Struggling as a Villain

Richard had a very complex past with brothels. Someone close to him, with whom he got separated at the age of twelve was found dead in one of the brothels of Las Vegas. The investigation resulted in an overdose of drugs and physical abuse caused her to die.

That's why when Richard smelt that drug in the air and found that kid being dragged inside a very deep memory flashed before his eyes.

Those dead eyes of that young twenty-year-old girl never left his memories but coming across a similar situation just reignited that long-lost flame. And since he had to do some training as well, he didn't mind roasting(literally) some bastard to death.

*CLING*

Pushing the doors, Richard walked in, with his maid just a few meters behind.

The profound fragrance of aphrodisiacs blended with incense assaulted his senses to the point he couldn't smell anything other than those two scents.

'To overwhelm the customers and make them eager eh....' Richard was able to suppress his desires and not let the fragrance influence him.

Nearing the counter, he found a middle-aged woman polishing her nails while humming a strange rhythm. Her clothes were revealing enough that talking to her while looking at her face must be a big problem, especially for young men. However, Richard had his fair share of experience which allowed him to keep his gaze straight.

"What can I do for you?" Without looking at him, the woman asked while she assessed her nails.

Richard smirked before lifting his left hand. Lilia received the signal and rested a pouch of coins on her master's hand.

*Jingle*

Hearing that sound, the receptionist finally looked up with her eyebrows raised.

The pouch had more than fifty; she evaluated just by the sound and looking at the attire the man wore beneath the cloak signified that there could be gold in there.

"Want? Then let me meet your manager~" Richard enticed as he brought the pouch near the woman's face and for a moment he thought he saw her tongue rolling out.

With a greedy look on her face, she caught the pouch with both of her hands and said, "Please follow me."

While counting the coins in the leather pouch she guided Richard and Lilia inside the establishment.

There were four sets of staircases leading to the upper floors and the suppressed sounds of several men and women moaning became clear to his enhanced senses.

He peeked at Lilia and found that there was no reaction on her face.

'Damn...is she asexual or something?' Dropping his musing he followed the receptionist inside a room which was on the ground floor.

She knocked twice on it before she opened the door for them.

Once Richard and Lilia walked in, she also got in and closed the door.

Richard assessed the office and noted the near absence of the aphrodisiac's fragrance. On the left were two showcase cupboards, and on the right, an 'L' desk hugged the wall.

Across the room sat a middle-aged man with one eye covered by a black eye patch and half his head shaved. His presence was intimidating, with a large tattoo snaking up his arm and neck. Even seated, Richard could tell this man was taller than him.

'An awakened...yup, he is,' Richard thought. Though he couldn't fully trust his senses yet, he felt a distinct energy radiating from the man, like an invisible barrier surrounding him.

Things related to ether have been so confusing for Richard that he couldn't believe anything completely.

"Boss, these people wanted to meet you." Flashing the pouch the receptionist added, "Special guests."

The man nodded with indifference before the woman walked out of the room while humming happily. Well, Richard had probably handed her a year's worth of salary in one go which explains why she was over cloud nine.

The man lit up a cigar and looked at Lilia for a moment, before redirecting his gaze back on Richard.

"What can I do for you?" His gruff voice seeped through the gap created by the cigar between his teeth.

Richard leaned back in the chair before asking, "I am looking for good meat for the night."

"You could have asked Laura for that. Why bother offering such a hefty sum just to meet me?" The manager asked as he puffed out a cloud of smoke.

Lilia frowned slightly seeing the smoke all over her lord's face. Her hand trembled for a moment, ready to sever that cigar along with that head of the man.

However, as her master has told her, she couldn't react until he signals her.

Richard nodded at that before sighing, "Well, I could have afforded any prostitute you have to offer with that many gold coins, but what I need wouldn't be available if I had asked directly, right?"

The brothel owner narrowed his eyes before asking, "What do you need?"

Richard leaned forward before asking, "I heard I can get some fresh meat here if I ask the right person?"

The brothel owner didn't show any sign of surprise. He somehow already senses that this person was here to get a taste of the untouched flower.

"100 gold. No discount or bargaining." He was charging twenty coins extra since the half-bald man sensed that this customer was rich, so why not take some advantage?

Richard grinned at that before he asked, "So it's true that you bring young girls in here and sell them, eh?"

The owner narrowed his eyes, "Why do you care? Just get what you want and get the fuck out of-*Sprut*"

Suddenly the man's eyes widened in shock upon feeling the left side of his neck being pierced with something sharp. The cigar from his mouth fell and his breath completely got choked in his throat.

It took him a moment to realize that the woman standing behind the hooded figure had disappeared from her spot and was currently standing behind him.

Lilia's eyes were devoid of any emotions as she kept the short knife dug deep inside the man's neck and menacingly said, "Choose your words wisely while talking to my master."

"Khuk!" The man tried to remove the hand of the woman but like a ship anchor, it was unmovable. The veins of his hands bulged and the blood flow rate elevated. However, Lilia remained unmoving.

"Haaah~Lilia, you really are a bad girl, ain't ya? I told you to not attack him until I say so." With his arms crossed Richard leaned lazily back on his seat and casually stated.

He really didn't mind his maid acting on her free will but what surprised him was her speed and strength. It wasn't only the brothel owner that never caught her moving. Richard didn't see her as well.

*Clang*

Suddenly the doors of the office room were pushed open abruptly and many people began to flood in.

Their eyes widened upon seeing their boss' condition. However, before they could have said anything, another subject of concern got up from his seat.

His hands were covered with flame, as Richard asked them 'nicely',

"Why don't we get to know each other better?"

**********

In the Cravenford mansion.

Emily was shocked beyond belief after hearing Eleanor's report.

Apparently, Eleanor had been keeping an eye on Richard since the time he left the mansion.

"You were crying for nothing, Em. He was just pretending to be sentimental." Eleanor said while she patted her friend's shoulder to console her.

"How...can he do such a thing?" Emily couldn't believe that the same person for whom she was feeling so guilty, was just trying to fool her.

'But why did he keep the ring so safely?' Just as she began to think of any valid reason, someone ran inside the room with a pale expression

"My lady, an establishment is set on fire in the middle of the town!"

Both Eleanor and Emily frowned before they got up in an instant.

"What establishment? Have the soldiers arrived there?" Being the eldest daughter of Count Cravenford, it was her duty to take care of the civilians when her father was away.

However, her feet came to a halt when she heard the maid's response,

"It was Damian's brothel, my lady!"

************

A/N:- Oh yeah. Must have to go around in suspicion followed by a guilt trip.