Bad Born Blood Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Martina wore a seductive Eastern-style dress. Patterns symbolizing blue-and-white waves and seas wrapped around her dress.

She covered her mouth and nose with an open fan. Beyond it, the edges of her eyes shimred faintly.

Click, clack.

Martina wore high-heeled shoes. The sound quietly echoed.

“Who told you to treat our guests like this?”

Martina spoke to the woman with the eyepatch.

“It... was my own decision. I apologize, Diva.”

The woman with the eyepatch replied with an expressionless face. But I imdiately sensed it was a lie. I could tell by the way she dragged her words slightly, carefully selecting what to say.

‘She tried to eliminate and failed, now she’s just bluffing to save face.’

I knew the truth but didn’t voice it. If I openly challenged their dignity here, I’d have to fight the entire La Vie en Rose gang.

I could handle it, but it wasn’t the best choice. I’d have to clean up dozens of bodies afterward. Causing that kind of trouble would an I wouldn’t be able to return to the lower district for quite so ti. My undercover investigation would be completely compromised.

“My apologies. My subordinate showed excessive loyalty. Young master’s na?”

Martina asked as she took her seat. At the sa ti, she gestured to another subordinate to remove the corpse.

“Luka.”

I answered briefly. The atmosphere settled into a lull. Martina’s subordinates also lowered their guns.

Unlike my calm deanor, Gabriel angrily approached Martina. He slamd the table with both hands and frowned.

“Martina, you invited here only to ambush ? Do you think I’ll let it slide?”

“I told you, it was my subordinate’s mistake.”

“Such shalessness......!”

Before Gabriel could cause more of a scene, I intervened.

“Calm down, Gabriel. We ca here to talk.”

At my words, Gabriel stepped back. Martina must’ve noticed the hierarchy between us by now.

Understanding who she needed to speak to, Martina stared at .

“You’re not even from the lower district. Why are you ddling in our affairs?”

I had grown used to being treated as soone from the upper district. Anyone who looked at seed to assu so.

“I have my reasons. None of your business, though.”

“We’re La Vie en Rose. Don’t think your noble status will guarantee your safety.”

I let out a scoff.

“A bunch of sewer rats form a gang, and now they think they’re sothing special. Ridiculous.”

My shoulders shook with laughter.

A wrinkle ford between Martina’s eyebrows. Movent stirred among her subordinates as well. They were preparing to fight at a mont’s notice.

Even after witnessing my combat abilities, they still considered fighting . That ant they were either idiots who didn’t value their lives or utterly incapable of gauging their opponent’s strength.

“Wait a mont, Diva.”

The woman with the eyepatch stood by Martina’s side and whispered sothing. Martina’s expression shifted.

She must’ve advised her boss not to fight .

Snap!

Martina gathered her expression, sighed, and folded her fan. Her lower face was revealed. In a world where touching one’s face to beco handso or beautiful was trivial, Martina was nonetheless strikingly beautiful.

Beyond just having pretty features, there was an indescribable aura about her. Perhaps it could even be called sensuality.

‘A woman like this is into Gabriel?’

It was hard to believe. She was a woman who possessed both power and beauty. Compared to her, Gabriel was rely a street thug.

“...I’ll cut straight to the point. I have one demand. Gabriel becos my lover. Naturally, he’ll have to join La Vie en Rose.”

Martina glanced at Gabriel standing behind and smiled faintly. Gabriel only frowned in response to the woman’s bold flirtation.

“Says who? I hate being under anyone’s thumb.”

“But Gabriel, aren’t you already working under this young master here?”

“T-that’s different! We—we’re more like partners. And I owe him a debt...”

Due to Gabriel’s nature, he beca weak towards anyone he owed. Martina must’ve tried her ’hurt-then-heal tactic’ to put Gabriel in debt to her. That way she could control him.

“I’m not Gabriel’s boss. I’m more like a patron or client who provides funds. Even if Gabriel leaves, I won’t shoot or ambush him, unlike certain people.”

I chid in. Gabriel beca triumphant as if he’d found an ally.

“Well said, Luka! You hear that, Martina? Luka isn’t my boss. Got it now?”

Martina bit her lower lip lightly, wearing a resentful expression. It was incredibly attractive. Even I, who was typically indifferent to won, felt montarily drawn to her.

“Gabriel, how dare a worthless bastard like you reject Big Sis? You’re just a street bum!”

One of the gang mbers couldn’t hold back and spat out. Martina quickly turned her head and glared at the man who had spoken.

“Who told you to butt in?”

“I-I’m sorry. It just slipped out without realizing it....”

I stood from my seat and said I’d speak privately with Gabriel for a mont. We distanced ourselves from the gang mbers and spoke quietly.

“Gabriel, et that woman for a while, even sleep with her. It’ll make things easier. You don’t have to join the gang; just maintain a relationship. If you compromise this much, they’ll leave you alone.”

“N-no way!”

Gabriel recoiled. Looking at Gabriel’s face, I glanced again at Martina’s beauty.

“Hey, what’s the problem? Do you think soone like you could normally be with a beauty like her?”

I asked irritably. In my view, it was a simple matter of closing his eyes and getting on with it.

“That woman’s older than .”

“So what if she’s a bit older?”

“She’s older than my dead grandma, damn it.”

