9 BeneV(i)olence ( 2 )

"Achoo!"

Nyx sneezed while pushing a wheelbarrow of coal. "So dusty," she muttered, rubbing her finger under her nose.

She heard Emma giggle beside her, and Dave took one look before remarking, "What a mustache, Nyx. I can't recognize you anymore."

"Huh?..." Nyx asked as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Emma had tried her best to suppress her laughter until then, but Nyx's coal unibrow was the finisher, sending Emma and the others into a fit of cackles.

"Be quiet!" the stern voice of the guard came from behind. The group hushed, continuing their work, but it didn't dampen their jolly mood.

Seeing their smiles, Nyx recalled Kal's face last night. His smirk changing into frustration was priceless, making Nyx's lips curl up strangely as she tried to hide her laughter.

"Yah, what are you thinking?" Emma nudged her. "You have a creepy grin..."

"Hm?... Kal..." Nyx absentmindedly mumbled as she bent down to pick up a coal. Emma's expression froze for a split moment.

"Does he have green eyes?" Emma inquired after controlling her expression.

"Yeah?" Nyx looked at Emma, who then nudged her secretly as they poured coals onto the conveyer belt.

Emma frowned and whispered, "Nyx, stay away from him. I heard that he shoved a girl over food recently." Her words caused Nyx to stare at her.

'Recently'?' Nyx slowly raised a brow as she thought. Pausing for a moment, she asked Emma, "But doesn't he have food delivered to him?"

Emma didn't appear to expect Nyx's questioning as the girl's eyes shifted under Nyx's gaze.

Finally, Emma responded after clearing her throat, "I meant I heard it from a rumor."

Nodding calmly, Nyx appeared to understand, but inwardly, Kalani's comment from last night reverberated in her brain.

'Don't trust anyone...'

...

"As Atlantis has to prepare the arena for upcoming fights, refreshments have been prepared in the ballroom for your enjoyment. The butlers here are your guides so don't hesitate to ask for assistance! We shall see you in about thirty minutes!"

The announcement cut shortly after, causing the hushed crowd to become instantly clamorous as the aristocrats moved from the stadium to the adjoining ballroom.

But in another location, filled with wires haphazardly connecting to a large screen, the chair in front of the device swiveled around slowly, revealing a man slouched on the seat.

The man massaged his temples before speaking, "Natalie, my vocal chords feel like they are gonna die."

His words elicited a low chuckle from the black-haired woman leisurely laying on the couch nearby. Taking the smoking pipe off her cherry lips, she responded, "I told you I should have taken over, but you were insistent. Now do you regret it?"

Getting up, the man walked over and sat down next to her. Leaning his head against her shoulder, he then playfully tickled the woman.

Natalie let out a yelp of surprise before glaring at him, "Spencer! Don't!" Spencer only grinned slyly in response.

She pinched his cheeks while letting out a huff, but she wasn't able to stay mad for long. He put on the most endearing expression on his face that she had to give him a peck on the cheek.

"We have to go, Spencer," the lady remarked after kissing him and stood up from the couch, "The guests are waiting." Spencer pouted and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I wish we didn't have to go," he murmured hoarsely as he hugged her. "I want to stay with you more."

"What are you talking about? I'm going to be right next to you when we greet them," Natalie lightly chuckled as she smoothed her pale white dress.

"But it's not you..." he mumbled softly.

Natalie glanced at him, "Did you say something hubby?"

"Said you were as beautiful as a swan, as deli—cate..." Spencer's voice abruptly cracked, sending Natalie doubling over in laughter. He didn't know whether to cover his face with his hands first or laugh; the mixture of embarrassment and joy created a strange smile on his face.

After she could no longer laugh anymore, Natalie wiped the tears in the corners of her eyes and ruffled his brown hair lovingly.

"You always make me smile," she said before kissing him on the lips. "Now, we have stayed long enough here. Stop being a baby..."

"One more..." Spencer muttered before kissing her again, ruining the lipstick she had just put on. Then he shot up from his seat, running away before she could smack him.

Despite their ring around the rosie about the table, somehow the two were able to become presentable.

Finally, Natalie relented and stopped chasing since her high heels were killing her.

"You okay?..." she heard her husband say beside her. He bent down to examine before sweeping her off her feet in a surprise attack. "Don't worry, I'll carry you!"

Although, instead of getting angry like he expected, his wife leaned against his chest. "Until we get there..." she hummed, rubbing her head like a kitten against him.

With his eyes crinkling at the corners, Spencer replied softly, "Anything for you."

Carrying her in his arms, the man blissfully strolled out together into the hallway.

...

