-Akira? What did you mean by that? I asked totally stunned.
-Oh! Akira surprised herself as if coming back from a trance and covering her mouth with her paws s s sorry, do not pay attention to me I just said nonsense -Is everything really alright? Or that was just a joke of very bad taste Akira? I asked a bit more serious than usual this time.
-S Sorry dear! she replied while she bowed I I messed up!
-I am sorry for the rude behavior of my personal caretaker I stood up and also bowed she just has ten years and I bought her a little time ago I still hadn t got enough time to train her properly.
-No problems Montecchio replied Max.
-You can call me Richard, Max I replied.
-Sure Richard, first forgive me for what happened, that was a very big misunderstanding. How can I help you? What do you need? And if possible, you said anything about a traitor?
-Yes I said that, but I wouldn t want to talk about that before both young ladies, for their own security, do we have a place where we can browse the goods and talk in private?
-Of course! replied Max with enthusiasm Talia, can you keep company to Richard s little personal caretaker? You can take her on a stroll through the neighbor if you want.
-Y Yes! Leave it to me! replied Talia energetically.
-Akira-chan, behave yourself until I come back; understood? I ordered her while I waved at her.
-Yes dear! replied and went for a walk with Talia, that was already on its way to the door.
Max, as soon as he was sure we were alone, took me to the back part of the residence, asked me to turn around and then I heard the sound of rusted metal behind me, as a door opening, so he asked me to follow him; there was a trapdoor right under the table, in which he was entering when I looked, going after him them.
We went down a good amount of steps, almost three minutes later we reached the basement, everything was completely dark, I heard a click on the switch and the lights were turned one, I saw a room full of equipments, some unknown to me the King was right, this Max guy was good then he stopped, showed me the room and said:
-Well here we are Richard, as I know money isn t a problem to you, feel free to choose whatever you need he replied while staring at me intently just allow me to know what happen with my friend, King Jo o III and what is going between your kin as to demand such task bestowed on you.
I decided that, if the King did put so much trust on that person, who was I not to make the same? With that conclusion in mind, I told him in detail what was going on in the court, the murder attempt against my person, the use of forbidden material, the origin of the unknown explosive powder (which he was already analyzing and trying to locate where it was produced).
He showed me tons of last generation equipment, from which I took the following: Contacts lenses that allowed me to see in infrared; a bolt and arrows proof suit, isolated against electrified versions of that ammunition; folding hand crossbows made of carbon, easily passable on metal detectors; tracking devices; lastly inter communication devices that can easily be hidden in the ear.
Max then calculated the price, and with my family signet, I signed the receipt; it was agreed to deliver the goods in two day directly at my house, with package coming from very well known luxury story I am used to buy; seeing that was even common for people with money to buy there we chatted a little before heading up again, when I remembered something that was making my curiosity peak: why that so out of proportion reaction from his behalf? That didn t make much sense especially when you had in mind the need to be discrete; for that I asked:
-Max; I am fully aware that this might be a very delicate subject to you however seeing that I almost had my life taken out for some sort of misunderstanding if you don t want, cannot or do not trust me enough I shall understand but I am really curious as to the motive that made you react like you did when I entered here, especially when you need to be so imperceptive in this business.
-Well this is all for Talia it is a long story if you don t mind he said blushing slightly.
-I figured it was about that and of course I don t mind hearing you out, I have enough time.
Max then said that the problem was caused by the Silva; apparently he saw Talia on the street and got enchanted by her exotic beauty, so he forged a situation to make her get enslaved, it almost worked if Max had witnessed the scene and revolted, so he kidnapped Talia so as such injustice weren t made with the little one; Silva made a search party against Max without even knowing who he was
The King managed to arrest Max and Talia, when he found out that the prisoner was no one else but the son of the secret royal supplier he was astonished, asking then which was the need for such a rage fit for a mutant nekomimi. Max then threw at his face that he was exactly like the other to think like that of the poor girl, that because of the greed and lust she was going to be enslaved so satisfy the dirty wishes of s noble that was less worthy than trash! Kill me for offending Your Highness! End me for once and all so I will not need to see this poor girl have her innocence maculated!
Such feelings coming from him made the King wonder if the Silva would be capable of doing something that brutal the will of the young on to save the little one also caught to him then he ordered that they interviewed the witness about what happened and it was discovered that everything was indeed set up of course Silva had swore vengeance and it was let clear that if anything happened to Max, Silva would be executed as a traitor for disobeying a royal order the one that Max would take care of Talia, and that was why they were together for 6 months
-I understand I commented while we were going up the stairs so you believed that I was just an assassin that was hired to kill you and bring Talia again?
-Exactly Richard; I hope you to understand that and forgive me he said with sadness in the voice.
-I rarely see men of guts and valor to the point of facing the King like that I saw you believe in you moral codes about anything and that awarded you my respect if you need me at any time, go to my house, as you have m y address now I will always be ready to help a man of good will.
-Thanks Richard I am really grateful.
