My gift to you, dear readers.
Longest chapter so far.
I don't own KHR.
The music in the ballroom overpowered the chatters of the people present inside. The night was still young and not even one among the crowd was planning to call it a day. Young teenagers were playing in their group, while some discussed about their activities.
"Lord Lampo," A lady with blonde hair tied in an updo approached the green haired young man behind. Her emerald dress accentuated her eyes, making her look more elegant.
The young man with green hair turned to face the owner of the voice who greeted him. He wore his usual white dress shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Lady Kaye," His eyes narrowed at the sight of the girl beside the one who greeted him.
A girl with black hair tied in a loose low bun, with some strands cascading freely gave Lampo a customary curtsey. She wore a light blue dress and a faint make-up. Lampo's green eyes widened at how strange it was.
"Lady Selena?"
Selena moved forward towards Lampo. "You're already a young adult, Lampo." She scolded as she pulled him towards her using his collar. "You should know how to at least look presentable in formal occasions such as this." She ran a hand on the sleeves of his white flannel shirt downwards, hands almost touching his.
Lampo blinked at the gesture, a hand scratching the back of his head. "Really, Lady Selena." He watched her back disappear in the crowd. "First Alaude-san, then Selena-san." He muttered under his breath. "They come one after the other, and to think today is my rest day." He whined, striding down the aisle towards the balcony. "Father even ordered me to go to this party held by Lord Rusi." He opened the glass doors that led towards the balcony, eyes searching for two familiar faces.
"About time for you to arrive," G appeared beside the door, back leaning against the wall.
Giotto was on the other side. "Sorry about this, Lampo."
"No kidding," Lampo started which made him earn a smack from G. "Ack! That hurts, G-san!" He complained. "Why is Selena-san attending this party if Lady Kaye is already here?"
G rolled his eyes. "Annoying as always."
Giotto's brows furrowed. "Stop that, G." He reprimanded the red head. "Lampo, I have a favour to ask."
Lampo blinked in anticipation.
O~O~O
"Where had Kaye gone to?" Selena asked to herself, eyes searching for her sister as she walked. She turned to her right. A kid suddenly ran to her direction, another following suit. She took a step back to dodge the other kid only to bump someone from behind.
Selena winced in pain when her head bumped with the man's back. "Damn…" She muttered before turning to the person she just bumped. "Please forgive-" The sight of a white haired man welcomed her, eyes possessing those sharp stale blue orbs. "Alaude!" Her lips curved up in a smile.
Alaude's sharp eyes widened at the sight of a familiar friend, but he regained his composure.
Alaude and Selena stayed at the corner of the ballroom where most people didn't bother crowding into. Either they were at the center, discussing things with the influential people present, or they were forming groups of their own.
Selena blinked as she looked around, a few steps ahead of Alaude who was leaning against the wall. "I thought you hate participating in large crowds."
Alaude's eyes travelled from one person to another, a predatory glint present in those orbs. "What are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed at Selena's back. He heard a chuckle escape the girl's throat.
"I came here to accompany my sister, of course." But Alaude knew better than that. "Besides, Pri-" Selena's eyes widened at the sight of a familiar man wearing a tail coat, a hand occupied with a tray of glass filled with burgundy liquid. She wasn't able to finish her sentence in panic. She looked at him over her shoulder, brows furrowing. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She only said, taking a cautious glance to her right, where she last saw the man before going to the opposite direction where a sea of crowd awaits.
Alaude's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
A man with a tail coat followed with hurried strides to the direction where Selena had gone through.
O~O~O
Lampo heaved a sigh as he rode the carriage. The night was still young, and a lot will happen in that span. It was a bad omen… seeing Alaude at that party, and then Selena. He let out another sigh. "Geez, I'm still a kid and they push me around always." He ran a hand through his locks with his free hand while the other opened the carriage's window to at least have some fresh air inside.
Though halved, the moon's light was enough to illuminate their path. The journey from the castle to the house where Primo told him to go was short. "At least I'm out of that boring party." He muttered, eyes watching the fireflies travel through the night.