In the dazzling ballroom, the bald man, appearing much more hale now, was conversing well with several senior aristocrats as his flair in humor amused them, his rotund belly even shaking with laughter at his own jokes.

On the other side, a flock of women gathered around a tall youth, appearing to be enthralled by his handsome looks.

Just then, a small commotion broke out when the hosts of the event had appeared. Many aristocrats swamped the couple, hoping to get into their good books; however, the escorts nearby politely removed them, giving the hosts some breathing space.

As the excitement died down, the young man approached the couple and introduced himself as Ben, a newcomer to the circle.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ben. You may call me Natalie, and this is my husband Spencer," she introduced themselves with a polite smile. Spencer and Ben shook hands in greeting, and Ben bowed slightly towards Natalie as per tradition for married women.

"I was extremely impressed by the show; especially, the pair of boys in the beginning gave me the chills at how spectacular the fight was!" Ben complimented, his voice seeming sincere. "And I hope I'm not being rude, but I wonder if you could tell me where Atlantis purchases such high quality slaves."

The couple were fine with his first remark; however, Ben noticed how on guard they were once he mentioned the slaves. Although, they controlled their expressions quickly, making them difficult to read.

"I can introduce you to some of my friends; they have excellent goods that you can choose from," Natalie explained, sharing some information while pointing out several nobles among the crowd.

Her husband then responded albeit a bit hoarsely, "The rose-dressed lady near the desserts is a more suitable person to ask in these matters." Hearing the strain in his voice, Natalie prodded him discreetly to stop speaking.

"Ahem, my apologies, my voice is a bit strained from the long commentary, so it is hard for me to speak right now," Spencer excused himself with a smile.

"Of course, I hope that your voice will recover soon," Ben nodded understandably. "Thank you for your time; I shall not impose on you both any longer." The youth touched the Karst symbol on the lapel of his suit and bowed slightly, indicating the end of their conversation.

As Ben walked away, Natalie pulled her husband to the wall of the room. "You think he is suspicious?" she softly questioned him.

Pulling a tiny booklet out of his pocket, Spencer wrote, "A bit... The police has been more active lately, so the higher-ups have warned me to stay alert for any new people. I'm sure Sofia can confirm whether he is problematic or not."

Natalie hummed in approval.

...

Conversing with those individuals, Ben gradually turned his sights to the rose-dressed lady with the silver mask. Stepping closer, he was able to strike up a conversation with her.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance; I am Sofia," the lady said in a soft-spoken voice while casually readjusting her silver mask.

"It's my pleasure also... I was told by the hosts that you are very knowledgeable in certain people's matters." Ben shrewdly insinuated. Her eyes curved into crescents once he mentioned the hosts.

"Oh my, you flatter me. I do try my best to be up-to-date; however, I fear that I am not as well versed as you may believe." Sofia chuckled while covering her mouth with her slender hand. "Come with me. I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge," she soothingly whispered as she led him out the ballroom and into a quiet lounge.

Motioning to a furnished couch, Sofia sat down on the opposite couch facing toward the other. Ben seated himself before allowing his eyes to wander the place. Just when he was about to speak, a boy in the corner caught his eye.

The teenager was clean but thin, and due to his lowered head, his black hair hung over his eyes, hiding it from sight.

Perceiving Ben's curiosity, Sofia snapped her fingers, and the boy approached them.

With those beautiful emerald eyes and a mole barely below the right end of his lip, Ben had to admit the young man was handsome, but the more he gazed at the boy's eyes... the more uncomfortable he felt.

It reminded him distinctly of a dead person, forcing Ben to avert his eyes.

"You may not have recognized him, but this was the boy during the second round of the arena," Sofia said with a smile. "His name is Kalani..."

Ben changed his expression to one of admiration. "So you were the owner of this magnificent slave! I was about to search for you, so I could hear your opinions about the best place to purchase high-end slaves like yours."

"I'm delighted to hear," she responded. "But depending on your situation, I can recommend different places that will fulfill your needs."

"I need well-abled slaves to work in a certain area; unfortunately, I can't delve into those matters in detail," Ben spoke and placed a finger over his lips.

Sofia understood, but her aim was to confirm the validity of his purpose. Although despite her expertise, Sofia was unable to receive a clear answer on his situation no matter how much she probed.

Then an announcement was broadcasted. "Atlantis has finished its preparations; we thank you all for being patient with us and hope you continue to enjoy the show."

Sofia let out a soft sigh, "I guess this is farewell, Sir Ben."

"It was my pleasure to meet you," Ben bowed and kissed the front of Sofia's hand politely before leaving the lounge. Standing next to Sofia, Kalani stared at the man's retreating back silently.

"Why does he feel familiar?..." the boy mused.