dkrc 048. Honey Trap
048. Honey Trap
When Xinlai hummed a little tune and brought the cultivation resources and clothes she had bought back to the room she had booked at the "Rust Hotel," Eve was already so embarrassed that she buried herself in the blankets and refused to come out.
"You bastard!" a muffled voice came from under the covers. "You took advantage of me while I was half asleep..."
Her face flushed again at the thought of what was said in the carriage.
What unsettled her even more was that Xin Lai actually didn't wake her up, allowing her to sleep peacefully until she naturally woke up. She even carried her all the way to the hotel, gently placed her on the big bed, and covered her with a blanket...
The clothes were neat and tidy, with no signs of having been touched.
Eve found Xinlai's honest and straightforward nature somewhat unsettling, even making her a little uneasy.
When did Xinlai become so serious?
Xin Lai didn't pay any attention to her little scheme. She put the milk and bread on the table, pointed to the cultivation resources and clothes next to her, and said:
"You're my personal maid, yet you expect me to serve you?"
"I've already factored the time and money I wasted on you into the time you need to work to pay off your debts."
The thing under the blanket was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly poked its head out with a "poof".
"How long...how long has it been now?"
Xin Lai smiled leisurely: "No rush, it's only thirty years. I believe you can pay it off quickly."
"..."
Eve froze, counting on her fingers: Nineteen this year, plus thirty years is...
Fifty years old?!
Do I have to stay by Xinlai's side until I'm an old woman before I can gain my freedom?
She began to regret her impulsive actions, which gave Xinlai leverage over her, and now she had nowhere to run even if she wanted to.
Ugh……
That despicable Sin Lai...
Having seemingly resigned herself to her fate, Eve sat down obediently at the table, holding the caterpillar-shaped bread in both hands and nibbling on it in small bites.
Her feet dangled over the edge of the chair, not because they couldn't reach the ground, but because she was afraid of getting her feet dirty. Her pink toes curled slightly and swayed gently.
Xinlai sat to the side, with brown sugar milk tea and an untouched croissant in front of her, and was flipping through the daily newspaper of Guna City.
The name "Rust Hotel" sounds shabby, but its actual luxury rivals that of a five-star hotel. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the Rhine River glistens in the sunlight, and people come and go on the street.
The sunlight slanted across Eve's face, making her skin appear snow-white and translucent.
"You grew up here," Xinlai said without looking up.
Where are the biggest taverns and brothels?
Daily newspapers are really not suitable for intelligence gathering; the front page is actually about a love triangle involving two men and one woman:
The male and female leads are in love, but the second male lead falls for the first male lead. To get rid of the second male lead, the first male lead asks him to clarify things with the first female lead, but unexpectedly, the first female lead falls in love with the second male lead instead...
Uh……
It's hard to imagine that something like this could make it into the daily newspaper.
On the other end, Eve subconsciously assumed that Sinlai was going to the Eye of the Raven again to gather information, but in her memory, the Eye of the Raven in the ancient city of Guna...
It looks like a pawn shop?
“They’re all on Tuma Street in the west of the city,” she swallowed a small bite of bread. “That’s the biggest entertainment district here. But the Silver Raven’s Eye isn’t there.”
Xinlai quietly folded the newspaper, picked up her milk tea, and took a sip.
"Eat quickly, we're not going to the Eye of the Raven, we're going to the brothel later."
"?"
Eve was stunned.
Why take her to a brothel?
It can't be a punishment to make her watch him from the sidelines...
No, no, what punishment? What business is it of hers who Xin Lai is with?
……
Eve was forced to change into ordinary clothes and followed behind Sinlai with a slight bend in her waist.
The cloth garment is too small; it will burst open if you're not careful.
In order not to reveal her identity, she could only walk with a slightly awkward gait.
Her hair was dyed ice blue by the cold blades and snowflakes, making her look like a mixed-breed elf that a nobleman had casually bought from the slave market.
Xinlai was currently disguised as an ordinary nobleman.
It wasn't that he didn't want to go to the tavern to gather information, but rather that the tavern was crowded and there were many people there who might have seen him before.
