As Aecilia sat there, poised to take drastic action, the mayor understood that if she chose to kill him in this very moment, no one would lift a finger against her.
Her noble lineage would afford her impunity, cloaking her in a veil of protection that would remain unchallenged.
Justice was a distant illusion in this Empire.
The royal family had long shown a blatant bias toward nobility, favoring the powerful over the common folk.
This bias, so deeply woven into the fabric of the Empire's justice system, was cleverly masked, leaving the populace to believe that the royals were committed to punishing misdeeds committed by the aristocracy. Read latest stories on mvl
And so, here he was, the mayor, hands clasped tightly together, making a desperate attempt to compose himself.
After all, being part of the system, he was more aware of how this world worked, not unlike those keyboard warriors or people on social media who judge what they see or hear.
"I..." he began, his voice faltering.
But he quickly silenced himself, realizing that disturbing Aecilia any further would only exacerbate the already volatile situation.
Life was paramount; as long as he lived, he could tell his tale and perhaps navigate this situation alive.
:: Mayor? What's going on? I hope you understand that my time is valuable. ::
As Avendial heard the tone in the caller's voice, he was reminded of himself in days gone by—when he invested every ounce of energy into his ventures, fully comprehending the significance of time.
Every moment was precious to him, and he had made a commitment to avoid wasting a single second in pursuit of financial gain.
The words from the head of the Diego family brought back memories of how he once shared the same mindset.
Understanding this connection, he chose not to take offense; instead, he recognized the 'gift' he could provide him.
Continuing, he responded, "Yes, I do understand, but I wanted to inform you that the William family has requested my assistance in obtaining permission for a processing unit."
:: What? Then why are you contacting me? ::
The voice on the other end sounded bewildered, caught off guard by the unusual protocol of reaching out to him instead of the William family, who should have been the ones making such a request.
"Mr. Diego, it pertains to a processing unit intended for currency paper," Avendial explained.
He was well aware that even if there were familial ties between the two households given the declaration of engagement between both of their children, the heads of those families were ultimately the ones who determined matters such as these.
He also understood that, despite any personal connections, the distinction between business and private life was critical—especially from his understanding of those who had walked that path before.
Upon hearing his words about time being valuable to him, Avendial quickly categorized Mr. Diego as a person who favored business dealings over personal friendships.
He proceeded to lay out the details and awaited Diego's reaction.
:: I'll contact you later, Mayor—beeeeppp. ::
As the call ended abruptly, Avendial glanced at his own phone, noting the way the connection had been severed.
It seemed likely that the device was broken on Diego's end, a response he had anticipated.
"Mayor, may we have an honest discussion about the actions that are required moving forward?" Avendial said, placing the phone down and approaching the mayor.
Avendial pushed that thought aside, focusing on his immediate priority.
"How are you?" Avendial inquired directly, forgoing any pretense about how he obtained her number, as he didn't see the need for such subtleties in this moment.
:: P-Professor Aven!? Where are you?! ::
The frantic voice erupted from the other side, bringing Aria to a sudden halt in her tracks as she was on her way to the director's office.
She was taken aback, questioning the whereabouts of the professor who had abruptly resigned and disappeared.
"Me? Just busy with work. I was trying to reach you earlier to inform you that, if my memory serves me right, in a few days, the Diego family is contacting the Nightcrawlers regarding an assassination attempt on your father—"
Screeech
Just as Avendial was about to finalize his sentence, the car he was in screeched to a halt, forced to brake suddenly.
"Huh... what the?" Avendial exclaimed, jolted by the sudden stop of the vehicle.
He instinctively cut the call, mindful of the phone that had slipped from his grasp as he steadied himself, then turned to face Aecilia.
"Sorry?" Aecilia asked, her voice tinged with tension as she halted the vehicle.
She felt her mouth twitch in disbelief as she turned to Marquess, who had just mentioned "night crawlers" in reference to targeting the William family.
For her, it was clear: The marquess intended to use nightcrawlers for his purposes.
Her lips parted in shock as she continued, "First it was Driver, then the assistant, then Henchman, and now? You expect me to become a killer!?"
"What?" Avendial was momentarily taken aback.
He had anticipated a straightforward rejection, but her outrage stemmed not from the prospect of Nightcrawlers not being used, but from being treated as a driver, assistant, and so on.
He let out a resigned sigh, picking up the phone again, feeling somewhat satisfied that the call had dropped mid-sentence.
This would reinforce his point and demonstrate urgency to Aria.
Now focusing on Aecilia, he needed to offer her something so that he wasn't an employer who exploited his employees without rewarding them.
He stared blankly ahead, contemplating his next words before adding,"Today is your day. Take me wherever you want. I have a day off, but I want you to do some work for me."
'!'
"...hm, now we're talking," Aecilia replied, her expression shifting as she registered his offer.
A smirk crept onto her face as she redirected her gaze to the road.
Without hesitation, she released the brake; her foot slammed down on the accelerator as she shifted gears, completely unfazed by the engine's roar.
VROOOM
The car shot forward, screaming to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.
The air ripped around them, filled with the scent of burning rubber as she declared, "Let's first go to the hotel."