It was almost shocking just how easy it was for Halle to leave Soryu's suite this morning. He didn't even try to stop her at all. All he did was warn her to keep her mouth shut about the black market auctions once more, and they barely spoke after that. She just walked right out the door this morning and headed down for her new room in the employee dormitory. Wait...
...
Soryu didn't put a bug on her, did he!?
As Halle got changed into her new maid's uniform in the woman's employee locker room, she checked her entire body for bugs. No dice.
The new uniform she now wore that was a size extra small was a short, medium-blue dress that reached the middle of her thighs. It had a large collar in the front with a couple stripes that lined the outside of it. She had a small, frilly white waist apron tied around her, and she sported a pair of simple black pumps. The sleeves came down to the middle of her upper arm, and overall it was a very simple, yet elegant design. Halle had her straight black hair pulled back into a high ponytail, which came all the way down to her lower back in length.
"Oh, you must be the new girl!"
Halle jolted with surprise as someone snuck up behind her and spoke, and she whirled around impossibly fast. She widened her eyes at the girl standing before her, taking in her appearance.
This girl looked to be about four years younger than Halle; maybe twenty three years old? She had shoulder-length, chocolate brown hair that was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was dressed in the uniform for the Tres Spades staff members who worked in the casino. It was a long-sleeved white blouse with a black-collared, royal blue vest on top, and she sported a simple black bow tie and black work slacks as well. Her bright brown eyes filled with life were a stark contrast to Halle's cold, dead, dark red eyes.
"Oh...hello." Halle had her back pressed up against her closed locker door, staring at the girl in surprise. "I'm Halle; I just started today."
The girl smiled brightly and instantly shook Halle's hand with impeccable strength and enthusiasm. "It's so nice to meet you, Halle! I'm Sakiko. I work in the casino."
Halle recovered from her surprise and regained her composure, flashing Sakiko a little smile. "I attend to the guest rooms as a maid."
"Oh, you must be working with Chisato today, then!" Sakiko wore a bright grin as she reached out and grabbed Halle's hand, beginning to drag her off somewhere. "Here, I'll take you to her!"
"Whoa...slow down!" Halle yelped in shock, struggling to keep up to Sakiko in her high heels.
Oh boy... Just how on earth did she even get here in the first place...?
Last night...
"So...can I go back to work?" Halle walked right into Soryu's room and asked her question, not beating around the bush at all.
Soryu actually stopped to consider it and gave it some serious thought for a moment, thinking carefully before he answered. "Do you understand what I told you before?"
"Yes, yes. I'm not going to tell anyone about the auctions." Halle rolled her eyes, tired of hearing this same old thing over and over again.
"...fine then. As long as you understand that." Soryu dismissively looked away from her, going back to whatever he was doing before.
"What?" Halle widened her eyes in shock, not having anticipated that answer. "So I can go back to work!?"
Soryu pondered that question as he pulled out his cell phone, and he held it up to his ear as he listened to it ring. "I'd rather avoid commotion, if possible."
Halle watched Soryu make some sort of phone call that only lasted a few seconds, and she couldn't make out what it was about at all. Not even five minutes later, a short man named Hajime Kenzaki, the general manager of the Tres Spades hotel, came into the room. He had short, dark brown hair and old, tired eyes, suggesting that this man wearing the black suit was a guy much older than Halle and the auction managers.
"You called, Mr. Oh?" Kenzaki stepped right up to Soryu sitting on the couch, bowing to him respectfully.
"I've given this woman permission to enter the penthouse." Soryu haphazardly waved Kenzaki's attention to Halle with his hand, not really paying her any attention at all. "Starting tomorrow, she'll be working here as a hotel maid specifically in charge of taking care of the VIP guests here in the penthouse. Give her the pager and the penthouse elevator key."
"Yes, Sir." Kenzaki silently glanced at Halle as he took a key card out of his jacket. "I'll give you the pager later." He handed her the key card, flashing her a tiny smile.
"Thank you." Halle stared at him completely dumbfounded by this new change of course, numbly accepting the key card from him.
Mr. Kenzaki bowed respectfully before quickly leaving. He didn't ask any questions at all, so Halle figured that he must know about what was going on here.
Soryu looked upon her once more with a very grim, serious, strictly-business expression. "Come straight here whenever I page you."
