From where they were crouched, Atticus and Jonah could see the back of a man’s head. It was crowned with a cascade of midnight-black hair, its glossy strands holding a styled shape despite the way it fell tousled.
Not Eugene Attonson, in that case. The hair color was all wrong. Eugene Attonson had brown hair while his alter ego, Jean Nott, always showed up with blond hair.
His attire, befitting a figure of affluence, showcased an exquisite blend of fabrics and textures. A high-collared coat in rich velvet embraced his fra, its edges adorned with intricate embroidery that whispered of opulence.
Even from just a simple back view, there was an air of unwavering confidence that emanated from him. This man must be a mber of the nobility.
’Who?’ Jonah mouthed to Atticus, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to squint hard in an attempt to place a na on the silhouette. However, none ca to mind.
Atticus simply shrugged, maintaining his silence.
The man sat there, completely relaxed against the back of the chair. He had his hand on the table, gently tapping on the wooden surface in a rhythm. He even had the luxury to hum a little under his breath, his voice sounding awfully jolly despite the gloomy surroundings.
"You’re late," the man suddenly said. From where Atticus and Jonah hid, they jolted to attention, inching a little nearer in an attempt to listen in.
"You are just simply too early." Another man casually strolled in, sitting opposite the black-haired man. This second person was short and portly, and the buttons on his shirt seed ready to burst open any ti soon. When he bent to sit down, the fabric of his shirt stretched, tugging at the seams to reveal a bit of flesh.
Alas, he had a mask on his face. It was most likely laced with magic to conceal his identity.
"Nonsense," the first man said. "I was right on ti."
He reached down, picking up a small bag from the ground where Atticus and Jonah previously couldn’t see. With one fling, he threw the bag onto the table, causing the contents inside to clutter loudly before spilling out.
Atticus’s eyes imdiately darkened.
A huge pile of gemstones had fallen out of the bag, spreading out on the table. There were many different sorts, much more than what Atticus would commonly find even from dealers that supplied the royal families across many regions. Most of these stones were polished, glittering brightly even in the dim lighting. It was a telltale sign of their superior quality, and thus, their price.
"It wasn’t easy getting this one," the first man said. "Check the items and then pay your fees. It’s a quarter of a million after the deposit."
"Does Nott plan on bringing in a new batch anyti soon? Before sumr?" the fat man asked. He pulled out a bag of what Atticus guessed was filled with gold coins, placing it on the table before sliding it over.
Atticus and Jonah perked up in attention.
It was truly Jean Nott’s work. Atticus did consider the fact that Prince Nathaniel might’ve conned him and provided him with false information but it seed like that wasn’t the case. That slimy snake was finally useful, for once.
"What Jean Nott does is none of my business," the first man said with a scoff. He took the bag of coins, stuffing it into his coat. "That man is as unpredictable as the weather. Who knows what’s actually running inside that mind of his?"
"Beautiful won, apparently," the short man replied. He chuckled a little, collecting the gemstones before placing them into the pouch once more. "Since you’ve gotten such a good batch of gemstones, I will let you in on a little secret."
He leaned forward, a disgusting sneer curving on his pudgy lips.
"That elusive boss of yours has been apparently spotted in the streets of Reaweth, particularly, the red light district. It seems like he had been ordering the company of multiple beautiful won in the last few days, all of them who are blondes. Most of them have erged from the encounter bruised and battered, apparently."
He picked up the final ruby, tossing it into the drawstring bag before pulling the two ends together to seal it.
"One even lost her life after their night spent together," he continued. "Makes a person wonder what sort of freak in bed he must’ve been to straight up lead to the girl’s death."
"What’s he doing in Reaweth?" asked the first man.
"Beats ." The rounder man shrugged. "The last ti he was seen before this was in Raxuvia. There were rumors that he had been seen loitering near the royal palace while the Crowned Conquest was running. Rumors say that he might have so dealings with Prince Nathaniel."
For a mont, the world seed to still as his mind raced to grasp the unexpected truth. Or rather, the suspicion that Atticus had abandoned. He had considered the possibility but after they had caught Jean Nott conversing with Prince Alistair, Atticus thought that he might’ve perhaps wronged Prince Nathaniel.
It seed like Atticus’s gut feeling was right all along.
"Nott has got many deals with many mbers of royalty," the first man said, huffing.
"Ironic, considering how he is the most wanted man across those kingdoms," the other man replied.
Both n rose from their seats, each keeping their exchanged goods securely.
"He has his ways," said the first man. "That guy is one slimy bastard but he does what he does well. He wouldn’t have a monopoly over the black market otherwise."
Now that the first man had risen to his full height, Atticus could see more of him. Just like the shorter man, this guy had an enchanted mask on as well to hide his identity. There were no specific distinguishing features Atticus could put a na to other than his black hair. However, that was a common hair color― nothing could be said about it and it didn’t pinpoint to anyone special.
But that didn’t matter. Their identities would be revealed as soon as they were beaten down half a life and thrown into the dungeons.
"We need to move," Atticus whispered, keeping his voice as low as possible to prevent getting caught before the ti was ripe. "I want them alive."
He pulled his sword from his sheath. Jonah replied, "Never thought otherwise."
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