Chapter 39 - Plans

Mila thoughtfully walked to Harry’s workplace. She had given Hanna information about potential intruders, and city guards would be informed, but would that be sufficient?

Likely not. Mila did not know how much was being paid in bribes to buy the local law reinforcements cooperation, but it was probably not enough to force them into real danger.

Or, at least, not people who could deal with those ‘thugs’.

And apart from one of them, the rest seemed manageable. The nights were dark, and Mila knew the general layout of the surroundings. Not very well, but enough.

Wasn’t there a couple of things she needed to learn? Mila stepped out in the courtyard. All she needed was a few ‘willing’ subjects.

Now, in addition to the cacophony of noise flowing from Silinth’s room, there was also the heavenly music of Hanna’s voice filling the Obron family’s private quarters and travelling out to suffuse the courtyard.

And there was only Hanna’s imperial voice. Mila listened for a minute, just to realise it had been a mistake. “What the hell?” Her eyes fell on the boys who were returning from visiting the city.

Andrew and Kefo were fine, but Nordly had his hands full of very colourful clothing. He was even wearing a sickeningly yellow hat and nodding as Andrew kept whispering in his ear.

Before Mila could vanish, they noticed her.

“Mila!” Andrew stepped in front of Nordly. “What a surprise.”

“I live here.” Mila started to back away. She didn’t want to know. “But now, I have to be elsewhere.

Kefo stepped in front of Nordly as well while barely containing a smirk.

“Ah, wait!” Nordly tried to step around them, only to be pushed back by Kefo.

“Stop it, you idiot, you’ll ruin the surprise,” Andrew growled at the boy.

Yes, it was time to esc-

Retreat. It was time to retreat. Mila turned around and, with a quick step, headed towards the shop.

There was a bit of time left until dinner, although, with Galtron wasted, she was not sure who would be cooking.

Until then, Mila wanted to hash out another longstanding problem she had. It required a bit of thinking and information that Harry could provide.

Depending on the results, the night could become quite long.

And it turned out to be a mistake.

Oh, not the conversation with Harry. That one had been fruitful. And the dinner cooked by Hanna was tasty as well. Probably. Mila just had trouble remembering the taste.

Mila glanced at Isabel, who was sitting next to her and had to avert her eyes. She picked away at the vegetables, her mind preoccupied.

Isabel laughed about something Nordly had said. Mila glared at the detestable creature just to find him looking back. She stabbed the piece of meat a bit too forcefully, making some of the sauce spills out of the plate.

“Ah, you made a mess.” Isabel’s hand brushed against Milas as she rushed to clean up the spot.

Mila gulped. It was unfair to look so beautiful. It made it hard for her.

Not that Isabel was ever not good-looking, but…

Whatever Isabel had done was impressive. Mila glanced at her not-quite-girlfriend and almost lost herself in her eyes.

Isabel had certainly cleaned herself up. Her skin was smoother, and inconsequential blemishes were cleaned. Something was done to her eyebrows, and she wore light make-up. Isabel’s brown hair was pulled up, revealing her side profile in all its glory.

It was distracting. If Mila had visited Isabel before, she wouldn’t have to make a fool of herself at the table.

Harry said something, making the rest laugh. Mila didn’t hear it.

“You okay?” Isabel tilted her head, and a slight, breathtaking scent travelled towards Mila.

“Yeah, I am quite all right.” Mila absentmindedly answered while wondering how much the lipstick on Isabel’s lips would stain.

And this wasn’t even the date. Mila had to prepare her heart. It was clear that the teenage hormones she had left behind had returned in full force.

“Are you?”

Isabel’s whisper made electricity travel down Mila’s spine. “Most certainly.” She examined her love’s lips closer.

Another loud laughter interrupted her important research. Mila’s head snapped towards the noise to see Silinth and Morn swagger in the room, hand in hand.

It allowed her to clear her mind somewhat. Mila somewhat calmed down. She resumed eating while pointedly ignoring the drunken duo.

“What happened with Bazil?” Isabel murmured a question next to her.

Mila looked at the miserable boy. Bazil had trouble staying seated. His demeanour was that of a cornered rat, as it should be, with Hanna sitting at his side.

“Karma.” Mila simply replied.

“He looks ready to bolt,” Isabel noted.

Andrew added something as well, but Mila missed it. She concentrated on her food and planned her revenge.

Isabel would suffer for this. Mila would most certainly make sure to outdo her. She liked her lips imagining Isabel’s reactions. Yes. It would be glorious.

The rest of the dinner went by in a haze. Mila kept getting distracted and missed everything unimportant.

She kept chatting with Isabel, and as they walked back to their rooms, Mila stopped her.

After making sure no one was around, Mila gazed up at Isabel, who waited patiently.

“Isabel,” Mila began. She took a step closer to her other half, to a point where their bodies almost touched. She could feel Isabel’s body heat and heartbeat. “There is something I wanted to suggest.” Her own heart started to beat much faster. She felt her palms grow wet from sweat.

“Y-Yes?” Isabel’s voice cracked.

It was relieving that Mila wasn’t the only one nervous. It shouldn’t be this hard.

