Two Worlds - Round 2

"I have no problem with that. I can come back here with you as many times as you want." Karem looked up at the guards, smiling. "Please notice that I will be accompanying her, too? I wouldn't want to be kicked out of the front gate..."

Before turning away, he offered an even broader smile and said, "By the way, don't you want some ice cream?"

"Thanks for your kindness, young mister, but we're not allowed to take food from outsider." The guard replied politely. "And of course, we will notice master."

****

Late that night when all the servants had gone to bed, there is still light in Clark Hamserton's room, he seemed to have some kind of conversation with his little "niece".

"There's no doubt about that, Mr. Hamserton." The girl replied to his nervous eyes. "They ARE the assassins. And tomorrow will be your dead day."

"Pl...eas..e don't joke around..." He said, as tremblingly as usual. "I... I... paid y..ou... to... kil...kill.. them."

"You are funny... ha.ahaa.." Rosa held her stomach and laughed, "Of course I will kill them. But you still have to keep yourself from dying." She grinned. "I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. What kinda kids would they be? Liars, Real Deals or just some random free kids? Ahh I'm so excited."

"I..'m... not..."

"Hahahhaaaa. You're funny, Mr.Hamserton." She laughed again.

The next day, just as expected, Ivy was walking back to the mansion's front gates with Karem.

"He's definitely suspicious of us, aye?" She offered offhandedly. "I means... Yesterday, those guards did seem kinda fishy 'bout the entire thing."

"You're right. Personally, I don't think that wimp is capable of making such a decision." Irony was only a slight sign on Karem's face; it didn't even shadow his smile. "He knew he was being pursued; it'd be more like him to ban away all strangers. There must be someone else behind today's meeting." He turned to look into Ivy's excited eyes. "Whoever it is, they know what we are here for. Oh hey there, mister!"

The boy turned around briskly when one of the guards from yesterday stepped out. He waved to them heartily, "Are you coming to let us in? We know we can count on you~!"

"Yes, young mister and miss. I will tell master about your arrival." One of the guard bowed his head to welcome Ivy and Karem. "Please wait here for a few minute." He said and turned around to walk into the mansion.

*****

"Waa~~~ I'm so excited." Rosa jumped around Clark Hamserton's room enthusiastically. "Uncle~ Can I use my piercings today?" She asked, putting on her piercings without even waiting for Mr. Hamsterson's answer. "Let's see. Big needles, small, needle, knives, hair clippers (sharp ones), piercing. Need my normal suit and something easy to take off to cover. Can you tell them to prepare simple dress that I can take off easily?" She requested, didn't even look at Clark Hamserton.

"O... k..." He replied, walked out to call the maid for Rosa's dress. "Get it here in 5 minutes." He added.

Ivy cast Karem a glance, and then murmured quietly enough so they wouldn't be overheard. "Methinks it's this bodyguard Kamen said he hads," She stated.

Karem shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he waited. "Oh, right. I'd forget if you didn't remind me. Makes it more interesting, don't you think? Now I reaaaally want to see them."

"Master said he will come to the back garden in a few minutes so you shall wait for him there. I will lead you there. Please follow." The guard offered as soon as he came back from the main house.

"Right~!" Karem agreed cheerfully. "Let's go, Iyanna~!"

And so the two of them followed the guard to the back garden.

The garden in Hamserton's mansion was not as big as a real noble one but it was still more beatiful and luxurious than Ivy and Karem could image. It has a large pond next to the afternoon tea table where Mr. Hamserton raised many kind of expensive fishes. As Ivy and Karem got near the pond, the fishes gathered around and stared at them, waiting for food. The trees and bushes in the garden was grown and trimmed carefully so that the garden would still look naturally but tidy. The whole place gave a quiet and calm feeling, probably not a good place for fighting.

Ivy glanced around, seemingly unimpressed. "Waily, making us wait. I don't like waiting." She offered offhandedly.

"Waaa. What an impatient girl you are." A girl's voice raised behind Ivy and Karem. "Uncle doesn't want to disappoint his guests so he went to the kitchen to look after the food by his own. Would you let me talk to you while we're waiting for uncle to bring food here?" She walked a bit forward to face Ivy and smiled at her convincingly.

"Young mistress Rosa. Good morning." The guard bowed his head.

"Good morning, George. You did a good job." Rosa smiled at him. "Would you please leave us alone and go help uncle? He is in the kitchen somewhere~"

"Sure, young mistress." He said and left to the main house.

"Please forgive her eagerness, she's always like that." Karem smiled back at the girl, as if competing to see whose smile was more convincing. "Mr Hamserton sure is a generous man! Taking time to welcome random people..." He trailed off, blinking.

Ivy was quiet, observing the girl with all of her piercings. She certainly was no noble, although she could be passed off as one with such a dress.

"Oh, do you live with Mister Hamserton?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh no. I just come to visit uncle awhile ago." She answered so smoothly as if there was no lie in her words. "My mother thought I should know uncle's face at least once so here I am. She smiled at Ivy and pointed at the tea table. "Why don't you guys sit down? Uncle won't like to see me making you guys standing like this. He might not seem like it but he always want people to see him as a good person."

"I'm sure he is a nice person." Karem commented innocently. Even though he was interested in battling this girl, he didn't forget that their goal was to take off the noble. It would be no good to alarm them. Now was not the time for his cover to blow. "We'll wait, right Iyanna?"

"...Guess we has to, an'ay." She offered, sighing, and with a soft smile at the girl, sitting down in the closest chair in a way that she could easily and quickly get up from without any problems.

"So, you're Mr. Hamserton's niece then, aye?" She said courteously as she could muster, trying to cloak her impatience with small talk.

"Yupe, mother is his cousin." while getting a chair for her own. she could see that her opponents are patient or tried to be patient, still she would love to talk to normal people at least. Even if that was just all lies, it is still much better than the whole week listening to noble's lies. "Sooo tell me... Mhmm Iyanna, right? And what's your name?" She glanced at Ivy and then at Karem.

"Regen, young mistress." Karem replied politely. "And would it be not polite if we asked you your name? I am very touched that Mr Hamserton would actually grant us such warm welcoming... Even if it's just for Iyanna's little sparkly thing, it's still... too much."

"Rosa, just Rosa." She smiled innocently, replied to Karem's attitude. "I told you my real name so how about you two real name?" As she said, a grin appeared on her lips and quickly vanished before anyone can see. "Oh, I would love to see that shiny ornament of the dead Ondelias, too if you don't mind. They said one worth at least ten thousand pounds yah know."

"You'll have to forgive us." Karem kept smiling. "You might be carefree about giving your name, but low-life like us just have to keep inventing new ones. We live a difficult life, you know. Plus, this is a direct trade. You don't even need to know who we are. As long as you get your wares and we our money, it's ok. And about showing you the wares..."

"It's a no-no!" Ivy grinned and finished Karem's line. "I work with who I work. No intermediate needed."

Rosa left out a clear sigh and her face's expression changed to disappointed and sad. "Too bad, remember the name of the person you kill is a way to show respect to the dead." As she finished the line, the secretly flip some needles to Ivy, aimed at some particular spots on her body.

(Maybe I should go search for kungfu movie to see which spots that should be =O)

Ivy quickly shot under the table from where she sat in her chair as the needles bounced harmlessly off the chair and ground around where she sat. She let out a giggle. "Waily. So nobles has some nieces that are assassins now. That's new."

"Judging by your eagerness, I suppose that the kind Mr Hamserton won't come out, after all." Karem sighed, "Very well." He grinned at Ivy. "We'll have another firework festival going, nah?"

"Seems like it." She came out of her position under the table to stand by Karem's side.