Villain Retirement

"I am not in the mood for jokes."

"Oh, I know you're not known for your sense of humor… What you are known for, however, is your foolish sense of justice. Isn't that right…

…Silvie? Or should I say…

…Silvie the Slayer?"

There was no wind inside Anastasia's room at all, but the stranger's robes were suddenly lifted up and blown away, revealing her long brown, almost golden hair and her bright blue eyes. And although there was a fierceness in her face, her eyes still held a gentle temperament in them.

But still, it was evident in her lowered eyebrows that she did not appreciate Anastasia's comment at all.

"If you stare at me like that, Princess — we are going to have a lot of trouble, you and I," the smirk on Anastasia's face turned into a coquettish smile. She then subtly licked her lip before approaching Silvie and standing right in front of her face,

"Or what… do you not like your title, Silvie? I say it's quite fitting since you—"

"I am only going to ask one more time and only once," Silvie did not let Anastasia finish her words as she grabbed her face, "Where. Did. You. Get. The. Un. Dead?"

"A good tradesman never reveals her secrets, Your Highness," Anastasia let out a small giggle as she leaned even closer to Silvie; her lips, almost touching hers as she whispered, "But if you play nice, my lips might just…

…Re. Veal. Something. Nice. To. You."

And as Anastasia mocked and imitated her, Silvie backed away; her eyes lighting up the dimly lit room with red.

"Tut, tut, tut," Anastasia raised both her hands in surrender, "Let's not get violent — I don't want to suffer the same fate as your clones—sorry, your variants."

"Just answer my question."

"Answer mine first," Anastasia seemed completely unfazed even as the light in Silvie's eyes became even more violent.

"That's not how this works."

"Why did you kill your clones instead of trying to rehabilitate the—"

And before Anastasia could even finish her words, she found her back suddenly slammed onto the wall, causing the entire room to tremble. Her guards, who were waiting outside her room, quickly barged inside to see what was going on. And as soon as they saw their mistress' eyes glowing red, as well as the intruder's…

…they just quietly left the room and closed the door. They absolutely didn't want to have anything to do with whatever was going on, unless they wanted to find their long life extinguished.

"Ho…" As for Anastasia, the smile on her face just widened even further as she licked her lip once more while letting out a maniacal chuckle; the glowing red in her eyes, flickering at the same rhythm as her excited breaths, "...Oh, there she is."

"Information," Silvie then suddenly wrapped her hand around Anastasia's hand.

"Oh… harder," Anastasia moaned out as she looked Silvie in the eyes.

"Damn it, Ana!" Silvie gritted her teeth, "I already told you I don't have time to play with you."

"Apparently, that's all everyone has these days," Anastasia giggled, "Don't you find it weird how everyone is making a big deal about not growing old…? These short-lived races are so dramatic about having to live for 600 years."

"I'm done playing," the tone of Silvie's voice changed as she lifted Anastasia up; shaving the wall behind her.

"Oh, and we were just getting to the good part," Anastasia looked down. And very soon, the tone of her voice also changed and the smile on her face disappeared, "But do you really want to stop playing, Silvie? If something… violent happens between us…

…you do know how many people are going to die, right?"

"You—"

"Fine, fine," Anastasia did not let Silvie say another word as she just let out a very long and deep sigh, and once again raised her hands in surrender, "Were you always this serious…? Kids these days can't even take a joke anymore."

"Enough. I just need the information." And as Silvie saw Anastasia rolling her eyes, she just carelessly let go of her neck and turned around.

"Well, if you really must know…" The playful tone of Anastasia's voice once again returned as she shrugged one shoulder before making her way back to her chair, "...I got it from an auction."

"An… auction?"

"Yes, an auction, dear," Anastasia sat down, "It's where people bid for—"

"I know what an auction is. I've been to auctions."

"Of course, you have," Anastasia nodded.

"What I haven't been to, however, is an auction that has the capability, capacity, and audacity to sell something like an undead themarian," Silvie stood in front of Anastasia and looked down at her.

"Well, it's not exactly the auction who has the balls to do something like this," Anastasia chuckled, "It's the people bidding and selling things that you need to look out for. And it's the auction house in New York, by the way."