"Okay." Halle fiddled with the key card she held between her fingertips before awkwardly turning to leave. "Well... Excuse me, then."
"Wait." Soryu stopped her with his outstretched hand. "Where do you think you're going?"
Halle snapped her eyes wide open, very confused as she stared at him. "...back to the temporary safe house in Tokyo I've been living in?"
Soryu shook his head no. "I'll let you work, but I can't let you go home, otherwise I can't keep an eye on you." He paused briefly, then crossed his arms over his chest, crinkling his navy blue dress shirt. "You can work here as a maid, but your job as an assassin will be put on hold until your debt to me is repaid. Unless I give you an order, you will not act of your own free will."
"Fantastic..." Halle sighed sharply, bitterly crossing her arms over her chest. She'd worry about the mission she'd been working on for the past year later; right now, sleeping arrangements were a more pressing problem. "Then where am I supposed to sleep tonight?"
"Here, of course." Soryu answered calmly with no hesitation, as serious as ever.
Halle just stared at the Chinese mobster unbelievably. No way... She didn't want to sleep in the same room as this awful guy! She couldn't stand him!
"You're joking, right?" Halle scoffed, flashing Soryu a wary look as she waited for the punch line.
Soryu just stared at her expressionlessly as he deadpanned, "do I look like I'd want to entertain you with a joke?"
Halle just stood there awkwardly. "...no."
"If you disobey me, I'll put you back up for auction." Soryu turned his head away, going back to doing something on his phone while paying Halle no attention at all.
"Fine..." Halle bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, very annoyed by how this turn of events would put her one hundred steps back. "Where should I sleep?"
"You can use this bed and bathroom." Soryu motioned towards a bedroom and bathroom across from his with a flick of his wrist. "Don't come near mine, though."
Halle just rolled her eyes, muttering harshly under her breath, "no problem there..."
"What did you say?" Soryu whipped his head back around to glare a thousand daggers at Halle.
Halle awkwardly turned around and quickly began to escape to the safety of her new room. "Nothing!"
However, Soryu was going to have none of that. He still had something on his mind, and he needed to know the answer, or a little annoying feeling called curiosity was just going to keep plaguing him.
"Why don't you carry a gun?"
Halle froze just a few mere steps away from her bedroom door, and she kept her back as stiff as a board facing Soryu. "Excuse me...?" She slowly turned her head over her shoulder to look at him with a grave expression on her face.
"I've never once met a hit man who didn't carry a gun." Soryu stood up and ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, staring at her figure across the room from him. "When we frisked you for weapons earlier, all we found were knives, and no gun. Why don't you carry one?"
"I..." Halle was at a loss for a response as she grew uncharacteristically quiet. "I...don't really like guns." She awkwardly rubbed her arm, refusing to make eye contact with Soryu.
"Why not?" Soryu continued to press her for answers.
Halle slowly turned around to meet Soryu's gaze. "...how much has Baba told you about me?"
"Nothing." Soryu deadpanned, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Anything I know about you is what I heard when I first met you today." He dismissively answered her question, not really taking an interest in her at all. Honestly, the only thing about the Englishwoman standing before him that interested him even a tiny bit was that she didn't carry a gun.
"Well..." Halle looked off to the side, calmly brushing her black bangs from her eyes. "I've been the Wraith for eight years now, but what no one knows is that I was a government-funded assassin for the first seven of those years."
"A government-funded assassin?" Soryu just scoffed, throwing his head back a little in amusement at her outrageous claim. "There's no such thing."
"Well, you're not entirely wrong there." Halle leaned up against her door, meeting his eyes once more. "Technically, I was a spy who worked for the secret part of the government that you're not really supposed to know about." She winked at him, wearing a mysterious smile on her lips.
"You were a spy?" Soryu drew his head back a little in disbelief, having a hard time buying this.
"Yes, I was..." Halle looked off to the side of the room, staring absent-minded my out the window. "I enlisted in the army as soon as I turned eighteen, and after a year of hard work and proving my skill to my superiors, I made a name for myself and was promoted to an agent when I was only nineteen." She tore her gaze back away from the window, blinking at Soryu once more. "For seven whole years of my life, I was essentially a super cop and a vigilante in one. I travelled from country to country on covert operations, taking out evil world leaders and government officials that posed a threat to Japan. I also gathered intelligence, as well as acting as the government's personal hit man. I wasn't the only spy working for Japan, either. There were a lot of us."
