Under the Veil of Night

Inn (Laura's Temporary Accommodations)

"Sis, why do you look like you're about to collapse?" Laura shook her head as she looked towards her sister.

Kanae smiled wryly. Unlike other students who could go home as soon as they returned to the city, she had to take the materials they used for the trip back to the storage room. After that, she and Kevin finished the rough report that summarized what happened during the trip before she could return back home. This made her feel more tired than usual.

"Did you cook?"

"Yes, I'm bored with the food from the inn, so I cook myself. Don't worry, I asked them to deliver the ingredients here and I have a small stove. I made food for you too, Sis."

"Let's eat together," Kanae smiled brightly.

"Yes," Laura answered cheerfully.

The two of them sat down at the table that Laura had prepared. There was a lot of food on the table, most of them were Kanae's favorites. She knew that her sister was a glutton, so she prepared more than usual. The two of them enjoyed the dinner together before it was time for Kanae to return back.

"Can't you stay here, Sis?" Laura protested when she heard that Kanae had to return back.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Kanae smiled wryly. She has been waiting for this vacation since a long time ago, and she didn't want to waste this chance.

Laura pouted. "I can earn more money. There's no need for you to work so hard anymore, Sis."

"I can't do that, Laura. There are things that I have to take care of for now."

Even if she wanted to stop, she couldn't just abandon what she had built as a group. It might have been just an unknown group a year ago but now it was the most powerful group in this city. This was the time for her to expand her influence and gather more people.

Laura bit her lips. She obviously didn't want to have her sister work so hard anymore. She didn't want to become a burden anymore. Looking up, she remembered that she still hadn't told her sister about the decision that she made not long ago.

"Sis, I'll enroll in Nolen School C."

Kanae's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? You can easily go to school overseas with your grades. There's no need to enroll at the same place as me."

"I have made up my mind. I want to stay here during high school. I don't want to run away anymore."

"It's dangerous!"

"I know, but I want to stay here!"

The two girls stared at each other. The two of them were equally stubborn in their decisions. In the end, Kanae retracted her gaze. The only person whom she could never beat was her sister.

"Alright, but if the situation turns dangerous, I want you to get out from the city, okay?"

"I can take care of myself, Sis," Laura smiled.

"Says someone who can't pass the elementary class in martial arts," Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Sis, that was a few years ago," Laura complained. The last time they learned martial arts together, she could barely execute those basic moves. It took her a long time to master even the simplest movement, making the teacher very frustrated.

Kanae eyed Laura. "How much have you improved?"

"I can protect myself pretty well," Laura answered ambiguously. Clearly, she was still very far from the word 'expert,' but she didn't want to make her sister worry about her too much.

Sighing, Kanae raised her hand and patted Laura's head. "I don't want you to be in danger. If the situation is unfavorable, I want you to prioritize your safety, understand?"

"Yes."

"Don't forget to lock the door after I leave. Don't open the door for anyone other than me or food delivery. I'll check on you every week."

"I'm not a kid anymore, you don't have to worry so much about me."

Kanae lectured Laura for a few more minutes before she departed. Behind her, Laura closed the door and locked it per her sister's instruction. After she did that, she leaned her back on the door. Her eyes showed a complicated look.

"As much as you don't want me to be in danger, I also don't want to lose you, Sis."

After walking out from the inn, Kanae made her way to her home. She changed her clothes to her black clothes as Rei. There wasn't any school for the next month, so she wanted to use this chance to roam on the street.

Her hand took out the phone. Because she wanted to devote her time to the street, there was no time to work. She had to take days off.

Days off…

In the past, it was easy, but for some reason, she felt slightly hesitant right now. Did she already think of working by Kevin's side as something natural for her? Brushing that thought out of her head, she focused her attention on her call.

In Kale Company, Neo was typing swiftly while waiting for Kevin to finish his meeting. He was surprised when he heard Kevin's phone ring. The front desk should know that Kevin was in a meeting, why did they call so late at night?

"Yes? Kale Company here, who is this?"

"Neo, is that you? This is Kanae."

Neo stopped his typing momentarily. He looked at the clock suspiciously. Why did she call them this late? It was already past the time for her to sleep, and she must be tired after the long journey back from their trip.

"Is there anything wrong, Kanae?"

"There's nothing really wrong, I called because I want to take days off from work during the school vacation."

"Is there a specific reason?" Neo arched his eyebrows. Kanae was a diligent and capable employee; there was no way she would take days off so often.

"I want to spend more time with my sister because she is going to live in this city again," Kanae immediately lied. Although she was going to visit Laura once a week and remind that girl again about life in this city, that was not the most urgent reason.

Hearing that, Neo stayed silent for a while. It was not a good enough reason, but he knew that Kanae deserved some rest. She was still underage like them, so it was not her responsibility to work full-time. It was obvious that she would ask for days off here and there.

His eyes darted towards the direction of the meeting room outside. He knew that Kevin would want to talk with her about this, but it would be best if he stayed away from her after the trip. The expression Kevin had when he looked at Kanae was crystal clear in his mind.

He didn't want to make his Boss experience the same pain of losing someone again. It would only break him down.

"Sure, you can take days off."

'I'm sorry, Boss. But you better not talk to her for the time being.'

"Thank you, Neo."

After hanging up the phone call, Neo stood in his place. He still felt rather complicated because he knew that it was supposed to be Kevin's decision. A few seconds later, Kevin walked into the room holding a stack of paper. He eyed Neo suspiciously because the latter rarely moved towards his desk.

"Anything you need from my table, Neo?"

"Boss, Kanae has just called for a month off," Neo informed Kevin.

Kevin frowned. "Did you agree to her request?"

"Yes."

Neo could feel the temperature dropping by several degrees, but he didn't falter. Kanae's arrangements were supposed to be outside his authority, yet he didn't want to admit it.

"I'm sorry, Boss, but I think it's better if you calm down your emotions," Neo spoke out his thoughts. Even though his palms were sweating like crazy, he wanted to voice out his opinion.

He knew the rules and how they were not allowed to reprimand their Boss. However, he was worried about Kevin. He didn't want to see Kevin get hurt even more than he already was.

Kevin glared at Neo. This was the second time he was warned by his subordinate about his relationship with Kanae. Although they were still ordinary friends on the outside, the attraction he had towards her was definitely there. He had to admit that he cared about her much more than when he first met her.

After a few seconds, Kevin retracted his chilling aura. "One month of training with Mike."

"Yes, Boss."

Neo sighed in relief. Although he knew that this month was going to be hell for him, he still felt that it was the right choice to remind Kevin about his position. There was no way he wanted his Boss to experience the pain of having a relationship that couldn't last.

On the other hand, Kevin was clear about his position himself. This was the only time he felt that the title he had as the clan head was more of a burden than an honor.

If there was a chance for him to be reborn would he wish to not be a clan head?

Kevin closed his eyes. No. He would never wish for that. His clan would forever be his home and the members were his family. Even if it meant that he couldn't be with the person he liked, he couldn't just abandon his family. This is his life, and he would not regret his decision.

Having sorted out his feelings, he moved towards his desk to finish his work. Once this year ended, he wouldn't be able to stay here anymore as he would legally be the clan head.. There were more affairs in the clan for him to deal with.