Tension
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She quickly settled into her new flat and got along with the staff. First she went on quite a shopping spree where she mainly focused on ordering her dream clothes from one of the better dressmakers in town. She also walked around the market and bought every little thing that caught her eye, whether it was new crockery, a porcelain horse, new plants or some extremely expensive curtains.
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In the meantime, she managed to send a letter to Aaron and the girls at Fantabera to say that she was all right and that things were going well for the time being in her new life. In days gone by she even managed to contact Vaclar's people but no one in town had heard anything new about the self-proclaimed hero. She also hadn't heard what was going on with Ivy but suspected that she was doing well and gaining new information in the meantime by doing some work.
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So with peace of mind and in an unusually good mood she sat in her beloved flat and enjoyed a comfortable life. She decided that she wanted to enjoy herself first and only then would she look into investing her wealth and plans for the rest of her life.
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For the time being, she gave her maid time off and decided that she would practice her cooking in the kitchen. She decided on a simple cheesecake with fruit according to a recipe she got from one of her new neighbours from the tenement house next door. With satisfaction and a song under her breath, she busied herself in the kitchen until she felt cold steel on her neck. Her bowl fell out in surprise and her fear paralysed her to the limit. She had thought she would be safe in the guarded quarter and under the watchful eye of the prince and it had come to her to die at a moment when she was truly happy. She cursed her stupidity, she had finally trusted an elf and the time for revenge had just come upon her. She only managed to shed a tear and say goodbye to life66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIzb9wsDTg
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"Smells nice" - a voice behind her said loosely and the blade under her neck disappeared. She stood for a moment as if walled in but after a moment she dared to catch her breath
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"Please don't kill me, I beg you" - she managed to breathe out through clenched teeth but all she heard was a drawn-out sigh
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"Jasmine, it's me. Ivy!" - threw the girl down hard and turned her around tugging at her arm. It took her a moment to open her eyes wide and after making sure she was no longer in danger of death, she fell into the confused Ivy's arms
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"I already thought someone had come to kill me! You scared me so much!" - shouted reproachfully in her direction and began to hug her until Ivy hissed in pain and shook her off.
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Jasmine brought herself to the state before things and watched Ivy paw at her chest with a grimace of pain. Suddenly she came to her senses and with a swift movement removed the hood from her head. She had to cover her face with her hand to keep from squealing when she saw her face. She had a cut eyebrow from which a trickle of already dried blood was rolling. She had a black eye and a bruised cheek and her lip was still covered in blood. And then there was the mangled nose carelessly wiped clean of sweat. Seeing that the girl was clutching her ribs she decided that she must have been badly injured.
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Jas, seeing her condition, managed to quickly piece together a few facts and her legs buckled under her. For sure the Duke’s bodyguard must have lied to her and started looking for Ivy on his own and it was he who got her that way! Ivy was in this state because of her stupidity and her long tongue. Now she only managed to cover her face with her hands to keep from crying through remorse
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"I’m sorry Ivy. It was my fault. If I had been more careful you would never have ended up like this. I’m the one who endangered you" - she stammered through her hands, but she was sure that Ivy had already managed to walk away from her to look at the food on the table.
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"Come on, I’m not that bad. Actually, I came to talk about it" - she said with unusual gentleness and indifference but Jas just held her breath. If Ivy has come to talk about her wounds, it means that she probably already knows that she was the one who told the elf about them.
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"I swear I’m very, very sorry. It really wasn’t my fault at all, I was even trying to protect you!" – she finally dared to take her hands off her face66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTATuUlRxfR
to show Ivy her determination and sincerity, but on the girl’s face there was still indifference and surprise, but Jas wasn’t sure if she was faking it to tease her
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" Calm down Jas! Maybe it’s a bit of your fault, but I let myself be set up like that, so calm down!" – she ordered firmly and looked at her with resignation. She, however, was not happy with the girl’s words. She did not want to irritate her more and thought that she should accept the due punishment with honour. She also hoped that Ivy would not hit a pretty girl like her so she stood trying to look composed
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"Before you do anything else, please know that I was under a lot of pressure and I could have been killed if I hadn’t said anything" – she66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KKSRLT1Uv
admitted with more composure and a hand on her heart but just to be safe she closed her eyes and turned her face away in case Ivy wanted to hit her after all
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"Jasmine, what are you talking about? What pressure, who told you to say something?" – she asked clearly interested and Jasmine knew that Ivy deserved a word of explanation. She opened her eyes but lowered her gaze as Ivy’s gaze weighed terribly on her
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" I was the one who talked about you but if I hadn't this elf would have snapped my neck!" - she shouted in one breath and waited anxiously for her punishment and deeply hoped that the girl would understand that she was in danger if she did not cooperate. After all, the prince's bodyguard is terribly strong and a fragile girl like her wouldn't stand a chance against him
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"What the fuck? What elf? Who are you talking about and what does it have to do with me getting my face bashed in on the BrickStreet?" - she66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qdj6V6PWo
asked reproachfully, already annoyed, and Jas dared to look her in the face to make sure she hadn't heard wrong
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" What do you mean, in the BrickStreet? No one from the guard did this to you, no elf? No one did this to you as punishment for.... I don't know, killing guards?" - she tried to gently probe the subject, but I think she hit the nail on the head because Ivy immediately stood at attention and had her hands on the hilt of her daggers. Seeing the grim look in her eyes, Ivy realised she was in over her head. Ivy took a deep breath and with a stony face began to walk slowly towards her
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"I'm going to say this once, and depending on your answer, I may leave you alone or I may cut that pretty face of yours because no Fantaber bodyguard is going to defend you anymore. Now, take a deep breath and say what you know, as long as you make sense and don't beat around the bush in any way" - she pointed the blade at her and without a shadow of emotion on her face. Jas even wanted to run away but ran into a tabletop behind her back and in front of her was a razor-sharp dagger so she was trapped.
