Black was a color that Lucinda regularly wore. Be it at her own home where she wore simple black shirts, or at work where she wore her usual black trench coat. Even when she was younger, she remembered wearing black all the time. It was a normal color that she associated herself with.

But right now, while everyone was wearing black to Viktor's funeral, she just wanted to take off her black dress coat and leave.

Next to her, Anthea had been silently crying. The only noise she made was when she sniffed her nose or comforted Embers in her arms. Azul had been quiet the entire time. He looked just like how Ciel did during their investigations—dark circles lined their eyes, and Azul kept his head low during the entire service. Greyson was silent, too. Even before the funeral, he had locked himself in his room, not even coming out to eat.

After a while of standing, she stood in front of the podium and spoke a few words about Viktor, her tongue burning the entire time. Once she finished, she returned to where she stood, and she had already forgotten what she said. All she knew was that it felt fake, even if it was one of the few times she decided to be genuine. The thought made her clench her hands into fists, and she gritted her teeth.

Lucinda looked around. All eyes were staring ahead, where Viktor's casket was. No one was looking at the back.

With a nod, she turned around and headed to the graveyard.

She placed her hands in her pockets and hummed. She never liked funerals. Every time she would attend one, she only stood and watched while the others mourned for the deceased. It was one of the few times she could admit that her mind would go blank. It was hard to think of a proper reaction, especially if the person that died was someone she didn't know. She thought that maybe, if someone she knew died, she would be able to react the same way other people did.

But it never happened. Not when Dayanna died, not when Viktor died.

Maybe it was fitting that she never cried during funerals. Especially when she herself had killed people in the past. Some of the people in the cemetery could have been her victims, some of them could have been their families. It would be hypocritical of her to cry that someone she knew died when she herself took lives in the past.

"Are you judging me right now, Viktor?" she whispered, as if the soft wind that blew past her was Viktor's spirit. "I'm hoping you are. I feel pathetic."

Just as she was about to take a turn near a tree, Lucinda grabbed the knife inside her coat. Though before she could slash it, Deimos stepped out of the tree. He raised his arm, then pinned his own knife next to her neck. Lucinda's back hit the trunk, and she had to lift her head when Deimos pressed his arm on her throat.

"One of these days, Luce, that eavesdropping of yours is going to get you killed," he said in a low voice.

Lucinda flicked her eyes to the right where the knife was, then to him again. "Does that mean you won't kill me now?"

"Unfortunately." Deimos sighed, and he removed his arm from her. Once he placed the knife back in his coat, he asked her, "What are you doing here, Luce? Apart from the obvious fact that you're stalking me, of course."

Lucinda's left ear twitched as she crossed her arms. "Always quick to the point, aren't you? You're never fun."

"My schedule is very tight right now." He raised his hand as he walked, making Lucinda follow him. "I have someone else to meet after this, then I need to be somewhere after that."

She placed her hands behind her and hummed. "Is it hard being the Underworld's new boss?"

Deimos lowered his head and paused. "It is. I'm glad that the Furies trusted me to take this position, but I'm not born or raised in the Underworld. I'm not even from Portia. There's going to be a lot of people who would disagree. I'm worried if I'm not qualified for the job."

"And do you think someone else is more qualified than you?"

He flicked his eyes to her momentarily before facing front again. "You'll see."

Even though he didn't say it, Lucinda had a feeling she knew what he meant. It wasn't her intention to eavesdrop on people's conversations all the time. It wasn't her fault that they would talk about something interesting within her earshot. And sometimes, she wondered if people would intentionally make sure that the conversation is within earshot.

Just like the one she overheard a few days back.

It was a while until Deimos stopped. Lucinda looked at his eyes, then followed his gaze. In front of them was a woman with her back facing them. She stood in front of a single grave, with the cemetery's forest just behind her.

"It's good to finally meet you, Miss Hades."

With a soft chuckle, Sedah turned around.

Her usual vibrant eyes were now dull. The smile on her face wasn't forced, but the corner of her lips kept faltering downwards. Maybe it was just Lucinda, but Hades's hair looked like it had turned into a lighter shade, and parts of it turned into a more noticeable grey color.

It was hard to tell back then, but after seeing Zeus, Lucinda could definitely see the family resemblance. She was an idiot for not seeing it in the first place, especially since she used to work for Poseidon.

"It's good to finally meet you, too, Mister Silveria," she said as she crossed her arms. "I must apologize if I seem... off today."

"Understandable," Deimos replied. "The boy you raised like your own son is about to be buried, and the new head of the Underworld is someone outside of your family."

"Thank you for understanding." She flicked her eyes to Lucinda. "I see that you brought your wife with you."

Lucinda hummed in amusement. She managed to show her a smile as she placed a hand on her chest. "I'm flattered, Miss Sedah, but we're not married yet—ow."