-Do you love Talia? I asked without knowing that came from.
-W W Why do you ask me that? he asked when we left the room, visibly blushing.
-I noticed that I commented, wanting to be sure of my own feelings using his that you hold a very special feeling for that girl I imagined that that could be the feeling.
-It would be a lie say I love her as they say love is I just know that since the first time I saw her, I don t know to explain exactly what I feel I just wish to see her smile above all her well being I just want her to be happy even if I never have anything with her I know I am silly but as long as she has a smile on her face I shall be fulfilled.
The silence feel between us both, I was pondering about the subject Max didn t know if what he felt was love however it fit perfectly the description Dawn had given me analyzing it more in dept I noticed he just wanted the girl happiness another one that believed that love could make someone complete with just the happiness of the another person? I needed to think better about the subject but the more I thought about it the less I understand
We arrived at the room at the moment that Talia and Akira came back from the trip, upon seeing me ran to hug me saying it was a long time since we saw each other and that she missed me I looked at the clock and noticed it was long two hours since the left! Excusing ourselves for the lateness, I shook Max hand and gave Talia a long hug, while whispering: Take good care of him apparently you found a very rare gem to which she replied Y Yes! while blushing I will d do my best to make him h happy!
We left home right afterwards, we came back to the shops to buy what I had promised Akira, arriving home after eight pm, I left my personal caretaker free to enjoy her new gadgets, but that was a subject that was bothering me I didn t find the will to ask my little nekomimi prophecy? she didn t seem the girl that would joke with something that serious especially being that shy I decided then before talking to Yumi, I would ask some stuff to Catherine
I entered the meeting room, I sat on my chair and noticed a paper with a message over the table; I instantly noticed that the handwriting was Yumi s, which said: We need to talk sweetie kisses Yumi that one now did she noticed that things were going to get problematic to her side and decided to try to fool me again? That thought really irritated me but I would leave that subject fir after talking to Catherine I pressed the intercom button and ordered her to come to my room, after three minutes she entered; greeting me:
-Good evening Rick, how may I be of assistance?
Catherine was with us for over forty years forty one to be quite exact; she was just twelve when she was enslaved, she never said the exact motive it happened, but apparently she was charged of murdering a school friend and that was what was written on the enslavement process but every time I brought the subject up she would change it quickly but she was always extremely reserved and polite with me and rarely would allow me a closer relationship with her leaving my wondering aside, I asked point blank:
-Catherine does the nekomimi have some kind of prophecy?
-P Prophecy? she replied as she put her paw over her mouth.
-Yes do you know something about it? I said, as Catherine s reaction seemed to confirm my suspicions.
-W We have! How did you know about it? That is a secret bigger than the Cat-fu! she replied shaking lightly.
-Akira, today we went shopping for some investigation wares, and there was a nekomimi girl, purple hair and fur what is rare for sure -Really rare - pondered Catherine but how did Akira came to say that?
-Simple, as soon as she saw the place where the paws of the nekomimi were supposed to be and noticed they were actually hands; she pointed to her and shouted I cannot believe it! The prophecy began? Becoming as pale as if she had seen a ghost.
-H H H HANDS YOU SAID? also turning white.
-Yes, and for your reaction I take that this might be a subject really serious for your kind you know could you please tell me what this is all about? I know that this might be a big taboo or something for your race but you know very well I won t ever mock you or use that information wrongly.
-Well replied Catherine while she pondered about the matter I think I can tell you, although everything is nothing more than some popular belief of some fanatics of our race understood?
-Alright, go ahead I replied while I get ready to listen.
The nekomimi prophecy is as follows: Mewsus once said that peace on earth would just happened when the line that divide, human and nekomimi was so blurred that it would be impossible to distinguish one race from the other; that would be the sign that the wars would be on their ends and the so longed objective was reached.
-That is why Rick commented Catherine that the nekomimi fanatics think that when the races crossing originated offspring with features from both parents that would be the signal that was missing for the prophecy from ancient times to come true and the final insurrection for nekomimi supremacy.
-WHAT? I exclaimed speechless, while I slammed my hands on the table fiercely are you telling me that maybe the traitor, the murder attempt against me, and this new nekomimi movement may be thanks to that signal Catherine?
-W Well, I think that y yes Rick do you have something more you want? she said visibly uncomfortable with my reaction, what was normal as she didn t like seeing me sad or troubled.
-No, you may leave Catherine, thanks for your help.
Moments later she would leave the room and my mind would function at full force accidentally Akira might have gave me a very important clue as to what was going on at the moment; there was something that wasn t making sense Talia was something really rare? Yes, but she wasn t the only one why other cases weren t taken into consideration before? I made a small search on the internet and verified that this Prophecy was found in ancient scrolls and long forgotten being only found out a couple of months ago that was when people like Max fianc e became target to speculation. I was pondering about those things when the intercom rang, upon answering to it, I heard a voice that made my blood freeze:
-Richard, here is Enmie, come to the nursing room as quick as possible.