Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

614 Under-the-table Transaction
Delilah Le Roy, daughter of a gem merchant, already wed with offspring—a boy and girl—indulges in opera, theater, and literature. Despite the prior incident in Quartier de la Maison d’Opéra, she persists in her activities, easily located by my informant within a week… Not one for bodyguards, she ventures out with only her lady’s maid and a valet in tow…

Seated in a window booth at a street café, Jenna mentally reviewed the compiled data, observing the refined lady with makeup befitting her stature disembark from her carriage and enter Trier’s esteemed Avenue du Boulevard’s Bonnie department store.

Jenna redirected her attention, acknowledging Anthony Reid seated diagonally across from her.

“That’s her.”

Franca, positioned on the same side as Jenna, deliberated before speaking, “The issue at hand… Is she baiting us? If her reaction was merely surprise without understanding, we might glean little of value. Should she persist in her high-profile activities despite the resonance with the Mirror World Fragment, it’s plausible that she or the person behind her seeks to draw out the Mirror World Fragment’s holder.”

Having assessed the scenario, Franca concluded, “Engaging with Delilah recklessly poses significant risks.”

“But our Magic Mirror Divination assures the safety of today’s operation,” Jenna countered.

Franca smiled in response.

“Place not undue faith in divination. Moreover, the danger may not be immediate. Hastily engaging with Delilah could disrupt our future leads.”

“So, we stand by? Wait a month or two until tensions ease before acting?” Jenna pondered briefly, then sat upright, revealing her plan, “I have an idea!”

“What is it?” Franca inquired, intrigued.

Jenna pursed her lips and smiled.

“Employ the mystical item—Authority Holder’s Under-the-table Transaction. It grants us a discreet opportunity to interact with Delilah unnoticed.

“This way, if the issue stems from the person behind Delilah, our contact remains concealed, preserving the trail of clues. And if Delilah herself is the concern, we can swiftly transition from contact to control.”

Franca contemplated the proposal with gravity for a brief moment.

“It’s not implausible… I’m actually interested in testing the Authority Holder’s Under-the-table Transaction myself. No need to contest it. I’m a Sequence higher than you, and my self-preservation capabilities surpass yours. Even if evil entities like demons seek a trade, I can invoke Madam Judgment, a formidable Arbiter, as my witness!”

The Demoness of Pleasure appeared eager to put the mystical item to the test.

Jenna remained silent for a few seconds before consenting, “Alright.”

Anthony continued, “I’ll handle the brief encounter. Using a Hypnotist ensures no lingering clues or traces for the person behind Delilah to discover.”

“No issue.” Franca dispensed with formalities, directing her gaze at Jenna, awaiting the retrieval of the Authority Holder’s Under-the-table Transaction.

Dressed in grayish-white attire with brown leather armor, Jenna, like many female mercenaries, carried a leather brown backpack.

From the backpack, she retrieved a small, dark-painted wooden box adorned with a membrane curtain on each side, placing it on the table in the café’s private room.

Franca weighed the terms of her request against the price of the Authority Holder’s Bribe powers. Rolling up the sleeve of her lady’s shirt, she reached through the membrane curtain on one side of the wooden box with a small cloth bag containing 100 Louis d’or in her right hand. Although the usage instructions didn’t explicitly exclude banknotes, Franca, drawing on her extensive mystic experience, opted for gold coins, a more universally accepted form of currency.

In the next instant, she felt contact with wrinkled and moist skin, five fingers enclosing around the cloth bag containing the gold coins.

Suppressing a momentary surge of disgust, Franca articulated her request in Hermes.

“I desire an uninterrupted, unobserved, and highly discreet face-to-face encounter lasting over three minutes between my friend Anthony Reid, seated across from me, and Delilah, a member of the Le Roy gem merchant family in the nearby Bonnie department store.”

Franca had included meticulous qualifiers, ensuring precision in the parties meeting and the manner of their encounter to avoid any distortion.

The object with the wrinkled and wet palm-like texture lifted the cloth bag containing the gold coins and withdrew.

This signified the agreement of the Authority Holder’s Under-the-table Transaction.

Franca withdrew her right hand, using a white handkerchief to meticulously cleanse the touched area while expressing her discomfort with continuous spitting.

“Where should we position ourselves while waiting for the opportunity to meet?” Anthony inquired.

Franca stowed away her handkerchief, offering a smile.

“The request specified only two individuals: yourself and Delilah Le Roy. Consequently, your best chance is to shadow her until the opportunity arises.”

“Fair enough…”

At this juncture, Franca retrieved the resplendent Seven-Stone Bracelet from her Traveler’s Bag, extending it towards Anthony.

“In case of any complications, teleport away immediately.”
Observing the seriousness in the Demoness of Pleasure’s demeanor, Anthony swallowed his inclination to politely refuse and accepted the Seven-Stone Bracelet.

