Police Station.
Despite being past 10 PM, the police station bustled with activity.
Amidst the constant flow of people, a small, frail figure tried to push through.
Her face was pale as she rushed to the reception desk, addressing the officer on duty. "Excuse me, I... I'm here to bail out my brother, his name is Alec."
"Alec?" The policeman frowned, checking his records. "I'm sorry, but he's been charged with three serious offenses. It will be difficult to arrange bail."
"You can wait to see him, but you only have 15 minutes."
"What?! But…" Meika stammered. "Are you sure there isn't a mistake? My brother… he… how could he be a criminal?"
The policeman's frown deepened. "Are you questioning the judgment of the police?"
"No… I…" Meika jolted, quickly explaining, "It's just… are you sure there's no misunderstanding? My brother would never do anything illegal. He's a good person."
"Young lady…" The policeman sighed. "According to the records, he was arrested at the Black Rose Bar's casino. Would a good person be at a casino?"
'Poor Meika, working so hard, while her good-for-nothing brother throws it all away on gambling.'
Billy's words echoed in Meika's ears, sending shivers down her spine.
She fought to maintain her composure. "But… what about the rape and fraud charges? He... how could he do such horrible things?"
"Young lady…" The policeman's voice turned sharp, his patience wearing thin. "We have sufficient evidence to support these charges. Otherwise, we wouldn't have formally charged him."
"Alright, wait over there. And if you cause any further disturbance, I'll have to ask you to leave."
Despair washed over Meika. She made her way to the waiting area, her head bowed, unsure of what to do except wait.
She was alone, her only family sitting in a detention room.
Lost in thought, Meika pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over a familiar name.
She bit her lip, her gaze drifting into the distance, her heart seemingly torn.
Finally, she pressed the call button.
"Hello!" A middle-aged man's voice answered. "Meika?! It's late, are you calling to request a day off tomorrow?"
"About that…" Meika hesitated, the words catching in her throat.
But the image of Alec sitting in a cell spurred her on. "Manager… I… I need your help."
"My brother… he… he was arrested."
"What?!" Billy feigned surprise, his voice so loud it startled Meika. "Where are you now?"
"I… I'm at the city police headquarters, you…"
"Alright!" Billy cut her off before she could finish. "Stay there, wait for me, I'll be right over."
Tit! Tit!
The call ended. Meika bit her lip, her grip on the phone so tight that her knuckles turned white.
Meika was making a gamble.
She was betting that… whoever this 'Young Master' was that Manager Billy mentioned, he had enough influence to get Alec out of this mess.
She didn't know what this mysterious person wanted from her, but her back was against the wall.
Meika knew... even if Alec could be bailed out, it would require a huge sum of money.
And she didn't have much. Alec had practically drained her savings yesterday. Now, she only had about 2,000 credit points left to cover upcoming bills.
Less than 15 minutes later, Billy arrived at the police station, still in his pajamas and slippers.
He quickly found Meika, rushing towards her with a worried expression. "Meika, why was your brother arrested?"
Seeing Billy, Meika couldn't hold back her tears anymore. "Manager… I… I don't know."
After listening to Meika's story, Billy sighed. "This... I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
"What?!" Meika exclaimed, her voice laced with desperation. "Why not? You… you… Manager… I know everything. You're paying me a high salary because that mysterious person you call 'Young Master' asked you to, right?"
"What…?" Billy feigned surprise. "How do you know that? No, you've misunderstood, I…"
"Don't lie to me!" Meika shouted. "Manager! I know everything, please… call him, ask him to get my brother out of jail, please!"
"I'll do anything, even be his slave, just… help my brother… I beg you…"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Billy's face before he let out a sigh. "I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly."
"But… the truth is, he can't help you."
"Why?!" Meika cried, clutching at the last shred of hope, her hands gripping Billy's shirt tightly.
Her outburst drew the attention of those around them. Billy quickly hushed her. "Calm down. I'll tell you the truth, but… you must keep this a secret, okay?"
Meika forced herself to calm down, biting her lip as she nodded. "Uhm! I'm sorry, Manager. I... I was just worried about my brother, so..."
"I understand." Billy sighed, taking a seat beside Meika.
He didn't dare touch her. After all, she was the woman the Young Master had his eye on, and he couldn't risk dirtying her.
"Meika, this all started a long time ago," Billy began, his tone sending chills down Meika's spine. She felt like she was about to uncover a terrifying secret.
"The truth is, your identity is very special. However, only a select few in high places know your true background," Billy whispered, as if afraid someone might overhear.
"All records of your family… have been erased. Even if you search the Empire's central database, you won't find anything about them."
Meika bit her lip, absorbing his words. She decided to remain silent, listening intently.
"I can't reveal anything specific about your family or your true identity. It would be too dangerous for both you and me."
"I can only tell you this… my 'Young Master' has your best interests at heart."
"Think about it… from the time you started working all those odd jobs until now, have you ever been in any real danger or faced any insurmountable difficulties?"
Meika's eyes widened. Billy was right.
She had started working at the age of fifteen, forced to drop out of school after her parents died.
Yet, she had never truly struggled.
Meika always found decent jobs with decent pay, and her colleagues were surprisingly kind.
She attributed it all to good luck, or perhaps fate's way of compensating for her tragic past.
But now, listening to Billy, a chilling realization dawned on her. It wasn't luck or fate; it was the silent protection of a mysterious benefactor.
Billy noticed her shift in demeanor, a smug smile playing on his lips, though his expression remained serious.
"The Young Master knows your true identity. He's been protecting you from the shadows, ensuring your safety," he continued.
"Why would he protect me?" Meika asked, confused.
Billy shook his head. "I don't know for sure. Maybe he has feelings for you, or maybe he has other motives."
"Feelings for me?" Meika found that hard to believe.
But… then she recalled what Billy had said earlier. Her family was likely a prominent one in the past. It made sense that they might have known this mysterious person's family.
"It's possible," Billy agreed. "Just think about it… who else would silently help you without asking for anything in return?"
Meika nodded slowly, seeing the logic in his words. Besides parents, who else would help unconditionally?
Only someone who cherished them deeply, perhaps even loved them.
Her face flushed at the thought. The idea that someone cared for her that much, that they would go to such lengths… it was overwhelming.
Suddenly, the urgency of the situation came crashing back. "So… can this person help us?" she asked. "Please, just get my brother out of there, I… I…"
"Calm down, Meika." Billy interrupted. "The truth is… your brother has already met the Young Master."
"What?! So…" Meika's eyes widened. She hadn't considered that Alec might have already met this mysterious benefactor. "Then… he'll help my brother, right?"
Billy sighed. "It's more complicated than that. Not only has your brother met him, but they also… had a bit of a conflict."
"In fact… your brother, he… he hit him."
Meika gasped. "You... you're joking, right? How could Alec possibly hit him?"
"Meika..." Billy's expression turned grave, his seriousness making Meika's stomach clench.
He sighed. "You may not believe this, but… I suspect Alec… he might also have feelings for you."
"Impossible!"