“...So, no gold-digging woman?” Mr. Hong asked stiffly, “And no one dumped you? The child really was adopted from an orphanage?”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” Kyle rubbed his face with his palm, “I’ve got all the documents, and the orphanage has a few photos as evidence. You can even ask Uncle Chan - he knows every detail from the moment I first met Scarlet.”

“Well...ahem.” Mr. Hong cleared his throat and fell silent, just as Lady Sato did, both of them as stiff as boards. Asian parents rarely apologize to their children; their love doesn’t quite work that way.

Kyle knew his parents too well to expect an apology, so he accepted their unspoken one and returned to the topic they had first brought up. “The reason I didn’t inform you earlier is because I wanted to wait until the competition was over. I’m not a threat to them, and since Scarlet was adopted, she’s even further removed from all of this. We should be safe from any trouble...”

“No, Kyle, it’s doesn’t work like that...” Mr. Hong interrupted. “Even though you’ve retreated this far, there are still some old folks who think you’re the best candidate.”

Kyle looked puzzled. “Why?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you the full story of how the Hong gang and the Tachibana clan joined forces, have I?” Mr. Hong asked, and Kyle shook his head. “Your mother and I met each at an auction, you know, one of the ways to launder money.”

“We met, had a brief conversation, and in that moment, we both realised the mafia’s days were numbered, at least in Japan and Hong Kong. Regulations were getting stricter, law enforcement tougher, plus, and the public no longer needed the mafia. You do understand how the Hong gang and Tachibana clan came to be, right? It was all because some people wanted to protect themselves from corrupt aristocrats and officials, and being on their own meant they were bullied by other labourers. So, they banded together, forming the gang to protect their members, to have something to bargain with against the greedy upper class through brute force, and to secure everyone had a safe place to earn a living.”

“But times have changed. That all belonged to the old days. We don’t need brute forces to secure our position anymore, at least not in Hong Kong and Japan – I’ve heard Italy and Mexico still rely on such method...Anyway, staying on the mafia path would only lead to our downfall, so we whitewashed ourselves, obeyed the law, and took advantage of the loopholes that regulations didn’t cover at the moment...” Mr. Hong spoke with deep emotion. “Your mother and I shared a common goal, so I, the son of the former Hong gang boss, and your mother, the daughter of the previous Tachibana clan leader, united our groups through marriage, turning us into a capable multinational corporation focused on import and export between Hong Kong and Japan. We’ve become the enforcers of our belief in reforming our gang, leaving the underworld and living dignified lives so that our members can proudly introduce themselves to society.”

Lady Sato sighed, “Most of our members agreed with the change; they wanted for a safer life, especially those who were married with children. But some refused.”

Yes, some refused, because the money earned though illegal means was much easier to come by, and the profits were far higher. Besides, being a “renowned underworld boss” sounds a lot more glamourous and exciting than being an “employee of a multinational corporation”. The status brought them fame, and they enjoyed being closely watched by the authorities.

“Now, our gang is roughly divided into two factions: one with us, striving to live normal lives, and the other with those eager to abandon the whitewashing and continue their underworld glory,” Lady Sato explained calmly in Japanese, “We, the older generations, are strong, but we’re getting old, and the younger ones who wish to continue our path aren’t particularly capable. So, some of them miss you, believing you’re the right one to take up our mantle.”

“The other side,” Mr. Hong added, “doesn’t have many old-timers, but their young ones are far more aggressive. The police have hinted that they want me to keep them in check, and if I can’t do it, they’ll step in, and it won’t be pretty.”

“That would be disastrous to us, as we haven’t fully extricated ourselves from the mud,” Lady Sato said, “The competition between the two sides has grown fierce. One of our warehouses was burned down because of this – fortunately, no one was killed, but many were injured.”

“So, some will try to force you back to Asia, while others might want to wipe you off, preventing you from becoming a potential leader. Honestly, you’re not entirely safe here, even if you’ve retreated and pose no threat,” Mr. Hong sighed, though he could tell Kyle remained unconvinced.

They didn’t talk much after that; Kyle still refused to get involved. Before they left, they handed Scarlet a red packet, “Now, how should you address us?”

Scarlet glanced at Kyle, who nodded in response, so she smiled and bowed, “Grandpa, grandma.”

“Good girl,” Mr. Hong petted her head, and both he and Lady Sato departed.

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Scarlet opened the packet, and a bank card dropped into her palm.

Kyle took a look, “It’s a credit card in their names, probably with a pretty high limit as your pocket money.”

“...Wow,” Scarlet stared at Kyle, “Never knew my dad was a rich boy.”

“I thought I told you my dad was a mafia boss?”

Scarlet recalled the Hong Kong mafia bosses she seen in Cantonese films. “Well, the movies don’t do them justice. Not my fault for thinking they were just a bunch of blokes hitting each other with blades, guns, and steel pipes, fighting over control of some pubs.”

