Moon Slaves

Bitter Attitude [2]

"What is this new lead you were speaking of?" Elizabeth asked, making her way down from the carriage.

The place they had dropped was filled with muddy houses, and peasants everywhere. Elizabeth, who was used to such sights, was not particularly responsive to it but she was curious as to why they were here.

"And why are we here?" Elizabeth asked, looking around.

Oliviér who had dropped down from the carriage had a look of slight indignation on his face.

"The Duke received word of an attack from the Butcher. According to analysis it must have been down a few minutes before Bleach attacked the Rousseau Villa." Oliviér looked towards Elizabeth.

With a sigh he added. "Come," He gestured at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked surprised. "Hm?" She could only hum.

Oliviér sighed again, his expression changing into one of dullness as he spoke again. "Come here, little assistant."

Elizabeth did all she could not to express her exasperation on her face as she took light steps towards him, clearly a little unsteady with the dress even after just fencing with it on.

She came towards him but there was a clear distance between the two, to which Oliviér narrowed his golden-red eyes at her. Shivers went down her spine at the look, but he only suspired as he closed the distance between them

Elizabeth's hair felt shivers from the former distance being destroyed by Oliviér, and the heat pervading from his body, released onto her, making the small flame in her gut begin to once again sting her nerves.

He reached for his breast pocket. "There will come a time I will be forced to brush your hair for you,"

Contrary to the sharp and edgy aura that Oliviér released, the movements of catching her pink hair in a bunch and knotting his handkerchief around it was as gentle as possible.

In the midst of tying her rough hair, he craned down until he was face to face with her, enough for her to feel his light breath. Her heart was racing as fast as possible upon having him continuing to bend his neck further down and enclosing their proximity.

Her breath could only hitch from the fear and the whirl of surprising excitement that started at her core but just when he was close enough he made a turn to her ear.

"It's your fortune I could be f*****g bothered to take up this challenge," His hand had moved from her hair to the back of her neck, cupping it tenderly.

She didn't know if she imagined it from the intensity of the moment but she felt a pair of lips grazing her ear by the slightest.

Also taking into account how he had sworn. It was quite rare to hear Oliviér Fóix swear, which amplified the adrenaline that coursed through her bloodstream, and then towards her heart.

Her heart was pumping against her chest. Bump, bump, bump.

His lips left her ear and his other hand latched onto her cheek, pulling it tenderly between his fingers. "What did I say about blushing too easily?" He asked in a quiet tone.

She didn't know her cheeks had changed color but she was sure she had blushed again from embarrassment.

"Eh, what an adorable couple." An elderly voice said.

The elderly woman looked warmly at Elizabeth and Oliviér. The elderly man beside her spat on the ground and said with an ugly expression. "f*****g nobles, how'd like to see their cute love under the hot sorching sun trying to make ends meet."

The elderly woman changed expression to an irritated one as she pulled the arm of the elderly. "Why must you be so bitter? This is the reason why I was so skeptical about agreeing to your proposal back then."

"Bah! As if anybody would have married you if I didn't."

"Is that it? Then enjoy the rest of the walk alone."

"Wait! Darling! You know it's not like that!"

Elizabeth blinked at the scene. Feeling a sense of familiarity with the scene, and also remembering her time at Vie town.

She then looked back at Oliviér, taking notice of their current pose she had to speak up. "Sir, this is a little inappropriate."

Oliviér raised an eyebrow at that before snorting with his lips hooking a little. "What is?"

'Is this a joke?' With Oliviér's bitter attitude she reckoned he was playing a kind of joke on her to get a good laugh.

Before she could say something else she was let go off, and he began walking away.

"Hours ago a flock of dead bodies were found, the manner of which they were killed points to Bleach."

Oliviér stopped at a dilapidated mud building with a wooden door.

Elizabeth followed his suit. "Wow, Bleach was here?"

The surprise was real. Very few to none commoners were Werewolves, and Bleach was renowned for only going after Werewolves. So places that Bleach's victims were found were places Nobles could be found.

Oliviér pushed the door open and bent significantly to enter the building. Immediately he opened the door, something came cutting through the wind and headed at Oliviér.

Oliviér sharply caught the snake that dashed through the air in his direction. It hissed at him but Oliviér simply clicked his tongue and snapped it's neck before throwing the body away.

"Goodness, how did it get there? Actually never mind." Elizabeth said.

Snakes, rats, and roaches, these kinds of animals plagued commoners quite a lot so she was not too surprised there was one in this place.

Oliviér quietly entered, and Elizabeth followed him.

Elizabeth was shocked by the scene in her front. There were Wolves laid out on the table, the wolves were cut open and sharpened instruments were kept beside the wolves.

There was also something akin to human skins on the ground. "This crime scene does not look like the work of Bleach," Elizabeth said, unable to stop herself from moving forward to one of the skins.

She didn't touch it before registering that it was really human skin. A husk of sorts. She breathed in, and her quiet breath somehow resounded everywhere like an eerie sound before the windows of the building spontaneously slammed open, light shining into the room.

She looked back at Oliviér with a smile at her handiwork. Oliviér gave her a blank stare. "It would be for your benefit to refrain from magic until I tell you to use it."

Elizabeth's face fell and she clicked her tongue. "There is something strange about these human skin, Bleach does not have a reputation of skinning its victims."

"Yes, Bleach wasn't the only skilled killer here." Oliviér smoothly agreed with her.

"I feel there was a struggle for something important here to attract two skilled killers. But what would have made Bleach break into the Rousseau Villa just to throw a coffin?"

Oliviér moved away from the human skins and walked further into the house. "Naturally Duke Constantine is hiding something gravelly from us."

Elizabeth gasped, and Oliviér looked at her from over his shoulder with a strange expression. "Don't tell me you trust his words? It's obvious there is something grievous he is hiding from us. It most likely has something to do with Bleach, enough for Bleach, a maniacal Werewolf hunter, to not attack him when given the chance."

Elizabeth remembered the way Bleach threw the coffin into the house. There Duke Constantine was, at the point of attack for a crazed killer like Bleach, but Bleach did not but disappear the way it had come.

"I remember that night….. It was really strange. Bleach saw Duke Constantine but just…… Disappeared." Elizabeth told Oliviér.

"Duke Constantine intends to hinder our case with his secr—" Oliviér stopped talking, eyes at the person who was about to enter the house through the backdoor.

The person didn't even think twice before dashing away. Oliviér rolled his eyes at the action. "Oh bloody hell." Oliviér moaned.

Pursuing the person at a fast speed.