Disclaimer: The characters within this story all belong to writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata.
Warnings: Character death.
Summary: L visits a noble house to sell some of his merchandise, but when he finds himself in a rather unwanted position.
Completed: January 18, 2010
Ensconced by a Will
by: Kagome-reincarnation
"M'lord," L spoke before the man he'd come to in the hopes of selling some of his wares. "I have come to request an audience with you that you might –"
L was cut off by some strongly violent coughing. Looking up, his already wide eyes grew even wider as he took in the sight of the lord to whom he'd come to sell coughing up blood. Immediately, he'd turned on his heel before moving speedily towards the door. To the guards posted just outside, he spoke quietly, having not wanted to call out and raise a ruckus.
"Call a doctor," he said abruptly. "Lord Watari is coughing up blood." A retching sound from behind him and a quick glance had him amending his statement. "Lord Watari is vomiting blood."
L remained with the lord as they awaited a physician. Three of the man's servants had joined him, all of them his junior by several years. Interestingly, he noted, they all had radically different appearances. While one was blonde with a rather nasty look in his eyes – L noted that he shouldn't run afoul of that one if he wanted his wares to come away without being scavenged – there was also a fearfully apathetic albino and a redhead who hovered over the lord, obviously greatly concerned.
It couldn't have been more than twenty minutes before a physician was ushered into the room, but it certainly felt like ages. With nothing to say to the servants, and with them having nothing to say to him, the room had fallen into an awkward silence, though it was oft interrupted by the blonde's cursing. One oath, in particular, caught L's attention.
"Dammit, Watari, don't you dare fucking die," the boy muttered under his breath as he paced to and fro before the man's prone and coughing body.
L thought it was of interest that these servants – that was how they'd introduced themselves – were obviously far closer to Lord Watari than he'd originally thought. Had it not been so, L was quite certain that the other two servants would have said something to silence the blonde. While he considered that it was possible that the blonde was special, he realized that they would have introduced themselves as such, and so he was left to assuming they were all favorites of the Lord Watari. Why else would any of the three be given allowance to speak in such coarse terms?
Suddenly, the doctor moved back from Lord Watari's body, a grim look on his face. L restrained himself from heaving a great sigh. He'd been hoping to make a profit here, but it seemed his plans had turned in on themselves. He'd not accounted for the Lord Watari's sickness – he hadn't known – and had lost some money in the venture.
All the same, etiquette was etiquette. He'd stay for the funeral and leave. As he was backing up to leave the room – preferably before the doctor spoke the fateful words and caused the lord and his three servants to howl or grieve – the elderly noble spoke, his voice hoarsened by his violent coughing fit.
"L," he summoned the merchant to him.
L froze, surprised. He'd been on the cusp of exiting and had not, in any way, been expecting to be called upon.
Still, following the rules of the service industry – to serve the client as best as one can – he stepped forward, returning to his position before the lord's untimely coughing fit.
"M'lord," L affirmed the man's summons. Unsure of whether he should attempt to pander his wares or await the lord's orders, he simply waited, his back hunching a bit though he realized that slouching before others was in bad taste. All the same, though, it was simply one of the things tended to happen when he was placed under stress. First his back would begin to hunch, and then he'd draw his legs up towards him when he sat. Then came the cravings for sweets and the odd manner of holding things… Yes, L under stress wasn't a normal person at all.
"Hear me," the lord coughed out. "I declare as my heir…" L had to restrain another sigh. The lord had required his presence as a witness? He'd been hoping that it was for a sale… Still, he supposed, the man was on his deathbed. L could afford to lend him his time and kindness.
"L."
Unsure that they'd heard correctly, no one spoke, thinking the elderly man would continue in his speech. He didn't. Concerned – and because this matter concerned him – L spoke, calling to the man.
"My lord," he beseeched him, "I do not believe I've heard you correctly."
"I declare L to be my heir," the lord repeated.
"You're out of your damned crackpot mind," the blonde said after another extended moment of awkward silence.
"Mello, you're not supposed to say things like that to dying people!" the redhead scolded. L raised an eyebrow. This was hardly the conduct he'd expect at a man's deathbed.
The white haired boy remained silent, but L noted that it didn't seem so much out of respect for the sick man as it was for the fact that he was holding what looked to be some cards in his hands and was fiddling with them.
"My lord," L spoke again, "I am a traveling merchant. I couldn't possibly inherit your position!"
Lord Watari shook his head, stopping only to cough for a moment. "As a merchant, I presume you have spent much of your time conversing with clients such as peasants and nobles and other such beings," the lord began his explanation. "And your clothing shows that you have been successful." The lord nodded to the three servants in the room. "They are too young and are far too inexperienced to take over." After a moment, he heaved a sigh.
L opened his mouth to speak, but the lord continued his speech, a gleam in the old man's eyes. "Should you resist," he said, "You shall be commanded to the stocks and executed in the morning."
L promptly shut his mouth.
The old man nodded towards the three servants. "I expect you to aid him in his work," the lord said, "And you three alone have the duty of introducing L to Kira and continuing our work with him."
At that, L couldn't help but frown. Kira? That sounded suspiciously like a Western word that he'd recently heard. He supposed the mother simply had bad naming sense – who, after all, would name their child after a 'killer'?
Even as he thought these words, however, Lord Watari was coughing once more. The doctor pleaded with the old man to save his breathe and rest to live another day, but the lord waved him off.
"All else shall be done as indicated in my will."
Lord Watari fell into another coughing fit and the servants ushered L out of the room before returning to it. L didn't mind in the slightest. He was sure they wanted to ensure that they each had several minutes with the lord and he'd likely get in the way.
Despite the old man's claims, L planned out the route that he'd be taking the next day. He figured the lord would be well and as such would give him leave to go.
But Lord Watari died overnight and L found himself being moved to the old man's former chambers in the middle of the night.