THE SABLE SPY | SEVEN

THERE WERE STARES, certainly, plenty of them. Lord Farnsworth was not known for attending social events, and neither was Lady Rochesdale known for sponsoring young ladies around town. The few times Cass and Ciri had been around, they'd been chaperoned by one of their more pleasant aunts. Laurence pointed out figures for her to note, but Cass and Marcus's eyes were trained on the Saians walking around. She recognised a few, mostly from her childhood. She noted a few exiles as well. Any of them could have been trying to kill her. Any of them could be traitors of her kingdom, selling out their loyalty for a bit of gold. It was pathetic, really. There were many things one could do when they ran out of money that she'd condone. Thievery, for one, especially if you choose the right victims. Treason was not one of them.

The three stood by a wall, where they could easily keep an eye on everything happening in the ballroom yet remained mostly hidden from the untrained eye. Luckily for them, there were plenty of foliages all around for them to duck behind and glance over. Cass leaned against the pillar they were behind, careful not to hit her wound. She wore long sleeves to hide the bandage, and it had healed quite a bit, but some movements still hurt. If someone else noticed, questions would be asked. Tricky questions she didn't want to answer. So she was careful.

"Is my cousin supposed to be here? I don't see him anywhere," Cass murmured to the boys. They had sent a note to Cousin Francis's residence, and gotten a short but polite reply. No arrangements of meetings. Cousin Francis knew her line of work fairly well, as he often worked as an informant for their aunt, and he himself was probably too busy with his own business to come by for a visit. She didn't mind. Her family was not very close-knit, no matter how close they had remained to each other for the most part. It was divided into small factions. Houses within a house. Ciri and Cass occupied their own. It was rather lonely. Perhaps that was why she didn't like to stay in Asayama. She didn't belong there, no matter what everyone said, no matter what her last name was.

"Maybe he'll arrive later. Fashionably late, you know," Laurence shrugged. The three kept a careful distance. Close enough for anyone to know they were well-acquainted, but also being the epitome propriety. A few matrons and their ambitious daughters eyed them, but few dared approached. Between Cass's look of cool indifference and looming presence, Marcus's barely hidden glower and Laurence's lack of a smile, they were an untouchable trio in the middle of a Caling ballroom. No doubt their appearance would be all over the gossip rags tomorrow. Their friendship could be easily explained.

"Lord Wang of Nuo Zu," Cass muttered, eyes trained on an elderly Saian gentleman walking by with a woman at least twenty years his junior in his arms. "Has the motive. He has lots of business in Gira, I think, but I don't think he's nearly clever enough to try to kill me. He's old, for starters."

"Age doesn't matter. But that old oaf is too busy playing with women to indulge in murder," Marcus snorted. "Unless he's hiding a secret vindictive streak. He's a libertine, but usually considered rather harmless. A favourite among the demimonde, I think." He glanced at Laurence. "Is that right?"

Laurence looked offended. "You realise I don't associate with the demimonde nearly as much as everyone thinks, right?"

"My own resume is heavily inflated as well. But among the three of us, you're still the one most associated with them. Not Lord Wang, then. The man near the orchids and refreshments, Lord Archsham?" Cass's tone was flat and exasperated.

Laurence narrowed his eyes, hiding his glance with a sip of his drink. "Mr John Lin-Gareer. Saian mother, Arecian father. A bloody paragon. His wife is from Kon Ria." Cass's eyes settled on the Eastern girl besides him, petite and graceful. They were acquainted. "I'll bet my entire fortune it's not him."

"That's Mr Lin-Gareer? I know his wife. Miss Huong Phuong Anh. Told us to call her Miss Anne, since most of the ladies there that evening couldn't speak Kon Rian. Positively butchered her name. Did you know that most people still can't pronounce my Saian name properly? Very disappointing."

