[2085] Levana

January, 2085.

Levana Wright was Huren Wright’s sister and only family. She grew up watching her brother from the shadows, and one case made her step out: the assassination of Dr. Kedsara.

The Wright family controlled the pesticide and herbicide business, and it was not about to end just because some academic said their products were toxic in an in vitro system.

However, Dr. Kedsara was a woman of extraordinary talents. She won over the farmers and government alike, and before she could garner any more support, she died of pesticide poisoning.

It was a slow and painful death, involving caustic damage to the gastrointestinal tract and multiple organ failure. Her conditions were made worse with oxygen treatment, and she died twenty hours after admission.

The public thought the Wrights were behind the poisoning. Who else could it be?

While Huren tended to other matters, Levana was tasked with sorting this scandal out, and she did so with grace, constructing a scapegoat out of one of Langka’s enemies and escaped public outrage with minimal damage.

Levana turned twenty this year, and she thought about finally getting a date. She wanted one since she was fifteen, but her brother advised against it only to set her free now. She could choose a date from the guests attending Huren’s birthday party, obviously hand-picked by her brother.

Levana sighed as she browsed through them. Her eyes locked onto a tall, slender man with long hair. He had a pretty face. She did not recognize him from her brother’s acquaintances. Something may be off, so she approached him, wearing a casual smile.

“Good evening. Are you enjoying the night?”

“Very much, Khun Levana.” He replied, bowing his head slightly. He was even more charming up close, with a beautiful smile and sharp eyes. “I hope you are as well.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” She took a mocktail from a serving robot that strolled past.

“Of course. I just met Khun Huren at a conference last week, and he graciously invited me to his birthday party. Oh, pardon me, my name is Singkut.” He gave her a small bow.

“Levana. But you know me.”

Huren sometimes invited business partners to his personal party, so there was nothing strange with his story. However, something about this man bothered her. He was too charming.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Madame Butterfly and her brother. Both of them wore masks, which altered their appearances into that of their public persona.

Levana smiled. If her brother did not recognize this man, then his cover would be blown.

“Levana. Singkut. Good to see you both.” Huren greeted them with his usual calm demeanor. “Were you in the middle of something?”

“Not really.” The young woman shook her head, and caught Singkut staring holes into Madame Butterfly. The latter pretended not to notice, smiling at other guests. “Brother, can I talk to you privately?”

They moved places, leaving Singkut to make small talk with Madame Butterfly.

“Brother, why did you not invite Khun Malee? It reflects badly on you.”

“We had an agreement to make our marriage an ethical non-monogamy.”

“I don’t mean it like that. She’s your spouse, but you don’t even think of extending her an invitation out of courtesy. It’s not polite. And what now? Is Madame Butterfly your public partner?”

“It’s not for you to worry about, Levana.” He said it so coldly that Levana thought she was in the wrong. “It doesn’t matter who I’m with, as long as it doesn’t hurt Langka’s standing.”

“Yeah, but the stocks…”

“As I said, Levana.” Huren left it at that, and went back to his party, greeting the guests scattered about, discussing business.

Levana watched her brother disappear into a crowd with Madame Butterfly, and sighed. She went back and saw Singkut still loitering around.

“Are you not going to join the crowd? I think brother is giving out some gold.”

“I was under the impression that we could still talk. Plus, I am not so good with crowds.”

Levana watched him closely. He had a replacement face, but his expressions were natural, reflecting its extreme quality.

“If I may be so rude, are you a full cyborg?”

“No, I still have my torso and my organs. Well, most of them, anyway. I’m missing a kidney. Run-in with an organ trader back in the days.” He shrugged. “My limbs and face are replacements.”

Levana thought for a moment, then decided to take the plunge.

“Say, would you care for a drink in the pool villa? It’s attached to the house. I can take you there.”

Maybe she was doing it just to spite her brother, but it didn’t matter. She wanted to try it, and she did.

The man was gone in the morning, but left her a text with his contacts. He also mentioned that he had something urgent and was very sorry he had to leave.

Levana laid back down on her bed for five minutes, then got up to get ready for work, thinking that she probably would not see him again.

The next week, however, he invited her to dinner, and somehow, she ended up inviting him to the bedroom again. She liked her partners rough, and despite being a gentleman on the streets, he was just that. She had a feeling that he hid many secrets, but could not yet find a way to pry them out of him.

At the mention of Madame Butterfly, the ‘lady who was with Huren at the birthday party’, his face contorted for a brief second before settling on his usual polite smile.

“Well, she was beautiful, like a poisonous flower. Those flowers eventually wilt from their own poison.”

“I see.” Levana swirled the drink in her glass. “You know, you always seem down. Was I not a good sleeping partner? I didn’t exactly get to play around during my younger years, and my experiences were all from virtual sessions.”

“I surely wasn’t feeling down. Why do you think so?”

“You just seem to have a lot on your mind. I may be just an acquaintance, but you can vent to me. Or if you don’t want to talk, I can just sit here with you.” She took a sip. “Everyone’s always trying to take advantage of each other, but you’re someone my brother randomly met at a yoga conference, so at least you’re not someone I have to watch out for, and neither am I to you.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“Let’s not make our relationship work-related.”

She gauged his reaction. Singkut went silent, staring at the liquid in his glass. His eyes were glittery in the dim light.

“Alright. Let’s do that, but I’m afraid my story is boring.” He said in an alluring, hushed tone. He was about ten or fifteen years older than her, and that added to his charm.

“Said someone who had a kidney stolen by an organ trader.”

“Some people had their spine stolen. Mine is no big deal compared to that.” He chuckled. “By the way, do you happen to know anyone who might be able to help me track my kidney down?”

Singkut liked egg whites but not the yolks, probably just like how he liked people. He liked the whites but not the yolks. Levana listened on and felt that she had to keep an eye on him. He was the flame, and she could not let herself be the moth.