The Mask Of The Monster - Chapter 107

(From Ella’s Perspective)

I remembered it after going outside. Nicklaus, the king, had seen my mark, but he did not get the smell of a shifter from me. He would not suspect anything, would he? After all, Jed did not have a shifter smell as well since he did not turn at all. Perhaps Nicklaus would think that I had no turned as well.

‘He won’t suspect, right? I hope so… I hate that look in his eyes though… It’s intriguing and in a bad way.’

“Are we really going there?” Jed asked.

“Huh? Where?”

“To Aurora. You’re the one who said that we’re going there,” he frowned.

“Ah, right,” I mumbled. “I forgot. But let’s stop somewhere before.”

“Where?”

“That shop,” I said, pointing at a shop with heavy curtains that nothing of the inside was visible from the outside.

“What shop is that? People in masks go in there only,” Jed said.

“I saw it for a long time. And I need to go there today,” I said.

Jed was a bit reluctant to enter. He was always like this, too scared to do anything unfamiliar. I had to drag him with me inside.

“What the…? What are you going to do here?” Jed asked, getting bright red.

“What are you so shy about? It’s common…”

“But you’re a virgin…”

“Yes, I know. I am here to buy a few things,” I said. “Don’t make things worse with that fidgeting act of yours.”

It was actually a shop for products related to sex. I needed some stuff, which was why I came here. But Jed was being too much.

This shop always closed at ten, so I had to come here first before going to Aurora. After all, a brothel would be open all night.

“What do you need?”

“Don’t talk much. Let me see,” I said. It took me a while to take the stuff I needed. Jed was still being shy. Though I was a bit shy as well, especially at the reception, it was not as extreme as Jed’s shyness.

“What do you need them for? I don’t understand…”

“That’s why you’re such a pain in the ass, Jed. Use your brain. It’s very important,” I said.

“You’re weird…”

“I am just smart and cautious.”

“Are you going to sleep with someone in the brothel? Males are available as well… and the money for one night isn’t too much as well.”

“Hell no!” I grumbled. “I am just going there for work purposes.”

‘And I already have someone to do it with. If I say yes, he will just jump in.’

“Did Lee tell you to do so? I doubt that’s the case.”

“He will never,” I chuckled. “If he hears I went there, he is gonna freak out. I am gonna tell him later though. I feel bad keeping something from him.”

It had been more than a month that Rosaire, the sex slave of King Nicklaus was murdered. Perhaps it was him who did this. Before she died, I tried to take her to a safe place but failed. She was the one who mentioned the name of Aurora, a brothel.

The brothel was bigger than I expected. I did not know the way, but I knew that if I told Jed, he would come with me no matter what. It was something my experience being his friend said.

“Are we really going in?” he asked.

“Yeah, wear the cloak,” I said. I bought two cloaks from a nearby store as well. It felt weird to get inside without hiding ourselves.

Both of us wore the cloak and hid our faces quite carefully. I did not want to be recognized here.

These days, since I had been running around this place a lot, most of the people knew me, at least my face. Some of them even called me ‘that crazy girl’. Well, perhaps because I ran almost all the time instead of walking, I got that new nickname. I did not mind though…

“I feel weird, really…,” Jed mumbled.

“Is it because it’s your first time coming to a brothel?”

“Perhaps,” he nodded, fidgeting slightly. “What… Isn’t it your first time coming here too?”

“Maybe?”

‘Yes, it’s my first time. But I don’t feel panicked though… Is it because I don’t care about anything but what I want?’

“What ‘maybe’? What’s with that, huh? Did you do something without telling me? Are you keeping secrets from me now? Your only friend?”

“You’re not my only friend though… I found a stray cat recently. She is really cute… Aww, so cute!”

Suddenly I remembered the cat’s face and could not help but drool over her cuteness. She was too cute, like a cotton pie, that little one.

“You’re really acting differently recently. You have started to talk less.”

“Leandro said it will hurt my throat and make me cough if I talk that much. Seems like he was right,” I said.

“And you behave more maturely these days.”

“I think I am over-ripened. And moreover, after spending time in a world where development is so slow, I can’t help but act mature to maintain my sanity,” I said.

‘Well, in my world, we use the internet. To think I am still alive and sane after not being in touch with the internet, it’s quite a surprise.’

“And then you bought those things today… I have no idea what’s going on with you these days,” he said.

“Ah, those are for sexual well beings. They are important,” I said knowingly. “Anyway, let’s enter. I am a bit nervous as well, but here we go.”

The inside of Aurora was as I expected, filled with different types of people with the same intention. Women were wearing almost little things to nothing and they were being intimate in public.

Everyone was laughing and drinking cheap wine. Though I could not tell if it was cheap from just a look, I just guessed since there was no way they would serve high-class wine here. Of course, there were high-class drinks as well, but that was very expensive.

“Where are we going, Ella?” Jed asked. “Why are you so unaffected anyway?”

‘If it’s not Leandro, I don’t just feel anything.’

I did not answer him, rather pulled him with me, holding his hand. What if someone heard me somehow? No one could be trusted.

“Look for room number fifteen,” I whispered.

“Fifteen? Alright,” he nodded. “Should we separate for a bit? That would be more convenient.”

“You’re bolder…”

“Well, it’s because the quicker you do what you came for, the quicker we can get out of here. I don’t like this place.”

“Alright then. It should be upstairs since the rooms are arranged oppositely. There are perhaps more than fifty rooms and the fifteenth room is downstairs, there. If I am right, then the fifteenth room will be on the third floor. So, you go left on the third floor, I will go right. We will meet in the middle, right in front of that pillar,” I said, pointing around the place so he understood properly.

“Got it. And be careful. Don’t do unnecessary things,” he said.

“I won’t,” I nodded. “Be careful as well. Don’t die or move weirdly for no reason.”

I was worried. What if Jed made someone suspicious? He had the habit to stutter or act suspiciously if a stranger talked to him.

‘Strangely, he didn’t behave like that when he met me. Is it because we have too many things in common?’

As planned, both of us went different ways, reaching the third floor. I looked around cautiously, especially above the doors to read the room numbers.

“Twenty… Eighteen… Ouch!”

I did not know where I was going since I was intently reading the room numbers. Thus, I bumped into someone.

“I am sorry,” I said quickly since it was my fault. “Are you alright?”

“Are you new here?”

“Why?”

“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said. He perhaps was not old, rather two or three years older than me. But because of the beard, he looked pretty old.

“Well, I have to go somewhere. Mind moving a bit?” I said, trying to get away as soon as possible.

He suddenly grabbed my arm tightly. “I am not done with you though.”

“Hey, bro, I understand that I bumped into you. But it was an accident and I said sorry. Our business is done. Now, move. Seriously, I have some work.”

“Let me at least see your face.”

“If I had to show my face, I wouldn’t wear a cloak.”

He forcefully tried to take the cloak off. It was just too much. What was his problem? I could not bear it anymore, so I placed a hard kick between his legs just at the right place.

“Ack!” he groaned in pain and fell to the ground on his knees, holding his private place.

“Hey, don’t ya try to mess with me! Really? What did you think?” I grumbled and walked away only to find a familiar face looking at me, shocked and speechless.

“You… you….,” I muttered, pointing my finger towards him.