"Master, we bought 1,250 gold dragons' worth of whale oil. After distributing the amounts for the other brothers, we have a surplus of 842 gold dragons," the young accountant reported, diligently calculating the profits for Helbo. A small mountain of gold dragons shimmered in the light of the whale oil candles.
Helbo, feeling particularly generous, grabbed a handful of gold dragons from the pile and slapped it in front of the young accountant. "It's yours."
"Thank you, Master Helbo! Thank you for your generosity!" The young accountant was overwhelmed, his mind racing for words to further ingratiate himself with Helbo. He couldn't help but think proudly that if Viserys had listened to him, they would have made even more profit. More importantly, he himself would have earned more.
Because of Viserys's sudden 'defection', Helbo had only managed to take 200 pounds of whale oil instead of the 350 pounds he had originally planned. However, another candle workshop had offered an excellent price, even higher than his ideal. Helbo was in a very good mood, feeling like singing. He took a sip of wine, his eyes narrowing in pleasure.
He had already decided to cut ties with Viserys. It was said that Dany's birthday was coming up soon. He planned to send a gift but not go himself. Viserys should understand what he meant.
Just as Helbo was lost in his thoughts, a black object was thrown into his room through the window. When he looked closely, he realized it was a person!
Helbo remained calm, but the young accountant turned pale.
'Is someone after me? How dare they, with Viserys still on my side!' Helbo looked toward the window, his brain spinning with possibilities. But the next moment, a familiar figure jumped through the window. With silver hair, the identity of the person was unmistakable.
"Lord Viserys, this..."
"An assassin, sent by the King of Whores," Viserys said calmly. The "King of Whores" referred, of course, to Robert, a VVIP of the King's Landing brothel. Thanks to his recent improvement in Constitution, Viserys had been able to carry an 80 to 90-pounds man on his back and sneak into Helbo's home without making a sound. This guy had even set up two sentries near his own home.
"There's a lot of space there, and there's Dany. It's not safe to take her back, so I'll let you keep her for now."
'No, are you sick? You and your sister think it's unsafe, but I'm supposed to be fine?' Helbo thought to himself, but dared not show it. He quickly put down his wine cup, grabbed the female assassin's ankles, and, together with Viserys, carried her out.
"Go find some milk and bring it over," Viserys instructed the young accountant. Milk and other things could be used to dilute the toxins. He didn't want the assassin to die just yet. It would be best if he could make her vomit and contact Robert. This would buy him some time, at least until the end of the 10-day celebration. As long as Robert did not involve the Faceless Men, Viserys would be fine. However, with so many people attending the celebration, and if he participated in the sword competition, he might not be able to keep an eye on Dany.
"There is no cow milk left. Will goat's milk do?"
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, Viserys and Helbo carried the assassin to a dark room. It seemed that Helbo really yearned for the life of a noble, as it was said that nobles liked to have underground dungeons and the like. This underground room was quite authentic. Inside, there was a wooden bed with mechanisms to restrict a person's movement, and some torture devices. However, upon closer inspection, these torture devices seemed to be more for 'fun'. Threaded, convex, mace – what the hell are these!?
Viserys gave Helbo a meaningful look, causing him to blush. The two of them tied the female assassin to the bed in a "big" shape and then let out a sigh of relief. In the dim light, Viserys realized that the female assassin was actually quite good-looking. Her facial features were soft and gentle, not at all what one would expect from an assassin.
"I'll leave first. Give her some more milk later, and then starve her for a few days."
"Yes," Helbo replied indifferently.
After Viserys left, Helbo took another look at the female assassin. He found her quite attractive, but she was still Viserys's prisoner, and he didn't dare to torture her.
A few days later, when Viserys saw that his soap was almost dry, he asked Morel to arrange an introduction to Lady Falia of the Moonshadow. Morel didn't object, as he had already agreed to facilitate the meeting. However, he understood that simply arranging an introduction didn't guarantee a meeting.
To ensure things went smoothly, Morel bribed Falia's maid to mention the matter to her mistress. The maid accepted the money but made no promises, her attitude reflecting Morel's: agreeing to introduce them didn't mean they would actually meet, and taking money didn't mean the matter would be resolved.
On this particular day, Falia was hosting a gathering on her private ship. Every notable courtesan in Braavos had her own ship, where they entertained guests and conducted business. The most esteemed courtesans were protective of their reputations and would only offer their bodies in exchange for significant gifts or favors.
An unspoken rule among courtesans was that the more a courtesan did for someone, the less likely they were to give themselves fully to them, though they would occasionally offer personal tokens to keep their admirers hopeful and loyal.
Falia, as one of the top courtesans, was well aware of these principles. But today, her client seemed particularly persistent.
"Lady Moonshadow, please consider my proposal with mercy. I will never brag about it like those vain men," said the man in front of her. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a thin face, dressed in a blue shirt and purple bloomers of such fine quality that Falia had to look away to avoid appearing too interested.
The man, however, kept his gaze fixed on Falia. Her thin but well-proportioned shoulders, half-exposed breasts smoother than whale blubber, and seductive curves tapering to a slender waist all captivated him. As his eyes traveled further down, they took in the sudden fullness of her hips, which made him feel parched with desire.
"Master Daxon, thank you for your kindness, but I can still maintain the workshop for the time being," Falia replied, her voice steady.
Daxon laughed, a hint of desperation in his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Cooper has already cut the price to half of what it was last year. There's no profit to be made. I've heard that the workshop in Greenwater Town has lost many skilled workers. The candles they make are not only of poor quality, but also more expensive. Why bother going on?"
"Please, give me your heart. I would be happy to die for it, let alone that workshop," he said, his words growing more explicit as he leaned forward like a hungry jackal, poised to pounce at any moment.