After a moment of contemplation, Franca suggested, “If you place trust in me, I can craft a Paper Figurine Substitute using your blood and hair.”

Anthony remained silent for a few seconds before agreeing, “Okay.”

…

Within the confines of the Bonnie department store, Anthony swiftly pinpointed Delilah Le Roy, exercising his keen observation skills as a Hypnotist.

Delilah stood amidst the first floor, accompanied by her lady’s maid and the valet, engrossed in a magician’s performance held by the department store to elevate the ambiance.

In the midst of the spectacle, the magician’s assistant wheeled in a substantial wooden box capable of accommodating three to four individuals. The magician, with a theatrical flourish, removed his top hat and made an announcement.

“For my next act, I require the assistance of two fortunate members of the audience.

“Madame, would you do me the honor of joining me on stage?”

The magician’s invitation was directed at Delilah Le Roy.

Though hesitant, Delilah couldn’t muster a refusal and reluctantly ascended the wooden stage prepared for the magical performance.

A weak personality and a difficulty in declining others… Perhaps influenced by the Authority Holder’s Under-the-table Transaction… Anthony vaguely anticipated the nature of the intended meeting as he observed Delilah’s demeanor. With a calculated step forward, he drew the attention of the magician.

“This gentleman, please join us on stage as well.”

Feigning reluctance, Anthony awkwardly made his way up onto the stage.

The magician gestured toward the wooden box, instructing, “Please take a seat inside.”

Pursing her lips, Delilah sighed and, urged by the crowd, entered the wooden box.

Choosing a seat the furthest from her, Anthony, while there was still illumination, offered a smile and remarked, “Truth be told, I feel a bit embarrassed too.”

His words were delivered with a calm and genial tone, causing Delilah’s tense demeanor to ease.

Anthony continued, “Don’t believe me? Look me in the eye.”

He pointed to his eyes, inviting her gaze.

Delilah instinctively turned her gaze toward a pair of dark brown eyes reflecting her figure.

My figure… Delilah was caught off guard as her gaze seemed to descend into a spiraling depth.

In that moment, the magician closed the wooden box, enveloping it in darkness.

Seizing the opportune moment, Anthony posed a question, “Did you experience anything unusual in Quartier de la Maison d’Opéra a week ago?”

“Yes,” Delilah responded truthfully, sensing a trustworthy demeanor.

“What was that sensation?” Anthony inquired as the magician recited his rehearsed lines.

“My heart started racing, and my blood felt like it was boiling,” Delilah recounted her experience.

“Do you know what that means?” Anthony probed further.

In the darkness, Delilah shook her head.

“I’m not sure, but my real father instructed me to inform him immediately if I had similar sensations.”

“Real father?” Anthony had a hunch.

Delilah chuckled self-deprecatingly, explaining, “My real father, my mother’s lover, and the current government’s Minister of Industry, Moran Avigny.”

Moran Avigny… Sensing the magician’s maneuvers with the wooden box, Anthony swiftly posed a final question. “What did he say upon learning about your reaction?”

“He told me not to worry and to continue living as usual,” Delilah admitted, still harboring some concerns.

Anthony acknowledged her words succinctly.

“Lovely lady, I’m thrilled to share this magic moment with you. Can you provide me with something memorable? Perhaps a few strands of your hair.”

His voice, deep and captivating, made Delilah feel that the request was entirely normal.

Consequently, she plucked a few strands of hair and handed them to Anthony.

Upon touching the hair, Anthony sighed in relief and continued in a resonant voice, “I don’t want this to jeopardize your family. Once you step out of this wooden box and hear my snap, you’ll forget our interaction here…”

As his compelling voice echoed, Delilah’s thoughts blurred.

Smack!

The wooden box opened, revealing only Anthony. Delilah, on the other hand, had been gracefully pulled from behind the stage by the magician.

The audience erupted in excited applause.

Once the ovation died down, the magician, hand pressed to his chest, bowed in gratitude. Without casting a glance at Delilah, Anthony snapped his fingers.

Intent on engaging in conversation with the man who had established a connection with her, Delilah was jolted when she heard the snap. Her body shuddered slightly, her eyes momentarily glazed over before regaining awareness.

Turning on her heel, she descended the wooden platform, returning to her place between the lady’s maid and valet.

Meanwhile, Anthony departed at a measured pace, seamlessly blending into the crowd.

…

In Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, Apartment 702, 9 Rue Orosai.

Franca applied the ashes of Delilah’s hair onto the surface of the makeup mirror using black flames, reciting the familiar incantation for the Magic Mirror Divination.

Amidst the splashing water and the dark luster, Franca posed the question, “Is the owner of this hair a Mirror Person?”

The aged voice responded, “No.”

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