Fair Trade

She felt as if she were drowning in icy water.

Or as if she was chewing broccoli in her mouth. She knew it was good for her body, but she chose to ignore it. It was raw and fresh, but she couldn’t spit it out.

She realized her mistake far too late.

She was the one who wanted to use Yuri Petrov from the start.

She used him to escape Guilio. She believed that if Guilio was destroyed, everything that supported him would be destroyed as well.

Everything is in order, so why am I feeling this way? After all, am I turning into a monster as well?

As expected, Yuri was a more powerful monster than Guilio and there was no longer any distinction between the two. Though he was generally bad, he possessed a speck of goodness the size of a grain of sand. Or perhaps it might be that he had no affection at all.

“Sei.”

“I forgot for a moment who you are.”

“… I see.”

She stepped back, snorting at Yuri’s slightly softened voice, and turned around with her fist tightly clenched. Then, as two of Giulio’s men entered the room, they stopped her and said,

“Hey, Rose. You’re not supposed to be here. We’ve got orders not to let you in here, so go to your room. If you’re bored, go for a swim.”

“Who has ordered you not to let me in here? Has he also ordered that I not walk on my own?”

“Ha, really that mouth of yours. Hey, Rose…. Camilio died yesterday because of you. He was killed very brutally. Still, you’re only safe because of Guilio, so I’m holding it in. Be careful. The day Guilio stops indulging you, you will see the face of the God you believe in.”

In his grief over the loss of his colleague and brother, the man’s eyes darkened.

Sei learned that the name of the man killed by Guilio was Camilio. She pushed the people aside and returned her gaze to Yuri before exiting the room. His eyes were sharp as he rapped on the table with a steady beat.

She was enraged in some way. Was it intended for Guilio? Or Yuri Petrov? Or… toward the guys who were directing their rage at her rather than Giulio?

No, she was upset with herself. She couldn’t explain why she was angry, but when he said “we,” she realized his world and Giulio’s world were the same.

Her eyes seemed to be clearing up. She hadn’t felt pathetic in a long time and she despised seeing herself.

Sei returned to her room and opened her bag in the closet to check for her passport and wallet. She then went into the bathroom and, after a quick wash, grabbed a jumper and left her room on the spur of the moment.

Just as she grabbed a ruby necklace and stuffed it into her pocket, someone grabbed her shoulder as she dashed down the spiral staircase

“You shouldn’t do this.”

Turning her head, Sei faced Stefan’s strangely distorted face.

“What?”

“What you’re going to do now.”

“Wouldn’t it be more helpful for you if I disappeared? That’s exactly how I felt.”

She turned her gaze to meet Yuri as she said this. The man in front of her, leaning against the railing and staring down at her, appeared perplexed.

“Please tell this to someone. The dumbest thing I’ve done recently is introduce Uncle’s hamburger store to a man who I shouldn’t have believed.”

Yuri’s eyes became fierce in an instant. Some of the people who watched Sei speak Russian looked at her with curious expressions.

“Police have surrounded the airport. Because of the gunfight, everyone associated to Parenti has been placed on the wanted list. Do not do this, Rose.” Stefan stated with a rare solemn expression.

Yuri averted his gaze from Sei and fixed it on the bottom of the stairs. Romano, who had just walked out of the dining room, was standing there. He sighed, biting an apple, and climbed the stairs, grabbing Sei’s bag. “Listen, today is not possible. We’ve decided to meet secretly in the next four days. I don’t know what’s going on, but no one can get out of this mansion without Guilio’s permission. I’m sorry, Rose.”

“What do you all see me as…!”

After glaring at Yuri, Romano and Stefan alternately, she snatched the bag Romano had taken and stubbornly went down the stairs.

It was then.

Bang!

When they heard a gunshot echoing throughout the mansion, everyone pointed their guns in the direction of the sound. Guilio was holding a gun and rubbing his face like a drug addict.

The bullet was lodged in the wall directly in front of Sei. There would have been a hole in her head if she had moved one step faster. They couldn’t say anything and remained silent.

Although Guilio had previously threatened Sei’s life, this was the second time he had done so recently.

“Guilio!” exclaimed Romano, crushing the apple with a surprised expression. Damn, what the hell are you doing?”

At Romano’s cry, Guilio, who was leaning against the railing, walked slowly down the stairs.