The carriage's speed was enough to create a refreshing breeze that Lampo enjoyed.
After a few minutes, the peaceful ambiance was short lived. The carriage halted in the middle of the town square, barely reaching the destination. Lampo, who was slouching, straightened as he slid open the small window connecting him to the driver. "What's wrong? The great Lampo shouldn't be delayed." He cockily told the driver.
"Lord Lampo!" The driver exclaimed, panicking.
Lampo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He opened the carriage's door before taking a peek outside. He heaved another sigh. "I better get this work done, or Primo will be angry at me." He muttered as he went outside.
O~O~O
Selena slipped through the crowd, hoping that the person she spotted wouldn't find her. She took the long way to the exit of the ballroom since there were a lot of people gathering in that area. If a dance would take place, her assassination by the previous enemies wouldn't be a problem. The music will mask the noise of the weapon, and people will inevitably have contact with each other. No one would notice until the body has fallen to the ground.
The mission was for the retrieval of Franco's box, and then Lady Gabrielle came in the picture requesting them to save her father. If Giotto wasn't-
-The sound of hurried footsteps approaching her snapped her out of her thoughts. Selena was sweating cold sweat out of nervousness. The thrill of a chase was promising…if this was no life and death situation.
Selena successfully exited the ballroom, and was hurrying towards the exit of the house. The assassin, however, was lurking behind. She could feel it. The suspicious silence covering the hallway that she passed by was enough to make the hairs on her back stand on their ends.
She clutched on the pistol that G gave her in case of some emergency. Her weapon cannot be easily concealed with the kind of dress she wore. A trained assassin can conceal even the sounds of his footsteps, so when she heard the tapping of her follower's shoes, her heart skipped a beat. He was nearby, ready for the kill.
She increased her pace, her breathing struggled. She turned to a corner, only to find an area filled with doors leading to the rooms of the staff.
Footsteps were becoming louder and Selena grabbed a handful of her skirt, slightly pulled it up and ran. She turned to another corner only for a pair of strong hands to pull her towards a dark room.
O~O~O
G and Giotto slipped in the ballroom, staying in the darkest area to prevent being seen by the butler of the household. They cautiously searched for their companion who was blending in the crowd of aristocrats from behind the pillar.
"Can you see her, G?" Giotto asked a bit uneasy. His hyper intuition was acting on him again, and this time, it was giving him a bad feeling about this night's outcome.
G clicked his tongue against his teeth. "She's nowhere to be found." The red head's eyes travelled to the crowd once again in search for their comrade.
They heard the clicking of heels against the floor slowly approached them. Both men concealed themselves behind the pillar, a bead of cold sweat trickling down their cheek. Giotto gulped in anticipation while G closed his eyes as he tried to make his breathing as steady as possible.
"Selena went outside a few moments ago." For once, both men were flooded with relief at the sound of Kaye's voice entering their ears. Kaye leaned her back against the pillar, so people won't be suspicious. She raised the glass filled with burgundy liquid to her lips.
"She's not doing her job if she went out." G groaned in irritation. Of all times for Selena to be-
-"You don't understand." Kaye swirled the glass, eyes focused on the liquid.
G knew that she wasn't the kind to just leave her part. Yes, because deep down, even though he hated her guts, he held a certain respect for the girl… especially when it comes to missions like this where her influence and her ability to blend in the crowd to gather information were needed. A part of him hoped that she just abandoned the mission, which is unlikely, and for once thought of her safety.
Giotto's brows furrowed. "Is something wrong, Lady Kaye?" He asked, knowing too well that Selena wouldn't leave her responsibility.
"I thought that the butler looked familiar when I first saw him." People started gathering at the center of the ballroom, each with respective partners. The lights were focused on the group of dancers at the center while the crowd watched as they were basked in the darkness. "He's Lord Sergeil's personal assistant." The music started playing signalling the start of the dance. "Listen, Giotto, G, he was chasing Selena."
G and Giotto shared a look. "We better hurry, Giotto."