Hmm, that was indeed a point worth briefly considering. Still, I feigned composure and tried to soothe Gabriel.

“...Well, at least the exterior looks perfectly fine.”

“I can’t do it. I’d rather you kill here.”

Gabriel firmly refused. With such a reaction, convincing him right now was impossible.

I scratched my head and closed my eyes. Beneath my eyelids, my pupils trembled as if struggling with sothing. I thought deeply, then reached a conclusion.

There was a bond between Gabriel and . It wasn’t sothing that could be bought with money or power alone. It required ti and effort to build.

Right now, I needed subordinates with whom I’d established trust. In that sense, Gabriel was irreplaceable. I couldn’t simply hand him over to a gang.

‘If negotiation... doesn’t work, then I’ll have to use force. There’s no other choice.’

Returning to my seat, I sat down in front of Martina. I deliberately sat stiffly, making it clear that I was ready to fight at any mont.

“Gabriel has already ford his own group. Therefore, he can’t join you—La Vie en Rose.”

I stated firmly.

Martina’s face twisted montarily. For that instant, instead of a beautiful woman, the old woman trapped within surfaced. Oddly enough, it seed like her inner self had burst outward.

“Forming a gang? You think you can operate safely while ignoring us? Young master, perhaps you’re not familiar with how things work around here....”

“I may not know, but Aleph from the arena surely understands how things work down here. We’ve already agreed to maintain friendly relations. With the arena faction’s support, Gabriel’s gang will have no trouble establishing itself.”

“......I’ve never failed to get a man I wanted before.”

“Well, then this must be your first ti. Experiencing a ‘first’ at your age should be refreshing. Enjoy it.”

Even I thought it was a pretty good play on words. Secretly, I felt proud.

Martina brushed past and fixed her gaze on Gabriel this ti. Gabriel snorted as he crossed his arms.

“Gabriel, I can give you far more than you can imagine. Please, stay by my side.”

I hadn’t expected her to plead so earnestly. Gabriel, evidently flustered, avoided Martina’s gaze.

“It seems Gabriel has already answered. If you still refuse to give up, maybe it’s ti for a show of force.”

My warning was t with silence.

Tap, tap, tap.

I slowly tapped the table with my finger. My foot gently tapped the floor in rhythm.

Gradually, I raised my combat senses to their peak. I was ready to kill them all if necessary. If negotiations failed, this would be my only choice.

“Sigh...... well, I suppose there’s no helping it. Since you’re already here, let’s talk business, young master. You’re planning to form a gang?”

Martina leaned back in her chair, her expression deflated.

“What?”

I was caught off guard too.

“You said you’re forming a gang, right? Seeing your courage and skill, young master, I have no intention of making enemies with soone like you.”

Martina switched her attitude completely, as if she’d never threatened at all. Suddenly, I felt foolish for preparing to fight.

“M-Martina? Didn’t you say you liked ? You’re giving up that easily?”

Now Gabriel was the one asking questions, looking utterly baffled. Martina tilted her head slightly.

“Oh, I like clinging to ugly n. It gives a thrilling sense of lowered self-esteem. Thinking ‘How dare soone like you reject ?’ sends chills down my spine. Especially when an unbearably hideous man is on top of ......”

Martina smiled and shivered slightly. I clicked my tongue as I saw her face flush deeply.

It seed that living too long made people bizarre, and clearly that wasn’t limited to nobles. Martina was a woman who was difficult for us, who hadn’t yet lived half a century, to comprehend.

“You can stop explaining right there. I’m not interested in your weird sexual fetishes or perverse tastes.”

At my remark, Martina twisted just one side of her lips upward and covered her mouth by spreading open her fan. Whenever her wrinkles deepened, the old woman inside seed to peek through.

We literally began discussing business. I intended to expand Gabriel’s gang to a certain extent. Having influence over the lower district would be helpful for my future goals.

“Our work primarily involves security and rcenary jobs—exactly what Gabriel excels at. It won’t conflict with your business. Rather, I hear you occasionally outsource security for your establishnts?”

We agreed to occasionally handle security at businesses within La Vie en Rose’s territory. It was just an extension of the work Gabriel had already been doing.

As we talked, Martina waved her hand to summon the woman with the eyepatch.

“...Young master, your side must be short-handed for now, right? I’ll lend you one of my subordinates.”

Her intentions were obvious. She wanted a trusted agent by our side to uncover my identity and objectives. It was transparent, but I didn’t mind.

‘Besides, she’s probably several tis more useful than the druggies Gabriel recruited.’

For , it was simply acquiring another disposable card.

“My na is Grace, young master.”

The woman with the eyepatch introduced herself politely, in stark contrast to her previous attitude.

“Not ‘young master.’ Call Luka.”

“Understood, Luka-nim.”

Grace and I finished our introductions.

Martina proudly glanced sideways at Grace and added another comnt.

“Don’t be too surprised, young master. Grace is a forr Imperial Guard cadet. She dropped out midway, but it’s still quite impressive.”

I paused briefly, then responded belatedly.

“...Wow, that’s surprising. A forr Imperial Guard cadet?”

My reaction wasn’t an act; it was genuine.

Of course, I was surprised. Who would’ve thought I’d run into a senior here in this gutter? Even if she was a dropout who hadn’t managed to finish her training.