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She was terrified and, seeing Ivy with such a serious expression on her face, she began to doubt whether she was facing the same girl who had been eating bread crusts at the back of Fantaber. Now she was sure that Ivy was capable of killing her and might do so depending on her response. She regretted not having met her earlier. She had only known her in passing and she had always looked charming and awkward but now she knew why Ivy had such an infamous reputation around town and that these were not inaccurate rumours
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"I promise I'll tell you everything just take that blade away and calm down...." - she didn't even manage to finish when the sharp end pressed against her skin at which, with tears in the corners of her eyes, she held her breath
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"I don't think you understood me so I'll say it one last time. Talk about what you told someone about me. Nothing else, just that. Besides, I'm calm, after all, you're the one with the dagger at your throat and not me. And if you think I'm just scaring you, go ahead, stretch my patience even further and you'll realise how much damage I'm capable of doing to you without batting an eye" - Ivy said it with such calmness and sincerity as if she was writing off the weather outside the window. That's what a real killer looked like, someone who takes the lives of others without hesitation, on commission. Jas was left with no choice but to be honest and say goodbye to life
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"It was the day I moved in here. At that time I passed on to him the information you had managed to get about this self-proclaimed hero.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbnCKjwCjR
That's when he started on the subject of the Albedo incident. I immediately corrected him that it was not your fault! I said that if it wasn't for that activist those guards would be alive. I defended you, I really defended you. I said that you were helping the cause, that you were avoiding conflict and that you were needed! I even thought I had convinced him, he said himself that he would blame everything on that lunatic and leave you alone. He said he'd forget about you and focus on Wild Snakes and that nutcase. I swear I didn't want to say anything, but if I didn't, he'd kill me! He is my principal's bodyguard and he is extremely dangerous and strong and has a terrifying look!" - she sobbed out in distress and tried to convey the whole truth and sound like Ivy's defender, because in fact she was. Still, she couldn't tell if she had somehow managed to alleviate the conflict. There was still no emotion on Ivy's face and she was slowly looking death in the eyes. She didn't know if she was more afraid of the elf or the girl now. And yet time began to drag on which she frankly hated until Ivy, without removing the blade from her neck, took a step towards her at which she involuntarily squealed
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"You sold me to the elves. You simply took advantage. Not. only did I get. all the information for you, but you slipped me in too, as if that wasn't enough. In exchange for what? For stupidly living in the second ring. That's what my skills are worth? One, stupid, house. That's the price you've assigned to me! " - she said slowly and calmly straight into her face with a slightly maddening smile at the sight of which Jaśminę turned pale -" I'm just curious, what are you worth? In Fantabera you had your price, but now? I wonder how much that employer of yours would be willing to pay for you now? Maybe I should kill you and report to him myself? Because why do I need such a miserable docker who sells his own mercenary. You clearly don't know life in town's Jasmine, and that was your mistake. You're so stupid and property-obsessed that you haven't noticed the simple rules here in Magdorn. And how did you end up? You're standing in your own flat with a blade at your throat and you're at the mercy of someone you slipped up on. How do you think you'll end up? Do you think such a mercenary without a conscience will spare your life?" - she spoke reproachfully directly into her ear and her heart tried to jump out of her chest. She even covered her mouth with her hand not to squeak out of fear, but she could not remember ever feeling so close to death
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" I'm really doing everything I can to end this case. I also swear I didn't want to rat you out and I promise I will never dare to expose you or betray you. I swear. I'm just a stupid, naive girl who's too beautiful to die. I beg you Ivy. If you spare me my life I promise you won't regret it" - it was a plea for life, so pathetic that Jas felt she was losing any remaining dignity. If she had known that going into the back room that night would get her into such trouble, she would never have left the premises! Now she regretted that no one from Fantaber would come to her aid. All she could do was concentrate on her own breathing and heartbeat and wait for Ivy's verdict and every second of silence seemed to last an eternity
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"If that elf of yours had done this to me, you would already be lying in a pool of blood with no skin and no eyeballs. But since it was someone else, I will spare you this time" - she threw lightly and with a quick movement took the blade from her neck and walked away a bit further.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsopAx5hyVB
Jasmine immediately leaned back on the tabletop and began to catch her breath as if she hadn't breathed in ages.
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Although it didn't look like it, she felt relief beyond description. As always, she was more lucky than smart and again, this time really, she had escaped real death. She also realised that she didn't know Ivy and that she would never underestimate her again. She would have to be more careful, but for now she allowed herself to let go of all that fear after by66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIIrDpUmtZ
breathing and calming her anxious heartbeat
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First report
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She took the blade and stepped back to avoid doing something she would later regret. She also didn't feel like approaching Jasmine, not now when her emotions were bubbling. She could have killed her, but she gave her life just for the sake of her reputation. She had to finish the job she'd started, the only reason the blonde could still breathe in peace on the floor instead of staggering around in her own blood. Ivy knew that doing business with her would get her into trouble but even in the worst-case scenario she hadn't foreseen so many setbacks.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaronXLmHM3
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She stood in the kitchen for a while and allowed herself and Jas to cool down. With each passing moment, the urge to murder passed and she began to draw logical conclusions to justify the blonde's behaviour.
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Jasmine was a former whore from Fantabera so she didn't have too many worries as everyone was cared for her so she could only concern66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34fZCFuMgC
herself with her appearance. She had no idea that the mercenary world was much meaner and governed by different rules. She probably did not know that a docker who betrays a mercenary is condemned to death. She also didn't know how much Ivy hates elves and that she is a splinter in the eye of the city guards, so giving her up is actually passing a death sentence on herself.
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But Ivy truly believed that Jas didn't do it on purpose and now she clearly regrets it. She's only alive now because she's now one of the principals and because Ivy found it hard to hide her affection for her through her really innocent disposition.
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As her anger passed and her body calmed down she took off her rucksack and cloak and turned to face the girl knocking her sorry for her decision
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"If you've calmed down then know that I could use you for something right now. I need some things, a bowl of water, some clean towel, a mirror and strong alcohol. By the way, I will tell you about my clue" - she66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6amOahIVA
sounded very gentle and there was no emotion on her face. Jasmine was still leaning against the countertop for a while, but she quickly became serious and left to start looking through the shelves in the kitchen
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"You'd better go to the bathroom" - she said calmly as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol and left the room. Ivy grabbed her backpack and obediently followed.
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They both entered the bathroom and without a word each got to work. Ivy took off her shirt carefully and placed a chair in front of the mirror. From her backpack she pulled out a first aid kit and a set of stitches66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw9ec6LRYA
from Aaron. Jasmine, on the other hand, pulled out a bowl and poured water into it, and slung a towel over her shoulder.
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Ivy sat down on a chair and began to remove the bandages and Jasmine gently wiped the dried and fresh blood from her body and face. She pulled ointment from the medicine cabinet to rub into the bruises on her chest. She then grabbed the disinfectant ointment to rub it into the cut under her neck, and when she was done, she took to sewing the wound. She disinfected the needle, the stitches and her oesophagus with alcohol and then, slowly and with a hiss of pain, she stitched the wound, centimetre by centimetre. It was no easy task through fatigue after a full night of walking through the sewage and the cuts she had received as a familiarisation gift from Hax
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When she had finished sewing the wound on her neck she smeared it with a suitable ointment and then bandaged it along with her entire torso. She then grasped the needle again to attend to the eyebrow arch but Jasmine stuck out her hand to grasp the needle. Ivy looked at her and threw her a look that really said a lot. She did her best to make Jasmine see in those eyes the contempt that she had deigned to betray her, the anger that she had caused herself, the threat that if she dared to hurt her she would end up dead, but also the unimaginable calm that said she was not at all afraid of her
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Jasmine grabbed the needle and set about disinfecting and stitching. She had extremely delicate hands but it was probably the first time66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoX7vjq3ul
she had set about stitching wounds. It was probably a great experience for her, sticking a needle into the skin of a conscious person. She recognised that human skin which, although flexible, is hard for a thin needle, the blood that oozes from the wound, the way the body tenses with pain under the pressure of the touch. She expected Jas to be a nightmare at suturing wounds but Ivy didn't protest, she endured the pain trying to keep a stony face and relaxed body posture. She also didn't want to alienate Jasmine who only wanted to help and for a first timer she wasn't doing too badly.
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When Jasmine finished sewing she rubbed ointment into Ivy battered face and cleaned up the mess. Ivy was still alert but keeping herself upright in the chair took a lot out of her. When Jas cleaned up the whole mess she helped her up from the chair and brought Ivy to the sofa. Jas even brought Ivy bag and coat which she placed next to her, and went to make tea.
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It wasn't until Ivy started dressing her wounds that she realised her exhaustion. She had endured torture, then carried the parcel through the sewer all night and had to contend with pain the whole time. Even while Jas was sewing the cut on her face, she was calm, even though the girl was doing it clumsily which caused great pain. She only sat still because she was tired, even showing emotion or sitting still was too tiring.
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Miraculously, she reached the sofa and fell on it like a log. She spread her arms and legs slightly and tilted her head slightly behind the backrest. She knew she could relax a little as Jasmine was no physical66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSc644g66S
threat to her, and she needed rest. But for the mere fact that she was out, her body was not allowing her to fully relax. Nevertheless, she closed her eyes and gathered her strength. The ointment masked the bruises and the stitches the cuts, but her ribs still hurt when she breathed, which probably wouldn't go away any time soon. She hadn't expected it to be so unpleasant.
