Adam sat at the edge of the bed, the dim light in the attic illuminating his face.
What the fuck is he doing here?
He subconsciously clenched his fists as he thought to himself.
The five domains, the five factions, the supply of kidnapped children, the mysterious delivery point in the north… Marden Benton.
Could it be… he's overseeing the place where the children are being delivered?
Or am I just...
The youth steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees as he covered half his face, hiding the wide grin about to form on his lips.
He suddenly felt the urge to laugh out loud.
But he didn't.
He inhaled deeply and continued his train of thought.
I can't make a move on Marden. Not now. All my plans will go to waste if I do.
Control. Control. Control yourself… Be patient… The ti will co. Eventually.
Baron Veyne is backed by Marquis van Booth, who in turn is backed by Marden fucking Benton!
But which faction does the Marquis belong to? I've connected the five factions to criminal activities, but I don't know which ones they are.
The Interventionists are likely to be one of them. They've always been opposed to the Preservationists. But this is sothing that I can't just go around and assu.
I need to be certain.
The youth rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth, a dark look on his face.
So now I have a ledger listing coded communications between the five factions and shell interdiaries, black market trade manifests, and sealed intelligence reports about Brotherhood agent deploynts.
The most important is the agent status dossiers listing mbers that have already been turned, under control, or have shown potential to turn into Cult spies.
If I can mark all of these spies and deal with them in one swift motion…
His blue eyes flashed with a ruthless light.
But soon, he couldn't help but frown.
But if I do make a move now, the Cult will be alerted.
This is truly a frustrating situation to be in! I know my targets, but I can't kill them. I've found Marden Benton, but I can't deal with him yet.
Dragonshit!
He stopped by the window and gazed at the night sky. The twin moons had hidden themselves beyond the clouds, and stars twinkled lightly across the tenebrous canvas.
Adam couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
I don't like this feeling at all.
Of the incriminating evidence that I've found, no single docunt proves everything. But together… they form a complete network map.
I've exposed the factions, but don't know which ones they are. I've identified the compromised mbers of the Brotherhood, but none of the powerful Wardens or Councilors.
The Cult has infiltrated deeper than I had thought. Have they always been there?
Why did they choose the Battle of Ravenfell as the mont to co out of the shadows?
Is it because the planetary alignnt is soon approaching?
Despite all the information I have, I cannot do anything about it.
My hands are tied, and I don't like it one bit.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the room.
A mont later, Sebastian entered.
The elderly butler cast a cold glance at Henry, who was sprawled across the bed, snoring deeply. He studied the bastard son of House van Booth intently for a few monts, then turned away and closed the door behind him.
Adam pretended to snore for another minute or two before he shifted on the bed, leaning sideways and gazing at the scenery outside the window.
Damned bastard, he cursed inwardly.
If I had assud the identity of the steward and infiltrated the manor, Sebastian might have already dealt with .
It was wise to assu Henry's identity.
Speaking of identities…
Kenny had been missing for almost ten days now. Lebu and a few others must have surely noticed sothing wrong by now.
I was just thinking of how to end Kenny's role, he mused.
Well, this gives a good opportunity. If I play my cards right, I can at least draw out a traitor from the upper echelons of the Brotherhood.
At the sa ti, I don't require Henry's persona anymore. My work here is done.
But…
Adam recalled the face of the man who had haunted him in his nightmares. He felt enraged, but also extrely conflicted. He wanted to kill the man, but he also wanted to assist him.
Damn it all!
He let out a tired sigh.
One thing at a ti...
First, let deal with these two personas.
***
The following day.
Adam wore the face of an unassuming middle-aged man as he entered through a narrow side door and moved into the back corridors of the pleasure house Henry frequented.
The abundance of perfu in the air was nauseating. Along the passage, doors stood half-open. Inside so rooms, won sat before small mirrors and put on makeup. In other rooms, they rinsed and cleaned themselves in shallow basins.
He kept his eyes forward and walked at a steady pace. At the end of the corridor, he stopped before a plain door and knocked in a particular sequence.
Almost a minute later, a gorgeous middle-aged woman opened the door. She was sweating profusely, and her breathing was ragged. The mont she saw Adam, her eyes lit up.
"It's you!" she exclaid. But then, her expression dimd. "Is it already ti?"
Adam was speechless. "Woman, it has been ten days!"
The courtesan giggled. "I was having so much fun, I lost track of ti."
Adam was even more dumbfounded. "I don't even want to know what you did to him in these past few days," he muttered under his breath and entered the room.
He looked around the place and asked, "Well? Where is he?"
The courtesan rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I won't keep him out in the open. Follow ."
She led Adam through a narrow stairwell hidden behind a false wall and down into the cellar. The air grew colder and slled of…
Adam imdiately frowned. He couldn't help but blurt out, "It reeks!"
"It's not every day you get to turn a noble-born boy into your personal plaything," the courtesan said coyly as she opened a low door and stepped in.
Inside, the real Henry lay sprawled across a narrow bed, eyes half-open, skin pale, his body slack as if all strength had been drained from him. He was breathing, but only barely. All sorts of bondage tools lay on the ground.
"Just how many tis did you...." Adam was dumbfounded. "You know what? Don't answer."
He quickly approached Henry and fed him a few potions. Then, he turned toward the courtesan and handed her a pouch full of gold coins.
The woman chuckled happily as she counted the coins. "Oh, this is wonderful—"
Her words got caught in her throat when Adam appeared behind her like a ghost and whispered in her ears:
"You will forget what happened in the past ten days. You will forget what you did to Henry. You will forget that we ever spoke. You will forget that I ever existed. Now take Henry to your room and start serving him. And... give back my money!"
The white lotus pattern in Adam's pupils glowed for a brief mont.
And then…
He disappeared.
The courtesan's pupils dilated briefly, then returned to normal. She looked around in a daze, then her gaze settled on Henry.
Without a word, she stepped forward, lifted him over her shoulder, and carried him back upstairs.
By the ti the day ended, the real Henry would have returned to his manor…
As if waking up from a long, blissful dream.
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