“Day after tomorrow, at noon, I want you to join me on a date.” Mila raised her hand and pressed her fingers against Isabel’s midriff. She gazed into Isabel’s eyes and caressed her friend's stomach lightly. “I want us to grow closer. Much closer.”

“Ah,” Isabel moaned, then clamped her mouth shut.

“Is that a yes?” Mila ran her palm over Isabel’s side, enjoying her girl’s tremble.

Isabel, still stifling her voice, started to energetically nod.

“I see, but I want you to tell me the answer.” Mila leaned closer once more.

“Nnn,” Isabel whimpered. “I-” Her breathing was heavy. “Y-” She tried only to be silenced when Mila’s chest brushed against her front. “YES!” Isabel exclaimed and escaped backwards. “Of course!” She kept her tone high. “I’ll see you there! No, tomorrow! Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Isabel turned around and stiffly marched away.

Mila knew she had gone slightly overboard, but that was what Isabel got for making her feel like a fool.

“Ah, it is so hot.” Mila ventilated her face. She had sweated a ton.

And one of these days, Mila would not let Isabel escape this easily. Until then, she had to raise her resistance to her girl’s charms as well.

The nightly sky above her reminded Mila of her plans. She studied the stars before heading to Silinth’s room. It was almost time.

The sooner Mila got ready, the better. There was no guarantee everything would go smoothly. She knocked and entered Silinth’s quarters, finding the man face down on the floor with Morn sleeping in the bed.

“At least you are not sharing the bed.” Mila poked Silinth with her toe.

“Talking hard.” Silinth slurred. “What want?”

“I am heading out to deal with some business. No need to look for me. If I am not back by the morning, Hanna and Harry can help you find where I went.”

Mila hadn’t told the Obrons about her plans, but if Silinth started to ask questions, they would likely catch on soon enough.

Silinth groaned what Mila assumed was an affirmation, and she left.

There wasn’t much Mila could do to prepare. That said, a dark cloak, face mask, throwing knives and an extra dagger should be enough - nothing that could be used to identify her. She wasn’t going to take risks.

After suiting up, Mila still waited another hour. She calmed her mind and reflected on what she was about to do.

After reaffirming it was necessary, Mila headed out. She slipped out of the Obron family’s compound and walked towards her target building.

Few people were out this late, but it was still a large city, so there were some. Mila swayed lightly, pretending to be drunk. She spent time walking in a random direction to make sure she was not being followed.

Only once Mila was sure the air was clear, she headed back. Halfway to the destination, she slipped inside one of the alleyways. The rest of the way had to be taken with caution.

After listening for any noise, Mila vaulted over a wall. She snuck through the yard before finding herself in another alleyway.

Mila had to repeat this action a couple more times before she found herself in a yard across from the building.

There was no guarantee the thugs would be there. And to Mila’s disappointment, the building was empty. Judging from the lack of signs of battle, they likely had found out about the guard's interest in their whereabouts and left.

But it didn’t mean Mila was out of options. There was a person who likely knew where they were. Harry had revealed where Nolman lived, and it was the next destination she was aiming for.

Another half an hour of sneaking later, Mila stood before a nice-looking three-story high apartment building. Nolman was living on the second floor.

Mila extended her senses and found a single point of response right where Nolman should be. The man was living alone, so at least she wouldn’t have to get rid of any witnesses as well.

Not unless she got caught, which Mila didn’t plan to happen.

After rounding the building a couple of times, Mila finally felt she had enough information to reach the required apartment.

It was simple, really. When the street was momentarily empty, Mila walked through the front doors. It was a three-story apartment building, after all. It would be stranger if the doors were locked. Possible, but unlikely.

The hallway was silent. Mila stood still for a moment and studied the surroundings. She carefully headed for the second floor. It was time to see how secure these apartments were.

From her short interaction with Nolman, she knew the man was not likely to be alert, but after his today's adventures, he probably was.

Upon reaching Nolman’s place, Mila pressed her ear against the doors and listened. There was no noise, and her senses told her the mana pool was far from the doors - likely in another room.

After checking the lock, Mila was disappointed with what she saw. Was this man even concerned about his belongings?

Then again, Nolman was one of the more powerful people around, even if he was a pathetic worm in her eyes.

Despite her boastful thoughts, it took Mila quite a while of tinkering before she managed to pick the lock. And as the door handle turned, she found the doors being stuck.

So, the man wasn’t entirely dumb. Mila pushed down the irritation she felt and experimented a little.

It turned out that Nolman had put a doorstopper on the other side, preventing them from opening. She listened for any noise, then continued.

After a bit of poking beneath the doors with her dagger, Mila managed to push the doorstopper away and finally entered the apartment.

It was immediately apparent that the man was paid well. The place was stuffed with various intricate furniture pieces and decorations. The apartment was just as flamboyant as the man himself.

Mila played with her dagger as she walked towards the doors towards the room, where she felt the mana signature. Her careful steps made no sound. She found the doors to be slightly ajar, and the sound of peaceful breathing came from the gap.

After checking for any surprises and finding none, Mila pushed the doors open.

And there he was. Nolman in all his glory. The moonlight broke through the window and illuminated the man’s bruised face. He had not managed to escape unscathed.

Now, Mila only hoped the man had the information she needed. It would make her life easier.

But even if not, Mila still had another target in mind. And that one was going to be much more challenging.