underworld never stops, but as soon as one girl passed through the front guard of the café, the atmosphere immediately changed.

Everyone who saw her was uniformly expressed by their surprise, admiration, and desire to kill. A few men from the Korowai family stood and greeted the lady, offering their seats, running no less than a few seconds from contact. Some of the roaming Yakuza tried to remove their muskets but had a change of plan when a particular boy strode forward to the frontal guard.

"Bria-San, long time no seen!" said the boy, as he moved apart and sat on the opposite chair to the girl.

With almost milky-white skin and clear blue eyes that seemed to be impossible on a person working in the shadows of the underworld. And then her long blonde hair, in a half-up style, glistening under the morning sun. She had an unparalleled appearance, a bit short for a girl her age, with slender long arms and broad shoulders. An outstanding figure that embodied the ideal of every woman, with a figure that lacked where it needed to come out and retract in the right place.

All those colours of white, blue, and blonde came together to make the name of a particular somewhat known sixteen-year-old underworld spy sniper. Bria Laurel, originally from Norway, Lady Bria had come to Japan to look after the family cargo that was shipped from the China Sea. She was a talented woman who was fitting to exactly be called a perfect superwoman.

"Who thought that you would be back from the North Sea this early?" he said again,

"Weren't you the one who wanted to talk to me?" Said Bria in a cold voice.

"That's right!" said the boy punching his fists on the table.

Sitting across her was another one of the most infamous spies and assassins within the underworld, just a year older than Bria Laurel. Dark black hair and burnet round eyes. With that description, he could blend around the local hustle of the city with little to no effort. It wasn't until you knew his name you would be in trouble, a big one for that fact. Ryota Suzuki from Castle Town, the master of the century-old art of midnight bloom and the next heir to the biggest privately owned espionage company Castle Dawn.

"Morning. It's a nice morning, isn't it?" Ryota said, with a refreshing fake smile with closed eyes. "Good Morgen! Royota-kun," Bria said in her slight Norwegian ascent which, for the past few years, became a unique language in itself. "You didn't bring the best child sniper of Japan to wish good morning!" Bria said to Ryota, with a slight smirk on her face.

With no glimmer of hope, Royota turned back for a second, made his blank face, closed his eyes to make a glare and opened, "Bria-San, the laurel family has helped the Suzuki's for almost six generations for now," he said taking a pause,

Waiting for Bria to respond, he made a hand gesture to the nearby waiter, "If you don't want me to comment on that, then probably I shouldn't speak, Ryota-Kun." Bria said leaning forward and pressing her flat chest against the table.

"If you would not try to imitate my big sister, then may I continue," Ryota said physically opening his eyes to a glance at Bria.

Bria flustered, couldn't take a hold of that. Her body almost seemed to twitch with the anger that boiled inside of her. She unanimously backed off and made her hands cover her chest. Angered and flustered, Bria asked Ryota a question, "What do you want to ask me?" she said her voice sounding across the outdoor café.

"Marry Me"

Ryota said in a single phrase, daring not to turn towards Bria. The café fell silent in an instant. Everyone started to glare at each other. "The laurel and the Suzuki's" were the only words that came out in a sense. "Matano's son proposed to Lady Bria" another scream came in. "The lower world is going to have a fun time" another popped up.

"Huh?" Bria responded a whole minute later, her face shocked to its core, her eyes swirling. Her hands were unsteady. "Royota!" she exclaimed again, "What did you just say?" Her expression carried a mix of embarrassment and weariness, thinking she might have misunderstood him.

"Marry me!!" Royota repeated.

She held up her arms against her alarm, with a slight smirk. "Come again!" This time, anger tinged her voice.

"Marry me!!" Royota declared with a blank expression.

"No way!" 

She stated, her smirk growing more pronounced. She somehow managed to calm herself down, lunging her hand onto the table, shaking both the table and the café with the gesture. 

"This is some sort of a joke, right, Royota-kun?" Bria said, trying to maintain a smile, her eyes wide open.

"No!" Royota insisted, coming again. 

"Please, Royota. It's no time to be joking around," she said, pressing her hand against the table, about to slam it down.

"Saying it again! Marry me, Bria!" Royota repeated with a straight face.

This time, Bria didn't respond. She felt torn between two conflicting emotions. One side of her wanted to immediately embrace and hug Royota, kissing his embarrassed cheeks. The other side wanted nothing more than to metaphorically pull the trigger on this situation, displaying him with a sniper barrel in an absurd scenario.

They had known each other for years, having first met about nine years ago in the second year of elementary school. Bria was speechless for quite a while. She had shared the same elementary class, the same middle school, and now the same high school with him. She knew every nook and corner of his deepest and darkest fantasies. She was there with him through failures and triumphs in academics, understanding his family matters better than anyone, and knowing his likes and dislikes.

As she remained quiet, Royota continued to blabber on, oblivious to the chaos around them. A whole group stared at her, another group seemingly wanting to eliminate both of them. She wasn't bothered by either, but at this moment, she couldn't articulate the mix of anger and embarrassment she was feeling. She did nothing but quietly take in all that he was saying, unable to make any sense of it.

"And lastly, you will be the only person who would be ready to marry someone like me."

"What are you saying?" she responded with a clamour in her tone.

"Do you think someone would marry a mentally stable spy and assassin with anger and trust issues?" Royota said, his eyes carrying a hint of darkness and coldness.

For a moment, Bria did nothing but emit a small laugh. "Royota-kun, you never change, do you?"

"Got a problem with that?" Royota retorted.

"No," Bria replied with a blank expression on her face.

"Are you going to marry me?" Royota persisted, trying to revive the topic.

"No," Bria responded decisively.

"Will you think about it?" Royota inquired, his tone softer this time. The cafe buzzed around them, oblivious to the tension. Bria's mind raced as she pondered the absurdity of the situation. 

"Maybe?"