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She also knew that the pain was not going to go away any time soon, so it was hard, but she managed to take her pipe and some opium out of her coat. She wanted to say something to Jasmine and because of the pain it hurt to even speak. When Jasmine set the tea on the table Ivy managed to lift her eyelid slightly
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"Do you mind?" - she asked, pointing to her pipe, but Jasmine quickly nodded her head at her, so Ivy decided to take advantage of her kindness - "I have a paraffin lighter in my coat..." - she whispered with the last of her strength and Jas quickly reached behind her coat. After a moment she pulled it out of her pocket and helped Ivy to light the drug. She tried to limit the opium but she was only human and had to alleviate her pain somehow. Fortunately, the opium worked quickly.
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Now Ivy didn't feel as much discomfort and Jas looked fully relaxed, even contented for which Ivy was immensely grateful that she didn't hold a grudge against her for, even attempting murder
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"Who set you up like that, and is it related to the case?" - she stood up from her seat and handed Ivy a cup with an infusion of black tea. She slowly reached for the brew and took a few sips of the hot drink. It was66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKLZF33eDt
exceptionally tasty but, as it had been a long time since she had anything in her mouth, swallowing it came with difficulty. But she needed to moisten her gullet to be able to explain the whole story to the blonde more easily
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"You know, I figured I'd follow one of the leads. I don't want to chase that raggedy activist so I thought I'd focus on the Snakes. While collecting orders I came across a rumour. Apparently there have been entia disappearances on the BrickStreet. Apparently the guy who claims this believes that a sect is behind the disappearances. Normally I would have thought he was making it up, but having witnessed one of their members attempt to slit an elf's throat myself, I figured there might be some truth to it. I decided I would check out the trail. I went to the district and wanted to lure this guy out somehow. I quickly discovered that the hook had worked and I had caught one guy. I wanted to politely get some information but he was stubborn as hell. To make matters worse, his friend came up behind me and stunned me. I woke up in their hideout tied to the wall. They thinking that I was holding with the Snakes so they began their interrogation. It looked like the aggressor asked a question and then, regardless of the answer, I would flinch. I was annoyed, but I preferred not to attack in order not to provoke an unnecessary fight. Fortunately, the madman left quickly and I took the opportunity to get out and talk to his normal companion. He was an orc, but extremely gentle and sensitive, and compared to this madman's friend, this one listened to me. It turned out that they were both members of a group that was trying to catch the kidnappers or murderers of entia. I found out that there had been disappearances for a long time and one time they found a body. A massacred Snake boy and a Cyclops who died from poison but managed to take his abductor with him. I even wanted to join the investigation because I thought it would be quicker but this bunch of blockheads debated for so long that I got pissed and left. Now I'm going to have to start looking on my own again. It would be easier if I found that dimidium from the gossip or at least had a map with the locations of the disappearances to somehow narrow down the area. I could steal it from the guards but apparently they had washed their hands of the matter, oddly enough. So I'm back to square one and all I've gained is a battered face and a lousy trail that I have to follow up from scratch" - she said irritably and at the mere mention of Hax she felt sick and a nasty shiver ran through her body
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"Why would the guard ignore an investigation? After all, they always take care of their citizens, and especially the entia" - Jas as she thought for once and stated what Ivy had already thought about
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"I don't know neither. Anyon claims they didn't even look for clues. They simply ignored the fact that the entia were disappearing somewhere without a trace" - she shrugged her shoulders and repeated what she had learned from the young orc. Now she looked silently at Jas, who had begun to think intensely. Ivy even said that it was nice to look at such an unusual sight
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"That's not bad information. I can pass it on now and maybe I can get some information as to why the guards are not responding. Or get something that will help you in your investigation" - she stood up as if burnt and went over to put on her coat. Ivy quite confused by her behaviour got up and wobbly stepped to the vestibule to stop her in time
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"What are you doing? Where do you want to go now?!" - she tried to extract some information. It was the first time she had seen such66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡax1i5mkiw7
commitment in the blonde's eyes, but she did not want to let her leave without an explanation, lest she get into trouble again, like last time in the Old Town
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" I'll go to my employer right away so maybe I'll be back before dark with some new information. I'll go to my accountant now and you stay here. You can make yourself comfortable and get something to eat or sleep. Just don't open it for anyone and be quiet so as not to disturb the servants downstairs" - she said lightly and moved to leave but Ivy didn't let her go so easily. She leaned against the door and glared at the girl.
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"What if you didn't come back? Where should I look for you? And what makes you think that this employer of yours might have information66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNB9iVYoJY
that even the guards don't have?!" - she asked with mild indignation but Jas waved her hand. Ivy hated her recklessness, which would have caused trouble more than once already. Above all, she didn't want the blonde to go alone because even if she got into trouble Ivy would have no way to save her being in such a state
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"Calm down. You can be sure I'll be safe. I'll pass on the information and try to find out something, while you get some rest and heal those wounds. If everything goes well, I might be able to find out more about this case" - she patted her shoulder and gave her a broad smile and left before Ivy could speak again. From there she left her standing alone in a stupor in her flat
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"If this town goes up in flames now, it won't surprise me at all" - she threw resignedly into the ether and locked the door to pretend no one was home. Then, with nothing much to do, she headed for the couch to get some rest. It was the first time she had had the opportunity to sleep in such a comfortable place and she decided that she would not let herself waste such an opportunity. Therefore, she took off her shoes and spread out comfortably to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2x9x5HTh5s
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Small Request
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She quickly left the flat and headed to her accountant to get her a pass to the castle. The old man had not even managed to speak when she seized the swindle and ran out onto the road pawing like a free coachman possessed. As if scalded, she climbed into the carriage and ordered it to be driven to the castle with all speed.
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Her flat was almost on the main road, so it only took her a moment to find herself in front of the palace gate. The guards looked at her suspiciously, but she did not care.
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When she reached the square, she handed the letter to one of the butlers, who then led her through the castle corridors to one of the rooms. It was only as she made her way through the palace that she noticed how everyone looked at her with disdain. Even the inferior servants walked proudly like peacocks looking down on her. Fools, they placed her lower because she was human but she was more beautiful than many a lady of the court. Instead of bothering about their gaze, she walked proudly ahead with her most beautiful smile on her lips. As always, she looked phenomenal and the title of one of the most desirable women in Magdorn will stay with her for a long time to come.
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She was too busy thinking about her appearance and did not even notice when the butler opened one of the doors and told her to wait inside. Probably it was one of the rooms for waiting guests.
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A wall of windows through which the spring sun streamed in illuminated the entire room. Several sofas and comfortable chairs upholstered in light velour were scattered about. Several smaller tables and a huge bar with a bookcase that covered the entire wall. She was pleasantly surprised by the appearance. The entire room was made of the same light marble as the entire palace and the wooden decorations were interspersed with golden accents that perfectly reflected the royal decor.
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What caught her eye most, however, was the gobelin that adorned the entire wall, from the ceiling to the floor. It showed the union of two nations, humans and elves.
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The gobelin depicted the moment of marriage between King Alexander (human) and Esther (elf). This was the beginning of the uniting of Viridisos and Drydalis together. On the left was the landscape of Magdorn with the towering coat of arms in the form of a tree sealed in a circle symbolising the union of humans with the metaphysical world. And on the right, behind the elven woman, was a view of Silva, the capital of the elven kingdom. Their coat of arms was a stag's horns with a laurel wreath in the middle. Jasmine knew as much from history as the average citizen and the image did not convey a deeper message to her. A simple vow that condemned the humans to a perpetual alliance with the elves, and the consequent abandonment of wars between humans and entia.
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She stared at the gobelin for a really long moment and completely lost track of time. It wasn't until Caspian's bodyguard ran into the room that she looked at watch and realised she had been waiting for almost an hour. Normally she would probably have already slapped the elf for making her wait, but his murderous stare effectively immobilised her and she lost all confidence.
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The elf closed the door, even slamming it, and walked slowly towards her, and she knew that she was about to get such a beating that she would regret that Ivy had not killed her in her flat when she had the chance.