She placed a hand on the side of her head and turned to Deimos, who had lightly smacked his knuckles on her temple. "You're putting too much pressure on me here, Luce. I don't think I'll be able to find a ring that fits your standards."

"As much as I'd love to watch a young couple fall in love again, I believe your time with me is limited, Mister Silveria." Hades sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can already imagine that your conversation with Poseidon isn't going to be pretty, and I'm worried if the DUO will search for me. I don't think they'll take it lightly if the two heads of the DUO and Underworld are talking when we both lost important members just a few days ago."

Deimos crossed his arms. "It's about your offer, Miss Vinsteria. I thought about it, and I came here to discuss it."

"Interesting. And what do you have to say about it?"

"My answer is no unless you meet all of my conditions." He raised three fingers in the air. "First of all, as much as it is convenient for the Underworld to have the DUO back us up, I'd like to establish that our organizations' status are merely supporting one another. No one is working for the other. Secondly, you let my son leave the DUO and your control permanently. And thirdly, you lift your wielding's control on everyone in the DUO as a whole. Are we clear?"

Hades cupped her chin and tapped her foot on the ground. "I must say, those are... interesting conditions, Mister Silveria. As much as I agree with all of them, my control on people isn't impermanent. Unlike my sisters, my subordinates are automatically in my control once they join the DUO and cannot leave if I'm still president. Unless, of course."

She turned to Lucinda once again and added, "Miss Saffirus, are you perhaps interested in taking my position once I retire? I've been looking to leave the company for a while. Now that Viktor is... gone, you're the second best person I had in mind."

Lucinda crossed her arms and hummed. "I'm honored to hear that you think I'm equal to Sir Viktor. I'll have to think about it."

"Understandable." Then, she placed her hand in her pocket and sighed. "I feel better now. Is that all, Mister Silveria?"

"It is," Deimos replied with a nod. "Before I take my leave, Hades, I do have to say that your way of hiding your name isn't that creative. Next time, try to think of a name instead of flipping your own."

Hades raised a hand in the arm and chuckled. "As I told Viktor before. If it managed to fool both of my sisters and other people for forty years, then it works."

"Then perhaps make your ears more round, then," he added. "It's clear to anyone that you just sliced them off with a knife."

With that, Deimos turned around. Lucinda stayed in her spot for a while until she felt Deimos grab her hand and lead her away from Hades. Lucinda casted one last glance at her former president before turning around and following Deimos behind. Contrary to her, Deimos' steps were quicker. She had to pick up her pace just so she could follow behind while he held her hand.

The rest of the walk was quiet, with only their footsteps breaking the silence. Lucinda increased her hold on Deimos when her head started to ache, and she could already hear her thoughts whispering in her head.

"Did you know him?" she asked before they decided to start screaming even louder. "Viktor, I meant. Did you meet him in the Underworld?"

Deimos nodded. "I did. I've been in the Underworld for a year or two when we first met. He was just a kid, maybe a few years older than Greyson."

"Were you two close?"

He was quiet for a while, and he stopped in his tracks before replying, "You could say that."

Lucinda hummed as she reached for his coat and fixed his collar. Once it was fixed, one of her hands reached for his shoulder, while the other one remained on his chest. "Black is a good color on you, you should wear it more."

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm already too attached to white." Deimos lowered his head. His silver eyes met hers for a quick moment, before flicking away. "L- Luce, I... I know this'll sound sudden. After all, it hasn't even been a month since we saw each other again. And if you do accept the offer and become the DUO's new president, it'll make things more difficult for us. But..."

She raised one brow. "But?"

Deimos held both of her hands and sighed. "Do you... do you think I still have a shot of being with you two? You, me, Greyson. Do you think... Do you think we can still be a normal family together?"

Lucinda casted a quick glance at him before lowering her eyes as well. Then, a soft chuckle left her before she pressed a quick kiss at the corner of his lips. Deimos froze in his spot, his eyes widening from surprise and his face turning into a darker shade of brown. His reaction made her laugh again as she turned around.

"It sounds like a lovely idea," she said as she continued walking. "But you know that that's not my choice to make."

"I see." Deimos hummed as he followed right behind. "It was nice seeing you again, Luce, but I have somewhere to be. See you."

Lucinda nodded. "Make sure to wipe that lipstick stain on your face. Don't want people thinking you have a secret relationship with the DUO's head strategist, you know?"

Deimos froze in his place. He wiped the corner of his lips with his glove, then stared at the red stain for a while. After a minute, he lifted his head and placed both of his gloves inside his pocket. He didn't say another word, and Lucinda only laughed before she headed back to the service.

Everyday, I wake up, knowing full damn well that people are going to be angry at me once they find out who Sedah is and how she got her name. And I am going to enjoy that rage. Because like Sedah said. If people didn't realize it, then it works.