"Wait." Kaye stopped the two from going. "She was able to gather information from the other nobles, some I know of, and the others I remain ignorant. But from her analysis, she told me, that Lord Lorenzo, Lord Sergeil's older brother who is the true lord of this land, is being held captive. A few moments from now, Lord Sergeil will come out and present himself to everyone."
G and Giotto got out, without bothering to hide since the crowd was occupied with the dance at the center.
Kaye watched their retreating form. Take care. She thought before rejoining the crowd.
G and Giotto stealthily ran through the hallway, searching for their comrade, and the lord of the land if ever he was there.
They opened the rooms they passed by, hoping that Selena was hiding there. Finally they approached the last room. G opened it.
Giotto and G's eyes widened at the sight of something familiar.
O~O~O
Peter opened the doors leading to the guest rooms. When he found that a room was empty, he would close the door and search for the intruder in another room. His gloved hand held a short dagger dipped with a deadly poison.
He opened the last room in the aisle, certain that his target was hiding there. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a usual bedroom. He proceeded towards the cabinet and opened the doors, but found it empty. He knew she was nearby. The balcony's curtains were open, and not even a shadow of a person was there. He deemed this room was clean and left, the sound of the clicking of the door echoing inside.
From the balcony, Selena's grip on the hand of the person covering her mouth slackened. She heaved a sigh of relief when her assailant exited the room. The person behind her removed his hand from her mouth and removed his hand from her waist. "That was close, Alaude." Selena said in a gentle voice.
Alaude only looked away.
"Thank you for saving me." Selena smiled gratefully at him.
Alaude glanced at her before opening the door of the balcony to go back inside. "It seems that Primo intervened in this matter."
Selena nodded. "You know something, don't you?"
The door opened before Alaude could even reach out for the doorknob. His eyes narrowed into slits, pushing the door close as he grabbed Selena's wrist and half pulled, half dragged her towards the balcony for an escape.
Selena knew the moment that she saw a tail coat and the blade that glistened as the moon's rays hit it. She tried to catch up with Alaude's pace but the heels restricted her from doing so.
Peter's eyes narrowed at the two figures running away from the castle. The other one wasn't noticeable in the dark, but the dress, though the moon's light was covered by clouds, was still noticeable. Who would even miss a puffy sky blue skirt?
He aimed his pistol at them and indiscriminately fired at the direction where the two were. Satisfied when he saw that she wasn't moving anymore, he nodded and went back inside. He would check if the party was undisturbed, and then he will burn traces of a murder.
Selena and Alaude hid behind the tree, waiting for a few minutes just to make sure that he wasn't there. The black haired girl heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at the torn cloth of her dress lying helplessly on the clearing.
If it wasn't for Alaude's quick thinking, though she was taken by surprise when he ripped off a part of her lower skirt and pulled her behind the tree's trunk, then she must have been with that cloth.
"Thank you for saving me, Alaude." Selena turned to him, only to be facing his back as he slowly walked away.
"Hurry up. It's bad enough that I have to group with you people." Alaude coldly answered as he let her caught up with him. He clicked his tongue against his teeth as he removed his black coat and offered it to her. It's not a nice sight for a girl to be walking with tattered clothes at night.
Selena took it and turned to Alaude gratefully. He saved her not only once but a lot of times. "Thanks." She only chuckled as she increased her pace.
O~O~O
"Who's there?!" A man with a wavy brunette hair that looked up haphazardly. His foot was chained to the bed post while his arms were restrained by a thick rope. His face had shown novelty and at the same time, oppression. Weariness was evident in his eyes… in his body.
Giotto was the first one to go inside. G followed, cautiously closing the door of the room.
The blonde's brows furrowed at the sight of the man's suffering. How could they badly treat someone who-
-Selena's words came back to Giotto at the realization. He bit his lower lip as he clenched his fists. Will it satiate their hunger for power just to sit in that throne and wear that golden crown even if it meant harming someone so close as sharing the same blood that dwell within the body?
G took a step forward and crouched down in front of the man to unbind him. "Please don't panic." He muttered as he examined the man's shackled foot.
The man whose eyes seemed to be dull before has some light, hope perhaps, flickering within those blue orbs. "Who are you?"
