Chapter 153 - Another Member In The Gang

As Dante and I left the building, I looked at Dante with an eyebrow raised, "But how did you even find me? You weren't stalking me, were you?"

Isn't it a bit weird that Dante just so happened to be there to save me?

Dante explained, "Bertram went to follow you, but he said that you disappeared quickly on him. He heard a scuffle and watched as they threw you in a carriage. He tried to follow them, but he couldn't catch up. In a panic, he came to get me."

I nodded, "I never thought he would come to get you of all people."

Dante's face grew dark, "To be precise, he kicked my door down and dragged me out of bed."

I wish I could have seen that.

Dante continued, "At first I thought I had done something to make him want to kill me."

Dante paused and then looked at my curious face. He touched my cheek lovingly. I blushed and swatted away his hand out of embarrassment.

Dante spoke, "Well, I know I did a few things that would have made him angry."

I looked at the ground, "He doesn't know about those things." I looked around for Bertram expecting him to be crawling around somewhere, "Where is Bertram now?"

Dante smirked slightly before looking ahead once more, "He and I split up in order to find you faster."

I glanced at him, "But I still don't understand how you found me so quickly."

Dante looked at me with a blank expression, "Lovers intuition."

My mouth dropped from his bold words. I shook my head, "Nope. There is no such thing."

Dante smiled and grabbed my hand gently. He kissed it and looked at me with his sharp golden eyes, "Are you sure?"

My mind went numb at his playful expression. "I-I'm sure!"

"Hmm?" Dante started to pinch at my waist and face in a teasing manner, "You sure?"

I swatted at his hands while blushing, "Urgh! Stop it! Yes I'm sure!"

I puffed my cheeks out, "And stop acting all cute! I'm still mad at you! How could you just stand by and let them rip out my fingernails?!? Don't you realize how cute they looked before?!" I sniffed, "Now they are ugly looking..."

Dante stopped his pinching assault and spoke in a low voice, "I wanted to kill them painfully and slowly when I saw them tie you up. Only I am allowed to do that to you."

I nodded. I stopped abruptly and looked a him with a panicked expression, "What'd you just say?!"

He continued ignoring my panic, "But when they mentioned the Black Death, I hesitated. I was curious as to why they brought that up. The Black Death had once claimed that William and I belong to him. The rumor was that if anyone hurt me or William, the Black Death would make them meet a fate worse than death."

Dante stopped and looked at me with a sadistic smile. His pinching assault started again. "Now I know why the Black Death wanted me."

I blushed as I fought off his attack. I shouted, "Who wanted you?! Pah! I'm still angry!"

He tilted his head, "But how else would I have found out the truth?"

I pouted, "I would have told you... Eventually.."

"Hm?" Dante looked at me with a humored expression.

I looked away from his handsome face, "Anyway, I demand that you allow me to take two of your fingernails since you decided to let them take mine."

Dante shrugged and held out his hand, "Alright."

I grabbed his hand and looked down at it. Ahh... I can't damage this beautiful hand. It would be sacrilegious....

As I stroked his fingers delicately, Dante chuckled in a low tone. "Seri, that's not how you take fingernails."

I blushed at being caught and dropped his hand. I avoided his eyes, "I changed my mind. Now let's go get something to eat."

I stopped when I noticed that Dante was still covered in blood. He didn't even realize it himself. It was a natural thing to him. I sighed, "Let's first find a place to change clothes."

I led him to Charles shop. I knocked on the door, "Charles, open up."

Charles opened the peephole and smiled, "Password?" I held out my two fingers to poke him once more and he shrieked, "Eek! No password! I know it's you. Come in, come in."

As I stepped in, Charles looked at me closely, "Ah.. My dear, it's strange to not see you in a mask. I could only recognize you by that arrogant voice of yours."

I felt my face realizing I had forgotten to hide my identity. I frowned, "Who has an arrogant voice?!"

Dante and Charles looked at me with a no duh expression.

I stuck my tongue out, "Anyway, just treat me as your customer. Forget you ever saw my face, and you better not tell anyone either."

Charles chuckled, "Fear not, if I wanted to unmask you sooner, I could have. After all, I know Bertram personally. I've seen him hang around you before. It would be easy to connect the dots."

I scratched my head, "Then I wonder if that's how those theives figured out my identity."

Charles looked surprised, "They figured it out?"

I sighed, "Yes. They even kidnapped me and started torturing me. If not for Dante, I would have died."

