Rosseline lifted her gaze from the papers on her desk, adjusting her glasses with an almost irritating calm. The room was lit only by the soft glow of a magical lamp, casting dancing shadows on the walls lined with shelves full of documents and ancient artifacts.
Katharina, on the other hand, looked impatient, arms crossed and a carefully calculated expression of boredom on her face. She tapped her fingers on her own arm, her eyes glinting with slight irritation.
"So, Rosseline," Katharina began, leaning slightly forward. "I didnât come here to admire your gloomy décor, much less you. How about stopping the delay and telling me what the contract is?"
Rosseline sighed, closing her pen and finally pushing the papers aside. She rested her elbows on the desk, crossing her hands in front of her face, and looked directly at Katharina.
"Itâs a complicated job," she started. "Something that needs... a subtle touch, but at the same time, someone who knows how to use brute force when necessary."
Katharina laughed, a low sound full of self-confidence. "Well, you just described my specialty. Keep going."
Rosseline didnât smile. She pulled out a sealed envelope and slid it across the table. Katharina grabbed it but didnât open it immediately, waiting for Rosseline to explain more.
"Recently, we had an... incident with the new Demon King... he almost killed one of the werewolves," Rosseline said, looking at her with a bit of apprehension.
âI see... the dear one came here... fufufu,â Katharina thought and raised an eyebrow, beginning to open the envelope. "A werewolf? Strange... I thought you had expelled all of them after you killed Adam."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"These ones canât be gotten rid of," Rosseline continued. "The problem is who the Demon King provoked... I mean, for him itâs probably no big deal, but this werewolf is someone I donât want to die for anything."
Katharina analyzed Rosselineâs serious expression, her curiosity now genuinely piqued. She carefully removed the papers from the envelope, examining the information and photos inside.
"So... who is this werewolf that you want to protect so badly?" Katharina asked, her eyes scanning the words on the paper, looking for something that explained Rosselineâs urgency.
Rosseline crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, sighing. "His name is Ethan. He can be annoying, provocative, and sometimes suicidal, but heâs one of our best contacts in the underworld. Also..." She hesitated for a moment, her tone softening. "Heâs important to someone very close to me."
Katharina raised her eyes, intrigued. "Ah, so itâs personal? Interesting. And what exactly do you want me to do? Protect the werewolf or just watch the chaos from afar?"
Rosseline rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated with Katharinaâs mocking tone. "I want you to keep an eye on him. Ethan is stubborn and thinks he can face the Demon King alone. You and I both know how thatâs going to end."
A mischievous smile appeared on Katharinaâs lips. "Ah, darling, youâre asking me to take care of a werewolf who has problems with my... demon acquaintance? This is going to be fun." She said, avoiding mentioning the key detail... That demon king is literally her husband.
"Donât underestimate Ethan," Rosseline warned, leaning forward. "Heâs more dangerous than he seems. And, although I hate admitting it, if heâs killed, it will create a domino effect that no one needs right now. Understood?"
Katharina shrugged, putting the papers back in the envelope. "Got it. Watch the werewolf, make sure he isnât torn to pieces, and prevent chaos from spreading. Any other demands?"
Rosseline stared at her for a moment before answering, her tone colder. "Yes. Donât interfere with whatever heâs doing, just... keep him from meeting that man unless itâs absolutely necessary. Heâs unpredictable, and Iâd rather not deal with a diplomatic disaster because of your curiosity."
Katharina laughed again, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. I wonât interfere. At least, not directly."
She stood up, adjusting her jacket as she started walking towards the door. "Iâll take care of it, but Iâm guessing you didnât want to sell your soul, right? So, tell me, what are you going to offer me to catch my interest?" Katharina said, smiling.
Rosseline watched Katharina with a distrustful gaze, but maintained her calm demeanor. She knew Katharina loved playing these games, testing limits, but she also knew she was dealing with a sharp woman.
"Ah, youâre clever, Katharina," Rosseline said, crossing her arms as she remained seated in her chair. "Iâm not a fool, but of course, you want something in return. Iâm not naive enough to miss that."
Katharina stopped at the door and turned, a provocative smile on her lips. "You always underestimate me, Rosseline. Weâre not here to be friends, after all. I want to know what you have to offer in exchange. This isnât the kind of work I do for nothing."
Rosseline remained silent for a moment, pondering, before responding calmly. "You know Iâm someone who deals with many things... influence, information, favors... Thereâs much more that you might want, but let me be direct with you: If you do this, Iâll give you access to everything I know about whatever you need." She said, smiling as if it were a great prize.
"Hm, what trash. Iâm leaving." Katharina said, as if completely uninterested in the offer.
Rosseline watched Katharina, who was seemingly about to leave without giving a second thought to the proposal. She furrowed her brow, a little surprised by Katharinaâs indifference.
"Youâre really going to turn down an offer like that?" Rosseline asked, her voice full of disbelief. "Access to precious information, secrets from the most powerful... You know I donât offer that to just anyone."
Katharina turned to her with an expression that looked more like a grimace of disdain, as if trying to swat away an annoying fly.
"Hm, what trash. Iâm leaving," Katharina replied in such an indifferent tone that it made Rosseline pause for a moment, unsure if she was joking or being serious.
Rosseline was speechless for a moment, trying to process the response. "Trash?! Youâre really calling my offer âtrashâ?" she almost shouted, but quickly swallowed her frustration. "Alright, Katharina, then tell me... What the hell do you want?"
Katharina shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "If you canât offer me something interesting, then I donât have time for this. Maybe a coffee, a good wine, a dragon that spits fire in a rainbow... Or something fun like that, you know?" Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire
The door suddenly opened, interrupting the silence that had settled between Rosseline and Katharina. The woman who entered had a commanding presence, dressed in tight leather clothes that reminded Katharinaâs but with a wilder touch. Her orange hair, with green-tipped ends, was short and messy in a way that looked both rebellious and carefully styled. She had an arrogant expression, as if she already knew the impact of her entrance.
"So, how about a favor from the Werewolf Princess?" The woman said with a malicious grin, making it clear she knew exactly how to make her entrance.
Katharina needed only a glance to recognize the woman immediately. Her blood ran cold. She felt a wave of anger and an electric charge running through her body as if it were an energized wire. There she was, the woman she never wanted to see again. The woman who had stood by her husbandâs side for years, studying, learning, and above all, trying to win him over.
âSatan, hold me back, or Iâm going to launch a meteor shower!â Katharina thought.