Giotto walked towards G, who was busy trying to use a blade to free the man from the shackle, to help the red head. The blonde smiled at the man. "Someone asked by your daughter to free you." Giotto trusted his hyper intuition. "I am Giotto, and this person beside me is my friend, G." He pointed at the red head. "We're part of the vigilante known as the Vongola."
Tears sprung out of the man's eyes. "Vongola? G-Gabrielle?" Somehow, relief flooded in his system and that was enough to give him strength. "How is she?"
A click surfaced, and the shackle opened. G smirked triumphantly at his work as he rose up, satisfied.
Giotto's smile turned to a frown. "An assassination attempt was done yesterday. However, we managed to save her. She's currently in one of Lord Conti's rest house in your town, Lord Leonardo." He informed the noble who sighed.
Leonardo staggered as he tried to at least make his way to the door. "I have to stop my brother."
Giotto held the man's shoulder when his body couldn't make it pass the bed post. "But sir, you body is still weak."
"Most of the household staff is your brother's men." G intervened, hands on his pocket, toying with the unlit cigarette on his mouth. "It's a miracle that your daughter lived for a span of six months after you went for your 'vacation'… so he says." He added bluntly.
Lorenzo looked down, another sigh leaving his lips. "The night when I left, I discovered something that I shouldn't have."
Giotto and G looked at each other then turned their attention to the noble.
"Sergeil was funding an underground experiment." The older man continued. "He tried to make me work with them, but I refused. The experiment is… no, not even the most malicious man out there would think of doing it. It's a devil's act." His brows furrowed upon remembering the cries, the smell of blood of pure children being shed, and the sight of people asking for mercy. "That was when he decided that it will be better if he take this land from me. He said that the experiment will help us, a weak town, defend ourselves from the neighbouring, much powerful lands."
Rumours of experiments had been proven, it seemed. Giotto's lips turned to a thin line as he clenched his fists.
G remembered the kidnapping cases, and the dead people who were murdered in such a brutal way in the papers. Perhaps they were connected.
"At first, he threatened me that if I don't leave this town, he would kill Gabrielle." Lorenzo clenched his fists as he tried to get up. "So I accepted his offer. But as time went by, we never got along, and that was when he started to change." Lorenzo's eyes narrowed at the memory. "I was out of town, until this morning. I woke up here." He covered his tear filled eyes. "My land has been suffering because of my selfishness."
G's gaze travelled to Giotto. In times like this, the right hand man was certain on what the boss wanted to do. "Oi, Primo, you're not thinking of-"
Giotto stepped forward, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "We'll help you take this land back from your brother."
G could only sigh at Giotto's actions. Words and tears and determination, mostly tears, are enough to move Giotto. "So troublesome…" He muttered under his breath as a small smile reached his face.
O~O~O
Alaude investigated the room of Lord Sergeil in search of some evidence that he might be part of the underground experiment that was reported to him. Selena came along with him, much to his annoyance. He looked up only to find her grabbing some clothes in the man's cabinet. "Oi, Selena, it's against the rules to steal."
Selena rolled her eyes as she went to the dresser. "Yes, and your coat isn't enough to cover my body." She stated in a matter of factly tone. "It's also against the rules that a lady of my status is wearing a man's coat with a tattered skirt almost revealing her underwear."
Alaude, if he weren't used to her cheeky remarks, would have cuffed her moments ago. But then, this was the person he met ten years ago, when they were in their teenage years, who was the first female to defy him. The first female who made him change his opinion about the female species that they could fight, though she couldn't beat him even if she use her full strength.
"It's a man's clothing, Selena."
Selena was behind the dresser when Alaude stated the obvious. "It's better than being half naked. Stop complaining, the man won't notice."
The two heard footsteps approaching the door from the outside. Selena hurriedly buttoned the last remaining buttons of the flannel shirt, and headed towards the door, a pistol within her grasps. The last thing they need is surprises and that butler was really going to get it if it was him.
