The wind gently parted the curtains.
Sunlight, carried by the breeze, streamed in and scattered across the floor.
Time, formless and colorless, flowed on second by second.
He frowned slightly and opened his eyes. With a sharp ray of light piercing in, the chaotic, dark world brightened.
Another calm, uneventful day.
Ray rubbed his sleep-tousled hair and lazily grabbed his terminal from the bedside. The screen lit up, two unread messages quietly waiting for him.
One was from the Second Young Miss, Carlotta. The other was from Phoebe.
Carlotta's message had been sent two hours ago.
Carlotta: [Awake? Nothing special planned today. Just rest well. Oh... want to come over tonight?]
Carlotta: [Just kidding. Not yet. Too many family affairs. Our business... will have to wait a little longer.]
Attached was a photo, a selfie the Second Young Miss had taken just after waking up this morning.
Though it was just a casual selfie and her clothes weren't particularly revealing, that silk nightgown loosely traced her shoulder line, its hem spreading soft folds around her legs.
The morning light perfectly grazed her fair skin, making her seem wrapped in a hazy, ethereal glow.
Was the Second Young Miss trying to tempt me on purpose?
Carlotta: [Like it? If you do... then just keep waiting in anticipation.]
Damn, got me going.
Wanted to relieve some tension, but the Second Young Miss wasn't around.
Right now, aside from my own two hands, there was only Anby.
But Anby...
Yeah, better not.
I'm not a furry, nor a giant of the foundation.
"Ugh—!"
A flash passed over the Tacet Mark on the back of his hand.
Anby popped out, yawning and stretching.
"Morning."
"I'm so hungry. Time for breakfast, right?"
It rubbed its eyes with its little paws, then suddenly seemed to sense something and warily backed away.
"Why do I feel like... you're looking at me kind of weird?"
"You're overthinking it." Ray calmly looked away, tapped his fingertip, and opened the message Phoebe had sent an hour ago.
Phoebe: [Good morning, Mr. Ray.]
Phoebe: [Regarding the name you asked me to look into yesterday, I carefully went through the archives after returning to the Order of the Deep. I did find some relevant records.]
Phoebe: [As for more details, I'll explain properly when we meet tonight.]
It... actually existed?
He had almost given up hope.
After all, the only clue about that mysterious young woman was this name. Where she was, what kind of place that was, he knew nothing.
But since he promised to meet her, he would make it happen.
"So what are we eating this morning?" Anby sat by the pillow, its little face full of anticipation.
"What do you want to eat?" Ray sat up and stretched his shoulders.
"Barbecue! I want barbecue!"
"Who eats barbecue first thing in the morning..."
"Then... tomato beef stewed noodles, that works, right?"
"Fine. We'll go after I wash up."
"And tonight?" Anby wiggled, pressing further.
"Tonight..." Ray paused. "Meeting Phoebe. Eating pizza together."
"Pizza? Not bad either! And tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, we'll go together to..."
...
...
The morning light was just right, a gentle breeze sweeping through the streets.
Ray walked familiarly into an authentic local restaurant, back when he was just a corporate drone, he and Zani often had lunch here.
Of course, he was still a working stiff now.
It's just that...
now he could be considered the Second Young Miss's "private contractor."
Have to say, this cushy arrangement was pretty nice.
Ray picked up the menu and expertly ordered two bowls of tomato beef stewed noodles. Just then, a faint, ethereal fragrance drifted close.
Unlike ordinary scents, this elegant aroma... strangely made one feel at ease.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
A graceful female voice sounded just at that moment.
Ray instinctively looked up at the woman who had somehow appeared beside his table. She was like a jellyfish drifting in an abyss.
Elegant, yet deadly.
Cantarella.
The head of the Fisalia family.
"Miss Cantarella."
Ray's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the woman before him in disbelief.
Though this wasn't their first meeting, they had crossed paths before, the rumors about her still stirred a flicker of caution in his heart.
"It seems my young guest still remembers me." A graceful smile curved Cantarella's lips as she calmly took the seat across from him. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has."
Ray's tone was measured neither overly warm nor excessively cold. He treated her as he would any ordinary acquaintance.
After all, his current position was an employee of Averardo Bank, and more importantly, Carlotta Montelli's lover. The Montelli and Fisalia families had been locked in rivalry for a long time. As someone close to the Second Young Miss, he had to be extremely careful in every word and gesture when dealing with the head of the Fisalia family.
"I've heard about my young guest's heroic deeds in Septimont." Cantarella's red lips parted slightly, revealing a faint smile with an air of queenly authority. "Truly astonishing. Facing a Dark Tide creation without flinching, and even... devouring it."
Ray's pupils contracted sharply.
He never expected Cantarella to know about that.
"How do you know?"
"The Fisalia have been rooted in Ragunna for centuries," she replied calmly. "Our eyes and ears reach every corner of Rinascita whether Septimont or Lilyland."
Ray took a light sip of coffee, using the action to steady himself before asking calmly, "May I ask what important matter brings Miss Cantarella here to see me?"
"Before discussing that, my young guest, haven't you forgotten... our encounter at sea before?"
Ray nodded. "Of course. I remember your life-saving grace, Madam."
Cantarella looked at him, her smile serene as water. "In that case, I do have an important matter now where I need my young guest's assistance."
"..."
Ray pressed his lips together, a hint of hesitation showing on his face.
He never liked being in someone's debt, but if someone who had shown him kindness asked for help, he would never stand idly by.
But at this moment, the image of the Second Young Miss involuntarily surfaced in his mind...
Would the Second Young Miss approve?
Cantarella sat quietly at the table, her chin resting on her hand, her gaze soft as she watched the young man across from her.
After a moment of silence, she spoke.
"I know what you're worried about. But rest assured, I have no intention of harming the Montelli family, nor do I wish to sow discord. This is truly... just a small request."
She leaned forward slightly, her fingers still gently touching her cheek. Her elegantly smiling expression hid a certain stirring warmth that made Ray's heartbeat quicken.
They were so close now that he could clearly smell the fragrance emanating from her, not a vulgar scent simply designed to provoke desire, but something... more captivating, a temptation that touched the soul, as if every cell in his body trembled in response.
"A request from Cantarella Fisalia."