Charles looked at Dante as if he just realized he was there. Dante looked back expressionlessly. Charles stepped forward and began to examine Dante more closely. He picked up Dante's arms and looked at it as if it was a diamond.

"Ah... What a figure. Perfect for the sword. How interesting..."

I crossed my arms in irritation, "Oi. Hands off Charles before I cut them off."

Charles instantly dropped Dante's arms and stepped away, "I can't help it. He's truly a perfect specimen. Perhaps I could use him in my experiments?"

"No." I said with an angry expression.

Charles sighed, "Fine, fine. But isn't this the person you bought that sword for? I notice it in the scabbard now. It's definitely my handiwork."

Dante looked at him, "You made this?"

Charles stepped back with a proud expression, "I did! I'm the best weapon manufacturer around! I also make some good drugs if you want to test them out for me-"

"No!" I shouted quickly.

Maybe I should just cut off his tongue.

Charles chuckled, "Alright, alright. I won't do that then. But at least let me make him a more proper sword. While this one is top quality, he should have one that suits him more."

I thought about it before nodding, "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Charles looked at the two of us with a playful smile, "I do think you two look quite nice together. I'm glad you could find someone, Seri. I was worried you may become a crazy spinster."

My face turned bright red, "Oi! What are you talking about you crazy man!? Who found who?!"

Dante smirked as he rubbed my head to placate me.

Charles only smiled more at this, "In any case, can I assume that he knows your identity now too?"

I put away my angry expression and nodded as Dante continued to pet my head. "He does. I filled him in."

I paused and looked up at Dante with wide eyes. He stopped petting me and tilted his head in response.

I smiled at him alluringly, "Say Dante... How about you come work for me?"

"...?"

I poked at his side, "I think you would be an excellent addition to our operation. You're great at finding people and you're good at the sword. I know you have to protect William, but what about when you don't? What do you say?"

Dante smiled down at me, "Aren't we already partners in crime?"

I broke out in a pleased smile and hugged him out of happiness. "Yay! Now I can be reassured that if I'm ever kidnapped again, you can find me."

Dante chuckled as he hugged me back, "Alright, but try not to get kidnapped."

Charles watched the scene in front of him with a mischievous smile. He muttered to himself, "Heh... Knew it."

The door burst open, breaking in half from the pressure. Bertram flew in sobbing, "CHARLES! I CAN'T FIND HER! THOSE BASTARDS KIDNAPPED HER! WHAT SHOULD I DO?! THE MONKEY CAN'T EVEN CATCH HER SCENT!!! WHAT IF SHE DIES?!"

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed all of us looking at him with a surprised expression. His panicked expression dropped from his face. He glanced at me and I waved at him, "Hey."

Bertram straightened himself up, "Oh... So you're here. That's good."

Charles looked at his door with a pained expression, "Bertram... You broke my door..."

Bertram coughed, "I'm sorry. I was panicking."

Charles picked up a piece with a trembling lip, "You've shattered it..."

I looked at Charles in pity, "It's fine Charles. It's not like it was able to keep out those bastards from the Thieves Guild."

This only made Charles even more depressed. Bertram looked at Dante with a fierce expression. Dante's body went rigged under his glare.

Bertram spoke, "So you found her?"

Dante nodded, "I did."

"Hm."

Bertram didn't look impressed on the outside. But on the inside he was crying with gratitude. He pushed Dante away from my side and looked me over carefully. He noticed my bandaged hand and grabbed it.

He frowned, "What is this?"

I pouted, "Those bastards tortured me to find out the identity of the Black Death."

Bertrams eyes widened, "I'm surprised you could withstand such a thing."

I shook my head, "I didn't. I sang like a canary."

Bertram blinked, "When?"

"Right at the beginning. Turns out torture really hurts." I rubbed my hand with a pitiful expression.

Bertram looked at Dante, "And him?"

"Oh, he knows that I'm the Black Death. He was ease dropping." I pouted, "He is so sadistic, he actually watched as they tortured me."

Bertram glared at him, "He did?!"

Dante looked away filled with guilt. Truthfully, he wished he had stopped it sooner. But he hated to admit that he got distracted.

Bertram went to attack Dante, but I held him back. "Wait! Bertram! Don't hurt Dante!"

Bertram frowned at me, "Don't tell me you actually love him."

I blinked at Bertram, "Actually, he owes me food. You can fight him after he buys me dinner."