game chapter 2

“Thrilled to have another woman to flirt with, I suppose.” He was openly fond of beautiful women. It was nothing new, so everyone reacted with indifference.

“You know I’m kidding, right?”

“Of course.”

Raphelt was sulking and poking my cheek when, speak of the devil, a report came from downstairs.

“Looks like the new recruit has arrived.”

As Raphelt tried to pull me up in a hug, I gave him another shove, sending him stumbling. He recovered quickly, practically skipping out of the room with excitement.

Downstairs, a woman was being escorted to the reception room. Yansi Habanera, the heroine of the original story. To describe her in clichéd terms, she was a beauty with porcelain skin, cascading waves of rose-colored hair, and captivating violet eyes. Despite her elegant and demure appearance, she used her charm offensively to approach the four men, pushing the game firmly into mature territory.

“She’s gorgeous,” Raphelt whispered excitedly. I shrugged him off and followed Yansi. Becoming an attendant to a high-ranking Absinthe executive involved a complicated interview process. Confidentiality agreements were a given, but assessing a candidate’s trustworthiness was paramount, requiring them to sign a lifelong contract during the interview. The contract stated: “You shall not divulge any matters occurring within the organization to the outside world, maintaining silence as the fundamental principle. Violation of this oath will result in forfeiture of your life.” It was Omertà, the vow of silence, a blood oath.

“What are you two doing here?” A melodious voice echoed from behind. Turning around, I saw Scior, as expected. Little was known about this handsome young man with jet-black hair and sapphire eyes. His age and personality remained enigmatic. He was the complete opposite of Raphelt, who seemed to thrive on making his presence known.

“We heard the new attendant was arriving, so we came to take a look.”

Scior gave us a knowing look before turning away. Then, he spoke to me again, “The boss wants me to whip you into shape, so training starts today. Be in my room at 10 pm.”

“What, 10 pm? Are you kidding me? What are you going to teach a kid at that hour?” Raphelt exploded. I held up a hand to calm him down. I had no idea what kind of “training” Scior had in mind, but there was no need to jump to conclusions. The time and location were unsettling, but it might not be a big deal. “It could just be a continuation of those weird hallucination lessons.”

As the three of us continued chatting, the reception room door opened, revealing Yansi and Kal. “Make yourselves acquainted. This is Yansi Odette, the newest member of our family.” Kal Martin, the organization’s underboss and my direct superior, stepped aside to introduce her.

“Hello.” Yansi’s cool gaze swept over us before she offered a captivating smile and bowed her head. For a fleeting moment, our eyes met and then parted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Yansi Odette.”

***

Despite my aversion to overly affectionate displays, there was one man I actively fawned over: Kal Martin. I liked him from the start. As Absinthe’s second-in-command, he possessed a gentle charisma, and unlike the ruthless slaughter preferred by others, he showed mercy when possible. I genuinely liked him, like an older brother. So much so, that I sometimes called him “brother” and followed him around, expressing my fondness.

“Ren, she’s around your age, so get along.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Don’t think of her as a subordinate, but as a colleague you can rely on.”

“Of course.” Besides, I wasn’t used to bossing people around.

As always, the handsome Kal Martin patted my head before returning to his office. I truly intended to get along with Yansi. The vast mansion was predominantly male, with very few women, so I’d been feeling a little lonely. I knew that one of the reasons Kal chose Yansi from the many applicants was out of consideration for me.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Yansi offered a bright, heroine-worthy smile and bowed.

“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Ren Maharani, but you can call me Ren.”

She smiled briefly before turning to Raphelt and engaging him in a lively conversation. She was remarkably sociable. After observing their friendly exchange for a moment, I realized I was playing the awkward third wheel. “Come to think of it…” With her troubled past, Yansi was naturally drawn to the cheerful and outgoing Raphelt. First impressions mattered. So, I, the interloper, would excuse myself. I heard Raphelt calling my name from behind, his voice clinging like syrup, but I ignored him. I headed towards the glass greenhouse, a project I’d been diligently tending to, hoping for some fresh air. Inside, I cultivated hallucinogenic herbs and unsettling flowers—part of my job description.

Creak, clang.

Someone was already inside the greenhouse when I opened the door. Suddenly an intruder once again, I sighed as soon as I saw the other person’s face.

“Uh… hi.”

“.…”

Muscalt. The final piece of the ending puzzle. He was… an unusual character. He wore a bizarre headpiece—a grotesque monster mask with an elongated snout and four crimson eyes, two on each side. Indoors, he usually paraded around shirtless, wearing only pants. Thankfully, we were outside, so he had a white shirt on, although it was unbuttoned, revealing his toned, bare chest. Because of the mask, it was impossible to tell what his expression was. He held a spray bottle in one hand, watering the flowers, and stared down at me as I entered the greenhouse.