Then, the broken door slowly opened, revealing a woman in a purple dress and high heels. Her long, silky purple hair cascaded down her back and bosom. It was Envy, accompanied by Koyuki, who wore a black jacket.
"Hello, Mr. Jackson... You seem to be enjoying yourself... Joy needs to be shared... I'm dying to know what you... are going to share...
with me," Envy said, her smile still friendly, but Viper sensed nothing but danger behind it. (Author's Note: Viper's real name is Markus Jackson.)
Gulp. "Lady Envy..." Viper swallowed nervously, the martini in his hand shaking violently. "I... I'll be exercising my right to a lawyer," he stammered, forcing a smile despite the intense fear gripping him.
"Oh my... do I look like a cop to you?" Envy asked, still smiling, but the air around Viper grew noticeably colder. Sweat poured down Viper's face, and Silencer felt a similar wave of fear. Viper, however, bore the full brunt of the enraged vampire's animosity from behind him.
That was the last anyone saw of Viper and Silencer.
According to the working women that are working at the party, they fell asleep and were later paid by a beautiful black-haired woman in a black jacket. The woman explained that she and her companions needed to have a long talk with Viper and Silencer. The women were assured they would receive full payment for their services, plus a bonus for their unexpected interruption, and were told not to worry.
— Present —
*Yawn~~* Daniel let out a long yawn during Envy's lesson, only to be jolted awake by a chalk hitting his head.
"Student Emberweave, please pay attention in class," Envy scolded after hitting her beloved with the chalk. Daniel rubbed his forehead where the chalk had landed, while the class, including his daughter Sylvana, laughed at him.
"Ugh... This is so embarrassing," he muttered under his breath.
"Hahaha, Papa got poked!" Sylvana giggled at Daniel's misfortune, causing him to sigh. Even his own daughter was laughing at him.
Yes, Daniel had promised Envy that he would study the fundamental knowledge about modern mage society and the Curtained World. He wholeheartedly agreed with her assessment that he was a bit too gullible about the current state of affairs and its history and its relatable knowledge.
The incident where he got duped by Viper would've never happened if he were aware of the affair and the history of the mage society and the Curtained World.
[Wait... Envy fought against the most popular religious faction in the world, such as the Vatican, and won!? Even after they rallied their followers to hunt all the mages!? And by killing enough people in Europe, most of whom were followers of Christianity! Damn... she's more ruthless than I thought when the situation calls for it,] Daniel thought to himself as he listened to the lesson.
As Daniel listened to the lecture, time passed until it was 3 PM and the school day ended. Envy assigned the students homework to research the history of the Curtained World and present the most fascinating part of Hightower's history to her at their next meeting.
"How was your third class, Student Emberweave?" Envy walked toward Daniel, asking hi mwit ha teasing tone after all the students had left the classroom except little Sylvana, who was sitting on Daniel's lap.
"It was okay, Teacher Envy, but there's something I wanted to know that wasn't covered in the lecture," Daniel said, humoring his beloved teacher roleplay.
"Oh? What's that?" Envy asked, curious about her lover's question.
"The mage clans and families that helped you build the Hightower. Are any of them still around today?" he asked.
"There is, but only one remains. The others perished in wars or experiments gone wrong that drove them mad, resulting in another war with the Vatican. We had no choice but to join forces with the Vatican to eliminate the threat," Envy explained.
"You're being very specific here, Envy," Daniel noted.
"Yes, I am. It's because they were very powerful. Let me think... um... which family was it? Ah, yes!
The Osman family, from Turkey," Envy answered, hitting her hand with her fist as she remembered the name.
"Osman!? The Ottoman Empire's last royal dynasty!?" Daniel was alarmed.
"Yes, the very same," Envy nodded.
"Then what about the founding family that's still around today?" he asked. This was the question he most wanted answered. He wanted to know who they were in case they got in his way, and since they were one of Hightower's founding families, they must be quite powerful. He wanted to be prepared.
"Oh, it's the Beaumont family. They're a very long line of powerful mages, but they mostly keep to themselves and don't vie for power or resources. However, if someone were to poke their nose where they don't belong, especially within the Beaumont family business or what they consider a family secret, their fate never ends well," Envy said.
"What do they do? I mean, do they have any business or some kind of special magic?" Daniel asked.