"Diao Fengyan," Marcus said perfectly. He flashed a grin. "The sable phoenix. I still vividly recall you trying to teach me Sai as a child, the first time we met." He had learnt eventually. He now spoke it as fluently as any native. All three of them spoke plenty of languages. It came with their job, and even before then, they had all been trained. The world was globalising. A Vayante noblewoman needed to be as at home in an Arecian ballroom as one in her own kingdom. Times were changing. The next generation needed to be sufficiently prepared. Nothing but the most utmost perfection could be expected from each and every one of them.

"I, on the other hand, spoke perfect Saian by the time I met you, Miss Diao." Laurence's ears perked up. "And there comes your cousin, darling."

Cass's eyes flew to the large oak door of the ballroom, where Cousin Francis had just strolled in. Besides him was another Saian male, smaller and wiry. Another relative. She had not been informed about his presence. She frowned. "Were either of you aware that Cousin Ned was here as well?"

Marcus shook his head. Laurence just hummed pensively, not a word escaping either of their lips, but she could feel the gears turning in their head. Suspicion, as they regarded the man. She knew the look was mirrored in her own eyes. As they watched the pair stroll into the ballroom, exchanging pleasantries with the other guests. Laurence suddenly said, "Introduce us, Miss Diao."

She started forward, sliding between chatting groups and entourages before stopping in front of Francis and Ned, cutting off their path. Offering a kindly smile, she began, "Tangge. It is so wonderful to see you. And hello there, biaoge Ned. I didn't expect to see you here. When did you arrive?" She said each word slowly. Both of her cousins spoke perfect Arecian, but she did it anyway.

Francis grinned, and Ned jolted upwards. They were the most mismatched pair, the shining Adonis and the man who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Cassalyn biaomei. Pleasure seeing you here. Ned here just arrived from Asayama yesterday afternoon, which is why I didn't mention him in my missive to you. I did not have time to send you another."

"Business, you know," Ned said awkwardly. She had never particularly liked Ned Liu, who was her late aunt's son with a rich merchant. Their fortune had dwindled since his parents died, and Ned's sister, Claudine, was well-liked among the family. But great-aunt Vinelle considered Ned a weak-spined fool. In recent years, though, Ned seemed to be finally making profit. Perhaps there was more to him than what meets the eye. The same case seemed to go to most of the Diao brood.

"It's been a long time. I have, regrettably, not been to Asayama as often as I should have. I trust our family is well. Lord Farnsworth, Lord Archsham, may I introduce to you my cousins, Mr Diao and Mr Liu?"

The four men exchanged pleasantries. It was immensely awkward, at least for Cass. A moment later, decent conversation had begun. It was something about the latest war between Joskum and Lohia. She did not bother listening— she had already heard Laurence and Marcus's opinions a few days ago, and she herself didn't have much of an opinion on politics on that side of the world. Quite frankly, it didn't affect her all that much, unless she was posted there, which grew unlikelier by the moment.

"Miss Diao?" It was Marcus, something like concern flickering in his eyes. She snapped out of her trance, realising that she had been staring rather intently into a nearby foliage.

"Sorry. I'm just a bit tired. I forgot how heavy Arecian gowns can be."

Cousin Francis looked amused. "Have you seen Saian gowns? The ones they wear in the royal court, anyways?"

"I believe I tried my mother's headdress once as a child. My neck almost fell off. It was rather amusing, if only my body wasn't sore for the rest of the week." The last part was muttered quietly. Arecians were ridiculously sensitive to body parts, apparently. "But the cheongsams and qipaos we wear are silk and soft and airy. Very comfortable. This gown is made of layers and layers. Fei chang bu fang bian." Very inconvenient.

"I'd love to have seen that, tangmei," he replied with a laugh. Francis had always been charismatic and easy-going, smiling all the time. He was the diplomat of the family, soothing angry aunts and fuming uncles whenever a spat occured. Cass tended to watch from the sidelines, secretly amused. Her family could be very petty when they wished to be. Meanwhile, Ned looked like he was practically sweating.