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"Are you that stupid? You were supposed to stay out of sight and wait politely in your seat!" - he shouted in her face and threatened her with his finger at which she involuntarily scowled and tilted her head back. Now she regretted that, again, she had not through the consequences of her actions. She might also have guessed that it would be he who would come to meet her, and not Caspian, but she had fervently hoped that even without the prince he would not hurt her, as he had done that time in her flat when he had unabashedly pissed off
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"After all, you said that if I needed anything I was to report to the accountant and either I would get to the castle or someone would come to my place. And since it was an urgent matter, I thought I would go to the castle as soon as possible" - she tried to explain calmly and with her convincing smile. She was uncharacteristically abashed and in spite of herself she began to jab her index fingers together, hoping that the elf would take pity and not try to kill her for her stupidity. After all, she's too beautiful to be angry with her, let alone hurt her
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"You were supposed to contact him and wait for a response! You can't just turn up at the castle without anyone knowing! Someone might be interested in you and then it will be extremely difficult to find a satisfactory excuse without arousing unnecessary suspicion" - he was still waving his finger in front of her nose, but Jas noticed that he was already a bit calmer. She hoped that she wouldn't have to say goodbye to her life once again today and instead thought her request through carefully. But first she had to buy into the elf's favour so she started by restoring her confidence to show that she had come for a good cause
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"Stop being dramatic because the situation is really urgent. I came as soon as I could because I need some information to better investigate a lead. I need information that the city guard might have" - she said seriously, and the elf looked at her carefully. She was sure he could easily read that she was fully serious and determined. She knew he wouldn't rebuke her if progress was involved in catching his lord's assassin so smiling victoriously came easily to her
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"What information do you mean?" - he asked already quietly and walked a step closer towards her in order not to miss any detail
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"It is rumoured that entia are disappearing on the BrickStreet but the municipal police are ignoring it. I think it is unlikely and they are just investigating in secret without saying anything to the citizens. I want to get some information about where the disappearances are and any possible leads" - she said with a calm recollection of her conversation with Ivy. She, too, was keen to solve the case quickly and getting additional information would effectively speed up the process. She hoped that the elf would quickly agree, but he only looked with indifference somewhere in front of him on the terrace outside the window. He stood in silence for a while and when he spoke his voice was extremely cold and gloomy
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"I am not aware of any disappearances. Nor have I seen any report on the case." - He admitted with apparent resignation, which was extremely unusual. Jasmine thought that the man was omniscient, but apparently he also had his weaknesses
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"Couldn't you check with possible sources? Surely someone knows something, but hides it or thinks it is a trivial matter and did not even66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDtQpgNm9S
mention it" - she waved her hand and threw encouragingly, but the elf seemed to ignore her completely. Jas had no idea what was on his mind there. She looked at him with childish curiosity until he grabbed her by the sleeve and without a word directed her to the exit.
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"You will now walk politely with your head down and don't you dare say any single word. When we reach the place, you will tell me more details" - he ordered, threatening her with his finger, to which she immediately agreed. She probably would not have been able to refuse anyway.
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When the elf was sure of her agreement, he took a deep breath and assumed a formal mask of indifference and opened the door with a decisive movement. As he instructed, she now walked at a slight distance with her head lowered keeping pace with him. She paid no attention to her surroundings or to passing-by, only to avoid stepping on a man's foot. She had not even managed to stop when the elf pushed her into a room and hastily closed the door behind her.
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She was sure she now found herself in some sort of private room. To the left was a space dedicated to a huge office. In the centre was a massive desk with chairs upholstered in brown leather. Behind it stretched a huge bookcase, reaching all the way to the ceiling and extending to the walls on the left and right.
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To the left of the entrance, under the window, was a practice space. She saw racks of weapons or armour and a fighting ring. Behind it stretched a wall of windows leading to a small balcony. Stepping inside, bypassing the wall dividing the room, she saw a fireplace opposite which stood a small coffee table and a couch perfectly matching the chairs at the desk. Opposite the balcony, against the wall, was a sizable canopy bed covered in light fur. Opposite it was a door of some sort, presumably leading to a bathroom or dressing room. It was most likely located in the elf's private room.
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She was so busy looking at the room that she completely ignored the man rummaging through something in the documents from the bookcase
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"Could you spare your reconnaissance and tell me more details?" - he asked reproachfully without taking his eyes off the documents. Jasmine immediately came to her senses and went over to sit down at the desk.
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"Where should I start...?" - she started uncertainly as she tried to put together all the information Ivy had gathered and silently hoped for some detailed request from the elf
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"It's best to start at the beginning, if it's relevant to the case" - he recommended dryly, still looking for something on the shelves. She ignored his biting tone and took a deep breath trying to speak slowly and matter-of-factly
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"Since there are two leads left in the case, my mercenary decided not to bother with the activist for the time being and to try to reach the Snake community somehow. On the occasion of other assignments, she looked for possible leads. She came across a rumour. Apparently, entia were disappearing on the BrickStreet and the Snakes were supposed to be behind it all. She went to the district and set a trap. She managed to catch a certain fellow from whom she was trying to get information. But even though she was extremely nice and gentle, the guy wouldn't relent and wouldn't answer questions. Then someone stunned her and she ended up in a hideout of guys who hunt Snakes on their own. They took to questioning which resulted in severe wounds to my mercenary. She could probably have killed them, but she preferred to endure the torture so as to cooperate somehow. She managed to free herself and get along with one of them. He revealed to her that disappearances had started to occur and the guards weren't even collecting clues. They got pissed and acted on their own until they found them. Two bodies, a Snake boy and a young cyclops. I think the cyclops defended himself and killed the boy but they will die from poisoning by the poison. Anyway, they caught the trail and now they are looking for members of the sect to rescue the kidnapped and mete out proper punishment. My mercenary even wanted to help but they got busy debating and she didn't want to waste time. She came back to me to reveal the plan of action. She said it would be easier for her if she at least had a map with the locations of the kidnappings marked or more clues, so as not to search blindly around the city. I thought that you might know something and share some information to somehow speed up the search." - she said so matter-of-factly and to the point that she congratulated herself in her mind. Now she sounded like a real investigator. Who knows, maybe she had always had a knack for being a messenger or docker? She probably would have wondered longer if it weren't for the fact that the elf had caught her attention by pulling away from the files in the bookcase
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"Not sure how long the abductions have been going on? Or anything about the missing?" - he asked expressively pondering something, carefully vetting whatever documents he had at hand
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"I have no idea. I don't even know how many are missing. I thought you'd tell me and I'd give more data to my mercenary" - she stated with seriousness and somehow couldn't figure out what the man was thinking about. He remained silent for a while, but she could see perfectly well that he was having a fierce debate in his mind
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"Here's what we'll do: You wait here politely and I'll look for something in the file. You'll lock yourself in here and you won't go outside no matter what. You have no right to touch or move anything and you certainly have no right to look in my files! Do you understand?" - she knew that this was a stern warning and that if she broke it, she would face death or an even more terrible punishment. She swallowed her saliva hard with fear and immediately nodded her head. -" If someone wants to come in here, hide in the bathroom, that's the door on the right of the fireplace, or in the dressing room, the one on the left. Be patient and I might be able to find something." - he gave an order that could not be questioned and moved towards the door
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" I will wait politely" - she said, slightly startled, and the elf left the room
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Jasmine thought it would be best if she hid at once so that she would not have to act under pressure in case of an accident. She got up from her seat and locked herself in the dressing room and prayed that no one would enter and the elf would return relatively quickly
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New concerns
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He left his room and walked through the castle corridors as always with a stony face but inside he was twisting. How come he hadn't received any mention that a series of disappearances was taking place in the city? And how dare anyone claim that the guards are ignoring their duties and failing to investigate? Also, why is it that such things suddenly come to light and he finds out about it from a silly former prostitute and in connection with the case of the assassination of the Prince! Through the onslaught of unfavourable thoughts, inside he was bubbling with anger and irritation. With each new clue, the case became more and more convoluted and only more cases to be solved.
