Zero is constantly on guard, blocking their chances of meeting as if she is guarding a treasure. Recently, there is news circulating that Shadow is lacking money and facing financial problems. Therefore, the two sisters became worried. His problems directly affected them, so they were scared of the unknown.
They also knew that the employer's problem becomes the employee's. The worry was very much a concern to them, as their lively hood depended on working for Shadow. However, there is something to rejoice about, they got a message that he will be coming to their house for a meeting.
Heian bought ingredients to cook for him and accessories and articles of clothing to attract him. She even encouraged Guang to preen for the day. The day arrived, and Heian was scared to go close to him. Guang sighing at her sister and used the opportunity that they were in front of Aurelius and Beshoy to act close to him so that Heian could do the same. They knew that they were meant to be his concubines on the surface and so in hopes of him playing along, she took this chance and succeeded. After the meeting which he warned them about a dangerous plot against them, he wanted to leave and this disappointed Heian.
So once again, they went to him, acted close and begged him to stay for lunch. Guang and Heian sat next to him and enjoyed it. Heian was the happiest, and she had dropped her guard against Guang. Guang noticed this and sighed, it seemed that her sister's goal was pretty obvious, and she hoped to help her accomplish this. After all, she had taken many opportunities and had become a roadblock for her happiness many times. As the only men that seem competent and caring and somewhat to their standard, she had to accept her sister's choice. Heian's smile and her mood further improved, knowing that they could now stay at his mansion after shamelessly taking an opportunity. Guang was happy for her sister. She hoped to see that cheerful girl of her memories. Although she did not want to give away her sister, knowing that she will have the best made it somewhat acceptable. Her happiness was essential, and that would be restored with him.
Aurelius was happy about how things had turned up and encouraged them both to give birth to kids to cement their place in his heart and their alliance. After listening to him for an hour on the many benefits that they could have if they get a close relationship to him. He also tried to fish out his identity, expecting the girls to have seen his face in their intimate times. The girls blushed and just lied, telling him that they could not describe his face. Not expecting to get the information from them anyway, he changed the topic.
Shadow was gone, and it was time for the trade between Aurelius and another bandit leader. As the other bandit leader was very greedy, Guang and Heian told Aurelius to not attend this trade. However, Aurelius wanted to ignore them because the bandit boss was ruthless towards people that instigate and start infighting. Therefore, Aurelius did not take their warning to heart.
'Why would we care about what you do?' they thought. Guang and Heian only wanted Aurelius to stay alive as he would be the only person that would know the place of the bandit leader and hence their Aunt. As the key link, they did not want anything to happen to him because his death would make them lose their only source to the bandit leader and their Aunt.
Since they could not convince Aurelius, they could only gather enough reinforcement to protect him in the worst case. They directed Beshoy, who had been acting more mentally sound recently to gather their loyal force for this trade just in case. However, since the warning came from Aile, they did not want to take it too lightly. Any group that made preparations to deal with all four of them would have prepared for the full brunt of their force. They could only get ahead of them and prepare adequately with outside support. Knowing that it would not be easy and that they had to bow their head to someone that they did not like, they could only grimace.
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It would have been easier to just knock Aurelius out. Unfortunately, that would end any goodwill between them, and it would not be ideal for their future plans. Since that was the case, they could only take the harder path to solve their problem. They reached their new house, which was close yet just as far as before from Aile. It was something that became a reminder of two things for them. One they were outplayed and two they have not earned Aile's trust.
They reached close to the main mansion's perimeters, and the guards stopped them. They requested to meet Zero. Soon enough, Zero arrived and asked them, "Why they were there?" Guang and Heian told her the situation and asked her to help. Zero had always been a thorn in their side. Showing weakness in front of someone like her made them grit their teeth and ready for some sort of humiliation. However, unlike before, Zero told them that she will send some extra help, without any haughtiness.
Zero becomes unreasonable only when people want to meet Aile, and they are attractive. Otherwise, she would be friendly and represent Aile with a smile. However, the sisters did not know this.
After some time, it was time to leave for the trade, and a person called Three came with a small team. They went to the location of the exchange and made some traps and exit strategies that would be beneficial, in the worst case, if they had to escape. Seeing the clever setup of the multiple exit strategy's, gave Guang and Heian the confidence and peace of mind of getting out of the situation. However, Three added an extra layer of support just in case. This was another brilliant tactic. It was to keep Beshoy away and ready from the main-group. If they get surrounded, then he can attack from outside while Aurelius from inside to carve a path and utilize the advantage of surprise and a two-prong attack.
After Three had set up the strategies, he talked with Guang and Heian. Three was more cordial and asked about them about different things and their relationship with Shadow. The conversation was soothing and calmed them down, and he was surprised to hear Guang and Heian claim that they were his concubines. After hearing that he kept the conversation around that, somehow he was too interested. Guang and Heian looked at each other than at Three thinking, 'Could he also be into him?'
The trade happened and observing it from afar, everything seemed fine until the other vice leader attacked. His sneak attack with white clothed reinforcement was effective. He had powerful supporters in his backline controlling the situation, and they managed to get the idiot Aurelius because of his carelessness. He was not dead but very hurt. Guang started to cry and was the first to run towards the fight to extract the only person that knew the location of her Aunt, Heian followed. However, they were knocked out, the last things they saw was Three behind them, shaking his head.
When they woke up, they were back at the mansion, Aurelius barely alive and Beshoy fatally hurt. Knowing that it was unlikely for Aurelius to awaken, Guang and Heian started to cry, their Aunt was officially lost to them now.
Guang was frustrated and could not blame anyone, except Aurelius that was injured, this made her anger flare-up. This was when he saw someone else that was very irritating in the last meeting he had said, "With us, nothing will happen to Leader Aurelius. You two are getting soft living in the comfort of the city." He was someone that had climbed the ladder and became a close aide of Aurelius, and his role was to protect him. Remembering his smug smile and his contribution to the careless behaviour of Aurelius's, made Guang grit her teeth. Finding the perfect opportunity to vent, Guang beat the guard, making him shout in agony.
Unaware that his previous comments had come back to haunt him. He was greeted by a barrage of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, making him cry like a banshee and squeal like a pig.
Ahhhh
Cough
Ahhhh
As the person with the least injuries, he now resembled his colleagues. After Guang was stopped, he was black and blue and would have to spend the next weeks in recovery. His failure to do his job resulted in Guang and Heian losing the chance to meet their Aunt.
Seeing the situation and hearing the torturous sounds, Aile's guards stopped the fight, and Three and Zero placed them in house arrest. In there, the two sisters cried and reevaluated their role now and value. The came up with the conclusion that they no longer had merit. This put them in a very peculiar situation, and also made them worried. What would happen to them now that they no longer had the bandits as back up and nothing to offer.