"I wouldn't wish to monopolise you two's time," she said kindly, as her other cousin looked as if he wanted to melt into a puddle and never reappear. "If you have other people to meet, go ahead. We can catch up some other time. I expect to remain here in Arecia for quite a little while. Feel free to visit whenever. I'm sure the Rochesdales wouldn't mind. They have been the most kind to me."

Ned whispered something in Francis's ear. A beam emerged. He was always so easily excitable, a golden spirit. It was why everyone in the family liked him so much. "Oh! I'm supposed to talk to Lord Green about a ship he wanted to buy. If you wouldn't mind me, tangmei, Lord Farnsworth, Lord Archsham..."

Laurence grinned good-naturedly. "No worries. We'll keep an eye on your cousin. She's staying with Lord Farnsworth's parents. You could drop by whenever you wish to."

When the two had left, Marcus muttered, "Not Francis. He seems like an honest folk. I rather like him. Intelligent and frank, if not a bit too optimistic."

"He genuinely likes me. He was practically my older brother, since we both grew up at the same manor," Cass shrugged. "Not him. Most definitely. I'll swear my life on that."

"Your other cousin, though," Laurence mused. "Ned Liu, was it? He's too jitterish. Makes me nervous. If our killer isn't professional, he'd be acting much like the Honourable Ned Liu."

"His personality," Cass told him. "He'd always been like that, even as children. And he was talking to a future marquess and a viscount. I think he was always a bit intimidated by me, no matter the fact he's almost ten years older. His father owned a trading company as well, and he's taken over. Great-aunt Vinelle considers him a weak-spined fool. I don't think he's capable of killing me. Too soft-hearted."

"We can't write that off. He doesn't give me good vibes," Marcus hummed. "It could all be an act." They've all seen plenty of acts. The world was full of liars and actors, and it paid off if you knew how to spot one.

"Starting from when he was a child? Unlikely if you ask me. His sister, Claudine, now she has a motive for killing me. Or at least she had. The spine as well. I always thought she'd make a rather good spy, if she didn't detest that kind of life. She's married to a rich Asayaman gentleman now and has plenty of money. Stop suspecting my family, god damnit. It's very unpleasant business, murder in the family. I don't wish to entertain the thought."

"One of my uncles tried to kill my father for inheritance, did you know that?" Laurence suddenly grinned. "He was not aware that my father was an extremely skilled spy who very quickly dispatched every assassin sent at him." They did know that. Laurence repeated that story every other day. It was rather astonishing. He was twenty-three and already acting like someone's ninety-year-old grandma reminscienting about the past. If said grandma looked like a dark-haired devil with stormy, mysterious grey eyes, anyways, which they did not.

(After declaring that Cass had no eye for detail many years ago, Cadieux had set her to describe Marcus and Laurence's physical appearance. She had broken out a magnifying glass and began inspecting them very closely as Laurence tried to stifle his laughter. She ended up with a two-page essay describing them to the tiniest detail. Cadieux shut up after that.)

"Wonderful. I don't wish to repeat that within my own family, which is already diabolical enough in its own way," she said flatly. "Sounds extremely dreadful. And the last thing my family requires right now is a scandal."

"I still think you should be careful around your family. If your cousins come to visit, make sure someone's with you at all times. Preferably me or Laurence. I'm sure you don't wish to entertain the idea, but your relatives are the ones with the greatest motive for harming you. Especially since Ciri..."

Cirinique still hadn't shown up. Lady Kuroki had no idea where she had gone. Not a single letter arrived in Cass's hand, though Ciri wouldn't have known where she herself had gone in the first place. They all acted like everything was okay, but they were worried, all of them, if too afraid to discuss it openly. That would open a can of worms none of them wanted to deal with. Ciri would be alright on her own for a while. She was a smart and clever girl. She had lived through many situations others would have perished in. Cass would not stress over her little sister.