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He wanted to get rid of his doubts as quickly as possible and immediately headed for the castle archives in search of reports from the BrickStreet. Unnoticed, he crept inside and immediately began searching the relevant shelves. He picked up the reports for the coming weeks and browsed carefully. These ranged from reports on patrols to missions or arrests. Even so, with each successive page his irritation only grew. The report seemed detailed and complete. It was impossible for someone to tear out pages or omit any information when writing up the report. Annoyed, he dropped the documents and started looking in abandoned cases, but found nothing there either.
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"Damn it all!" - he shouted into the ether and gave up all hope and didn't even look at the tattered documents. How come there was no mention of any disappearance in any report? Why would the guard supposedly66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWj2fYlIbqT
ignore such an incident and who was telling the truth? He didn't want to66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2vxCdiEyo
believe in the incompetence of the guards but he knew Jasmine wasn't lying. She probably didn't even think what she was saying just mindlessly repeated the words of her mercenary.
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Now, not only was he burdened with the matter of the assassination of the heir to the throne, but he also had to somehow bear the thought that there was a self-proclaimed liberator flying around town, a vandal rummaging through files from Belvedere, a mercenary who had killed the guards at Albedo and a sect that was kidnapping entia from the BrickStreet . Normally he would probably have quickly recruited the appropriate specialists and solved all the cases but now his hands were tied. He had stumbled upon each of the incidents while investigating an assassination attempt from which he was distant. He couldn't just ask someone for help because it would come out during the explanations that he had broken the king's order and acted on his own. He would have endangered both himself and Caspian and he could not allow that to happen.
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Now he had to think of what to do next. He had to push the investigation forward somehow and end this nightmare thread. Maybe all the cases are connected and when he catches the assassin these damned problems will also be solved? He really wanted that to happen. But instead of wallowing in his dreams he had to start acting. He ran his eyes over the files one last time before putting them back in place, for no signs. He quietly left the warehouse and headed for his room. He just prayed that nothing would stop him and hoped that Jasmine didn't cause any trouble in his absence. He avoided the crowded corridors and, thanks to his sharpened senses, managed to avoid all possible obstacles
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He entered the room quickly and locked the door behind him. To his surprise, the room was completely empty so he scanned the room carefully for the girl. He had an excellent sense of smell so he immediately sensed her distinctive scent coming from his dressing room. He walked past the exercise area and quickly opened the door
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He saw Jasmine sleeping on the floor covered by one of his cloaks. If she had been sitting there he probably wouldn't have been so angry66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmN0MR9AH0
but she was just crumpling up one of his personal items that he had personally ironed. Annoyed, he took a deep breath to calm himself so as not to explode with anger, and tore the material off the girl, who stood up as if burned. She calmed down after a moment when she scaned him with her sleepy eyes and recognised his silhouette
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"It took you a longer than I thought" - she yawned, rubbing her eyes and stretching her numb arms
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"Whoever came in here?" - he asked without a trace of resentment in his voice trying to hide his negative emotions. Of course, as befits a responsible man, he also always had to make sure first that there was no trouble in his absence
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"None. But just to be sure, I hid anyway" - she said immensely pleased with herself as she rose from the ground and stood proudly erect with a smile dripping with self-satisfaction. Whenever Edward saw her he told himself that if delight itself had a form it would be Jasmine
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"Have you touched anything but my clothes?" - he asked reproachfully, but the girl only smiled stupidly as always
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"Everything is in its place, I swear. I took your cape off because you were gone for a long time and I was getting sleepy. I've had a rough day and I wanted to unwind somehow" - she waved her hand and walked past him to get out of the dressing room and stretch her legs
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"I don't doubt that a busy woman like you has her head full" - he said in a biting tone of voice as he put his cloak back in place. He would have to remember to wash it quietly and wash off Jasmine's scent
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Maybe the others weren't looking at it but Edward paid attention to every detail, even the smell, of himself and his interlocutors. In a way it was already a professional disease, but he had found out many times that this gave him a huge advantage on many levels.
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"I almost lost my life today so spare me the mockery!" - indignantly she stomped her foot on the ground and put her hands on her hips. Her statement worried him so he momentarily approached her and searched her body for possible signs of a fight
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"What do you mean, someone threatened you or tried to kidnap you? Was it because of your connection with the prince? Someone found66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupomsvJT3H
out you were working for us?" - he asked the questions with alarming speed which was probably a great feat for the girl's brain. In addition, his proximity to her made Jasmine feel very uncomfortable, because she set the boundaries by stretching her arms out in front of her and started to explain before he came even closer.
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"No, it's not like that! I am safe and no one knows about our connection!" - she expelled in one breath and Edward softened. He had assumed the worst but fortunately Caspian and his investigation were safe
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"So, what has happened?" - he asked with less enthusiasm and sat down on the sofa. Not that he was worried about Jasmine, but he had to protect her if necessary, as she was essential to their investigation. She herself sat down on the coffee table, putting her leg over her leg, and carefully watched the view outside the window
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"If it weren't for you, I would never have had to look death in the eye. I'm only alive because I got lucky again. If it wasn't for that, I would have drowned in a pool of blood in my own kitchen a long time ago" - she admitted in all seriousness and sadness without even looking in his direction. Edward made no secret of the fact that her statement sincerely touched him. He even moved in his seat, disturbed by the girl's unusual behaviour
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"Is it my fault?" - he asked in clear disbelief. He thought that the girl was colouring the story, but even he was curious and wanted to know the details. Jasmine, however, did not look happy with his question, because she sent him an angry look and looked straight into his eyes with reproach
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"That's because you made me tell you what I know about the incident in Albedo! When my mercenary came back half dead I thought it was your fault. I thought that you lied and started looking for her on your own to bring her justice for the death of those guards. When she found out that I had divulged some information about her she became fiercely angry. She would have cut my throat and I would have curled up on the floor, or done something even worse" - a distinct shudder ran through her body. It was the first time Edward had seen her so serious and angry, he just didn't know if she was angry with him or her mercenary. Not that he felt sorry for the girl, but he hated any kind of threat, and if the girl was dealing with such a mercenary, it didn't bode well. He rested his elbows on his knees and grimaced a moment
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"If you want, I'll assign you a special guard to watch over you day and night. Maybe you should also consider changing your mercenary. You66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky6j6I0Js1
have a lot of resources so you can hire someone more expensive but more dedicated" - maybe somewhere inside he wanted to comfort the girl somehow, but as always he approached it from a very rational side. What he did not expect was that his concern would be able to amuse the girl
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"No need." - she just flipped out about the attempt on her own life as if it was nothing! - "I know I am safe. I also know that I deserved to be punished, after all I sold out my own mercenary. She let my keep my life because you didn't get her that way and most likely because I'm extremely convincing. I'm simply going to try not to endanger her again. And I'm not going to change her. I don't really know a lot of things and I have few contacts and she's the only person I know who is capable of handling the investigation. I took her because I heard that she would take any assignment and finish any assignment. On the surface she seemed charming but with every moment with her I realise how powerful this seemingly fragile creature is." - She shrugged her shoulders and admitted with her classic indifference and a broad smile.
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He pondered her words for a moment but with his senses he felt that she was now also telling the truth so in a way he hoped that it was a mere accident and in future he would not have to rescue her from the hands of his own mercenary. He even wanted to start a thread about her mercenary but Jasmine quickly got up from the table and put her arms on her chest and there was no trace of her momentary breakdown
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"Did you manage to find anything?" - she asked with a spark of curiosity in her eyes, which brought him back to order. Again a grimace appeared on his face. He had spent a lot of time looking for information and had not found even the slightest mention of it. He sighed in resignation and lowered his head in embarrassment at his waste of time.
