Chapter 24: 24) Mission Accomplished!

"Who are you?"

Miss Cyra asked again in a scared tone as she took a few steps backwards until her back touched the edge of the king-size bed. Aylin was about to say something but Kai interrupted her.

In his calm and nonchalant voice, he assured Miss Cyra, taking a step forward, "Miss Cyra, we don't have any evil intention. Please, don't be scared."

"You are not a customer. Are you? Why do you wanna know about Miss Candy?"

"Because I am in love with Miss Candy?"

"Liar! She stopped working here as a courtesan long ago. She is a trainer now. Tell me the truth or I will call the guards right now. Why are you two here? What is your actual intention?"

Miss Cyra growled like a wounded tigress.

Clearing her throat, Aylin mumbled, "W-we just wanna talk with Madam Candy. I swear we don't have any evil intentions. Please, help us. It is very urgent."

But, Cyra already declared in a determined tone, "No. Not possible. I can't tell you anything about her. It is against our rules. If you are not here for my service, then just leave without causing any trouble."

Aylin pleaded in her soft voice, "Miss Cyra, we need your help. Please-"

But, rolling her eyes, Cyra answered strictly, "Not possible. Just leave without wasting my time."

Her coyness and bewitching smile long disappeared from her gorgeous face. It felt like they were talking with totally a different person. Aylin sighed disappointedly as she instinctively took a step back and looked in Kai's direction.

But, Kai was still looking relaxed as he asked lazily, "Miss Cyra, I don't wanna hurt you or force you. Can't you just tell us like this?"

Cyra once again growled furiously, "Are you threatening me, Kid? Don't forget that you are inside my territory. Just a scream from me and you will be assaulted right now. None will ever find any trace of yours again."

"Pfft!"

Kai suddenly chuckled out as he mumbled, pouting his lips playfully, "Eh! Then, it seems that I don't have any other choice but to get killed by your guards."

Aylin asked in a confused tone, "Kai?"

Kai looked at her through the corner of his eyes as he instructed hastily, "Go to the balcony and search for an easy escape. We can't use the main entrance anymore."

"Kai, we are on the third floor."

But, Kai had already begun to approach Cyra. Without looking back at Aylin, he answered in a serious tone, "I know. We will climb down from here. Go now."

"Climb down!"

Aylin mumbled those two words with a puzzled and slightly stunned expression as she ran out of the room to the balcony like an obedient girl. The balcony wasn't very spacious but it was beautifully decorated with thin drapes and hanging plants. From the balcony, a huge part of the red light area was visible.

The shimmering lights were illuminating the crowded street. Aylin looked down from the balcony to find a decent way out but the balcony was too high to jump from there. While searching desperately, Aylin noticed the balcony of a room on the second floor nearby. It was not too close but reachable.

Her eyes lit up in excitement as she ran back to inform Kai about it. But, when she entered the room again, the atmosphere inside the room changed unexpectedly. Miss Cyra was sitting at a corner of the king-sized bed, looking down on the ground and Kai was standing only a little far away from her, barely touching her head with his long and slender fingers.

Cyra mumbled without looking up and still hanging her head lower, "...Yes, there are guards."

Kai asked instantly, "How many?"

"Two only. But, there are other old courtesans on that floor to take care of Miss Candy and it is hard to enter Miss Candy's room, avoiding them."

"Hmm… Alright."

Kai instantly pulled his fingers away from her head and took a step back. Aylin was looking at them with a confused expression. She didn't expect that Miss Cyra would help them so easily, without throwing any tantrums but when Kai looked at her, she came back to her senses.

Aylin blurted out excitedly, "Kai! I have found a way."

"Perfect! Let's go."

Kai instantly answered, turning to Aylin. Then, stealing another glance at Miss Cyra, he began to walk towards the balcony. Miss Cyra was still sitting at the edge of the bed, hanging her head and looking at her lap as if she was sleeping just like that.

Aylin asked, looking at Miss Cyra, "I didn't expect that she would help us so easily. How did you make it possible?"

While approaching Aylin, Kai's lips curled up in a tiny smirk as he answered teasingly, "Because of my charm, of course. Who do you think will deny the request of a handsome guy like me?"

"Eh! Don't lie. Tell me the truth."

Kai chuckled mischievously as he answered in his silken voice, "Pfft! Little Lin, I will explain everything to you in detail. But, later. Can we leave now before the guards find us?"

"What about Miss Cyra? If she calls the guard and tells them everything?"

"Don't worry about her. She has promised to help me."

"Alright."

Stealing another glance from Miss Cyra, Aylin turned around to show Kai the nearby balcony on the second floor.

Pointing at that balcony, Aylin explained, "If we can reach there, maybe it will be easier for us to get down from here. But, what about Miss Candy? Do you know where we will find her?"

