…
"I wonder if this is the beginning of a blessing or an onset to a disaster instead,' she muttered to herself.
…
Looking back at the three of them who looked at her innocently, Aunt Celine sighed as she said, "Alright, I allow it, but I need to come with you three, so wait here first…"
"Alright, aunt," the trio replied simultaneously.
And they waited for a couple of minutes more while Aunt Celine delegated a few tasks to her subordinates in the absence of Sir Giles and herself.
After what felt like an eternity, Aunt Celine finally declared, "Alright, let's go…"
The four of them then ventured into the alleyway, their destination set for the 'upper side.'
They arrived at the Guard's Office without any hindrance, and without wasting a moment, they quickly asked for assistance regarding a case involving a mother who had lost her child.
It was evident that the guards were wary, yet respectful toward Aunt Celine, who was renowned for her role in solving the poisoned water crisis, not only in Mirthwater 'Underside,' but also in various regions across Ralrain.
"A mother? I'm sorry, but there are a lot of cases like that this day," the guard at the front desk said, his frown deepening as he spoke with a contemptible tone and obvious distaste etched across his face.
"Can you check it first, please? It is urgent…" Aunt Celine asked softly, her voice calm and steady.
"Tch…" the guard replied, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
However, upon noticing the urgent expressions on the children's faces, who had brought something that was covered by a piece of clean white cloth and placed on the sofa, he inquired, "What is that, by the way?"
"Something that the mother will recognize once she sees it. So please, can you look into it?" Aunt Celine requested again – her polite smile unwavering.
"Can you look, can you look? I asked you here. I wanted to inspect it first. I don't know how you got the guard at the front to let you in, but here, you need to let me inspect it first. What if it's something dangerous?" the guard retorted, crossing his arms defiantly.
"It isn't dangerous, I assure you, sir. But if you want to take a look, you can. Please do so, by all means…" Aunt Celine replied, maintaining her composure.
Thanks to Aunt Celine's precautions, the corpse currently appeared pale, cold, and stiff, resembling that of a little girl who had just died a few hours prior, not like before when her skin remained supple and her complexion as if someone who just gone to sleep.
If they did bring her in that kind of condition, surely, there would be a huge uproar in the whole city by now. Because only the high noble could gain that special kind of privilege in which the corpse was restored to its original look by the priest/priestess of Origin's Church before the burial. It was expensive to boot.
…
Currently, yet, even after inspecting the body and confirming it was indeed the corpse of a child who had passed away that very day, that particular guard continued to obstruct their efforts to proceed with their purpose.
He lingered in a state of deliberation, refusing to check the files pertinent to the situation.
*Bam*
Ran at the side of Aunt Celine, tip-toeing, struck the table with her small fist. "You're purposely doing this, aren't you? How could a guard be like you? So irresponsible!!!"
"Who is this little kid talking to? How dare you raise your voice to an adult? Who's your parent? Has anyone ever taught you any manners?" the guard shouted back at Ran, his frown deepening as he glared at her.
"I'm sorry, sir. The child doesn't know any better; please don't mind her…" Aunt Celine interjected – her voice still calm.
"Aunt…" Ran looked up at Aunt Celine, who maintained her polite smile. For reasons unknown to El, Ran heaved a sigh of relief and stepped back toward them instead.
The reason for her relief was known only to her and Gill. For the two of them, who had been cared for by Aunt Celine since they were still a child, her smile held two meanings: either it signified something good or something extremely bad. But based on the way she fixed her gaze on the guard – Ran was certain that it was the latter she was currently holding back.
"Served you right," Ran smirked along the way.
…
The guard sneered as he saw Ran leaving from their side.
His gaze then voluntarily shifted to El and Gill, who were seated on the sofa. Upon noticing their old shirts, his expression deepened into a shade of contempt.
"Huh, such are the children born from the underside. Truly fitting for what they've been called all this time. Rodents," he remarked, his voice dripping with disdain.
He then turned his attention toward Aunt Celine, leaning his arm on the desk as he did so.
"I don't know what your relationship with them is, ma'am, but for someone as gorgeous as you, surely there are many nobles who would like to have you become their mistress. Though, if you prefer much simpler choices, more humble, easy to talk to, maybe we can, you know…"
His eyes traveled up and down Aunt Celine's body with a lustful gaze, lingering particularly on her chest and hips.
"Now that I think about it, I believe we would have more common ground to settle if we were to talk in my office. About that little girl's corpse—sigh, I suggest just sending her to the graveyard. It would be pitiful if you kept her here. We are not a morgue, you see. But… you know. If you still insist on finding the mother… I can help, probably. But, cough… you know, right? A man as lonely as I am needs… something more so I can work more diligently. More meticulous. More vigorous. Maybe, if I am lucky, later, after our private time, together, I can somehow get the first dip on your case from this, many files behind me, and you would find the mother quickly. Win-win for the two of us. So, what do you think?" The guard raised his eyebrows, his eyes intently locked on Aunt Celine's dark eyes.
The other guards nearby laughed at his remarks, their eyes also roving over Aunt Celine's body lecherously. One of them even whistled at her lasciviously, adding to the atmosphere of crude amusement.
Meanwhile, Aunt Celine, whose smile deepened as she became aware of the guard's intentions, reached into her little bag slung over her shoulder.
She then pulled out a piece of paper adorned with a golden line at the edge and intricate symbols interlaced in the middle. Clasping it between her index and middle fingers, she held it up for a moment before igniting it from the top using her magic. She watched using the side of her eyes as it burned until nothing remained.
As this happened, Aunt Celine subsequently nodded her head, a charming, seductive smile gracing her lips as she directed her gaze toward the guard.
Suddenly, in the guard's vision, everything began to shift. The air, the white sofa, and the walls gradually transformed into a pinkish hue, as if the world itself had decided to tone itself toward that particular color.
It was not just the guard at the front desk who was affected; the other guards sitting at the tables nearby also succumbed to the enchanting change.
On the other side of this room, El, Ran, and Gill found themselves enveloped by a barrier of light, a translucent membrane that protected them from the charm activated by Aunt Celine.
"Damn, Aunt is mad. She rarely uses charms," Gill commented, his voice low but filled with awe.
"Charms?" El inquired, his curiosity piqued. All he knew was from 'the man's' vague explanation about charms being objects imbued with magic.
"Yes, that burned paper. It was something Aunt Celine created herself. It contains magic spells. A one-time use. She is supposed to have many inside her bag. I don't know how all of it can even fit inside," Ran explained, glancing at the scene unfolding before them. "This time, though, I'm sure what she used is magic like a hallucination, allure or something. I have no idea either. She has too many of its…"
As the trio watched, the tension in the room shifted, and the guard's demeanor began to change, caught in the web of Aunt Celine's magic charm.
…