Chapitre 21: Bloody Virtue (1)

Mabel saw the guys and this harmony she did not like. She wanted to see the drama and look forward to the hatred and resentment they should hold against each other.

'I thought I would have an entertaining day today,' Mabel thought to herself, disappointed.

"Guys," Mabel called to get their attention. She smiled evilly before speaking, "I see you have already overcome the horrible battle you had yesterday."

Malcom turned his eyes to Mabel, and his expression went from polite to cold in two seconds.

He showed no intention of hiding his feelings towards the Virtues. They, most of the time, wanted to cause unnecessary trouble.

"How are you, Skyler?" Mabel asked the young woman, completely ignoring Malcom.

The young woman looked at Mabel, and her expression also took on a serious look.

"Did you have a vote in the decision of the battle yesterday?" Skyler asked without the slightest diplomacy.

"No way!" Mabel immediately refused. So fast that she looked even more suspicious. She then smiled while she looked at Skyler. "That result was totally determined by your uncle. Hot mess, right?"

"I see," Skyler replied, looking at the ground to hide her guilty expression.

Mabel then looked at Malcom, who was currently looking at the young woman with some empathy.

"Malcom, if you had told me that you could win, we would have won a lot of money," Mabel was looking at him with clear displeasure.

Malcom's eyes flared as he glared at Mabel with unmasked annoyance, "You are a selfish piece of shit, Mabel!" he said, raising a tone of frustration, "I told you a million times! Maybe you didn't listen to it because, like the rest of the Virtues, you have your head right up to your ass."

Skyler raised her face in surprise to see Malcom and then watch Mabel.

Mabel suddenly burst into laughter when she heard that. Without giving the slightest importance to the insult, she casually replied, "Don't be mad at me for Maximo's decision if I had listened to you. We would have lost anyway."

"Don't give me such a ball of crap, Mabel!" Malcom replied "I know you got some benefit from the fight! I know you!"

Mabel couldn't stop laughing but hearing those words. She intertwined her fingers and, looking at Malcom greedily.

"Well, yes, the truth is, I did," the Virtue, before rising from her chair, "I took out a quantity of seven hundred thousand rubies. Amazing, right?"

Malcom snorted as he leaned against the back of the chair.

"It doesn't surprise me in the least!" Malcom kept answering with rudeness, "The only thing that really surprises me is that you admit it."

Skyler held his breath when she heard Malcom's answer.

"But I'm willing to give you all that money," Mabel replied with a smirk. She then walked around the room to sit at the desk right in front of Malcom.

The Virtue's voluptuous body was paraded before the young man. He could not help but notice her well-toned legs as she was wearing shorts. Mabel also wore a top that showed her navel.

Malcom immediately looked somewhere else. There was no guarantee that the Fire Virtue would not hurt him if she found out he was looking at her.

"I'm even willing to gamble against Maximo to not allow them to cheat more on you in the tournament," Mabel continued.

Malcom took a deep breath when he heard that statement and when he looked up into Mabel's eyes. He then heard her continue.

"I will even give you all the winnings from the bets in full until you lose. I will be that generous!"

Malcom did not believe what he was hearing. He had heard stupid proposals from stupid people, and Mabel was not one of them.

Everything came at a great price. Mabel's generosity would surely have its own 'price' as well.

His heartbeat was fast. Malcom tried to deceive himself, but he knew perfectly well what the Virtue might ask.

"The only thing that my generosity asks," Mabel said using her silk voice as best she could, "is that rag you are wearing."

'Rag? Amusing,' Malcom thought to himself with a smile. If it was just a rag, then why would she be willing to lose so much for it?

Mabel probably still thinks that she was talking to her servant. Perhaps her student? Or someone who was naïve, just like a child.

The 'rag' that she was referring to was the magical treasure that had helped Malcom win the battle. It was something he had managed to keep a secret until now. Aside from his close friends, no one else knew about his most precious tramp card.

It was his very own Mantle of Fire.

Malcom chuckled, "You think that those tricks and those stupid words are going to get you what you wanted with me, Miss Virtue?" he said while marking the quotation marks with his fingers for the last word.

Mabel narrowed her eyes at him. She was still smiling at him when she spoke, "Oh, but Malcom dea-"

"No deal!" Malcom interrupted with a grin.

Mabel lost her smile immediately. The temperature in the room noticeably increased, which meant Mabel was using her magic unconsciously.

She was clearly displeased.

"I will not give you my magic treasure. The Mantle of Fire stays with me," Malcom could care less.

Mabel got up and then glared at him. For a second, she showed her youth. It was shown that she was a spoiled female brat.

She then gave him a foxy smile before placing her hands on Malcom's legs. Mabel looked into his eyes. Her face moved towards him slowly, "Don't be a bastard!"

And when she said those words, her nails were buried in the young man's legs. "What will you, sad Marked, do with those precious things? I am the best person to take care of it!"

"I can take care of my own things. Thank you very much," Malcom replied seriously before taking Mabel's hands away from him.

Mabel snorted. She stood up before walking around the room again.

"I came here to get my share and for you to give me a new hunt," the young man said casually.

The woman returned to her seat. Mabel gave a quick glance at Skyler, who was, at that time gaping in surprise. She just could not believe the interaction she had just witnessed.

Mabel ignored Skyler's expression. She looked at Malcom with a smirk, "I will not pay you. I will also not give you more work if you do not give me the treasure."