"Yes, second floor, the third last room of the hallway."

Kai didn't waste any more time. He suddenly grabbed Aylin's waist, astounding her and pulled her closer to him. Then holding her tightly with one hand, he prepared to jump down.

Aylin tried to protest in her soft and alarmed tone, "Eh! I can jump alone."

But, dragging her with him, Kai answered casually, "I can't trust your slender legs. Hold me tight. Ok?"

Then, without any warning, he just climbed on the railing and jumped down towards the balcony of the second floor. Aylin wanted to say something. Instead, she just closed her eyes, clenching Kai's robe tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him. Just for a moment, she felt like she was flying as she couldn't feel the ground under her feet and could feel the extreme gravitational force for the first time. But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself on the balcony of the second floor.

(The moment, Aylin and Kai left the balcony of the third floor, Miss Cyra fell on the bed, unconscious and exhausted. Curling like a worm, she drowned in deep and dreamless sleep.)

Taking a deep breath, Aylin mumbled under her breath, "Damn! It was scary."

"Shh! Lin, be careful. There are people under this balcony."

Kai whispered cautiously, pulling Aylin near the dusty door and signing her to stay quiet. Looking at the closed and dusty door, Kai added in a low whisper, "This looks like a servant's passage. But, it seems the door is locked."

Kai and Aylin exchanged a glance and then, Kai brought out his dagger from his robe. With a small pressure of that dagger, Kai managed to break the lock of the door skillfully.

He just grabbed Aylin's hand as he pushed open the door with the broken lock and she followed him without a second thought.

Darkness enveloped them as Kai pushed the door shut. It was pin-drop silence inside as if an isolated and deserted dungeon of that huge pleasure castle. But as their eyes began to adjust, they realised there was dim light coming from somewhere and they stepped towards it.

There were shelves of stuff from which it was easy to guess that it was a storeroom. On the ground, there was a thick layer of dust. Aylin took a deep breath and let it out again, clenching her hands in her robe. A suffocating air filled with dust was lingering in the room which was even making it hard to breathe.

Aylin mumbled in a breathy tone, "Let's go out?"

"Hmm…"

Kai observed her nervous face for a moment. Then clapping her shoulder gently, he whispered assuringly, "Don't be scared. I will keep you safe."

Even in that situation, Aylin felt a sudden rush of relief.

They made their way through dark, cold passageways until at last, they led to a hallway that was far more opulent. The servant's door was discreetly hidden and the two of them peered cautiously down the hallway in both directions.

Aylin whispered in a puzzled tone, tugging a sleeve of Kai's robe from behind, "How are we gonna find Miss Candy? This floor looks more complicated and vast than the third floor."

But, instead of answering, Kai grabbed her arm and began to walk hastily in a particular direction.

"Kai? Where!"

"Shh! Don't talk and just follow me. Someone is coming."

Kai dragged Aylin with him, hiding behind a huge stone sculpture of a half-naked lady exactly next to a closed door.

Kai's hawk-like eyes were scanning the area with a serious expression as his arms were protectively wrapped around Aylin. Aylin followed his gaze and looked at the closed door too as she whispered curiously, "This room?"

"Miss Candy's room!"

"Why are we not entering?"

"It seems someone is inside. Wait for a little."

Holding her breath, Aylin began to count the seconds, frozen like a statue in Kai's embrace and Kai was cautiously observing the surroundings. A few young and middle-aged beautiful women passed by while chatting casually. None of them noticed those two trespassers, hiding behind fancy, velvety curtains.

Aylin could also hear the faint sound of talking, coming out from that room. Noticing her anxiousness, Kai's embrace slightly tightened around her slender body, assuringly.

Almost after fifteen minutes, that door opened and two women came out while chatting merely and taking the hallway, they disappeared too. Aylin was observing them still holding her breath anxiously, when she felt a gentle touch on her wrist as Kai whispered, "Let's go."

'Click!'

With a soft clicking sound, the door of that medium-sized and perfectly cleaned bedroom opened as Kai and Aylin entered. Instantly, a feeble yet silvery female tone questioned them, "Who? Who is there?"

Instinctively their eyes shifted to the bed. There was a divinely beautiful middle-aged woman with rose gold hair and hazel eyes lying. Her one leg and one arm were wrapped in white bandages. She tilted her head slightly to see her visitors and instantly, Kai blurted out in a calm tone, "Miss Candy, we are here to talk only. Please, don't misunderstand us. We just need your help."

But,

There was no sign of fear or surprise on her face even after seeing them. She totally ignored Kai as her hazel eyes focused on Aylin. The corner of her lips twitched upward in a satisfied smile as she mumbled, astonishing them both.

"Aylin! I knew you would come. I was waiting for you, dear."

"For me?"

"Yes, for you."