The door opened, and Selena immediately grabbed the man by the collar, throwing the man inside. She pointed her gun at him, index finger ready to pull the trigger.
"Oi, Selena!" G's enraged voice welcomed her senses. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"
Selena blinked trying to make sense of what was happening. Now that she has a clearer view of who he was, she immediately rushed to Giotto.
Giotto was on his knees. "Selena, I'm glad you're all right."
Selena crouched beside Giotto and helped him get up. "I'm sorry, Giotto. It won't happen again."
Giotto only chuckled.
The two newcomers went inside the shut the door close. Alaude's eyes widened at the sight of the new face among the group. Looks like helping Selena had advantages, it seemed. He was looking for the same person. Order in this town had been off for the past few days, and Alaude hated it if the order is disrupted.
"You've been out of town for the past months, Lord Lorenzo." Alaude grabbed a handcuff from the holster. "Depending on your answer, you will be punished."
Giotto , G, and Selena turned to Alaude filled with alarm.
"Wait a second, Alaude!" Giotto raised his arm as if it would stop Alaude's decision.
"You can't just do that!" Selena said at the same time as she flailed her arms, thinking of how hard it was to find this man and the troubles that she had undergone.
"How dare you defy Primo?!" G said at the same time as well, as he showed the white haired man a fist, already pissed off at the current situation.
Lord Lorenzo laughed at the sight. The four younger ones looked at him.
Alaude glared daggers at the man. "What's so funny?" He asked.
"I'm sorry. How rude of me!" The brunette noble cleared his throat, and recovered his composure. "It's just, what are you thinking? A bunch of kids forming a vigilante in a world where adults take control of everything,"
Giotto was on his feet, thanks to Selena and faced the noble.
Lord Lorenzo looked down, a small smile forming in his lips. "It's some courage you gentlemen and lady have." He examined each carefully, his smile becoming wider. "There's some hope for this despicable world, after all." His gaze met with Giotto's, and somehow, there was hope within them.
Alaude slammed a drawer close, satisfied on the flow of events. He doesn't need to investigate to arrest Lord Sergeil. "Don't associate me with those small animals."
Giotto felt a shiver ran down his spine. In times of need, Alaude is reliable, however, in normal days, even Primo gets scared of those sharp eyes that don't pity anyone who gets in his way. G scowled at the remark while Selena could only sigh.
"Primo, we have an hour left before Lord Sergeil shows himself to the guests." Selena returned to the matter at hand disrupting the previous subject. "What's your plan?"
O~O~O
Lampo arrived to the castle of the Russi's after an hour and a half. If it weren't for the people who attempted to ambush him on the way, he would have arrived earlier. Now he needed to explain to Primo the cause of his tardiness.
"Well done, Lampo."
Lampo opened his other eye as he turned to the owner of the voice. "You should praise me more, Selena-san." He immediately recognized her than when he saw her at the party a few moments ago. Of course, he got used to the way Selena uses a girl's shirt and a man's pants to carry out the missions given to her by Primo, however this time, she wore a white flannel shirt that was tucked in her pants. He grabbed the holster that was on his back and handed it to Selena. "Primo even ordered the great me to get those from your house."
Selena rolled her eyes as she securely fastened the belt of the holster of her weapon around her hips. "You're a guardian, Lampo. It's part of your job."
Lampo could only sigh. That's one of the things that he hated. But then, he liked to be serving Primo more than those hypocrites roaming in the upper class of the society.
"Did you bring the other key for the fulfilment of Primo's plan?" The older guardian asked, in which Lampo nodded.
"I deserve another week of vacation for this, Selena-san." He opened the carriage's door for the person inside, and stepped aside to give way.
Selena put a hand on her hip as she waited for the person to come out. "Don't worry," A smirk came to her lips. "We'll make sure Primo gives us the vacation we all deserve after this."
Lampo liked the idea. "The great me believes that we'll proceed to the second stage?"
Selena nodded.
"Lady Selena, Lord Lampo," A lady with her wavy brunette hair tied in a half ponytail went out of the carriage. She smoothened the skirt of her green dress before walking towards the two. "Are you sure this is all right?"
