Ana the Poisonous Lady.
Nickname he'd come up with for the woman who'd been looking at him funny since she sat down. And it fit perfectly. The pungent scent of poison clung to her like perfume—sweet, almost pleasant.
And she was nice enough to give him a quick lesson on the hunt. Just enough to not die, apparently.
When twins are born into the main family, they radiate a strong presence. The kind that drifts across the ocean like a massive feast, and every monster within range gets an invitation they can't refuse.
So the clan sends out hunting parties. Kill the creatures before they can reach the island. Thin the herd. Buy time.
'So basically, my brother's kids are monster magnets, and everyone here is on extermination duty.'
Her voice made him feel calm. The nervousness faded. The trembling eased—for the most part.
Everyone at the table seemed convinced. Soft gazes. Relaxed shoulders. The tension melting away like it had never been there.
Everyone except Richard.
Who didn't look convinced at all.
And he was tired.
"What's your last name?" Richard asked the moment the woman finished explaining.
"Don't have one." Shiro shrugged. Kept his tone easy. Casual. Like it was the most boring fact in the world. "Don't even know who my dad is."
He took a bite of bread. Chewed slowly.
"My mom—I have vague memories of her. But that's all."
Richard studied him. Eyes narrowed. Calculating. Trying to see past the disguise.
Shiro knew this man. Knew him very well.
Richard had been one of his teachers back when he was a kid. Taught him swordplay. Drilled footwork into him until his legs gave out. Made him hold forms until his arms screamed.
He was probably the second strongest captain in the entire clan. Right under Shiro's father.
He could look all day. Search every word, every pause, every twitch of his face.
He wouldn't find anything
They were the truth. His truth. The lie he taught himself until it became real.
The venomous woman to his right leaned forward. And suddenly looking anywhere else became a real challenge.
She was tall. Her skin a warm, natural tan—the kind she was born with, not the kind you get from lazy afternoons under the sun. Her eyes were sharp—hunter's eyes—the kind that made you feel like prey even when she was smiling.
A deep, burning ember. Like staring into the heart of a dying fire.
It was beautiful. Mesmerizing, even.
He looked away. Forced his eyes somewhere else. Anywhere else. The bread. The table. The very interesting crack in the ceiling.
And of course she noticed.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
Before he could process what was happening, her fingers caught his chin. Turned his face toward her. Gently. Firmly.
He still had food in his mouth.
"You think I'm pretty, don't you?"
Her voice was… different. Smooth. Sweet. Like honey dripping from her words. Like music flowing directly into his ears.
Warm. Inviting. Intoxicating.
He should've felt something. Charm, maybe. Attraction. The pull of whatever magic she was weaving with that voice and those eyes.
But it wasn't that. Not really.
She didn't make his heart skip the way Nora did. No stutter. No sudden heat in his chest. Nothing that caught him off guard.
What he felt was something else entirely.
Danger.
The way she spoke. The way she moved. The way she could make him behave without raising her voice. It was all controlled. Deliberate. Like every word, every gesture, every smile was calculated three steps ahead.
'This woman is terrifying in a completely different way.'
Like his body recognized what she was doing and just… shut it down.
He swallowed the food in his mouth. Nearly choked, but managed to get it down.
And took a breath.
"Yeah," he said, meeting her eyes. "You're very attractive."
Her smile widened. Pleased.
"But you're also very dangerous." He didn't look away. "Too dangerous."
The smile shifted. Still there, but sharper now. More predatory.
"Aww." She tilted her head. "And here I was going to reward you with a kiss."
"That is completely inappropriate!" Nora snapped, face red.
Shiro kept his focus on the woman. "Not interested. I can smell the poison in your lipstick."
Her expression went still. Frozen.
The dangerous smile vanished.
"Also," he added, tone casual, "that probably explains why you haven't eaten anything all night."
He gestured at her empty plate. Untouched food.
"Can't risk accidentally ingesting your own poison, right?"
The woman froze.
Then slapped Shiro on the back.
Hard.
He was getting really tired of people doing that.
This one felt different from Darius's bone-crushing slaps. Sharper. Like a whip crack. There was actual anger behind it.
"Where," she said slowly, "did you find this kid?"
