Jax's eyes darted around the room, and he immediately noticed Lucian blocking the door to the bathroom.
"Boss?" he asked in confusion, "Why are you standing there?" He then heard the screams for help and the banging. His expression changed, "What did you do? Why is she like that?"
He quickly closed the door behind him, and then went to Lucian's side. He tried to open the door, but Lucian blocked his path.
"What are you doing, Boss!?" Jax yelled. "She needs help!"
"Are you doubting me?" Lucian looked at him, "Are you going to stand against your brother?"
"Brother?" Jax stopped in his tracks. "Are you serious? She needs medical attention and you are worried about titles?"
"Titles are everything," Lucian said, "They are what separates a commoner from an aristocrat. A knight from a bandit. A businessman from a crook. A king from a tyrant. A killer from a judge. A murderer from a hero─"
"You are drunk! You are not thinking straight!" Jax accused him, trying to grab his arm.
"Am I?" Lucian laughed, avoiding his hand. "Do you think I'm that weak?"
"Boss! Stop this!" Jax yelled, losing his patience. "What did you do to her!? Why is she screaming like that!? If you are not going to let me through, I will break the door down!"
Lucian didn't answer him and took a step back.
"Stop..." Lucian whispered, but Jax already went ahead, ready to save a beauty in distress. He wondered if she weren't conventionally beautiful, would Jax be so enthusiastic to go out of his way to help her?
As soon as Jax opened the door, Lady Lily jumped at him. He managed to stop her by catching her arms, but she kept struggling, moaning and panting heavily. Her skin was flushed and sweaty, and she was wearing nothing but a thin, white nightgown.
"An aphrodisiac?" Jax asked, surprised. He looked at Lucian, who already walked away.
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Lucian stopped a waiter downstairs, whispering something in his ear.
Jax barely struggled against Lady Lily's advances, and was about to give in to the temptation, thinking it was just an aphrodisiac and she was just a woman, who sold her body for money.
Before his thoughts could come to life, he felt a blunt force against the back of his head, and groaned in pain.
Lucian held his cane as the brothel's staff brought some sleeping medicine to calm down the agitated Lady Lily.
The owner arrived as well and tried to put the blame on Lucian, for trying to take advantage of her.
The owner was an elderly woman, who had gray hair and wrinkles around her eyes. She wore a black dress that covered her from neck to toe and had a pair of spectacles on her nose.
"I don't want to argue with an elder in a public space," Lucian said politely, "I would prefer if you took your complaints to the court and filed a lawsuit against me. The evidence is clear and the witnesses are present. The only thing that's missing is the crime that you are accusing me of committing."
The woman calmed down, realizing that she had made a fool of herself by jumping to conclusions.
"What about him?" They pointed at Jax.
"Tie him to a chair and let him cool his head," Lucian ordered, "I will deal with him later."
"W-wait," Jax protested as Lucian stuffed his mouth with a cloth in disappointment.
The brothel's staff dragged Jax away, leaving the owner to deal with Lucian, closing the doors behind them to not disturb their conversation.
"She had always been a smart girl, always careful. How could she have gotten herself into such a mess?" The old lady said, "What really happened?"
"I was invited by Lady Lily to have a chat with her and enjoy her company," Lucian said, "We exchanged some pleasantries, and then decided to enjoy a cup of tea together..."
He lied about Lady Lily not knowing about the drug, to not implicate her in the crime and turned both of them into victims. She wasn't who he was after, though he couldn't imagine what kind of fate would befall him if he drank that liquid.
"Could someone be holding a grudge against Lady Lily? Or perhaps a rival who wanted to harm her reputation and ruin her career?" Lucian twisted the matter to imply the whole brothel could be in danger.
The owner didn't think of that possibility, and quickly went to Lady Lily to make sure her number one courtesan was alright.
Once alone, Lucian lifted the tea pot and opened the lid, adding a few drops of an antidote to neutralize the drug after confirming what it was.
'Such a waste of fine tea.'
He thought as he placed the small vial inside one of his inner chest pockets. He poured himself a new cup, sitting back on the sofa. His mind wandered back to what just happened.
A trader like him had access to many kinds of merchandise, including those that could be used to harm others. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially when dealing with questionable characters on a daily basis.
He would also one day be part of the Rochefort household, where every single move could be a matter of life and death. He had to think of his safety and the safety of his wife and future children, and their children, and so on too.
He poured himself another cup, then another and another, not wasting a single drop of tea.
'Not a bad deal for a visit to a brothel.' Lucian thought about how this all would probably end up being free of charge.
He set the cup down and got up to leave.
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Lucian went to find the owner and inform her that he was leaving.
"I hope you don't mind, but I helped myself to some of your tea," Lucian said, handing her a coin, "Please, give my regards to Lady Lily."
"Please, keep it. It's the least we can do," the owner said, trying to refuse the payment, "I'm sorry you had to witness that incident. I hope you will still visit us again."
"Of course, it was an enjoyable visit," Lucian assured her, standing by her side to talk to her.