1 Setting a Fire to Warm a Cold Body (2/2)

”Well, well! If it isn't the fearsome assassin, Raven. Or should I call you, Miss Tachibana Ayami. Not so fearsome now, huh?” The rider who had charged at her moments ago said mockingly.

”If you think that you can threaten me by surrounding me, then you must be mistaken.” Ayami said grimly, her eyes looking right back at the rider coldly, refusing to back down as she put on a defensive stance, ignoring the pain on her leg. ”But, I'm curious. Who informed you that you were my target? Was it Benedict? Pasha? Or was it Yssid?”

”The person who betrayed you? I'm afraid I can't tell you. Let's just say, this person is closer to you than you think.” The rider sneered. ”Anyways, I truly think that you're becoming quite rusty, Miss Ayami. You didn't even notice that something, or should I say, someone is missing! Maybe it's time for you to retire.”

”What do you mean?” Ayami was filled with a forboding feeling.

The men surrounding her suddenly out laughing. For what reason, she didn't know. All she knew was the sudden feeling of helplessness when she saw a tied up, unconcious young girl thrown in front of her.

It was Gao Lin.

Seeing the young girl she raised on her own, she immediately wanted to rush up and check her condition, but, the rider in front of her blocked her way abruptly.

”Nuh-uh! Where do you think you're going, missy?” The rider mocked.

”What do you want?” Ayami grit her teeth and asked coldly.

”It's simple. Drop your weapons and surrender to the court.” The rider grinned as if he had won a million gold brules. ”It's time the nobles take back the kingdom.”

So it was the doing of the nobles!

Choosing to compromise for the time being, she lowered her dagger to the ground. What she didn't expect was that the man behind her would directly kick the back of her knees, forcing her to kneel on the ground and making the pain on her left leg much more evident.

Right when she was about to get up and attack the person behind her, she felt a cold, sharp object scrape her nape, halting her movements.

A sword!

”Don't kill her yet. I still need to get some information out of her. Intell from a famous assassin is very precious.” The rider ordered, then turned towards Ayami. ”But... If you swear your allegiance to me, we can lighten your sentence.”

Just as Ayami was about to reply, a voice that chilled Ayami's heart spoke from behind them.

”Can I stop playing dead now? My arms are going numb.” Gao Lin said as she sat up, rubbing her arms.

”Ah, miss Lin! Have you had you fun already?” The rider asked.

”Indeed. It was unfortunate that I couldn't see most of her reactions though.” Gao Lin laughed helplessly, as if talking about a funny thing she just saw. ”How is it, nee-sama? Was my acting good?”

So it was actually Gao Lin who betrayed her...

Of all the people she knew, the only one she never guarded against and doubted was Gao Lin, the child she had carefully raised.

Who knew she would actually make such a blunder? Ayami sighed regretfully.

”Ah... I repeatedly adviced you to go home a while ago. Unfortunately, you didn't heed it. If only you did. Then, things wouldn't have ended this way!” Gao Lin shook her head in disappointment.

Ayami too, was disappointed, but, for a different reason. ”I see.” She said quietly. ”Then, I understand... Your parents were killed by me after all. I understand.”

”You bacame what I didn't want you to become” Ayami suddenly grabbed her dagger which was on the ground.”

”Stop her!” The rider ordered but it was too late.

”You became like me.” With her arm raised, she determinedly....

Stabbed herself.

”Now I face my retribution...” Ayami fell to the ground, and slowly, her body began turning cold as her blood escaped her body.

”Damn it!” The rider shouted, perhaps feeling regret from the lost intell they could've gotten from Ayami.

”...Sir. What should we do about the corpse?” One of the men asked hesitantly to which, Gao Lin replied.

”Set her on fire. Nee-sama said she was feeling cold a while ago. The least I could do for her is let her die warm.”

Mmm... Good girl...

Ayami closed her eyes, already lost the feeling from her body to the point where she didn't even notice when she started burning.