But Cass had to admit that Marcus and Laurence had a point. It was well-known that the duchess favoured the two sisters. If one of her relatives were in a desperate need of money, they might put it to themselves to harm the two most likely heiresses of the duchess's personal fortune. It didn't explain the involvement of the mysterious Saian traitor, however. Or the fact that the duchess was in perfect health. Unless they meant to kill her too? That would be too obvious, wouldn't it? Unless it was written off as a death by a broken heart, caused by her two favourite ward's death. Anyone who knew the duchess would know that she was not one to be set back by grief. If the unfortunate happened upon the two sisters, the duchess would push herself up and command her legion of spies to avenge them and torture the killer herself.

Unless the ambush and the traitor weren't related, and the timing was pure coincidence? Or perhaps the Saian traitor simply wanted to kill Cass so that she couldn't do any more investigation, and Ciri's sudden disappearance had naught to do with it. Ciri had her own army of her own enemies, after all. They were not simple people, the two of them.

"What a web of deception and lies and murder," she marvelled.

"We seem to always find ourselves in those," Laurence smirked, his lips half-lifted. "Comes with our career, I'm sure. I rather enjoy it. Better than attending these blasted balls every night, wouldn't you agree?"

"You could afford to say that, when you're not the target," Cass muttered.

Marcus let out a short laugh. "Oh, we're all targets now, if the mission's objective is to silence you regarding the Gira-Gana situation. You told us. If they truly want to make sure the entire situation's private, we'll have to be killed as well, which makes their job infinitely more tricky, murdering so many."

Cass let that sink in. Marcus and Laurence were considerate and did not speak, simply enjoying their refreshments. After a moment, she said, "Three situations." The two nodded. They had all been trained by Cadieux, and had worked together for so long they knew every nook and cranny in each other's mind. They knew how each other thought. "One, it's the same person. Whether Ciri's disappearance has anything to do with this is still unclear. They're going after me to silence me regarding my revelation of their traitorous deal to avoid it travelling out. Once I'm gone, they'll realise I've already told you, and they'll go after you too. Second situation, it's two different people. The timing is pure coincidence. One of my friends has decided to kill me, for whatever reason is unclear. The mysterious Saian chased me out of Gira and left it there. Third, they're working together. The Saian wants me dead and dragged one of my many enemies into this scheme."

"It doesn't make sense," Laurence pointed out.

"No, it doesn't," Marcus chimed in. "Hence why it's most likely an amateur, as we've established prior to this. It stinks of a lack of foresight. If your relatives are killing you for the inheritance, there's no reasoning the money would go to them instead, especially since the duchess is still alive and well and probably won't go for another decade. The Saian would be desperately trying to keep things under wraps and trying to kill you. It's the most likely option, but Ciri's disappearance..."

"Unless it's not an amateur. If Ciri was taken, it might have been to lure me out."

"We haven't gotten a ransom note. Or a message."

"No one knew where I was," Cass pointed out. "Now they do. I'm staying with the Daltons. I don't like this. If Ciri was kidnapped, we'd be getting a message soon."

"I don't either," Marcus admitted. "But the other choice is letting you run havoc across the w0rld while someone's obviously trying to kill you for an unknown reason. I'd pick this option every day of the week."

"Unless the ambush was not meant for Cass at all, but just a random attempt at thievery."

"No," Cass told Laurence. "They very much meant to kill me. Not a robbery. If it was a robbery, they'd have clobbered me on the head and taken all my things, leaving me to wake up there on my own accord. Robbery is much easier to clean up than murder, that's for sure."

"They were mercenaries. Hired to kill you. Reeks of obsession and hatred."

Cass let out a sigh. It might have been sad. "My favourite combination. Perhaps I ought to have remained with my aunt and became the perfect lady instead of choosing this foolhardy career."

"Too late now," Laurence said gleefully.

Cass echoed his sentiments. "It is far too late now. Let's take a round around the room, we might find someone we've missed prior to this."

