Faust

Blood oath

The double door next to us opens. Nan walks out with a grin. From the corner of my eye, I see Xiao return to her normal demeanor.

      "Mr.Lee. Your employer's waiting for your report." A please gesture is made. I stand up from the bench following Nan to finish my last battle tonight.

Miss Qin is sitting behind the desk with a smile on her face like before. Her gray eyes are like when I first saw her. Unreadable just like her expressions. Xiao and Nan stand respectively on her left and right. Nan looks slightly more serious, while Xiao looks stoic at first glance but I can see she's frowning subtly. Bet even she didn't notice she was doing it.
Wonder what got her work up like this?

The atmosphere here is not much better than the last time. I'm still feeling like I'm in the den of snakes and foxes, the only difference being I'm a bit more accustomed to them. But now as I stand alone in front of, and being watched by all of them like this. Makes me want to laugh out loud.

I observed all of their eyes and faces carefully. Both Nan Shi Pei and Xiao put on the face of stoic and distant strangers like we never met before, both got their masks on. Some more obvious than others. Of course, I know how these kinds of things work, as small and unimportant as it is. I still find it sad and funny at the same time. Act like this here, act like that there. It's like watching a movie with shitty stunts supported by visible cable slings.

I take a deep breath. And smile.
Joining the act.

"Run, Pheidippides! Run and race, reach Sparta for aid! Persia has come. we are here. Where. Is. She?"

I said every word slowly companies by a grin bigger than Nan's on my face. Xiao still has her unmoved expression with a hint of anger like I first met her in the hallway. Nan looks a lot more serious than usual but there's still a smirk hidden behind, as a few traces of crow's feet appear at the edge of his eyes. The emperor's daughter covers her mouth while a chuckle slips out.

      "Mr.Lee, glad to see the little......trouble on the way didn't stop you from finishing the task." After listening to the recordings with Ivan, their sound of hers sounds extra eerie than it was before, the tone she used while arguing with her father still stains my mind. She sounded like a viper on the recording. "I supposed everything went well except for it?"

      I crack my neck to the left and to the right. Looking straight down her stormed color eyes where all emotions and agendas hid. And with a taunting voice, I speak.

"Smoothly. As I promised, it's done. He got the message."

       "And his responses to it are?" She tilts her head forward in a very hard-to-notice motion. Her eyes slightly narrowed, if it weren't because I'm standing right in front of her I wouldn't realize it. Eager eh?

        "No." I smile. "Not before you fulfill your part first." Miss Qin stares at me for a moment, she learned from the last time we spoke. Her eyes remained the same, not showing any sign of emotions.
       "Very well, I'll transfer the....." 
        "Ha! You can do that later." I slowly inhale. "You haven't forgotten what you swore to me.......have you?" I take a step forward. Half a meter from her, Nan frowns as he sees I'm not joking. Xiao's left-hand flinches as she stares at me. The intents in my eyes are unmistakable. 

         "Nan......prepare the set." Miss Qin says in Chinese. Xiao turns her head for the first time, looking at her mistress and me in disbelief.
         "Miss....." She didn't need to finish her question, Xiao's expression had already spoken for her. Qin Yan turned around and gave her a warm smile.
          "......understood." Nan's voice sounds like nothing I'd ever heard before, he sounded ...... tired and helpless.  As he walks up to the door next to sofas, his steps are heavy, pace is slow. Contrary to his strides and prance earlier. Before opening that door he turns around and gives us a glance. The smirks and uncaring attitude are all gone. I'm reminded once again, what this man is like without his usual demeanors and grins. The door closes without a noise