Soryu picked up on a sense of dread in her tone, which only put a wary seed of suspicion in his gut. If he was going to keep a proper eye on this woman, as much as he didn't like it, he'd have to get to know her at least a little. "What happened?"
Halle looked genuinely surprised that he even asked that, and she quickly grew hesitant and avoided his eyes. "I...got dishonorably discharged a year ago."
"What for?" Soryu quirked an eyebrow, wondering just what the hell she could have done to get dishonorably discharged of all things.
Soryu could have sworn he saw a grievous look of depression flash across her face as Halle abruptly turned her back to him and motioned to go into her room. "...nothing I wish to discuss."
"You still never answered my question." Soryu stopped her from opening the door any further with just his words, and he found himself staring at her back once more.
Halle knew exactly what he was asking, and she answered him without turning around. "I don't like guns because it reminds me of my life of a spy, and it makes me miss it that much more. And, guns take bullets. It can be extraordinarily dangerous if you ever run out." She stopped and turned her head to look at Soryu over her shoulder. "Do you know what a gun without bullets is, Soryu?"
Soryu couldn't believe she was honestly trying to bad-mouth guns to someone who used them as much as he did. "What?"
A mischievous smile danced across Halle's lips as she disappeared into her bedroom for the night. "Just a paperweight."
"Chisatoooooo~!" Sakiko sung the name of her dear friend as she dragged Halle down the hallway, pausing in front of a maid's linen cart that was stationed in front of an unoccupied guest room on Floor 32.
A woman dressed in the same blue maid's uniform with soft grey eyes and black hair cut as a chin-length bob poked her head out the guest room's door, and she smiled brightly at the sight of the two girls.
"Hello." Chisato eyed Halle, the girl she had helped get settled in to her new room in the employee dormitory this morning. "You're Halle Mitchell, right?"
"Yes, that's me." Halle nodded her head, eager to get started working. She'd just die of boredom if she had to sit around Soryu's suite without anything to do all day. Although she was now a maid, it was still better than nothing, and she was going to give this job all she had.
Sakiko let go of Halle and gave her a nudge forward. "Have fun training the newbie, Chisato!" She turned on her heel and began to walk away, but quickly turned around to wave good-bye to the two girls. "Bye, Halle! See you two later!"
"See you!" Chisato waved back to Sakiko and watched her disappear down the hallway, and she quickly grabbed Halle's hands and suddenly jerked her into the guest room.
"AHH!"
Chisato chuckled at Halle's girlish shriek and shut the door behind her, then gave the rookie a few simple tasks to get started on. Chisato was a senior maid here at the Tres Spades hotel, and she was often responsible for training the new maids. Now, she was about to show Halle the ropes.
"Okay, all the beds are made!" Chisato stood straight up and dusted off her apron, then looked over towards the bathroom. "Halle, how are the bathrooms?"
"Oh, I just changed out all the towels!" Halle poked her head out the door, and she quickly stepped out of the bathroom with a giant pile of towels in her arms.
Chisato smiled fondly as she watched the newbie plop the towels down in the laundry hamper. "It's really fun working with you, Halle! When I work with Erika, all she does is boss me around, so it's really exhausting..."
Halle straightened her posture and stood up straight, tilting her head to the side a little curiously. "Who's Erika?"
A dark expression of annoyance found its way to Chisato's face, but it quickly disappeared and was replaced by a forced smile. "Well... If you haven't met Erika and her two accessories, you'll meet them soon enough." She ignored the intense look of confusion on Halle's face and gathered up the dirty sheets and the towels Halle had just set down. "I'll carry these down to the laundry room."
"Oh, thank you!" Halle clapped her hands together, snapping out of her confusion.
"Sure, no problem." Chisato brushed her off nonchalantly. "After you're done dusting, meet me in the next room, okay?"
Halle nodded her head as she grabbed the duster off the cart, grasping it rightly within her fingers. "Got it."
After Chisato left, Halle carefully began cleaning the room. Chisato was so nice, and she was good at her job, too. Halle couldn't help but admire her a little for that, especially since Chisato didn't hesitate to sweep in and help Halle out on her first day.