Lampo closed his left eye as he waited for Selena to answer.
"Yes, Lady Gabrielle." Selena took a step forward. "We took care of the people that may hunt you down. All that's left is for you to do your part."
"But Peter," Gabrielle's brows furrowed in worry as her hand clutched her elbow in doubt.
Selena put a hand on her shoulder. "Alaude is already taking care of it. He's a reliable man." She reassured. "Besides, Lampo and I are here to protect you. You want to see your father, right?"
Gabrielle gathered the courage left within her system and nodded at the two.
O~O~O
Lord Sergeil tightened his tie. He stood before the door of the ballroom, a confident smile present on his lips. He buttoned his coat before taking a deep breath. Tonight will change everything. It will be a new beginning for him and this land. What is taking Peter so long? He thought as he looked at his pocket watch.
He opened the double doors leading to the center of the ballroom. He walked in with grace and finesse as everyone turned their eyes on him.
The women whispered behind the unfolded fans, as men gave him a scrutinizing look. Low murmurs filled the room as they waited for him to settle and announce the things he wanted to.
"Good evening, my dear guests." Sergeil started as he looked straight to the crowd. "Though this evening should be filled with joy and laughter, it is my wish for this hour not to come." The smile that once adorned his lips was replaced by a frown. "My brother and my niece cannot attend due to some reason. This is not just for tonight, but they'll be gone for a long time. I'll be taking over for now."
A lady with blonde hair stepped forward, unfolding her fan with grace as she covered the lower half of her face with it. "We came here upon the request of Lord Lorenzo Russi, Lord Sergeil. Where is he?" Her emerald eyes narrowed, almost as if glaring at the man before her.
"Well you see, Lady Kaye,"
"We can't accept this!" A man from the crowd joined and others joined as well.
"We want an explanation." Kaye's voice overpowered the noise coming from the crowd.
Sergeil clenched his teeth as he glared at the blonde. Where is Peter? He wondered.
The double doors opened, and the crowd parted to give way to the new comer.
Selena and Lampo stayed hidden behind the pillars as they waited for the plan to unfold.
Sergeil's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes, uncle." Gabrielle strode down the aisle, her eyes filled with determination. "We all want an explanation for this. Including him." Her stare wasn't fixed on him… they were, however focused on who was behind her uncle.
Sergeil turned to him, and was more shocked to see his brother in a seemingly fine condition. There were no traces of the wounds that he gave. Only the stature of a well-endowed man of his status. "How come you're-" He took a step back, and another, until he was running out of the room. His eyes caught sight of Peter. "About time, Peter!" But the hope was short lived when Peter fell on the ground, blood pooling under his weak body. The younger noble found himself in the middle of a three way intersection.
Giotto and G appeared in the middle of the path, blocking his right. Sergeil turned around, only to find two familiar faces. Lampo was blocking his way, an eye closed as he put a hand on his hip with Selena beside him. He turned to the last way but Alaude was standing there, blocking his last escape route.
Without anything in mind, he grabbed his pistol from the inside pocket of his sleeve, and pointed it at Giotto. G pulled the blonde back, to at least shield him from any harm.
"I did this to protect this town!" He glared at the youngsters. "Why are you all looking at me as if I did a hideous crime! Those people were sacrifices for a better life!"
The next thing the noble did was the unthinkable. A loud gunshot resounded on the hall.
Giotto and G gasped as the event unfolded, unable to do anything to help. Selena pulled Lampo towards her, covering his eyes with her hand because she didn't want someone as young as him to see such a gruesome sight. Alaude's eyes widened, and like the others, unable to do anything.
Sergeil's hand dropped the gun as blood splattered on the ground. His body fell with a soft thud.
"No way!" Selena muttered under her breath, still trying to let her believe on what happened.
"S-suicide?" Lampo asked, head turning to Selena with his eyes still covered.
G and Giotto rushed towards the man's body.
It was a long night… a long and painful night.
However, only one man noticed the tear that dropped from the departed noble.
Hope you like this one.
Forgive me for the errors. This wasn't proofread.
Review?