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"Nothing at all. No mention of the disappearances. And all the reports from the BrickStreet are perfectly written, without a shadow of falsehood or a trace of hiding something" - he stated with resignation and wrestled with his thoughts whether to say more
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"Strange. So the guards are ignoring the case after all" - she admitted, clearly pondering the matter. Edward could not let her, probably the stupidest person in the kingdom, start jumping to conclusions and conjectures. Therefore, he straightened up and put his hands on the back of the sofa
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"If I may..." - he started uncertainly and she immediately focused all her attention on him - "Are you sure this information is true?" - he tried to sound calm so that the blond would not be offended that he doubted her words. Jasmine, however, looked at him with childish curiosity. Edward wondered what was going on in her head right now and what conclusions she was coming to. Having been engaged in such a fierce thought process, she sat down on the table in front of him again and smiled and a calmness dawned on her face
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"Yep" - she stated in all seriousness and went back to wandering her thoughts somewhere in the distance and he could not look at her other than as an idiot. How long does it take to state something like that and66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1Arg8TthO
without giving a reason? A mere yes! It took her so long to think whether to say yes or no! With every moment he spent with her he wanted to smack Caspian upside the head for forming an alliance with someone so stupid!
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"Yes? Is that all it is? You won't tell me why you think that?!" - He burbled in exasperation but the girl wasn't moved by it. She simply turned her confused gaze on him. Apparently she couldn't read even such visible66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LcBgA1ldb
emotions and she started thinking again about the answer
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"Because I think so." - she chuckled with a silly grin and Edward stood up from his seat, and if it wasn't for the fact that he had a trained habit of quick composure, he would probably have strangled her with his bare hands. But instead he took a few deep breaths and sat back in his seat
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"Listen. I’m trying to establish something so please cooperate! What makes you think this mercenary of yours isn’t lying? She wanted to kill you so she might as well give you false information to harm you!" – he tried to sound gentle but he spoke with great seriousness hoping that the girl would understand the seriousness of the situation this time and he tried to stay calm but her constant smiling was driving him off balance
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"It’s illogical" - she said irritated, but fortunately this time she elaborated before he managed to burst out with irritation again - "Herjob is to get information and she always follows her orders. Right, she could lie to me but I don’t think that’s her style. She has a reputation and she wouldn’t let it tarnish it. Besides, her story is too believable, decked out in time and with wounds gained. She would also have no reason to lie, if it was her informant, but if someone who lives on BrickStreet says so, he probably knows better what is happening on the estate" – she spoke with seriousness and with every word Edward’s irritation grew stronger. Not because of Jasmine but because she is telling the truth.
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It was extremely possible that the guard was hiding something. He probably wouldn’t have even considered it, but something had been stinking to him ever since he checked the files with Caspian. It seemed66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAazaUp7Z8p
downright impossible to him that there was no mention of the Serpents or the Renovators in the entire warehouse, and now the incidents from the BrickStreet were adding to that. He was beginning to feel uneasy about what was going on in the guard, but at all costs he wanted to somehow hide it and tell himself that he was colouring again. Still, he couldn’t let the matter go. He rested his elbows on his knees again and hid his face in his hands to give himself over fully to the thought process
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"Now it even makes sense that the files are linked. Someone may have deleted information to get rid of any clues from the incident in the back. In a simple move, someone erased any mention of the Renovators, and by extension this activist, and the Serpents, with whom the disappearances are now linked. All these things are happening in the circle of the assassination of the Prince. If these fears come true it means I’m in trouble. Someone who got rid of the files is in the castle. Since he has easy access to the documents it’s more than obvious that he can also easily kill the Prince. If this is true then Caspian is in trouble and the assassin may be closer than I think. But even if he is, to catch him I have to solve this case and to do that I need to find more clues, and with every clue the trail grows and it brings me new problems and clues and I’m running out of time!" – he strained vaguely through his hands, embarrassed by himself and his powerlessness
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"What are you whispering about?"– Jasmine asked quietly at which he raised his eyes at her reluctantly. He forgot about her existence for a moment, but thanks to her question he was able to come to his senses.
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He had to get himself under control and think soberly. First of all, he must take care of the safety of the prince. Even if he did not have a solid foundation, he could not risk it. He will take care of Caspian himself, but there is still a thread of unresolved business. He regretted that he could not split up and see for himself what was happening on the BrickStreet. Instead, he was left with no choice but to rely solely on Jasmine’s mercenary. The only thing he could do was to help the investigation somehow, only how? He got up from his seat and walked slowly towards his desk.
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"The issue of disappearances is now becoming a priority. Let your mercenary focus on that and only that! While discovering their intentions and getting information about the sect, I wants to get some information about the guards and why they haven't launched an investigation. I want her to analyse everything that is happening on the estate. If it necessary I will arrange for the materials. I will provide maps with listed buildings and possible routes, inform about patrols and the number of guards and their main headquarters. That is as much as I can do now. I will also take care of the equipment and cover any resources if she wants to" - he knew that he would do everything to complete the investigation as quickly as possible. He couldn't survey the settlement himself and that was the only thing he could do, support the mercenary from the back.
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He walked over to his bookcase and began pulling out the necessary materials. After a while he put the maps and notes he had about the guards on the BrickStreet on the table, he hoped that at least this information was real and not falsified
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"As for the cost, know that I will cover the purchase of any tools, weapons, aids or whatever is necessary for the investigation. Let your mercenary prepare properly and professionally pick the case. And if she finds out anything about it, let her inform you immediately, then you report it to your accountant to and I'll take over the information, clear?" - he asked with a grave face and hoped that the blonde was somehow keeping up. Jas had already moved some time before and was watching him curiously, but he wasn't sure if the girl understood everything he was saying
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"So I take these things with me now, hand them over to the mercenary and tell her to focus on the missing persons case?" - He immediately nodded his head and Jasmine continued - "All right. So that's settled. Now, if I get any information I'm to report to the accountant and politely wait for a response so as not to make a fuss about the castle, yes?" - she asked making a dishevelled face, but he didn't care, he simply nodded and still resented her unannounced arrival at the castle
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"Exactly. You will hand over the necessary materials and information to the mercenary and wait patiently. In the meantime, as always, stay out of sight and out of trouble. You can also expect that I may visit you from time to time to ascertain the progress of the case" - 'And whether you're sure you're not up to anything', but he had already kept that to himself. Jasmine nodded her head vigorously one last time and Edward decided that they had nothing more to say to each other - "Now take these documents and hide them under your dress so that no one can see" - he instructed dispassionately and handed the folder to the girl, who immediately got up from her seat.
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"Are you crazy? That is not an option!" - she became extremely indignant and the elf could not control a quiet sigh
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"This is confidential data. No one unwanted can get them. You must hide them! It is necessary to conceal your true purpose of coming to the castle" - he threw it out sternly and a little too firmly, but he did not have time or inclination for discussion. He also knew that his request was perceived as an order, for which he was extremely grateful for his overwhelming aura of military
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"Fine, Let it be. Hand over the documents" - he could not hide his satisfaction and the corner of his mouth turned upwards when Jas put out her hand for the documents herself and her pretence of indignation did not touch him in the slightest. He himself even helped her pull out the individual sheets of paper and divided them into small piles
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She wrapped the secured documents around her leg and secured them with a stocking. Edward looked away, of course; after all, he was a gentleman, but above all he did not flaunt his desire for humans. Once the documents were secured Jasmine walked to the door and Edward knew it was time to escort her to safety.
