Chapter 227: You take that back!
Caius knew the ’thing’ Arlette was referring to was ’Allegra’s legacy’ and he also understood the need for taking precautions. There are just certain etiquettes and protocols that must be observed by criminal organizations like ’Ophiuchus’.
To be fair though, he didn’t know all those protocols. He owned the organization now, he could feel the moods of the Leopold Vampires who headed it as per the divine edict binding them to him, but he couldn’t exactly read minds to peruse every bit of information they had. At least not yet.
Anyway, while his knowledge of [To Kill A Demon Lord...] could fill in some gaps, he was just not so learned in the ways of ’Ophiuchus’ just yet.
’I should get her to teach me,’ he thought still looking into Arlette’s beautiful face.
"Of course," he said then and nodded to show he understood what she was talking about and then he added in a low voice filled with care,
"Do be safe."
Arlette allowed an easy, teasing smile to break through the professional facade she had been working so hard to keep on her face. The expression she had now was the sort she only ever showed to Caius when they were alone. Usually during pillow talks.
"Look at you all caring and sweet," she said.
"Well..." Caius said and trailed off suggestively.
Arlette pulled back her expression then to make it a bit more... natural even if she was still smiling and her grey eyes twinkled with teasing.
"I’ll be fine, Caius," she said in that alluring voice of hers, "As I said, it’s standard procedure. And I of all people should take it seriously."
"Right," Caius said with a nod, and then with a flick of his wrists, he retrieved a little sheet from his spatial ring and handed it to her.
"What is this?" Arlette asked, not opening it because what was written might be too sensitive for anyone with incredible eyesight to spot.
"Just a bit of supplies I need," Caius said, calmly.
"Alchemical?" Arlette asked.
"I’m starting to run low on those, yes. But, no. The supplies on that list are different," Caius said.
"You’re running low already?" Arlette asked and her voice got close to getting raised.
Caius smiled, amused by how her whispered voice could still sound shrill.
"Well, yes," Caius answered, "What, are you pitying the Leopolds?"
"Well... no," Arlette said.
That was sort of a lie.
Whenever she put in the request—basically an order—to have all those ingredients purchased and shipped to her, she could always hear the wincing and the aching of hearts for all that money being spent.
Being Alchemical ingredients, those purchases were always gotten through legitimate means that could pass through any level of scrutiny which couldn’t be said for the Legacy she had to retrieve, hence the need to observe protocols. Not to mention a need for secrecy for something so game-changing.
Anyway, whenever the ingredients arrived, there was always some level of lamentation tacked on to show how much the Leopolds were groaning over their losses. Funny thing was, Arlette shared in their pain somewhat.
It was strange, the Leopolds definitely had enough to spare. And while all that Caius had gotten and used up had cost so much, it had surely not taken a dent out of the Leopolds’ impressive coffers. Still, the economical mind of Arlette Louvene could not help but feel the lamentations of loss were worth it at least a bit.
Especially with how quickly Caius was going through the resources.
Caius studied the look on Arlette’s face and he asked.
"What, are they complaining?"
’They’ of course were referring to the Leopolds.
Arlette just looked at him and smiled without saying a word.
"Bunch of cheapskates," Caius said with a scoff, "Well, they’d better suck it up. This is merely the beginning."
Arlette’s smile became even bigger and then she looked past Caius at the trio of ladies still waiting. Kaya and Eloise turned their faces away quickly, pretending they hadn’t been straining their ears to try and eavesdrop. Delia was a lot more shameless and just continued trying to listen. Even threw Arlette a wave.
Arlette’s brows were up in intrigue and then she was back to looking solely at Caius.
"Well, I’ll get all you need," she said, "We’ll see each other again soon."
She and Caius shared a look then. Arlette’s fingers flexed around the list Caius had given her and she looked like she wanted to raise her hand to touch his face but held back.
This was the moment where they should have kissed but didn’t due to watching eyes. Arlette wasn’t sure how much those three knew but she had a feeling they were all mostly in the dark.
"Goodbye," she said and stepped toward the portal Gate where she laughed a bit, "I’ve kept your friend waiting for quite a while."
"Goodbye, Professor," Caius said with as much of a suggestive tone as he could muster and the exact charming smile he would give her if they were alone,
"And do take care of my friend."
"I will," Arlette said and with that, she walked through the portal which closed after so long of being left open.
Caius turned toward the girls then. As they had done when Arlette had looked at them, Kaya and Eloise looked away to act nonchalant while Delia stared right at him.
"What, you couldn’t give her a goodbye kiss?" She asked.
Caius almost became flustered but he kept his cool. Not because he was impassive or just such a ’cool’ guy but because he knew Delia was not in the know.
Sure enough...
"You talked to her in so many whispers and stared at her for so long, you might as well have tried to steal one," Delia continued, "She’d probably smack you upside the head but you might get some."
"Probably," Caius said.
Kaya was looking at him now and there was a way her brows furrowed that Caius could just tell her mind was working fast. Kaya was probably the only one really aware of just how much Caius visited Arlette. Or at least, she was the only one who was reading enough into it enough to uncover the secret Caius was keeping. Even from her.
What Delia had said in jest seemed to be helping Kaya make some connections in her head but she didn’t voice them out.
"Come on," Delia said and led the way out of the Alchemy classroom to head to somewhere more appropriate for Caius to keep his word.
Caius followed with Kaya and Eloise on either side of him. The two had decided to spectate today on a special invitation from Delia who hoped they would serve as buffers to help against Caius’s wiles.
"I don’t think she’d have smacked you, Caius," Eloise said then.
"Hmm?" Caius asked, confused.
"Professor Louvene," Eloise said half in jest and half serious, "I don’t think she’d have smacked you if you kissed her. I bet she’d even kiss you back."
Delia scoffed from one foot up front.
"What?" Eloise asked her.
"Not everyone is susceptible to his charms," Delia said.
"Oh yeah?" Eloise said in challenge while grabbing Caius’ arm and pulling it in between her breasts in an action that not only looked intimate but also felt protective as she continued with a light frown at Delia’s back,
"Tell me one person who doesn’t like him."
"Well, me for one," Delia said.
Eloise paused then. And then she laughed. A thrilling sound that Caius could have sworn conjured a few musical notes.
"You?"
Delia frowned.
"Yes, me," she asserted.
"Please, you like him," Eloise said, "You’re always swooning."
"With rage? Absolutely," Delia said with an attempt at nonchalance.
"No one swoons with rage," Eloise said.
"Well, I do," Delia said.
"No, you don’t," Eloise said.
"I do."
"No, you don’t."
"Oh but, I do."
"Oh, no, you don’t."
"Face it, sweetie. He’s just not that big of a catch," Delia said then, "Quite average actually."
Eloise gasped then and the look on her face was that of someone who had just heard a sacrilege.
"You take that back!" She said and there was a ripple of sound waves.
"Ladies..." Caius called then, feeling like he should have interfered earlier.
"We’re here!" Delia announced then as the others stopped walking.
They indeed had arrived.
The doors to the Mage-Knight Training Classroom stood ahead of them.