They hadn't. Guests trickled in far more slowly afterwards, as the party continued on. They chatted with everyone just to avoid suspicion. The Saian might not have been here at all, but instead set an Arecian accomplice on the case. Things like these were never small. The web could be bigger than any of them imagined.

No one attempted to kill her, which was very nice. There were no hidden blades jabbed in her direction. No bullets shot at her heart. Finally, when the clock struck eleven, Laurence declared that they should return. On the way to the carriage, Lord and Lady Rochesdale gave them an inquiring look.

All three shook their heads. Nothing. No leads. That was expected. The exciting and dangerous parts came later. This was just the first ball, setting the trap.

There would be plenty more. Those were the real baits. Those were inviting a bullet to be aimed at her heart, not just declaring her location.

Or perhaps there'd be none, once her enemy realised she had the Arecian Secret Service behind her. That was an optimistic, but very unlikely thought. To be a good spy, one must be realistic, to not let yourself hope but keep yourself very grounded. A single mistake, a single lapse of judgment or distraction could be the thin thread keeping you on the plains of life.

On the ride back, the three of them were silent. Lord and Lady Rochesdale filled in the quiet, chattering about their friends and the latest gossip. Cass listened with one open ear, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The scene was familiar. How many times had they done this after a fruitless endeavor?

Laurence was squished between Marcus and her, and she didn't spare either of them a look, glancing out of a slit in the carriage curtains. All three of them would be staying at 8 Clearance Road, the Dalton's Caling town residence, to ensure everyone's safety. Next morning, they'd take a ride out to the city and drop by Borewood Street, just to check in with Cadieux in case he had any news.

Ciri. Was her little sister in danger? It was unlike her to vanish for more than a few days at once, and especially without a word. She wouldn't mind dropping off the map for a matter of days, but from Lady Kuroki's words, it had been at least two weeks. That would have at least earned them a note.

Now she was just worrying. That was bad. She was letting her imagination run free, and that would most likely lead to disaster. She sucked in a breath, calming herself. She glanced around the quiet carriage. Lord and Lady Rochesdale had both stopped chattering. The lady's head was on the lord's shoulder, eyes shut. She wasn't asleep, not yet, but the lady was clearly fatigued. It was sweet, the couple.

She looked away. She wouldn't have that. Her lifestyle wasn't suited for that. No one would want to run around the world with her. She'd be alone while doing it.

Marcus might.

Until he inevitably grew tired of her and left her once more. She had nursed heartbreak for six years. She wasn't going to go through it again.

She tightened her fists.

✴

AFTER MORNING, the three gathered in the library. The lord and lady of the house were nowhere to be found. They had been left to their own devices. The servants had all been taught not to engage and to stay away. Cass found that appreciative.

Laurence and Marcus had gone out last night, in the middle of the night. She had heard them. She didn't request to go with. After they had left, she went to the library to think. She did not come up with anything good. Judging from Laurence's expression, the same was not to be said for them. They had found bounty from their hunt. Marcus's face was as deceptively placid as ever.

"Ned lied to Francis, or Francis is lying to us." Laurence was bustling with excitement. At an investigation of her attempted murderer. She found it oddly morbid, and slightly offensive. An agent of such caliber such as Laurence Dumont should not be excited over murder. It stank of bad courtesy and rudeness. "No ship arrived from Asayama in the afternoon two days ago. The last ship arrived the night before, at eleven."

"A mistake?" She suggested kindly, as she still did not want to think her own cousins were trying to kill her. Entertaining the idea made it seem possible.

"Unlikely," Marcus replied. "Francis and Ned are both merchants. They'd remember these dates. Not enough for us to accuse anyone of anything, but enough to point us in their direction."

"If whoever it was wishes to silence me, they'd attempt so soon."

A moment passed. No one said everything. The three shared a look.

"Yes. Very soon. We'll keep your outside excursions limited but public," Marcus agreed with a nod. "I hope this business cleans itself up soon."

"Hopefully," she agreed. "It is tiresome, as you might know, to find yourself the target in a scheme such as this."