Chapter 246: It can’t happen once

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Billiard board?"

The woman smiled and nodded.

"It’s in the underground floor, Miss. Newly constructed, so I assure you you’ll enjoy it."

He froze for the briefest moment.

’...Underground?’

Well, that was certainly interesting.

On one hand, he was rather tempted to see where this could lead. According to the latest blueprints, there shouldn’t have been any underground passages beneath the hotel.

And yet, here was a hotel employee casually inviting him to visit a newly constructed underground floor, how convenient.

’This is definitely worth investigating...’

If there was something unusual going on beneath the hotel, this might be his best opportunity to find out what it was.

’But then again... why would she invite me at this hour?’

Blake narrowed his eyes slightly.

It wasn’t as though he could simply walk into a suspicious underground facility without considering the consequences.

For all he knew, the entire thing was a trap. Perhaps the creature he’d encountered was connected to the hotel staff. Perhaps this woman was nothing more than another disguise.

And if he fell into whatever scheme they had prepared for him, that would be a disaster.

He’d have to fight his way out, potentially expose his abilities, and possibly compromise his entire identity in the process.

Blake scratched the back of his hand, buying himself a few seconds to think. Then he smiled politely and gave the woman a slight bow.

"Unfortunately, I’m far too tired. I just got back from a rather draining event."

The woman stared at him.

For a few seconds, she didn’t say anything.

Her smile remained in place, but something about it seemed to change. It gradually faded, leaving behind an expression that was almost unnervingly neutral.

Blake maintained his pleasant demeanor.

’Come on, don’t make this weird.’

Finally, she nodded.

"Have a good night, Miss."

"Thank you. You too."

Blake closed the door. The moment the latch clicked into place, he let out a long breath.

"...Phew."

He leaned against the door, staring at the ceiling.

’I really should investigate that place.’

He glanced toward the bed.

His feet were sore, his mind was exhausted, and he had absolutely no desire to spend the night fighting some mysterious creature in a dark underground room.

’Maybe the day after tomorrow tomorrow.’

He straightened up.

He could investigate when he was better rested, preferably after making a proper plan instead of blindly following a suspicious hotel employee into an unknown location.

For now, he would simply get some sleep.

After changing out of his dress and taking a shower, Blake finally climbed into bed. He settled beneath the covers, closed his eyes, and tried to relax.

A few minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then twenty.

He rolled onto his other side.

’...Damn it.’

He stared at the darkness.

The underground floor kept coming back to mind. So did the woman’s strange expression when he’d declined her invitation.

And, of course, there was the creature who just so happened to be outside the balcony.

Blake pulled the blanket a little higher.

Unfortunately, that feeling did absolutely nothing to help him fall asleep.

Surprisingly enough, the following evening, Sylvan brought Asher along again.

Blake noticed them almost immediately.

He was standing near one of the tables when the two entered the ballroom, and for a brief moment, his eyes followed them automatically.

’Again?’

He almost sighed. This time, he wasn’t going to approach either of them this time.

He’d already obtained what he wanted, and there was no point in risking another awkward conversation. Besides, he wasn’t particularly interested in having Sylvan watch his every move.

So he kept his distance, interacting with different groups.

The same went for the following evening.

’Ah, this is so tiring! I’d rather be with Asher, at this point...!’

It wasn’t necessarily because of the conversations themselves, but because of the people he had to deal with.

Some of the men he’d spoken to over the past four days had become increasingly comfortable around him.

Far too comfortable, in fact.

And Blake was beginning to lose his patience.

He stood among a small group of guests, holding a glass of wine and doing his best to look engaged in a conversation about something he couldn’t have cared less about.

A man beside him was particularly enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm seemed to involve standing much too close.

’I am taken. I am, truly! No, actually, I’ve got a manhood, something you’re definitely not interested in.’

Blake subtly shifted to the side, but the man followed.

He tried to move again, only for the man to brush against his leg.

He stiffened.

’What the hell?’

It wasn’t even his actual body, but that hardly made the unwanted contact any less violating. The sensation was still unpleasant, and the complete disregard for his personal space made his skin crawl.

’Why are men so pushy here?!’

He forced himself to maintain his smile.

There was no point in making a scene unless he absolutely had to. He simply needed to get away from this particular group before his patience ran out.

Fortunately, another woman approached him.

"Would you like to accompany me to the ladies’ room?"

Blake nearly thanked her on the spot.

"Oh! Certainly."

He got up immediately.

Of course, he had absolutely no intention of entering the restroom.

He simply wanted an excuse to escape the group, get some fresh air, and perhaps take one last look at Sylvan and Asher before the event ended.

He’d had enough unpleasant experiences with the men at these gatherings to last him a lifetime. Thankfully, the women he’d met had been considerably more pleasant.

Some had even taken it upon themselves to look after him, despite not knowing his name.

It was rather unexpected.

And, admittedly, quite nice.

The woman walking beside him was one of those people.

