บท 73: Cold Flames
Ru took a quick shower. He brushed his teeth. He opened the wardrobe. It was full of stylish clothes and accessories in vintage style. He also found a jewelry box. Of course, he forgot many things in a short time. While lining his pockets, he heard Amunet's voice say, "I'm still waiting for you. If you don't get ready and come, I'll let my little friends into the room."
"I have made a decision. I want to live as a pharaoh after my migration," he said.
Amunet modified her threat slightly, "If you keep me waiting any longer, you will become a mummy in your new life that attacks other players."
"If you wish, I can cover myself with toilet paper and appear before your lord," Ru said mockingly.
"What can I say, you know how to disqualify yourself," Amunet said, grumbling.
Thereupon Ru stopped fiddling with the jewels. He took out the flashiest suits and threw them on the bed. The while, he heard Anaxarete's voice.
"Hi, honey. What are you up to?" Anaxarete asked.
"You see, I'm waiting," Amunet replied.
"What are you waiting for," Anaxarete asked.
"Lord Zharqasti told me to bring Ru for the contract," Amunet replied firmly.
"Really? Then you wait longer," Anaxarete said with a low laugh.
Meanwhile, Ru was trying on some hats listening to the conversations in front of the door. He saw a tall brown top hat with a watch buckle decorated with dry leaves. He thought he'd seen it before. Just behind the red blindfold, during his first encounter with the reflection...
The events were flashing before his eyes as quickly as a strip of film. He was being pulled towards the golden cage in the sky palace. Then suddenly he heard Anaxarete chuckle and he was brought back to reality.
"People say women are getting ready slowly, but they're wrong," Anaxarete said confidently.
"I think so," Amunet said.
"I like the way you look," Anaxarete said in a playful tone.
"Thanks," Amunet said. Her voice was not flat or emotionless.
"Do you always speak so briefly, dear? Or is this just for me?" Anaxarete asked, sounding a little doubtful.
Amunet coughed slightly and said, "If you weren't a woman, I would've asked you to leave by now."
"So you liked me. Is this how I should understand it?" Anaxarete asked, her voice excited.
Amunet took a deep breath and said, "I have to say, you're shawty."
"You're going to have a drink with me, and then I'll believe you," Anaxarete said cheerfully.
Ru was sure that the witch was winkling while saying this sentence. He tied the silk neckerchief and wore a brooch pin.
"Maybe, but not right now," Amunet said, a slight excitement in her voice.
"When then?" Anaxarete asked quickly.
And the door opened. Ru left the room with his hat, cane, and suit, looking like a young lord.
When Anaxarete saw him, she said, "Honey, you're dressed like you're going to a funeral. Why did you choose black?"
"I wanted to bring my rocker style into line with a vintage look," Ru said in a lighthearted tone.
"This style does not suit you, dear. You should wear clothes that reflect your youth," Anaxarete said in a friendly manner.
"Who gives you the right to decide how I dress?" Ru said, adjusting his hat snobbishly.
"Honey, have you forgotten? I'm your aunt," Anaxarete said sincerely.
"If you're done talking about fashion, can we go?" Amunet asked.
"Whatever you want, honey. I'll be around. Come by when you're done," Anaxarete said with a wink and a smile.
"Let's go," Amunet said to Ru, and started walking.
As Ru walked through the mansion's narrow, winding corridors, he couldn't shake a strange feeling of unease. The creak of the floorboards and the howling whispers of the wind were louder than ever in the silence. The shadows on the walls seemed to move and change in ways that made them look almost alive. It was as if the old mansion was waking up from a long sleep. Sometimes, Ru felt like someone was watching him from behind, but when he turned, he saw only the flickering candlelight.
The floor was a mosaic of black and white marble, worn smooth by centuries of footsteps. The navy blue velvet drapes framed narrow stained glass windows that let in just a little moonlight. The stained glass windows depicted sacrificial rituals with nudity. The depictions focused on young female victims.
"Please don't tell me your lord is a pervert who enjoys tearing women apart," Ru said, his voice trembling.
"It's a shame you'd think a woman like me would work for someone like that," Amunet said firmly.
However, her voice was drowned out by the screams of the girls in Ru's mind. He was being pulled out of time and space when Amunet grabbed his arm.
"Get a hold of yourself," Amunet said shaking him.
Ru swallowed hard. While he was loosening his neck scarf, he realized that he had dropped the cane. He bent down to pick it up, but Amunet pulled him away and ordered, "Come on."
"Oh, okay."
Ru picked up the pace. He looked ahead for a bit and tried to calm down, but curiosity got the better of him. Like an art critic, he observed his surroundings meticulously.
The glow of the candlelight was soft, but it gave everything a sepia-toned, timeless quality, like stepping into an antique portrait.
Amunet led the way through narrow corridors lined with oil paintings of stern-looking figures. It was as if the figures' eyes were following Ru's every move, watching him with an eerie intensity. The gilded mirrors reflected their images, distorting their faces in the low light.
Finally, they arrived at the vampire lord's study, a spacious room with towering bookshelves that reached the ceiling. The shelves were filled with old books and relics from long ago. A big fireplace was on one wall, and the flames made the room feel warm but a little spooky. The gothic furniture was in deep plum velvet and had silver trim. It was arranged around a big oak desk. The desk was dusty, and on it were quills, ink pots, and parchment that looked like they hadn't been touched in years.
There was a portrait on the wall behind the desk. It was in a heavy, gilded frame and showed a young woman who looked gorgeous. Her piercing eyes, much like those in the corridors, seemed to watch over the room.
White or pale pink, long wavy hair, wine-colored eyes, pure white skin, and the most innocent face Ru had ever seen.
"The vampire lord's sister?" Ru asked, unable to stop looking at the painting.
"Yes," Amunet said in her usual voice and added, "Don't look at her."
For some reason, Ru got it and looked away, quickly scanning the room.
A pair of ornate chairs faced the desk, their velvet cushions worn and slightly faded with time, as though countless visitors had sat there over the centuries, waiting for their fates to be decided. Moreover, there was a sofa and a coffee table right across from the fireplace. There were fruits and wine on the tray on the coffee table.
"I guess it is prepared for me," he thought.
When Ru first stepped into the room, he felt like he was in a place that was frozen in time. It was as if every object and every corner held secrets from the past. He was confused about how he should stand.
The answer to his struggle came from Amunet. "Sit down, wait," she said, pointing to one of the seats in front of the table.
Ru gave it a go, trying to sit on the chair like a nobleman, but he didn't quite work out. A moment later, he heard the door slam, and he shuddered. The flames of the fireplace and candles rose and went out, and it suddenly became as cold as winter inside. When he looked up, he found a man sitting at the table. The man's high-top hat covered his face. Yet his red eyes rose like twin suns in the shadows.
"Oh, my lord?"
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