2.11 Management

Shu XinYi was reading some letters in the study when Leo came in and hugged him from behind.

"Bunny, Leave this to me. I am done making breakfast, so go down to eat."

"What about you?"

"Ah I love you."

"hmm?"

"Nothing. I just love you that's it."

Shu XinYi kissed Leo and went down to the dinner table. He met with Isabel on the way and they came at the dinner table together. Everyone else was already present and Shu XinYi gave a nod greeting everyone present. The Lady butler served the food and as soon as she kept Xavi's serving in front of Shu XinYi, he could tell that there was poison mixed in with his food.

He raised his eyebrows and just made a contemplating face, not touching the food at all. Elena was getting a little nervous, it can't be that brother Xavier knows can it? No I tried to smell it multiple times but it had no smell, so then what is he doing? Elena was trying to calm her thoughts when Xavi spoke up. "Everyone, please don't eat this food. I have detected that the food in my plate has been poisoned, so there is no say in who else's food may be poisoned."

"Brother Xavier, what are you saying how can that be?" Elena asked very naturally.

"Elder sister, I have a very keen sense of smell, so I can detect that there is a deadly poison in my food."

Father spoke up "Son, are you sure about this. If the food is poisoned then it will definitely be a crime that must be punished, so do you have evidence."

Isabel joined in "I can test it father. I have some crushed herbs that when come in contact with a poison, emit a very ugly scent for a while. The stronger the poison the stronger the scent."

First mother said "Go bring it then little izzy. Those lousy servants, I will deal with each of them."

Shu XinYi sat down quietly while Elena was getting nervous but she still had a way, so she kept her calm. Isabel came back quick and sprinkled the crushed herbs on everyone's plate one by one. After five minutes none of the plates emitted any sort of smell, except for of course Xavier's. Around his plate wafted a very peculiar scent that was also very strong.

"Brother Xavi really does have good sense of smell. His plate is definitely poisoned." Isabel stated.

Aldo called the lady butler to inquire about who made Xavi's plate and she honestly told him that it was Leo. Aldo was about to call for Leo in anger when Xavier said "Father, you may not know this but for a while Leo has been cooking for me. You can ask Carla about it. I was the one who allowed him to make my food and I trust that he is not the one who poisoned it."

Father confirmed with the Lady butler and she answered him honestly that Leo had been cooking for young master for a while.

"But Son, even if he makes food for you everyday then what gives that he is not the one who may have used your trust to poison you?"

"Father, I can assure you he is not the one."

"Xavi, I can not be assured like this but since you say he is innocent then I will test him. Albert go bring him down from the study and just tell him I called. Everyone else leave for now. Xavier you stay here but don't say anything and let me test him to assure myself."

"But father-" both Elena and Xavier said.

"No arguments, I will not let this incident pass until I am sure of who is guilty. All of you do as I say." Aldo was quite angry.

No no no, This is not what I planned. This can't go wrong. Elena was very reluctant as she left the dinner table.

Shu XinYi had to do as father said and sit silently on the table. All the other plates had been removed and father meddled with Xavier's plate a little making it seem like the food had been left over. Leo came down to the sight of this. He walked towards the table and bowed his head respectfully, saying "Master, Is something of the matter?"

"Yes, i heard that you are making food for Xavier these days?" Aldo.

"Yes, master. It was out of gratitude for brother Xavi."

"Hmm, I just had a taste of it. Is this the kind of food you make for my son?"

"Why master is something wrong?"

"Have a taste of it yourself. Go ahead."

Leo didn't even pause to think as he put a bite in his mouth before Shu XinYi could even say anything. Shu XinYi thought that father was maybe trying to see if he panics but Leo actually ate it without thinking.

"What are you doing?! SPIT IT OUT!" Shu XinYi shouted in panic.

Leo didn't understand what was going on but he couldn't spit it out since he had already eaten it, it didn't taste that bad, why were they complaining?

"Spit it out. Please!! Listen to me, spit it out okay?" Shu XinYi tried to calm himself as he lowered his voice. He put his palm in front if Leo's mouth and pleaded Leo with his eyes to do it.

"Young master I have already-" Leo was trying to calm Xavi down when Elena came in with a vial in her hands saying "Look father, this strange bottle. I found it in Leo's room. It definitely isn't medicine. It must be what Leo used."