After about ten minutes of thorough dusting, Halle stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips as she turned around and looked over the room. "That should do it... I think."
Once Halle finished inspecting her hard work, she rushed over to the door, heading for the room Chisato was waiting for her in. However...
"Oof!" Halle slammed face-first into someone's chest, and she staggered backwards a little. She blinked owlishly as she stared at who was in front of her.
A woman with unhealthily pale skin and greasy brown hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail stood firmly in front of Halle with her boney fingers clenched into fists that were resting on her hips. She had a very narrow face and beady blue eyes, and this woman was surrounded by a suffocating, regal air.
The woman scrunched up her nose at the sight of Halle, and she spoke in her high, nasally voice. "You're that new girl, Halle, right?" She didn't let her answer before she started talking once again. "Are you done with this room already?" Halle stared at her name tag and just internally groaned when she read 'Erika' on it.
Two girls standing behind Erika with the name tags Rina and Kana had their black hair tied up in two matching braid buns on each side of their heads. They were identical twins that could only be told apart by the pink hair bands on one girl's head and the blue ones on the others.
Their hair reminded Halle of Princess Leia's as they spoke in sync with each other. "Already?"
"Yes..." Halle took a cautious step back, not liking the attitude she was getting from these three girls. She had to keep a low profile while she worked here at the Tres Spades, which meant she needed to act like a kind, docile, normal girl.
A cruel, taunting smirk found its way to Erika's lips as she laughed at Halle. "Then I'll go ahead and inspect it."
Erika and her two accessories Rina and Kana went forward and inspected every corner of the room with a critical eye. They checked every inch of the entire room, checking under books on the bookshelves, and behind the TV... They even inspected the plants.
Erika frowned, visibly disappointed with the lack of things wrong with the room she found. "Hm, I suppose this will do..."
"This will do..." Rina and Kana droned their words simultaneously, frowning beside Erika.
Halle just quirked an eyebrow at the three girls quizzically. "So...did I pass, or...?"
"Pass? Of course not!" Erika instantly snapped at her, getting all up in her face as she angrily spat her words at her. "How much time do you think you can spend on one room? Only and unskilled amateur would say such a thing!"
Halle bit down on her tongue hard as she shut her eyes painfully tight, trying to keep her temper in check as she just stood there and took whatever Erika dished out to her. "Sorry."
Erika looked disgustingly pleased with herself when she saw the look on Halle's face, and after that, she yelled out every time she found a single speck of dust in the room, and she lectured Halle on it each time. Ugh... This chick was merciless!
Suddenly, something from inside Halle's uniform pocket buzzed, and Erika scowled at the sound. "Excuse me! You can't have a cell phone during bus..." She stepped closer and suddenly froze once she saw what buzzing object Halle had taken out of her breast pocket. "What are you doing with that pager!? Only employees in charge of the VIPs are allowed to have those!"
Ugh. This thing was buzzing? That must mean Soryu was finally summoning her.
Mr. Kenzaki had told her to rush up to the penthouse as soon as this pager ringed, which meant...
Time to run!
Halle paid Erika no mind as she dashed right past her, slamming into her as she made a b-line for the door. "Sorry, but I have to go! I'll finish this room later!"
Erika stood there completely stunned as she watched Halle go. "...why do you..."
Halle couldn't stay and listen to the three uppity bitches any longer, because if she waited even a moment more, Soryu was going to yell at her. She ran out of the room at rapid speed, practically leaving a trail of fire behind her as she made a mad dash for the penthouse elevator.
Woo, I am on a roll! Here's chapter 4~! So, now that we've gotten this far, you can kinda see where I'm going with this plot now that Halle's become a maid like the original MC in the story is XD
So, we learned more about Halle and her backstory. She's a former spy who went rogue, and for unknown reasons, she was dishonorably discharged from the service a year ago. She misses her life as a spy, and she briefly mentioned that she had been working on a mission of some sort over this past year. And now, she's been working as a freelance assassin.
...except now she's quite literally owned by Soryu and can't do any of that anymore XDDDDDD
Will we learn more about her and her past? And maybe how long she's known Baba, and how they met? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
Read, review, and enjoy!