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They went out into the corridor and, thanks to his senses, avoided any confrontation. They reached the stables and Edward ordered one of the coachmen to drive the woman to King Silas Square. The two exchanged meaningful glances in silence and parted in silence. The elf escorted the coach with his eyes, and when it disappeared from his sight, he set off for the castle. He was not going to waste any time. He immediately headed for the library.
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At this hour, according to the schedule, the prince was in class. Without ceremony, he entered the appropriate wing and went to one of the designated rooms where he quickly found the prince. He already wanted to approach to talk to him but, through a thought, he stopped in front of one of the bookcases.
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He could tell him his fears, but would anything good come of it? Caspian was doing exceptionally well at the castle in company. If he started to suspect something he would become distrustful and isolated, and that is bad for his wellbeing and he don't want the prince to endure the hardships of isolation again. Additionally, Edward kept mentioning a scenario where the Duke, exasperated by the isolation, goes to Fantaber and miraculously avoids an assassination attempt.
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Quickly and in good conscience, he decided it was better to reinforce the guard and keep a close eye on his surroundings so as not to disturb Caspian. He took one last look at the boy immersed in a debate with his66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSkqyNRbDN
teacher, which, by the way, the prince was winning. Edward walked out of the library with more composure now and set off in the direction of the barracks. Without greeting, he simply threw in to the palace guard commander that the princely guard had recently rested on its laurels and the young prince was disappointed by the weak and incompetent protection. As soon as they disappeared behind the dreamer he heard the commander's shouts and was assured that later today the prince's protection would be increased.
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Now he could move to his office and devise a plan of action. Since he couldn't investigate from the city he would deal with it at the castle. He will do his best to establish what is going on in the guards and who is behind the incomplete documents.
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Second Approach
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All the way home she was nervous. She felt like she was smuggling a kilo of drugs or a ton of gold and every passer-by she met was a threat. As soon as she got out of the cart she quickened her pace and, without stopping, took a lively stride towards her flat. She thought her heart would leap out of her and only took a deep breath when she was at the door. She quickly opened it and stepped inside. She was so happy and tired at the same time that she leaned against the door and slowly slid to the ground. She took the elf's threat really deeply to heart and was damn scared that she was carrying such important documents.
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"Another minute and I was going to get pissed and start looking for you around town and that wouldn't end well for anyone in the whole of Viridisos" sayd Ivy dispassionately. She was sitting on the sofa with her hands resting on her knees and eating an apple of some sort while gazing intently at the landscape outside the window. She continued chewing the fruit for a while until she finally swallowed the part she had in her mouth - "Did you find out anything?" - only now did she turn and look at her, which made her wake up and get up from the floor. She shook off the invisible dust and went over to Ivy to sit next to her on the sofa.
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"Are you feeling better?" - She asked with obvious concern carefully looking at the bandages covering the girl's entire torso. She couldn't blame her for her attempted murder. She was asking for it herself, and66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeRaf3YEbR
all Ivy was doing was trying to survive. Even more than that, Jas was now almost certain that Ivy would not be able to kill her. Indeed, she was terrifying but if she could forgive her something like that then she would66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXW0JcRIUM
forgive her anything. She also preferred to forget the sight of the girl's66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG2fxVj9No
empty eyes and concentrated on how she had always seen her, or as she saw her now. Now she was a teenage girl sitting on the sofa and eating, some apple already rotten on one side. At times she looked downright delightful, especially as she was younger than she was and was in fact just a bit more childlike in her eyes
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"Breathing doesn't hurt so much anymore so it's not too bad. But I couldn't take any more painkillers so I decided to eat something so that my body wouldn't be offended" - she threw up her hands as impassively as ever and enjoyed a simple apple as if she were eating some expensive meal in a luxury restaurant. That is why, according to Jas, she was disarming - "How did the meeting go? Did you learn anything interesting?" - She asked with a full mouth, still not looking at the blonde. Jasmine, however, did not feel bad about it. She even revived at the question and couldn't wait to pass on the information
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"I have something to please you!" - she said mysteriously to build up some tension and after a moment she rolled up her dress to take out the documents which she solemnly threw on the table. Ivy finally looked curiously at the documents and finally dared to grace her with a glance
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" What is it?" - She asked feigning indifference, but Jas knew that she was very curious about all the details. She also saw that this was what she was here for and would not keep her mercenary in the dark. She also had to boast about how much she had managed to get and that she was as talented as a messenger and docker
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"Maps of the estate and information about the guards. You'll need them while you're there, no need to thank me" - she tossed a strand of hair behind her, showing off one of her trademark moves. She poorly pretended to be modest because she simply wasn't going to hide the fact that she had done a good job and Ivy should be jumping for joy. She waited a moment for praise but Ivy carefully mirrored the documents, completely ignoring her!
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"That's all the information about the guards you got? Have they really pounced on the investigation?" - She asked still not raising her eyes at her. Jasmine felt touched by her ignorance but congratulated herself in66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAbeIjM5hA
her mind and forgot the subject to return to the case
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"Just this. My informant had no idea about any investigations or even disappearances so he had no way to help. He only gave me a map and some data about the guards, how many there are, how they patrol the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigaoLRwXKN
estate and where they officiate. He also promises to support you financially and, if necessary, provide you with weapons and supplies" - she stated proudly and waited for Ivy's jaw to drop. It is not often that one comes across such a generous employer and she had only gained such an opportunity because she is persuasive and can bargain the best terms. She waited a moment for words of gratitude but froze motionless when Ivy opened her mouth
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"I'd sooner shit myself and eat this shit than accept payment from an elf so I'll thank you. I'll do some work and earn my own money. Besides, I replenished the necessary supplies before the mission so I'm prepared. I also have to say that you wasted your time. I have my own maps and the guards have never been a big obstacle for me. More than that, since they don't get involved in the investigation I probably won't meet them" - she66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvephx1sHKW
said dispassionately and dropped the documents to lean back and attend to her apple, which she devoured whole. Jas was still sitting like a statue but with every breath she felt anger boiling inside her
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"You know what you are saying?! These documents are so important that I almost had a heart attack delivering them here! No one has access to them and they were handed to me by the best security guard there is in Viridisos, and in person! You should have been grateful, or at least66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUCuEnqVFo
surprised, but you blew it off and took care of some old apple!" - she was angry and did not hide her indignation and seeing the indifference on Ivy's face made her even more furious. She wanted to get Ivy's attention somehow, so in a spur of the moment and out of ideas she snatched the apple from her and threw it somewhere on the ground in a corner to get even a single emotion out of Ivy. She involuntarily, having finally lost her object of attraction, shifted her tired gaze to her and rolled her eyes
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"I'm so glad you're helping. For someone like you it must have been a great feat to get these documents here, my congratulations" - Ivy said without enthusiasm, but it was enough for her. She raised her head proudly and let Ivy continue. She got up from the couch and walked slowly to the window - "But these are maps that even ordinary officers have, I've already stole dozens of them, so I don't need another one. And information about the movements of the guards? I beg you, what do I get from the notes of someone who doesn't even move around the city? All I need is a vantage point and I can figure out their rhythm and sneak past unnoticed. Maybe this information would be valuable but only for a complete amateur and a faggot and not for someone who ate his teeth in a clash with the guards like me" - she said dryly and as if nothing ever happened, she grabbed an apple from the ground and continued eating, not taking her eyes off her.