Aldo looked at his panicked son, then he looked at Leo who still behaved confused and was trying to calm Xavi down. Lastly he carefully looked at the odd colored liquid in the vial Elena was holding. Leo isn't the one who did it. Aldo could tell. Originally he thought that Leo had just eaten it because he has an antidote so he isn't worried but that poison vial, Aldo was more then familiar with it. It is a very effective poison and has no known antidote.

"Look father I really did find it in Leo's room. He wants to kill my brother Xavier that's why he-"

"He has already eaten the food Elena and has passed my test." Aldo said with a sigh.

"W-what. No father, surely you are misunderstanding something I -"

"Keep that vial on the table and go to your room. No arguments." Aldo stated firmly. Elena could only do as he said.

Shu XinYi rushed to the bottle and called for Albert. "Find out everything about this vial. In 12 hours I want you back here with a known cure. Understood?" All people in the room were surprised by Xavier's cold tone. Xavier rarely scolded anyone but right now his tone was ice cold and his stare was like an injured beast. Too scary Albert thought and went away with the vial.

Every inch of Shu XinYi's body was on the verge of spasm, he had already asked snow about the anti dote to which snow had said "Master, I don't know of the antidote. In the original Elena had used a different poison so any information about this poison is not detailed in the main story."

It was a horrible feeling like someone had stabbed his heart multiple times and when the wounds finally healed someone cut them all open in one go. Leo could tell what the situation may be and understood that he had been poisoned. He was not worried about it even for a second and didn't care that master was in the room. He hugged Xavi tightly and said "It's okay. It's okay little bunny. Don't cry okay. I will be okay."

Shu XinYi didn't know where this fear came from but he was slowly losing his consciousness. He saw snippets of himself standing in a huge white space and he could see an unknown yet familiar man with phoenix eyes telling him it is okay and that he has to be strong. He sees that the man walks away into a pit of fire and Shu XinYi could see the man's skin burn but the man has a smile on his face like he wants to comfort Shu XinYi. Again he saw the same man get stabbed by thousands of knives. The scenario repeated it self with that man dying again and again in different ways but the smile on his face didn't falter like it wasn't painful at all.

Meanwhile Leo was holding the unconscious Xavi who was still trembling and his closed eyes had become tear stained. He didn't let go of him for one second. Even while he was unconscious Leo just kept saying comforting words so that maybe Xavi hears them. Aldo was a bit baffled by this scene. Why is it that his son has such a strong reaction to Leo getting poisoned, yes he is his trusted aide, but fainting?

Leo too was being a little too inappropriate while trying to comfort Xavi. Is it okay for two men to do this? Aldo was an experienced man who had seen many sides of the world so he had also seen something like this, but his own son doing it was different. Difficult to accept. Aldo put his thoughts aside and told Leo to lie Xavi down somewhere. Leo walked towards the sofa in the main hall and laid Xavi down. Then he placed a wet towel on Xavi's forehead, pressing it with his palm.

Leo was kneeling beside the sofa as he continued to comfort Xavi with a little voice. He was starting to feel the effects of the poison within his body. At this moment Leo closed his eyes and when he opened them, within it held a clarity that Leo never had. Master seemed to have asked him something but he couldn't hear it properly.

Aldo spoke again, a little louder this time "Are you so in love with my son? You are about to die. I didn't say it before but the poison you have consumed has no known cure. I feel like you know this but still you sit like this to comfort my son even while he is unconscious. Is he more important to you than your own life?"

Leo finally came back to his senses. His firm expression and clear eyes didn't change as he stood up and said "Yes Master, I do love Xavier. How can I be worried about myself right now? For me it is just a mildly painful death, over in a mere minute. For Xavier it is a lifetime of pain and guilt. Knowing that the person you love will be in pain after your death and you would have no way to comfort them is the most painful test. Master I hope you don't let Xavier know that you have known about our relationship, he will be worried."

"Then leave, If you love him that much then leave. I'll tell him that you went away because you wanted to die in peace, away from the world."

"He won't believe that master. He is my peace and he knows that. I will leave but I will be back. Master can you tell him for me that I will be back?" Leo showed no ounce of hesitation.

"How are you so sure about yourself?"

