High-Class Mob 4 4. Hands in the Shadows

"Mother, what are you doing right now? If you have some sort of insidious plan, please, don't do it."

"Do you really see your own mother as insidious? I am hurt, Risa dear."

"Watching you stalk older brother and Mina like that, I can proudly say that I am seeing someone insidious."

Risa looked at her mother Faerith acting so suspicious and felt the need to straighten her out. In the Edgeworth family, everyone has a very unique temperament, the Countess is someone who is very calm and always observes her surroundings before doing anything.

Right now, she is acting directly opposite of that which led to Risa sighing deeply. Faerith looked at her oldest daughter and showed a rare smile.

"Didn't you say you wanted for Colt to become more mature and take his responsibilities more seriously? Hear me, what if, hear me now, what I am doing is for that. Did you not notice your brother acting more subdued compared to the past few days? This must be the effects of the Young Lady."

"Mother, I don't want to tell you this but, I saw older brother trying to escape through the windows today."

"Bah, he's probably just shy. Look at him right now, he's acting as if he'll never hurt a fly."

Risa got up from the bed where she sat and peeked out the window. In the back garden and saw Colt peacefully sipping tea. A distant memory came to from past, the thought of what if he returns to being that proud noble of the past? What then?

"Think about it, Risa. Didn't you say you didn't want to go to the capital for the Academy visit? Usually, it will be Colt who would be sent. But because of your brother straying from the right path, you took it upon yourself to go, think about it, if he's to be changed by the Young Lady, you'll be free from that fate, and you will be able to laze around more."

Laze around, when those words were uttered by the Countess, it sounded like a drug that intoxicated Risa's mind. The Edgeworths are known to be noble warriors, but, against the sight of the public, the line of Count Shickly tends to lean on doing what is easiest to them.

Although they train hard, other than that they try not to do much other than tending to their hobbies.

Why did the Count reject the position of Marquis and General? It was because he thought it would be too bothersome, and that line of thought had been passed to Risa through her blood.

Laziness through blood, that is what this was. And despite Risa's fight against the whisper of the devil (her mother), she couldn't do it and ended up envisioning a time where she sat on her courtyard terrace, sipping tea and reading a book.

"My bliss will return." Risa then turned to Faerith who was observing her expressions, and smiled just like her mother, "I'll assist you, but when I see it is going to drag Mina down, I will stop your plans."

"Hohoho, I have good eyes and I can see that your brother is showing signs of change, I shall succeed!"

After a few exchange of words, the mother and daughter pair looked at each other's eyes, shook on their words, and this day, at 2459 N.E continental calendar, the alliance of mother and daughter was born.

Colt at this moment did not know a shady business dealing was going somewhere in the mansion. He took a casual sip of his tea and because he didn't wish to eat the cake that was in front of him, he looked at Lyra who just finished her cake and is eyeing Colt's with her round eyes.

"Lyra, do you want this cake?"

"Really, older brother? Ah..." She then shrunk away as she still found it hard to deal with Colt, who was known as a wastrel.

Colt ignored her reaction and handed her the slick of cake without much thought. That simple action caused Lyra to get a better view of him

'Nobody is bad if they give you delicious sweets. Self-sacrifice!' Is what she thought. She then raised her plate like it was a treasure and ate it with a wide smile on her face.

"How kind of you, Young Master Colt."

"It is nothing, I don't like sweets to begin with"

"...I have been meaning to ask you this, Young Master Colt."

Colt's heart began to shudder, but still, he kept a straight face when talking to Mina. Those eyes of her felt piercing.

"What is it?"

"You have been trying to get away from all this right? Does my presence unwanted, Young Master Colt?"

Colt's heart shuddered, 'This is not good for my heart,' is what he thought. Colt looked at her eyes, they exchanged gazes, and as if there were daggers in those eyes, it felt like it will stab him if he leaves now.

'Is she testing me? For what?' Colt shook his head, as he began to subtly chortle.

"I am the wastrel of the family, I think it is only fitting for me to try and create trouble for this family of mine. Your presence has nothing to do with it, in fact I find your presence acceptable, Young Miss Mina. I am merely being myself."

His words carried different meanings, but it boiled down to him not minding her presence while still being genuine. This caused Mina to smile at him even more.

"Your usual self? Do you mean to say that this is not how you usually are?"

"Pretty much, I enjoy wine rather than tea, and I enjoy the company of beautiful girls....like yourself so you do not have to worry about me."

"Is that so?"

Colt's heart is about to burst if previously it skipped a single beat, now, it was skipping who knows how many beats. He doesn't need for Mina to stab him because he will die if this goes on, his stupid choice of words is catching on.

'Goddammit, I almost slipped.' Colt knows that he is not her man, but the concept of what if still exists. What if she detests people who like hanging out with prostitutes and courtesan? A yandere has a flimsy frame of mind.

He didn't know how her mind works so it much better to be careful. But he also knows one thing.

'I may just be digging my own grave.'

Colt does not know how things got to this point but he is pretty sure that after this thing, after a week or so of getting used to living in this place, it would be best to learn some...precautionary measures to keep his life.

Time passed as swiftly as Colt's pulse began raising every single time Mina speaks. In all truthfulness, he was acting like a scared bitch, that had its owner angry.

Thankfully, as night came and the moon replaced the sun; the time for Mina to return to their land has come.

As the Core Lighting Lantern is turned on and the back garden turned bright, Colt stood up.

"Lyra, come here, it is time for us to enter the mansion."

"Okay, big brother." At first she was hesitant, but Lyra still grabbed Colt's hands.

"Young Miss Mina, please, follow me mother and the rest should be at the front garden."

He spoke with passiveness whilst holding the hands of Lyra.

Mina stood up and watched his back slowly walk away from her.

'Weird, this is the first time I felt something like this. A bitter emotion of separation, is this what it is? Hmm, this is weird.'

She needed to say something to Colt.

"Young Master Colt, can I ask you something?"

Colt stopped and then turned around to look straight in the eyes of Mina. His eyes were pure devoid of any agendas that wish to get anywhere near her. It was as if he didn't see her for the daughter of a Marquis, but for who she truly was.

"What is it?" Colt asked.

"It is nothing, I am sorry for bothering you about my nonsense."

"Do not worry, no harm done, please, follow me." He said that with a smile, a rare smile for Colt to do in front of Mina. That was the first smile and it caught Mina's attention.

'Freedom is at hand.'

Mina obediently followed Colt without saying anything. And as Colt felt his freedom was about to be achieved a bomb dropped on him as he heard the Countess spoke five words.

"Please stay for the night, the Marquis is still drinking with my husband;.."

"Mother, I don't think that..." Colt tried to intervene. He tries to plug up the dam to halt the flow of water, but Mina dropped a bomb, rendering his efforts useless.

"I would love to, Countess."

"Great..."

After that, Colt's mind went blank, and he couldn't hear the rest of the Countess' words. With went up and excused himself after agreeing to have dinner with the family.

In his room, he sat there with his mind blank, and by the time he regained himself, the glass of water was already in his hand.

He drank that glass of water, stood up, looked at the window, and reveled in the beauty of the full moon.

'The world is pulling me towards death, huh.'

Melancholy stuck to him whilst two women of the Edgeworth family was masterfully working their magic.

Chapter end