unedited
Clack.
With a loud door sound, Ronald and Latea entered the room.
âIf you already brought the contractâ¦.â
But as soon as she looked up, there were five people instead of two. Aside from the couple, three bulky men also made an appearance. They had pretty grim faces.
âWhatâs the meaning of this?â
Apollonia asked coldly. Latea answered her with a smirk.
âWell, weâve been thinkingâ¦itâs good that we managed to sell Lu, but we feel like itâd be impossible for a young lady to carry over 250 gold coins around.â
The three men glanced at Apollonia and smiled menacingly. She got a clue what the situation had turned into.
âSo?â
âWell, you see, itâs not every day that people like us get to see that much money. Itâs my belief that when an opportunity presents itself, youâd better seize it.â
Lateaâs tone of voice had changed all of a sudden. She no longer saw Apollonia as her guest.
âTo keep it simple, rather than making a contract with the young lady, itâd be better to rob everything you have right now and sell or kill you.â
Ronald, who had always been honest, revealed with confidence. But this time Latea did not scold her husband. She thought Apollonia would not be able to put up a fight anyway.
âSell me or kill me, huh?â
Apollonia repeated his words wryly.
âWho in the world carries around gold coins and diamond bracelets? Youâll only be a perfect target for crimes!â Ronald added eagerly.
âWhat about my people?â
âThey must be drinking in the next room while completely clueless about what happened. They canât hear your scream. Iâll just wait until they get wasted and sell or kill them along with you.â
He answered each of her questions while scratching his head.
âHumans can be so disgusting. Iâve seen a lot of people like that, but you guys are very special.â
âDonât hate us too much. At least, you will be sold in a good place thanks to your pretty face. Well, I can sign you up for a job somewhere. You can run away with the money you earn and do whatever you want.â
Latea smiled and beckoned to the three men. Little by little they walked towards the table where Apollonia was sitting. It was the moment when the man in the front reached out to Apollonia.
Bam!
The door in the hallway split open, and Ben, Tan, and Run bolted into the room. Each of them threw their hidden daggers at the three men who approached Apollonia.
Bang! Thud! Bang!
âAaagh!â
They grabbed their stabbed shoulders before collapsing almost simultaneously. Soon after, the three brothers jumped to grab Latea and Ronaldâs shoulders and pin them down to immobilize them.
âAgh!â
âUgh!â
They both screamed at the same time and knelt down due to the strong pressure.
âItâs a big mistake to overlook your opponent,â Ben said with a smirk.
âI heard your skill has improved a lot. So itâs true.
Apollonia rose from her seat with a smile. The three brothers and Tanya learned proper martial arts training after receiving hard blows from Uriel a few years ago.
Oddly enough, they were certainly good at memorizing rather than holding a sword or bows, but their skills grew rapidly thanks to their nimble bodies.
âHow about Tanya?â
âDonât get me started. Sheâs the fastest and the most precise among us. If she had come with us today, sheâd have taken them out all by herself and left us watching on the sidelines.â
âShe canât come because sheâs still young.â
As if the five people groaning in pain were invisible, they leisurely give updates about each otherâs lives.
âWhat about Lu?â
âOver thereâ¦I was going to leave one person by her side, but I was afraid that Your Highness was in danger.â
Ben pointed to the broken door. Lu stood behind it with eyes wide open.
âWhat on earth is thisâ¦â
âWe wonât take long, so can you wait calmly over there?â
Apolonia said with a smile. Lu looked at Ronald and Latea with a dazed expression before nodding reluctantly. But it was Latea and Ronald who was the most shocked.
âWh-what the hellâ¦.?â
When Latea stammered as if she couldnât quite grasp what just occurred, Apollonia and the three brothers finally shifted their gazes on them.
âOh, I feel something was off. The bracelet I wore can send a signal to a person whoâs quite far from me, you see.â She said, fondling her turquoise diamond bracelet.
Tan chuckled small as he was the one who created the bracelet.
âThereâs no way I came here without this much preparation. As you said, I was an easy target for crime.â
The coupleâs faces stiffened upon hearing Apolloniaâs words. The other three men were still groaning on the floor. They appear to have been paralyzed, perhaps because the dagger was coated with poison.
âY-Youâre mistaken if you think you can walk away from here scot-free!â cried Latea.
Perhaps she thought someone outside would listen to her scream and come to her rescue.
âI have no intention of walking away from here, so donât worry about it.â Apollonia retorted with a smirk.