"I can't tell you that, but please do take care of him, I will be back soon. Make sure he understands that." Leo bend down to whisper something in the unconscious Xavi's ear and then paused for 2 seconds before lightly kissing his cheek. Then he walked out of the residence.

Leo thought he should hurry up, he had only 24. hours before he becomes Leo again and loses his memory. Yes he had remembered everything as his original self but he cannot keep these memories for long. it'd be bad if that so called God finds him in this world. Leo had already searched through the whole world's database unlike Snow who could only search through the story line. He had found the antidote for the poison and he had 24 hours to get it and come back before he is found.

Back in the Xalvadore house, Shu XinYi woke up sweating and panting. Father was sitting beside him brewing tea. He was on his bed in his room. The tea father made gave off a relaxing smell. Shu XinYi still couldn't calm down and the things he dreamt or maybe remembered still ran through his head. His head had started to hurt from all the exposure. Shu XinYi remembered that Leo had consumed the poison and forgot all about his headache as he asked "Father, Leo where is he? Did Albert come back? Surely he has found something. How much time has passed?"

"Calm down son, Your Leo has left for somewhere. He left a message for you saying, to wait for him, that he will be back soon."

"Huh? Where is he gone? did he find the antidote?"

"I don't know that but he sounded determined maybe he has his methods. You should rest for now, your Leo will be back."

Shu XinYi calmed himself and thought about the situation. Did Leo maybe knew the antidote, but according to snow he lived in remote areas and had exposure to no or little of the world. If even Snow can't determine about the anti dote then how can Leo? Well Leo has told him that he will come back so he will wait.

"I am fine now father. If he says he will return then I choose to trust him. About the poisoning, I have to find the culprit. Their intentions were not friendly not only did they intend to kill me but also wanted Leo to be charged as guilty for it." Shu XinYi didn't know where this trust came from, but he really had no doubts, he focused on other things that could be deemed important.

Father was about to say something when someone knocked on the door. It was Elena and Isabel. They had brought some food. Isabel said while bringing the tray "Have some breakfast brother Xavi."

Breakfast? It's already morning. Shu XinYi just noticed. "Father this food-"

"Don't worry, brother Xavi I have already tested it. It is good." Isabel assured but Shu XinYi already knew the answer.

Father then said out of no where "Elena you can come with me to work from today, until your brother's health improves, Leo has also left and his condition is no better so I can only rely on you."

Elena was visibly happy as she said "Yes father. of course I will do my best."

"As for the poison matter, Xavi it is good enough that nothing has harmed you. Trying to find the culprit will be a bit difficult so let's just put the matter aside for now okay?"

Shu XinYi reluctantly agreed. He could tell that father had not really let go of of the matter, maybe he even knew it was Elena who had done it. Then maybe he has some sort of plan in mind and will test Elena in some sort of way. Shu XinYi told snow to send the live recording of both of them once they had left the house for work.

Aldo first took Elena to the shop to let her manage the work. Obviously she made a lot of mistakes since she had never actually worked in the shop and if father did bring her she refused to learn anything claiming that she knows everything, and if only father lets her do it then she will do it well. So today Aldo decided to let her do it.

Elena messed up the day's records and she was really confused. Previously she just had to tell Leo to manage and he would do it pretty efficiently so she had made up her mind that all this was easy and if Leo could do it, then she definitely could. Now that she was really held responsible she was making mistakes over and over again. The worst part was that she was getting overwhelmed by all of this.

Aldo didn't scold her for any of her mistakes nor did he correct her, he just observed.

Next Aldo took her to Mr.Albus for discussing new designs and the provisions of new raw materials. She finally regained her calm and talked with Mr.Albus and contracted a new deal with them. She bought the contract parchment to father.

Aldo looked through them, saying in an unentertained manner, "In both city X and here, designs similar to the jewelry sets Mr.Albus has showed you, already exist. They have only recently been falling out of sales. You have written in this contract that you will provide 3 months worth of raw materials for their production, in essence, no return on investment."

"But father, I .. how am I supposed to even know that?"

"When your brother went to city X, the first thing he did was scout the market. I am sure you didn't go there for touring right? So maybe instead of plotting and planning behind your brother's back you should have gained some knowledge and experience."

Elena's face turned red with embarrassment as she looked at father with her head down. It seemed that father knows of her feats but she can't give up yet.

"Give me one more chance father I will prove to you that I am capable."