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Jasmine didn't say a word but sat slightly shocked on the sofa. In a way, it was because Ivy had just picked up a dirty fruit that was lying on the ground and eaten it without a trace of disgust, but what surprised her most was the simplicity with which she spoke. Something that, to her, seemed something essentially precious and difficult to get, to Ivy was downright boring. Today she found out once again how experienced a mercenary she is. Not only is she excellent at fighting, she is also unimaginably quick at getting data and finding her way around. She may have been a little resentful that the data she had acquired was of no use, but at least she had again reassured herself that she had not been wrong in her choice of mercenary. She shook off the shock and patted the seat next to her66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ztHin3Gbd
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"Okay, the documents turned out to be wrong. But I gained a new referral and that's the most important thing" - she stated with satisfaction and Ivy returned to her seat and waited intently for the next part of her speech - "My principal was extremely curious about the case, especially as he hadn't heard anything about the disappearances. He has instructed you to now focus solely on the investigation in terms of the sect. You have to do your best to solve this case as soon as possible, he has put a lot of emphasis on it"
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"That was the plan all along, so relax, I'll take care of it. I have a lead that will lead me to one dimidium. I was also going to follow this ridiculous group who are searching on their own but I think I'll get further when I start snooping around the city on my own. So I'll hang around for a while and when I find a lead, it's only a matter of time until I break into the Snake's circle and find out the truth" - she admitted calmly, and that's exactly what Jas wanted to hear.
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"If you could, pay attention to the behaviour of the guards. My employer wants to know why they don't interfere in the investigation" - she added in the same tone but Ivy looked at her with a measure of disbelief - "What?" - She asked unable to figure the girl out and wanting to break the uncomfortable silence that had been created. Ivy turned towards her and looked deep into her soul, which made Jas uncomfortable.
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"You know, Jasmine, I was beginning to wonder who this employer of yours was and what his intentions were" - she said stonily and went back to watching the landscape outside the window and Jas couldn't contain her surprise.
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She thought Ivy didn't care who she worked for and that she was only focused on her mission. She hadn't expected that she would suddenly66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUCpLUL9WE
take an interest in her employer. If she started looking, she would know the truth, and when she found out about the assassination attempt on the Prince, she would be able to exploit it in a way she only knew how. Jas had to think of something. She could even say that she 'works for the Prince himself' to make her sound like an idiot, but she knew that Ivy would even begin to consider such an option. She had to say something and release the tension somehow66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYGkcZDcXs
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"What's got into you all of a sudden? I thought you weren't interested in elves!" - she threw it lightly, but she felt that she did not sound convincing. She could not hide the fact that she had turned pale. Ivy, on the other hand, sighed and put her arms on her chest66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwISHwLpmZX
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"Apparently your employer is the boy who was in the back room with you at the time, some kind of elf. It's even normal that he wanted to find out who was behind the assassination attempt on him, I'll believe that. I'll even believe that he contacted you because he wanted some information, which you had thanks to me. But further on it gets weird" - she shifted her blank stare to her and Jas felt a cold sweat on her back. She didn't know what to expect and Ivy noticed this and continued - "Since he had already got the basic information he could have gone to the docker with it, or got a mercenary, or even a detective looking at how rich he was. But instead he's suckered a prostitute into taking on the case and being an intermediary, even though he doesn't have a clue. If he is also disgustingly rich then he can spend masses of wealth on buying out a courtesan and prescribing a flat in a royal tenement to her, because who can forbid a rich man?" - she threw in a biting remark and with every word Jas got weaker and weaker - "Up to this point I could ignore it, but this affair stinks even worse than I do. Who does one have to be to be investigated by a self-appointed liberator of mankind? He must have had some important function. Plus, he has a bodyguard doing everything for him. If he has a bodyguard why doesn't he order him to take care of things himself? You can see that he is familiar with the situation. He has maps of the city belonging to the guards and is familiar with their location and their patrols. With money, resources and subordinates, he could take care of it himself and he hires you, a former whore, on top of a human being, who hires me, a mercenary from the gutter, also a human being, to do it. This case is so convoluted that I'm surprised that someone with such a simple mind as yours was able to take it on" - she said with indispensable calmness and Jas felt as if she had a blade at her throat again. With the stress she had even forgotten how to breathe.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrCvyDkr6h
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She could only stare dully at Ivy and hope for a miracle. As soon as the duke and his bodyguard found out that Ivy knew the truth, they would personally impale and skin her. And if Ivy found out that she was working for the elves and from the castle, she wouldn't stop herself from cutting Jas's throat. She was about to cry from helplessness when Ivy got up from her seat like this
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"Looking at this case it might even be better if I don't know. I can see that you're in the middle of this shit and the only way to free you is to solve it. So you can consider it off the table. I'm not going to pursue who you work for" - Jas suddenly gasped for air. She felt like jumping with happiness and hugging the girl. How good that Ivy had read her clear signals and dropped the subject. If she hadn't, she probably would have suffocated sooner as I had betrayed the truth
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"Thanks Ivy, really thanks. I promise that when this thing is over we'll both be free and unhindered and in the future we'll laugh about it" - she chuckled amused at the reassurance of both herself and Ivy, but the girl raised her hand not letting her enjoy the happiness for long
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"I'm not done" - she stated quietly and Jas went pale again and held her breath. Ivy turned towards her, still with a grave look on her face - "So far this case is harmless, but I swear, if it affects my life in any way, you'll regret it. So if this whole investigation is going to make me change my boring life, I want you to know that yours is going to be a living hell too. I'm not going to go to jail or risk changing my life for some entia or elf or who the hell knows what. That's why I advise you to pray that this matter will end quickly, quietly and with the least amount of resistance, so that we can part in peace. Because if not, I will gut you first and then your employer and every other person who has contributed to making my life even more miserable than it already is!" - she threaten and Jas immediately nodded and got up from the couch to grab Ivy's hand
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" I also want this to end quickly and happily. I can also promise you that when you come to some big breakthrough in the case, you will be able to get away from it" - she said quickly but with palpable sincerity. She was sure that the elf had hired her because he had no specifics and he himself did not want to chase around the city and as soon as they found the right people, the protector would personally find them and bring them to the duke to get justice. She and Ivy were needed only for this worst and hardest job. She was also sure that Ivy understood with what sincerity and certainty she was saying these words
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"I have no other option anyway but to trust you and do my job. The only thing I can do is to start acting, preferably as soon as possible" - she stated without enthusiasm and broke out of her embrace to approach her backpack
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"And when are you going to start?" - she needed to know if she could help the girl in any way and when to expect new information on the case
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"Right away. Just let me gather my things and I'll be able to go back to the BrickStreet" - she said just like that and didn't even raise her eyes at the surprised Jas
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"Are you crazy? Look at how you look like!" - she threw reproachfully at Ivy. - "You are all beaten up and dressed only in metres of bandages and... trousers? Are those even trousers? I wouldn't take this to mop up vomit from the floor and you are wearing it and even have your hands in it!" - she stated with a grimace of disgust. She didn't look at whether Ivy was offended because she was just stating facts
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"Ouch. That was hurts" – she put her hand on her breasts and lowered her gaze and Jas already opened her mouth to apologise -" I would say so if I felt offended, but I won't" - she raised her face again, which showed only pure indifference - "I know very well what I look like. These clothes are the latest fashion trend among the homeless, straight from the dumpster. The fact that I'm all in bandages is even a plus, for once I dressed in something clean. And believe me, it's not so bad with me now at all. A few days ago I almost died in a gutter and those fresh scars you saw were the work of one such fuck-up. Then I nearly went down and slept for two days unconscious. If I can walk, talk and breathe freely now, it means that everything is great" - Ivy's impassive confession stunned Jasmine so much that she could not speak even when the girl came closer. - "You and I both care about time. It's best if I start quickly and get on with solving this case so that we are free of this burden as soon as possible" - she patted her on the shoulder and went back to putting on her shirt and checking her equipment.
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Jasmine did not comment on this in any way. She simply let Ivy pack her gear and prepare for the mission. In the end Ivy was right, the sooner she started the sooner she finished and then everyone would benefit.
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Instead of standing around like a peg, she decided she should make herself useful for something. She went into the kitchen to pack some food for the road for Ivy.
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