Bailonz Street 13

Just a few months ago, I wasn’t nearly as famous as Liam. People might have known Liam Moore, the bad boy of criminal investigation, but no one paid attention to the assistant trailing beside him.

If word got out that Liam Moore was in danger, all of Greenwich and London would be in an uproar. Jane Osmond in danger? That would only be an issue in our household.

The problem traces back to when Liam went missing. As luck would have it, my photo was plastered across the front page of the London Daily Report. And not just there. It appeared in every gossip rag, reputable newspaper, and daily and weekly publication. Chances are, quite a few people would recognize my face now.

From “Who’s Jane Osmond?” someone would surely remember me. Especially those from Scotland Yard.

“I’m doomed. Anyone in London who subscribes to a newspaper will have seen my face.”

Liam remained still, his lips buried in my hair. I couldn’t guess what was going through that brilliant mind of his, but one thing was certain – he would do everything in his power to save me. Liam whispered softly:

“I swear. I won’t let anyone take you away.”

“But how do you plan to do that?”

Lucita asked. She was leaning forward, arm draped over the sofa, watching us. Liam answered nonchalantly:

But his voice couldn’t hide the underlying tension.

“It doesn’t seem like you or your lady have any options.”

“We still have to try.”

I feel like crying. Just a few months ago, I was an ordinary person in Korea, working part-time jobs, going to university, studying for certifications, living like everyone else.

But I don’t have the luxury of time to wipe away tears. Ten minutes have already passed. Time flies in the blink of an eye, and the Black King will soon demand a choice. Me, or the world. Choose one of the two.

Others might argue for the sacrifice of the few for the greater good. To be honest, isn’t it easier that way? He’s not asking them to kill me directly or cut off a piece of me to offer up – just hand me over to the Black King and everyone else will be saved. It’s an easy and tempting choice.

‘Liam won’t choose the world.’

That certainty suddenly struck me.

I’m still unsure how Liam Moore feels about me, but one thing is clear – I must exist in Liam’s world.

As if to say this place has no meaning without me, Liam tightly wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He was trying to appear composed, but his hand was trembling terribly. It had been a while since I’d seen Liam so shaken.

“The, I mean, the Black King seems to want me alive.”

“He must want something from you, Miss Jane. Your soul perhaps, or your lifespan, or something only you can provide.”

There are too many possibilities to even speak of. I closed my mouth with a serious expression and rested my chin on my hand.

Just then, a knock sounded at the reception room door.

“Master. I’ve brought the tea.”

The voice was sickeningly sweet. Even melted butter poured over wouldn’t be this greasy. Given Lucita’s usual personality, it seemed unlikely she’d appreciate someone like this. Why allow them to call her “Master”?

“Come in.”

The next moment, I recoiled in horror, pressing myself against the sofa’s backrest.

A smarmy face with a wide grin appeared. We’ve definitely met before, and Liam and I remember him. I could feel Liam becoming intensely alert. The muscles in his arm, pressed against mine, tensed up.

“Why are you here…?”

I pointed accusingly at him.

Of course, Lucita had taken him away. But I thought she’d quietly disposed of him somewhere no one would find, not put him to work diligently in her house. She did say she’d make good use of him, but I didn’t think she meant it literally.

‘Lucita really doesn’t lie…’

The culprit who had ineptly caused monsters to be drawn to the train, the host of that bizarre auction, was holding a tray.

I turned to see Liam looking completely dumbfounded. It had been a while since I’d seen him so visibly shocked. The thought running through both our minds must have been identical.

Wow. What the hell? What’s with that get-up?

With his dark brown eyes and well-groomed brown hair, he looked like any ordinary Englishman you might see anywhere. But he walked in with an efficient manner, set out cups on the table, and poured tea with great skill.

In other words, perfectly…

“A b-butler?”

That seemed to be the correct answer. The host proudly offered me a teacup and replied.

“Mm! An aspiring butler trainee.”

Lucita muttered, holding her head:

“I never asked for this.”

“But Luci, Master!”

“…Sigh.”

It seemed a lot had happened in the meantime. Looking at Lucita’s complicated expression, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy. We did capture and hand this guy over to her, but we never expected it to turn out like this. A lament escaped my lips involuntarily.

When I muttered, “It’s creepy…,” Lucita responded, “I understand.” Regardless of our banter, he was absorbed in his work.

“Today’s tea is a perfect blend of Darjeeling and Yunnan leaves, brewed twice with water boiled this morning. It has a very smooth texture with a pleasant umami aftertaste, and when you hold the tea in your mouth, you’ll notice an exotic aroma…”

“Ah, yes…”

“For accompaniment, I’ve prepared Earl Grey scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream…”

Despite the elaborate explanation, I couldn’t bring myself to even touch the scones. The atmosphere was so tense, it felt like I might choke just drinking the tea. As I sipped the tea with trembling hands in this absurd and misplaced gathering, the host suddenly asked:

“But really, why is He looking for you, sis?”

“Cough, cough. H-He?”

“It’s a long story.”

“How long?”

“Sometimes, humans without talent resort to such means to gain magic…”

Really?!

I spat out the tea completely. Even someone whose secret birth was revealed couldn’t have spit it out more naturally. My nose stung and tears welled up from swallowing the tea wrong, but he paid no attention and brazenly took a seat.

“It’s common for humans born without the ability to sense magic to become obsessed with demonology or sorcery, poring over ancient texts. And very occasionally, those who find something real end up summoning something. They use that power to claim a lineage of magic, only to end up killed by real monsters. Who would be interested in such stories?”

You just explained it all, didn’t you? In just a few sentences, you’ve piqued people’s curiosity.

Seeing my eyes widen, he waved his hand dismissively.

“Let’s skip that part. The question is, why you, sis? Think about it. To Him, humans must all be like insects, so why single out one person and say, ‘If you give me this one, I’ll let everyone else go’? You…”

“Please use my name.”

The aspiring butler quickly corrected himself.

“Whether Miss Jane comes or not, don’t you think He plans to kill everyone anyway? So, it’s a kind of moral experiment. If you don’t send her, it’s ‘Oh, I see. You chose conscience over survival. How admirable. As a reward, I’ll grant you a painless death.’ If you do send her, it’s ‘As expected, you’re despicable. Die, all of you.'”

“Huh? That makes sense.”

Think about the Black King we saw. Would someone so capricious, caring only for his own amusement, really value human life?

For a moment, both Lucita and Liam wore expressions of being taken in. Even I agreed, causing the aspiring butler to grimace. His face showed he had lost all interest.

“You’ve really changed in the short time I haven’t seen you. I preferred you when you were like a blank slate, more lovable in your ignorance.”

Changed? Is Liam Moore some kind of virus?

“Blank slate is a bit harsh.”

“Because anything could be drawn on it. You’ll start taking even casual remarks seriously now. For example, if the man next to you said he was ‘cursed,’ I thought you’d get scared and run away…”

Ah, so that’s it. He wanted to separate Liam and me? Because I was someone who knew nothing about Greenwich or Lucita? And what benefit would he gain from that?

“Why did you do such a thing?”

When I asked, the butler smiled brightly.

“Isn’t it interesting? To see the guardian of Greenwich clinging to something like love.”

Ah, damn it. So from that time, perceptive people could see the unusual nature of our relationship. I thought we had hidden it thoroughly, but realizing it wasn’t hidden at all was shocking!

Thud.

I startled at the ominous sound. Liam’s large hand was gripping the sofa’s armrest tightly.