"In New York…?" Silvie raised an eyebrow, "Why would something like that even pop up in the territory of the humans?"

"Humans," the playful smirk on Anastasia's face returned, "You make it sound like you're not one of them."

"I'm not," Silvie gritted her teeth.

"Oh? But I heard a little rumour here and there that unlike your variants…" Anastasia squinted her eyes, "...You were able to give a few good years along with the humans, close friends, even?"

"Tell me who sold it to you," Silvie completely ignored Anastasia's taunts.

"I already told you, dear," Anastasia sighed, "The auction in New York. And if you're asking who placed it in the auction, then I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"You don't know who it is?" Silvie's eyebrows lowered.

"I do, I just won't tell you," Anastasia giggled.

"An—"

"You asked where I got it, and I told you…" Anastasia glared into Silvie's eyes, "...Don't be greedy now, Your Highness."

"Tch…" Silvie could really only look away as she clicked her tongue.

"Why not visit the auction yourself, then? I'll even tag along with you, if you'd like," Anastasia breathed out.

"..." Silvie did not respond at all.

"Of course, that might be hard because you're wanted by the government. But I'll—"

"It's fine," Silvie scoffed as she started making her way to the opened window, "I'll find out about this myself."

"We both know you won't — that's why you're here, and…" Anastasia then watched as Silvie just flew out of her room,

"...You do know I have a front door, right?"

***

"Ah, she broke it again! Should you really be out here!? Riri, Ri

—!!!"

Miss Pepondosovich and Esme were inside their restaurant in front of the bar, with shards of glass and a puddle of wine between their feet. Miss Pepondosovich was about to rush and make her way to Riley, who was checking all the tables to see if some of them were not the right measurement, but Esme quickly blocked her path and covered her mouth.

"Please do not tell Master, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme monotonously uttered as she lifted the tiny Miss Pepondosovich from the floor, "This is the 5th bottle of wine I accidentally shattered today."

And fortunately for Esme, the restaurant was not opened to the public yet as they still had a lot to check and prepare around the establishment.

"Seriously… you weren't this clumsy back in the Domain of the Gods!" Miss Pepondosovich managed to free herself, grabbing the piece of glass left from Esme's hand and then quickly leaping on top of the bar counter as she pointed the shard at Esme's face, "I thought you've already learned how to control your strength properly."

"I… have not really had the chance to interact with the objects of other species, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme let out a small sigh as she shook her head, "I was turned into an Undead before I could explore the rest of the universe, and when I woke up — I was in the Domain of the Gods where the lands and objects were even stronger than Theran's."

"That…" Miss Pepondosovich squinted her eyes, "...Now that you word it out like that, it's sort of sad."

"Not at all, Miss Pepondosovich," Esme shook her head again, "I met you."

"That…" Miss Pepondosovich stuttered, "...I am glad we—"

"Miss Pepondosovich." And before Miss Pepondosovich could finish her words, Riley suddenly appeared behind her; his eyes, looking at the shard of glass in her hand,

"That is a very rare bottle that I bought for $25,000, I believe that is almost enough to buy a tiny house in this economy."

"Riri, I didn't—"

"That is coming out of your paycheck, Miss Pepondosovich," Riley let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Master, that was my fau—"

"You will not be receiving any salary for a few months, Miss Esme," Riley then turned to look at Esme, "You broke four bottles."

"...Yes, Master," Esme could not help but just lower her head as she heard Riley's words.

"That is not how you handle a bottle of wine."

"What do you know, Riri… you've only drank once in your life," Miss Pepondosovich whispered to herself.

"You hold it like this so that…"

And while the two were being reprimanded and taught by Riley, a group of men suddenly entered the restaurant.

"Oi, oi… this is new."

And from the red on their faces, they were incredibly intoxicated.

"Good afternoon, Gentlemen." Even with them just rudely entering the restaurant and even bumping some of the decor, Riley still welcomed them with a smile on his face, "I am afraid the restaurant is still not—"

"Ack, fuck that. Where's the big-titted woman I saw earlier!?"