"Red light district," Nora answered quietly.
Shiro rubbed his back where it still stung. "Yeah. I was looking for work. Then Nora tackled me to the ground, made me lift my shirt, and now we're having dinner."
The entire table went silent.
Every eye turned to Nora.
Her father's expression could've frozen lava. His eyes bored into her with a look that very clearly said: We're going to have a very long conversation when we get home.
Nora's face turned bright red. "It's not—that's not what—he's making it sound worse than it was!"
"You made him lift his shirt?" the poisonous woman asked, grinning now.
"IN PUBLIC?!" Darius added, delighted.
Her father's expression shifted. His eyes locked onto her with a look that didn't need words.
'Once we get home, you have some explaining to do.'
Nora's face went bright red. "That's—that's not—it's not what it sounds like!"
Her face went bright red. Embarrassment, anger—maybe both.
She grabbed a chunk of meat off her plate and hurled it at Shiro's face.
He caught it in his mouth. Mid-air. Clean catch.
Chewed.
"Thanks for the food!"
"STOP DOING THAT!" Nora shouted. "Just let it HIT you like a normal person!"
"It did hit me. Directly in the mouth. Perfect aim, by the way."
Darius roared with laughter. The poisonous woman—Ana—joined him, actually slapping the table.
"I see why you like him, Darius!" Ana wheezed. "He's just like you!"
"And strong!" Darius agreed enthusiastically. "Very strong!"
Richard was the only one not laughing.
In fact, he looked like he was developing a headache.
He rubbed both eyes with his fingers, the universal gesture of a parent who was deeply, profoundly tired of everything happening around him.
He'd never been a fan of Shiro. Not even before, when Shiro was just another student.
A faint smile tugged at his lip.
'Some things just never change.'
Ana's laughter died down. She leaned forward, her smile still dangerous.
"So, Nora. Care to explain why you were making strange boys strip in public?"
Nora took a breath. "He was running from Luca. I thought he was a thief, so I slammed him to the ground."
She paused. Looked at Shiro. Dead in the eyes. He would be dead now if looks could kill.
"Then, like thirty minutes later, I thought he was… someone else. So I wanted to check if he had certain scars."
Another pause.
"But there was nothing," she said softly.
Richard sighed. Relief, maybe. Or exhaustion. Hard to tell.
"I told you already," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "He's dead. He died on a mission."
'Lying to your daughter. How noble of you.'
It bugged him. More than he wanted to admit. Not being able to just open his mouth and say it.
'I'm Shiro.'
Two words. Two easy words.
But he forced the thought out. Shoved it down somewhere deep where it couldn't reach his face.
Soon the gathering started breaking up. Darius was completely wasted. Could barely sit upright. He kept grinning at nothing and mumbling about "best friend" and "strong kid."
Ana announced she needed her "beauty sleep"—though she said it with a smile that suggested she didn't actually need it—and excused herself.
The two lieutenants who'd sat silently beside Richard the entire night didn't move. Didn't speak. Just… existed. Emotionless. Like puppets. Or dolls.
It was creepy, honestly.
As people dispersed, the plan solidified: everyone would stay at the inn tonight. Guards would be posted near the ship on the lower floor. Supplies for the hunt would be organized and carried tomorrow morning.
Then they'd head to the main house. Get proper equipment. Weapons. Whatever else they needed.
The hunt itself could take days. Maybe a week.
Shiro stood, ready to leave.
"Where are you going?" Nora's voice stopped him.
He turned. "You know. Back to my favorite dumpster."
She stared at him.
Blinked.
Her expression was pure confusion mixed with disbelief.
Like she genuinely couldn't tell if he was joking.
"We're all staying here," she said slowly, carefully. "Tomorrow we're going to the main house for equipment. And… I got you a room."
Shiro paused. "A room?"
"With a shower too."
His entire face lit up.
Like someone had just told him he'd won a fortune.
He grabbed her hands. Didn't even think about it.
"You're amazing."
She grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "I know."
From across the room, Ana's voice floated over.
"They're so cute together."
She was smiling. Amused.
Richard's face, on the other hand, went from tired to deeply uncomfortable.
'Ha. Still giving me those eyes. Just like before.'
That almost made him smile.