I rolled the cup between my palms and leaned forward slightly.
"Well—I’m sure you’ve already heard the story from your daughter, but I’ve accepted the job. We clear on that much?"
I rested my elbows on my thighs, pressing him with a slight forward tilt of my body.
Gordon took a breath and gave a quiet nod.
"Yes, I have confirmed it. In truth, I intended to reach out to you myself... but things became 'complicated.' I didn't even have the chance to stop my daughter before she rushed out."
Lucia’s eyes went wide at his words.
"What?! Is... is that true, Father?"
Her voice was thick with disbelief. Gordon wore a wry smile and gave a light shrug.
"It is. I’d heard rumors of the 'Repairman' through a certain acquaintance. When I reached out to them, desperate for any shred of hope, they gave me their absolute guarantee. I was already making preparations... though I never imagined Lucia would be the one to actually bring you here."
...I see. So word got around from someone I’d "taken care of" in the past. That explained why he already had a decent grasp of my name and background.
"And—from your perspective, your daughter went behind your back to bring me this request. How do you feel about that?"
I asked the question to test him, letting the implication hang in the air: If you say no, the deal’s off, right?
Gordon placed his cup back on the saucer with a soft, clinical click.
"Lucia made a formal request to you. As a man of business, I do not interfere with a contract once it has been executed."
His gaze was level. There wasn't a hint of murkiness in his eyes.
...Hmm.
"The reward is quite the payout, though. Five percent of your company’s shares? Handing something like that to a stranger... wouldn't it put the whole firm on shaky ground?"
I asked, the corner of my mouth curling into a deliberate smirk.
"It would certainly be problematic; that is a fact. However, Lucia is my daughter and, simultaneously, an executive of this company. Even if this decision leads to a loss—I am the one who will bear the responsibility."
In that instant, Gordon’s expression shifted.
A sharp, honed light glinted in his eyes, reminiscent of a seasoned warrior who had survived a hundred battlefields. A faint shiver ran down my spine. ...Oh, that’s a good look. That’s a look those petty corporate middle-managers could never hope to pull off.
I barely managed to suppress the grin threatening to break across my face.
Lucia’s expression also turned grave at his words. She didn't flinch, though; rather, she seemed to be bracing herself to accept the weight of it. I suppose that’s what you get from a high-class upbringing. She really was the daughter of a mega-corp.
Still, this old man was surprisingly "straight."
In this city, it was common for people to be rotten to the core, both inside and out—but this man was the type to follow a code. Of course, there was no way he could have built a giant corporation on ethics alone. I had no doubt he’d done plenty of dirty work behind the scenes to get here.
Gordon leaned back against the headrest and spoke once more.
"That being said, as a father, I naturally wish to save my daughter. If there is anything I can do, I will lend my strength to the best of my ability."
《...Besides, establishing a connection with that Repairman is a massive gain. It's a link that money cannot buy.》
His internal calculations leaked out to me. ...Good. If there’s a bit of self-interest involved, it’s actually more reassuring. It seemed his concern for his daughter was genuine, regardless.
I waved my hand dismissively and gave a light laugh.
"Nah, it’s fine. I’ve already signed the contract with the lady to my satisfaction. I don't need anything else."
I straightened my back and settled deep into the chair. The man showed a flicker of relief. Hmph. He was probably just "making it look that way." On the inside, he was likely as composed as ever.
"Alright—now that we’ve got all that cleared up, young lady, could you lead me to Cecily?"
As I placed my cup back on the table, Gordon gave a short nod.
"Yes, of course. ...Sebas."
At his call, the butler standing by immediately reacted. He gave a deep bow and replied in a low voice, "Understood," before opening the door and gesturing for us to follow.
I stood up, and Lucia hurriedly followed. Gordon, however, made no move to get up. When I shot him a glance, he shook his head apologetically.
"...Ah, forgive me. I would love to accompany you, but the 'trouble' I mentioned earlier hasn't been settled yet. Lucia, I’ll leave the rest to you."
"...I understand."
Lucia nodded obediently, but personally, I felt she lacked a bit of a sense of danger. Then again, maybe she just trusted Sebastian—or maybe she trusted me. Either way, no Speech Bubbles appeared.
—Well, it wasn’t like it bothered me.
Keeping that exchange to myself, we followed Sebastian’s lead deeper into the mansion. We returned to the hall and ascended the grand staircase. The sound of our footsteps echoed against the high ceiling, sounding unnervingly quiet in the vast space.
The second floor. There seemed to be higher levels, but it appeared Cecily’s room was on this one. It made sense; there was no reason to put a patient far away when you had to move medical equipment and staff in and out.
We walked down the hallway for a while until Sebastian stopped in front of a door. While simpler than the drawing room, it was clearly of high quality.
"—Lady Cecily. Lady Lucia and... a doctor have arrived."
The voice reached me over my shoulder. ...Well, calling me "Repairman" wouldn't mean much to her. It was easier to just go with "doctor" to keep things moving.
After a moment of silence, a clear voice responded from inside.
"Yes... please come in."
The door opened with a click. The woman who appeared had short-cropped black hair and wore a maid uniform that wasn't standard—it was functional, likely made of stab-proof material.
Her slanted eyes were sharp. She clasped her white-gloved hands in front of her and gave a deep bow to welcome us. Her skin had a somewhat sickly paleness, but she didn't look unhealthily haggard. She possessed a core of hardened strength that only comes with training.
...I see. She’s no ordinary maid. She’s likely serving as both nurse and bodyguard.
I looked away and stepped into the room. It had originally been furnished with modern, elegant decor, but now, the life support system installed in the center dominated the entire space.
The hum of machinery and the rhythmic pulse of electronic monitors filled the air. Multiple cables stretched out from the machines, connecting to the girl on the bed. She had features similar to Lucia, but she looked a bit younger—the soft features of a younger sister remained.
However, her head was shaved, and several patches were attached to her scalp. They were likely sedating her and suppressing her brain waves. She didn't move under the thin blanket, her face remaining expressionless in her forced sleep.
The only people in the room were Cecily and the black-haired maid. The maid returned to Cecily’s side after closing the door, standing over her as if to protect her master.
Her posture was focused entirely on me. She tilted her spine slightly forward, keeping her center of gravity low. It was subtle enough that an ordinary person wouldn't notice, but to me, it was obvious.
...Ah, I see. She’s in a stance where she can leap into action the second I twitch. Don't worry, lady. I’m only here because I accepted a job. I have no interest in attacking a sleeping girl.
I followed Sebastian to the bedside. Behind me, I could tell that Lucia—despite having seen this many times—was biting her lip as her face clouded over, desperately trying to maintain her composure.
When I finally reached the bed and looked down at Cecily, I noticed that the bulge under the blanket was far too small.
"—Can I peel it back?"
When I asked in a low voice, Sebastian nodded silently and signaled the maid with his eyes.
For a moment, the maid’s mask-like expression crumbled, and her eyelashes trembled with hesitation. Eventually, she pinched the blanket with her white-gloved fingertips and slowly pulled it back.
Lucia instinctively turned her face away, unable to look. But she immediately took a deep breath and forced herself to look back. She couldn't hide her trembling, but she stared firmly at her sister nonetheless.
—Underneath the blanket.
What lay there was a body that looked as if it had been carved away.
Most of the left side of her body was simply gone, and on the right, her arm and everything below the knee had been removed. Cables and tubes were pierced into various parts of her remaining torso, with artificial conduits sustaining her life.
Cold machinery and the tragic sight of the girl's mangled body.
...Yeah, this is grim. They’ve "shaved" off even more of her than I expected.
Still... I can make it work.