books44 Chapter 200 Side Story: Family Memories (1)
Chapter 200 Side Story: Family Memories (1)
The flickering candlelight and uneasy shadows swayed from side to side, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, adding an eerie glow to the protruding eyes of the gargoyle carved in relief at the top of the pillar.
Rum, carrying a stack of documents, strode quickly down the corridor. With each step he approached the end, the stagnant, dark gray mist in the depths grew increasingly heavy, until he traced it back to its source.
—A two-meter-high, pitch-black door.
The "Crow in an Egg," once a symbol of the Karasuma family crest but now representing only one person, is branded in the very center, with wisps of smoke seeping out from the cracks in the door.
The simple, unadorned ebony gate stands here, its imposing presence scrutinizing anyone who enters.
knock knock.
"Boss, I'm coming in." He stopped at the door, knocked on it, and pushed it open without asking any questions.
A strong smell of tobacco hit me, and a thick, grayish-white cloud of smoke blocked the doorway. Due to the ever-increasing concentration and the stagnant atmosphere, these substances almost coalesced into a solid mass, like a gray wall.
Rum raised his hand and parted the layers of gauze curtains, following the sound of the old-fashioned clock ticking as he walked step by step to the center of the room: "Boss, there is something I think you must decide to deal with immediately."
call--
After a brief silence, a tiny orange-red spark appeared in the gray-white background and slowly faded away.
Putting down his pen, Kuromon Yoya got up, turned the vertical lock on the windowsill, and opened a small crack.
In an instant, a strong, icy gust of wind swept through the office like a spear. The wind blew away the smoke that had accumulated for dozens of hours, leaving almost no trace except for a sore throat and a slight itch.
Even if it wasn't the first time he had witnessed it firsthand, Rum would still feel a chill run down his spine from this scene.
“Rum.” His voice, hoarse from silence, was low as Kuromon Haruya spoke, a cigarette butt dangling from his lips, his dark red heels propped up on the table.
"You're still so impatient... So, what's the urgent matter that needs my attention during 'office' hours?"
The wine-red glass ashtray was crammed with cigarette butts. Before catching up on sleep that night, Kuromon had casually mixed together flower arrangement tips from several countries, but it wasn't messy at all.
He rubbed his fingers together in frustration, waiting for an explanation from his well-meaning subordinate who was disturbing his peaceful sleep:
I was finally sleeping soundly through the night without any dreams, when that old rascal Rum woke me up again.
If I remember correctly, this is the third time. Following the principle of "third time's the charm," maybe we should just shoot him the fourth time?
Completely unaware that his boss was openly catching up on sleep during office hours, Rum assumed he had disturbed his superior's business planning and bowed deeply in apology.
"Boss, please forgive my overstepping. But this concerns the disciplinary plan for Young Master Jin and Miss Sharon, and I, Kuroda Ran, humbly request that you reconsider!"
"Oh?"
Heimen Yaoye raised an eyebrow, about to get angry at Rum for meddling, when he saw Rum take out a large stack of documents and videotapes and spread them out on the table.
"Fighting, forming gangs, organizing a campus revolutionary alliance... and the principal's letter requesting a private meeting after the next parent-teacher conference to return the investment?!"
The cigarette butt between his lips fell to the ground. Kuromon Haruya looked at the notice, which had gradually increased in threat and changed in wording from serious to pleading since the beginning of last year, and looked at Rum in disbelief.
Are you talking about my polite, charming, intelligent, and generous son and daughter?
The latter nodded heavily, wishing he could tell the boss that this was the most accurate description.
"Huh? But the school stopped sending notification letters three months ago!" Kuromon Haruya suddenly had a flash of inspiration and found a blind spot to prove the children's innocence.
"That's the seriousness of the problem."
The horrific investigative intelligence was still vivid in his mind's eye, and Rum closed his eyes with a heavy heart: "If that were all, I wouldn't bother you. But please watch this video."
The videotape was inserted into the device, and the scene switched to a sacred church, where a group of neatly dressed children, ranging in age from six to fifteen, sat calmly on a bench, waiting for their meal.
Heimen Yaoye certainly knew where this was. This church boarding school was a holy place favored by the French elite for many years, but it was not at the top of the private schools.
Having access to high society, but not being among the very elite, is just right for them who are currently developing their careers.
Given the school's religious background, this scene likely depicts the children attending communion on Sunday.
In the focus of the camera, Gin from the elementary school is sitting in the third row, while Vermouth from the junior high school is in the fourth row.
Wearing indigo school uniforms, in a solemn setting, the two little ones, with their slightly chubby cheeks, were praying with their hands clasped together before their meal, looking incredibly cute.
But the image only lasted for a moment.
The next second, Vermouth quietly opened her right eye, turned it left and right, and slyly investigated.
After confirming that no one was watching the teacher walk into the kitchen, she immediately took out a lollipop from her pocket, put it in her mouth, and crossed her legs, looking like a bored queen.
"Whoo~"
With his index finger pulled out the candy stick, Little Sharon propped his chin on one hand and slowly exhaled a non-existent puff of smoke, looking weathered and worn.
—He looks like a heavy smoker who's been smoking for over a decade!
'France is so boring! What happened to the romantic capital?! Why did the boss make us use this place as a training ground for covert operations? Wasn't my acting good enough? Angels and God don't exist, and the Bible isn't even as good as the bedtime stories from Hogwarts.'
"Ugh, so boring—"
Beside her, an upright child who had been sitting quietly finally couldn't stand it anymore and nudged her hard with his elbow: "Sharon, it's prayer time now. Please remain respectful under the Lord's watchful eye."
"Oh yes, yes, I heard that."
Speechless, Sharon rolled his eyes, switched hands to support his face, and blew the "smoke" to the other side.
My devout deskmate: Angry.
The little girl slammed her hand on the table, pointed at Sharon's nose, and angrily shouted, "Hey, Sharon Vineyard, your days of constantly disobeying the doctrine are over!"
"I can no longer tolerate you using your status as a child star to desecrate the sanctuary, not even a little bit!"
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It's been updated to chapter 200!
The author would like to thank all the readers who have supported us this far. Let's raise a glass!