“...They dealt drugs. It’s filthy, but it makes them filthy rich.”

“Filthy, as you say.” Scarlet shrugged, “Grandpa and grandma didn’t dabble in drug dealing, did they? They don’t seem the type.”

“No, they didn’t. And that’s one of the reasons the police still maintain a decent relationship with them,” Kyle sighed. “Sometimes there are people the police can’t touch because they haven’t broken any laws, but they’re so vile and repulsive that someone with a bit more brutality is needed to deal with them.”

“For example?”

“Please act more like a pure and innocent child, shall we? I’d rather not dredge up those grim memories.”

“Alright, but I think I’ve got an idea.” Scarlet patted Kyle’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, I won’t be kidnapped that easily. Trust in Scáthach!”

“Sure, sure, all hail Scáthach,” Kyle teased, playfully pinching Scarlet’s cheek with a cheerful smile.

Life remained peaceful after the grandparents’ visit. The only noticeable change was that they now occasionally received overseas calls, with Kyle being scold and Scarlet having friendly chats.

“Have you forbidden our granddaughter from using the card?!” The grandfather’s voice thundered through the phone, “Why does the bank statement show no activity? Don’t you dare mistreat my grandchild!”

“...No, she hasn’t used the card because she already has everything she needs,” Kyle groaned, burying his face in his palm, “I didn’t adopt her just to mistreat her! Oh, for heaven’s sake...”

“You’ve definitely hidden the card from her, haven’t you?” The shouting on the other end persisted, “No way a girl wouldn’t use it to buy toys and clothes! I’ve seen those old codgers splashing out on their granddaughters; don’t think you can fool me!”

Kyle sighed, set the phone aside, and raised his voice to call Scarlet, who was studying upstairs. “Scarlet, come talk to your grandpa!”

Then Scarlet spent quite some time reassuring her grandfather that Kyle treated her well, that she had a good life, and even mentioned her second book, which was soon to be published, promising to sign a copy and send it to them by mail.

“No need, I’ll send someone to collect it,” her now-placated grandfather replied before ending the call.

Scarlet relayed this to Kyle, adding, “He’s joking, right? I could just send it to him via express post.”

“Still not as fast as someone flying over and taking it back,” Kyle shrugged.

Scarlet marvelled, “Rich people.”

However, their peaceful days took a sharp turn soon after that. It was as if the arrival of the grandparents had signalled something, and it finally happened.

They were on their way to the outskirt for practice again.

Kyle was driving while Scarlet jotted down her inspirations; it was hard to read in a moving car, and she couldn’t write properly either. All she could do was note down some keywords, forming a vague storyline to fill in the gaps when she got back to her room.

But soon, Scarlet noticed Kyle tensing up, repeatedly checking the rearview mirror.

After a moment, he confirmed, “Someone’s following us.”

“Asian?”

“No, doesn’t seem British either.” Kyle remained calm, “One looks Middle Eastern, the other Russian...Hitmen.”

Scarlet was too short to see into the rearview mirror, “They’re that wary of you, sending two hitmen?”

“I don’t know.” Kyle didn’t slow down.

“Got a plan?”

“Thinking about whether they’d back off if I head to the police station.”

“Well, they might back off once or twice, but they could always ambush us later,” Scarlet thought for a moment, “Care to let me handle it my way?”

“...With your spear?”

“If they don’t come too close. Long-range attacks are actually to my advantage.”

Kyle was silent for a moment, “Promise you won’t hurt yourself?”

“Promise.” Scarlet replied with pride, “I’ve faced much worse; this is nothing.”

“...if you say so.” Kyle continued driving towards the deserted farm.

They acted naturally, as if they were just there to enjoy the countryside. But once they entered the woods, they vanished right before the hitmen’s eyes.

“Where’s the target?” Both hitmen were shocked, scanning the area through the sniper’s binoculars.

Their client had claimed that this mafia young master pretended to be disinterested in taking over the gang, but in reality, he was rigorously training his daughter, suggesting he had plans for her to eventually inherit the throne.

The young master’s excessive protectiveness – never sending the girl to school, always keeping her close while he worked, never letting her out of his sight for a moment – had led the hitmen, who had been secretly watching them, to believe he was a fanatic, forcing the child into unimaginable situation, including bringing her here every week.

It was difficult for them to stay hidden in this area since there were few people around; they would attract attention if they revealed themselves. They had never followed the pair as closely as today, thinking they could finally complete their job. But it seemed the young master had noticed they were being tailed.

Are they going to escape? Both men wondered. But before they could react, a sudden sweet scent filled the air, and they blacked out.

A tiny butterfly, shimmering in a brilliant blue, fluttered by, leaving a trail of sparkling dust - the last thing they saw before they fully collapsed.