Besides, Eve can't go into the tavern.
Before long, the two arrived at Peach Heart Garden, the largest brothel in Guna City.
As expected of a top-tier venue, the decor is incredibly grand; just by looking at the facade, you can tell that it's not a place for people from the slums to come and go as they please.
The air wasn't filled with the smell of cheap cosmetics, but rather a refreshing, subtle fragrance that was irresistible.
Only one prostitute stood at the entrance, her figure slender and her features delicate...
But Xinlai immediately recognized that the bulging chest and high nose were the result of magical disguise.
So overall, she doesn't look as appealing as Eve's natural figure.
"Hello sir... excuse me," the hostess glanced at Eve behind Xinlai, somewhat puzzled, "are you here to make a purchase?"
Xin Lai, adopting the air of a spoiled brat, nodded arrogantly:
"Can't you tell?"
"Oh, of course!" The welcoming prostitute had never seen Xinlai's face before and assumed she was just an ordinary minor noblewoman passing by on business and taking a quick look at something new.
This guy is quite the player, bringing his personal maid to a place like this. Does he intend to have his maid play Jenga with the prostitutes?
……
Leading us into the hall, we saw white pillars covered in flowers and vines, surrounded by a row of high-end custom-made sofas.
Several madams were busy introducing various types of girls to the customers. They all seemed to be quite expensive, with prices generally around ten silver coins.
As soon as Xin Lai sat down, a sharp-eyed madam, with her out-of-shape figure and heavily made-up face, came over.
"Young master, what price range are you looking for?"
Xinlai pondered for two seconds, then waved her hand and said boldly, "Whichever game Young Master Tanstin plays, I'll play."
"This...this..."
The madam, who had been so attentive just moments before, suddenly looked embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, "Young master, it's not that we don't want to serve you, it's just that we don't know which young master Tanstin you're referring to..."
"..."
Xin Lai was taken aback. There was actually a second challenge?
Eve suddenly nudged Xinlai's back with her elbow and whispered, "Skechers," she winked, "our young master wants to try the one that young master Skechers usually orders."
Xinlai nodded in agreement: "Yeah, this one. I heard he's pretty good at having fun."
He didn't think much about why Eve chose Skechers; the girl wasn't stupid, she must have her reasons for making that choice.
A hint of surprise and cunning flashed in the madam's eyes as she leaned closer and lowered her voice:
"Young Master, the one you mentioned... how about we choose another one? The girl Young Master Skechers specifically requests is our top choice, I'm afraid..."
"Plenty of money, lead the way."
Upon hearing that there was plenty of money, the madam's face beamed with smiles: "Then you'll have to pay a deposit, so you don't back out later."
A deposit? What brothel does that? And why are they talking about whether you can back out...?
Isn't it all about trying first, paying later, and then giving a small tip based on the experience...?
Xinlai had a vague feeling that she was about to be scammed, but she still took out a gold coin and placed it in her greasy hand.
"Oh, that's great!"
The madam's eyes lit up. She took the gold coin, examined it carefully, and then bit it against her yellow teeth.
"Wow... Young Master is so generous!"
After verifying the authenticity, the madam hurriedly called for someone to take Xinlai upstairs.
When Xinlai stood up, she exchanged a glance with Eve. The latter didn't say anything, but just blinked her big purple eyes.
The two followed the woman who was leading the way through the maze-like corridors, finally stopping in front of a door.
The woman leading the way glanced at Xin Lai, as if she had seen some huge joke, but she tried her best to suppress her laughter and introduced her in a soft voice:
"Because young master Skechers was deeply in love with Miss Sylvie, he bought her a slave contract stipulating that no other guest besides himself could touch Miss Sylvie..."
"So once you go in, you can only listen to music."
"?"
What the hell do you mean by "only listening to damn songs"? So, I'm paying a gold coin to listen to a worthless lesson?
Upon hearing this, Xinlai turned to look at Eve with a puzzled expression, her eyes conveying: Did you do it on purpose or by accident!
Who would be a good person who comes to a brothel just to listen to music and singing?
How is this different from a honey trap?