She was cheerful, talkative, and apparently delighted by the prospect of gossip.

She leaned closer, giggling as she whispered into Blake’s ear.

"Sir Tristan is definitely far too interested in you."

Blake chuckled.

"Oh, really?"

"Absolutely! Didn’t you notice how he kept looking at you?"

"Unfortunately, I did."

The woman covered her mouth, laughing.

"Well, what a shame! He’s quite a catch, you know."

Blake gave her a polite smile.

"I’m afraid he’s not really my type."

"Oh?"

Her eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Then what kind of man are you looking for?"

Blake raised his eyebrows.

’...What kind of man?’

That was an unexpectedly difficult question.

He was officially in a relationship. But quite frankly, the reasons he’s in love with Myles, they’re far too complicated and heavily rely on the context.

What to do, Blake had to go with something easy that he liked about Myles from the start.

"Someone who’s good looking?"

The woman burst into laughter.

"Oh, come on! That’s all?"

"I can be rather shallow. What about you, what kind of man do you like?"

The woman tilted her head, eyebrow raised.

"It’s not easy to find, but I want someone who is charming and respectful. My dream is to be taken care of tenderly!"

"With your personality and grace, you’ll definitely find someone like that in the future. I wouldn’t worry too much."

She continued giggling.

He didn’t particularly mind spending time with her. In fact, she was one of the few people he’d met here whose company he genuinely enjoyed.

Unfortunately, they were getting dangerously close to the ladies’ restroom.

Blake glanced toward the entrance.

He needed an excuse, and quickly.

"Oh! I’m terribly sorry," he exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. "I forgot to give my father a call earlier. I don’t want to worry him."

The woman turned toward him.

Her expression fell slightly.

"Oh..."

Blake offered an apologetic smile.

"I really should do it before it gets too late."

"Alright. I’ll see you later, then."

She paused before adding, with a playful smile, "Wait for me here."

Blake chuckled.

"I will. Thanks."

She waved and disappeared into the restroom.

Blake waited until she was out of sight before turning around.

He walked a short distance down the corridor and slipped behind one of the enormous decorative pillars. It was large enough to conceal him from anyone passing through the hall, and the position offered a fairly decent view of the surrounding area.

He leaned against the cool surface, allowing his shoulders to relax.

He took a moment to breathe.

After a few minutes, he heard the woman get out of the bathroom. He was ready to go to her and walk back to the ballroom, just stopping a few seconds for a light stretch.

"...where is she? Oh, sir, good to see you here."

Blake was about to turn his head, to see which man she was talking to, and froze when he heard his voice.

"Miss, it’s a pleasure seeing you again."

Blake slowly turned his head.

’What the hell is Sylvan doing here!’

The restrooms were a good ten-minute walk from the ballroom, tucked away at the end of a long corridor.

Basically, unless it was for the bathroom, it’s not like there was an actual reason to walk all the way there.

For that reason, the idea of simply stepping out from behind the pillar and greeting him now felt strangely uncomfortable.

He couldn’t quite explain why.

Perhaps it was because he’d spent the past two days deliberately avoiding the man. Or perhaps it was because he’d just been thinking about how suspicious the interaction was.

Either way, he decided to remain where he was.

Fortunately, he’d chosen a spot where none of the nearby windows could reflect his image. As long as he stayed behind the pillar, there was little chance of Sylvan noticing him.

Sylvan smiled at the woman.

"How about we take a walk?"

He offered her his arm.

The woman accepted, and the two began walking down the corridor together.

Blake blinked.

’...Well, that’s convenient.’

He waited until they were a reasonable distance away before carefully stepping out from behind the pillar.

Then, with a rather ridiculous little gesture, he mouthed to himself:

I’ll sneak for my lover.

He immediately followed after them.

Their conversation was ordinary enough.

At least, at first.

Sylvan asked the woman about how she was doing now, and she gradually began speaking up about her some sensitive parts of her life, as if Sylvan are knew what was going on with it.

’Ah, herife is rather difficult, just like Sage Larue’s...’

Financial difficulties.

Family troubles.

A general lack of opportunities.

Blake had already suspected that Sylvan had a particular interest in people who found themselves in difficult situations.

He continued following them.

Eventually, the two reached the end of the corridor.

There were no people around, and the atmosphere was quiet.

Blake slowed down.

Something about the situation suddenly made him uneasy.

He watched as Sylvan stopped walking and turned toward the woman.

"Miss, you have something in your hair."

The woman blinked.

"Oh?"

She instinctively raised a hand toward her head.

Sylvan smiled.

Blake narrowed his eyes. Then, they suddenly widened.

’What is that thing?!’

He could see that Sylvan was holding something in his hand.

Something small, that he couldn’t quite identify from where he stood.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Sylvan raised his hand toward the woman’s hair.

’Shit!’

He immediately deactivated his skill. Then he hurried toward them, abandoning any attempt at remaining inconspicuous.

"T-There you are! I was searching for you!"

Suddenly, he was between the two.