BLOOD OATH

CHAPTER FOUR: SUNDOWN CITY

CHAPTER FOUR: SUNDOWN CITY

The journey lasted three days.

Three long...

Painfully boring days.

Mountains.

Forests.

Villages.

Rivers.

Nothing exciting happened.

Not even a single thief tried to rob me.

What a disappointment.

By the time the gates of Sundown City came into view, I was already considering robbing someone just to entertain myself.

A massive stone wall surrounded the city.

Guards stood at the entrance, inspecting travelers one after another.

I slowed my horse.

The line moved quickly.

Soon it was my turn.

"Name?" one of the guards asked.

I almost answered instinctively.

"Ra—"

I caught myself.

"Isabella."

The guard glanced up.

"And your surname?"

"Morris."

He checked my documents before handing them back.

"Purpose of your visit?"

"Looking for work."

He nodded.

"Welcome to Sundown City."

That was it?

No searching?

No questioning?

No suspicious looks?

I stared at him for a moment.

He blinked.

"Is... something wrong?"

"No."

I rode into the city.

What kind of security was that?

If I truly wanted to assassinate someone here, I'd already be halfway through the mission.

Pathetic.

The city stretched endlessly before me.

Wide streets.

Flowering trees.

Elegant buildings.

Children chased one another across the road while merchants laughed with customers.

Women chatted happily as they carried baskets of fresh bread.

Musicians played cheerful tunes near a fountain.

No shouting.

No panic.

No fear.

I frowned.

"Tch."

How could people smile this much?

It was irritating.

A little boy suddenly bumped into my horse.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed before running off again.

I watched him disappear.

He didn't even look frightened.

Weird city.

I continued riding until I found a stable.

After leaving my horse there, I began walking through the streets.

Eyes followed me almost immediately.

I sighed.

Here we go again.

Two young men froze in the middle of the road.

A woman accidentally dropped the apples she was carrying.

An elderly man nearly walked into a pole.

Seriously?

Had none of them seen a beautiful woman before?

One young man smiled awkwardly before walking toward me.

"Miss..."

I didn't wait for him to finish.

I turned into the nearest cosmetics shop.

The owner, a plump woman with rosy cheeks, smiled warmly.

"Welcome, dear."

My eyes swept across the shelves.

Powder.

Brushes.

Creams.

Perfect.

Without another thought...

I grabbed everything I needed and walked straight back out.

"Hey!"

The woman gasped.

"My goods!"

She rushed after me.

"So slow."

I disappeared into the crowd before she could catch up.

No one else chased me.

Instead...

Several men simply stood there staring.

One even smiled dreamily.

I clicked my tongue.

"Brainless."

I slipped into a quiet alleyway.

The sounds of the bustling city faded behind me.

Perfect.

I sat on an old wooden crate and opened the stolen cosmetics.

Time to become...

Ordinary.

I tied my hair differently.

Darkened my eyebrows.

Lightened my lips.

Added faint freckles.

A touch of powder.

Then more.

I stared into the small mirror.

Still pretty.

Annoyingly pretty.

I sighed.

"This face refuses to cooperate."

I added another layer.

Better.

Not beautiful.

Just...

Pleasant.

Exactly what I needed.

I changed into the floral dress Michael had packed for me.

The moment I finished...

I stared at myself again.

"Ew."

I looked like someone's innocent daughter.

Disgusting.

I missed black already.

I folded my assassin clothes carefully before hiding them inside my travel bag.

"There."

Much worse.

Which meant...

Much safer.

I stepped back onto the busy street.

This time...

Hardly anyone looked twice.

Success.

I smiled proudly.

"I still beat most women."

Just...

Quietly now.

My stomach growled.

I ignored it.

Food could wait.

The mission came first.

I wandered through the city, studying every road.

Every alley.

Every rooftop.

Every escape route.

Habit.

An assassin survived by remembering everything.

The marketplace was enormous.

Fresh vegetables filled one side.

Spices another.

The smell of roasted meat drifted through the air.

My stomach growled louder.

I stopped walking.

The man grilling thick steaks noticed me.

"They're fresh."

I swallowed.

They looked incredible.

"No."

I turned away.

"Duty first."

Another growl.

"...Steak later."

I forced myself to keep walking.

This city was dangerous.

Not because of assassins.

Because of food.

Hours passed.

Still nothing useful.

I was beginning to lose patience.

Surely something interesting had to happen.

A robbery.

A fight.

A murder.

Anything.

Instead...

People smiled.

Bought flowers.

Shared meals.

Helped strangers.

How boring.

Just as I was considering leaving the marketplace...

A conversation caught my attention.

"I heard they're recruiting new chefs at the empire."

I immediately stopped walking.

"What?"

Another woman nodded excitedly.

"The pay is incredible."

"My husband keeps telling me to apply."

"They're accepting outsiders this year."

I slowly turned toward them.

A chef.

The empire.

Cassian.

My lips curved upward.

Well...

Would you look at that.

The door had just opened itself.

I quietly followed the women through the market, pretending to browse different stalls while listening.

The recruitment would take place tomorrow morning.

Applicants had to prepare a single dish.

The final decision would be made by...

Cassian himself.

How convenient.

I almost laughed.

If there was one thing I loved nearly as much as fighting...

It was cooking.

Not because I enjoyed feeding people.

Because I enjoyed winning.

Tomorrow...

I would become Ethan's newest chef.

And sooner or later...

His son's greatest nightmare.

As the thought crossed my mind...

A strange voice spoke behind me.

"Careful, child."

I turned.

An elderly flower seller smiled gently at me from beneath the shade of a large tree.

Her eyes...

Were unlike anything I had ever seen.

Ancient.

Knowing.

Almost...

Sad.

She picked up a white flower and held it toward me.

"Some roads look beautiful," she said softly.

"They usually hide the deepest thorns."

For reasons I couldn't explain...

A chill ran down my spine.

I opened my mouth to speak.

But no words came out.

The old woman simply smiled.

As though she already knew every question in my heart.