Seducing the Conqueror

001: The Black Spider who Eats the Filthy Flies of the City

"GIVE me your profit for today," a large man said to the man in front of him. His fancy necktie wasn’t able to hide the excess fats around his neck, making him look like he has another mouth. And his spenders and luxurious vest with handmade embroidery also didn’t help in hiding his protruding belly.

"Please, Mr. Thompson. I promise I'll pay you next week. I really need this money for my daughter's medicine. Please, Sir. Spare us for today," the poor guy pleaded. His face and body is covered with soot, as well as his tattered vest which is missing a button or two and his pants full of patches. He's supposed to be on his thirties but he looked twenty years older than that because of his hard labor.

"I don't care even if your daughter is on the verge of death! You owe me and I demand payment! If not for me, you won't even have any place to sleep!"

Candice raised her eyebrow.

If not for him? Really? He's making his business look like he made a charitable deed! Ha! He must be kidding, she said to herself.

Mr. Thompson is known as the owner of most of the rental houses in Marienne, the city of residency. He's one greedy man. Candice felt great pity for Mr. Brown, the rugged-dressed man. Mr. Brown is a shoe maker by day and a chimney cleaner at night, and he’s also a widower to five young children. Her wife died two years ago due to pneumonia. And now, her daughter Maria, a seven-year-old pale-skinned girl is suffering with the same illness.

"Please, Sir. Have mercy on us."

Mr. Brown knelt in front of Mr. Fat Greedy Pig and clung to his pants. The latter just shove him off like some piece of dirt.

"Business is business. If you won't pay up, I'll drag you and your whole family out of my building! You don't want your family to stay outside this cold spring night, do you?" Mr. Thompson held out his hand demanding for the money.

Mr. Brown was left no choice but to give his only money to this greedy pig. Just after the poor guy handed the money, Mr. Thompson smirked triumphantly as he turned away from Mr. Brown.

Candice’s face turned dark.

Many of Mr. Thompson's kind reside, not only in this corrupt city, but in the whole kingdom. These sickly bastards are Candice’s entertainment and they make a worthwhile and fulfilling job: obliterating the trash of the world.

Mr. Thompson turned to a dark alley. With her featherlight steps, Candice swiftly followed him --- making no sound, making no mistake. She then pulled out her weapon: a fishing line.

Step by step, Candice watched her prey carefully. She matched her breathing to his. She matched every step he makes.

Before they reached the darkest part of the alley, Candice tied one end of the line on someone's pipeline. And as soon as Mr. Thompson stepped on the shadows of the alley, Candice tossed the other end of the fishing line over the dead lamp post and wrapped the line around Mr. Thompson's neck. As soon as the line caught his neck, she dashed away from him --- back to the piping lines --- while holding the fishing line, lifting him up to thin air. His overweight body seemed like a fly caught in a spiderweb, wiggling its way out of his death.

But Candice will never let him live...

Because she is the black spider lurking around the shadows, waiting to catch and eat these filthy flies around the city.

Candice stepped back a little, pulled the string as hard as she can in just one swoop, and lifted him up until his head reached the lamp. A loud thud was heard as his head banged to the cold broken lamp. He kept on wiggling for a bit --- still trying to loosen up the string that's choking him. But that only make things worse for him.

Candice pulled the string up and down, increasing the pressure on his throat. And in a few moments later, his body finally gave up.

Candice immediately let go of the line and Mr. Thompson’s overweight body slammed the cold cement. Candice hurriedly collected the fishing line and dragged his body in the corner. She took all the jewelry he has --- everything that has worth --- including the money he took from Mr. Brown.

As she took his necklace and see his poor state, a sinister smile formed on Candice’s lips. Mr. Thompson’s eyes are as red as blood. His saliva is drooling in each corner of his mouth. His neck is full of wounds: wounds from the fishing line, and wounds he got from his own hands. His nails turned purple and a bit bloody from trying to remove the wire strangling him.

Candice has the urge to make fun of him. She wanted to disgrace his body even more. But --- she takes her job seriously. No matter how much she despises her target, she always finishes everything smoothly and quickly. She doesn’t play around.

Before anyone else could see her, Candice put Mr. Thompson’s corpse inside a large sack --- breaking all of his bones just to fit him inside. She carried the sack on her shoulder and went to the dirtiest part of the city --- Area 47, also known as the dumpster area.

She threw the sack on a sinkhole without a second thought. No one lives on Area 47 so she doesn’t need to worry about being seen by someone. And besides, the only ones who have the guts to go in this stinking place are the slaves --- who either forages for leftover foods, or hired by the palace to collect the city's garbage and dump it here. They don't give a damn on what shady business you have in Area 47. They'll let you be, even if you were killing someone in front of them.

After her business on Area 47, Candice hurriedly ran on the roofs of the city --- towards the shabby old apartment on Six M Street. She entered an open window on the fifth floor and left the money Mr. Brown gave to Mr. Thompson, together with some gold coins she got from her target. She put it on the study table near the bed where the pale-skinned girl is sound asleep. She also laid an ace card beside the money. It has a black heart on it instead of the usual red one: the Black Heart rebels’ insignia.

Candice positioned herself on the window of the room.

"Get well soon, Maria," she whispered before she flew out of the building and vanished on that moonless night.