IN THE CAGE

5. INFIRMITIES

...Ace POV's...

"What happened to your head?" Margot came to visit our family's main mansion today and the first thing Margot stopped was the plaster attached to my forehead.

"Little problem only" I said.

Today, as usual, Margot is still wearing mourning clothes. From the tip of the foot to the head, all the attributes attached to his body were black. This was no stranger to me because since the death of our parents, Margot had already let go of her cheerful and sweet image. He turned 180 degrees into a gloomy and dark person.

Margot told me until she found the culprit who killed our parents, she wouldn't go back to her. Like the mourning clothes he wears every day, he will continue to grieve and remember the death of our parents.

Because Margot's appearance has changed completely, people become less friendly with her. He has also lost faith in people and hates his entire social circle.

To be honest, seeing Margot's appearance, my brother became very depressed. Perhaps, one of the reasons why I was so obsessed with my parents' killer was this. I want Margot back to cheer. I want my uncle-Uncle Jack who hates dealing with company-back free.

Because of the deaths of my mother and father, both Margot and Jack's uncle, both have lost their identities. Margot becomes a gloomy child and Jack's uncle becomes an obsession.

I-I am among them the most sinful.

"I heard what happened to Larson. I didn't expect the situation to be this bad."

Speaking of Larson, that guy is a scoundrel. Instead of meeting for an important meeting, he set me up and tried to kill me. That bastard, I almost died. Look, I'm gonna find out who masterminded that cowardly bastard.

"Since the Spades and the Clubs are allied, our enemies are becoming more and more wild. You have to be careful, Marg. They might target you too."

"Don't worry about me" said Margot. "Anyway, about the guy you wanted to investigate yesterday. I've brought personal information about him here."

A brown envelope Margot handed to me.

"You shouldn't bother dropping these off" I said. This information is not important at all.

"I didn't just come here for that, you know." Margot grinned spoiled. "I want to see it too."

"Huh?"

"I heard everything from Carcel. You locked a rapunzel in your room. I want to see it, please, please, please!"

My eyes narrowed. "Nothing's interesting about him."

"Tsk! If he's not attractive, how could you have trapped him in your room. Do you think I'm a moron? Plus, you also dug up his personal information. Uh, stalking behavior. Are you in love, my sister?" Margot held her arm around my neck, shaking me violently like shaking a tree trunk.

"There's no such thing. I just keep it as a toy."

"Then let me see it. I want to know what kind of magical golden hair she has until you don't kill her?"

"My magic hair ***." I rolled my eyes again.

Rather than magic hair, what kept me from killing Fawn that night was her eyes. His dark brown eyes that were burning with anger excited me. 

Fawn, to be honest, has a beautiful face. I've always realized its beauty since I used to meet Indira first. But, as for the reason that I was still playing around with her, glancing at her, was not because she was beautiful and attractive. I will not waste my time on beauty and attraction that means nothing but false pleasure. As I said before, those hateful eyes are the reason.

I wonder, until when will he survive his blind loyalty?

"Look, you're brooding all of a sudden!" Margot stabbed me in the cheek. "Don't tell me you're thinking about the Deer Miss trapped in your room. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm..."

"Don't make it up." I said. Rather than respond to Margot, I chose to take the Fawn file that was still sealed neatly inside the envelope.

It was time to replace the handcuffs on the woman's hands with invisible anchors that made her go nowhere. Something more effective to control his madness. A weakness that will bow its head.

...----...

In the end, that afternoon Margot returned home to her apartment in a state of disappointment. I didn't let him meet Fawn at all. Because of my strict ban, Margot became very angry and scolded me. It says I'm possessive and stingy.

Sucks. Does he think this mansion is a zoo? He cannot interfere in my business. Moreover, what the hell did he want to see from Fawn? The girl had nothing to pay attention to.

Okay, well, Fawn's charming physical side, the girl's personality is very unpleasant. He's not sweet at all and his loyalty to Rashid's family makes me even more tired of his chatter.

"Sir, I've brought your order." Felix walked up to me who was about to head for the room. A paperbag with a box in it made me recall what I ordered to my assistant. My smile bloomed thinly as I took that thing out of Felix's hands.

"Have you fixed everything?" I asked back, regarding the things I also ordered him this morning.

"good. I don't want any more mistakes like this" I pointed at the plaster attached to my forehead.

Although the wound on my forehead did not leave any pain at all, it was still a wound. The wounds on my body are a sign that my bodyguards are not doing my job of protecting me properly. They will be punished if at any time this kind of negligence happens again.

"I'm sorry, sir. I warned him."

"I don't want to know why, Felix." I rolled my eyes. "Back to your job."

After exchanging words with Felix, I stepped back into the room. Maybe because of Fawn's throw this morning, I was a little anxious to get into my own room. Very moronic.

"I'm thirsty." the voice greeted me just as I entered. I turned my head and saw the gloomy face of Fawn who refused to look at me. The girl sat curled up on the bed, eyes glaring somewhere.

Taking a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator located near my work cabinet, I then approached Fawn. He was a little confused when he sensed my existence. It was as if I was a monster coming out from under the bed and was about to eat its head. 

Damn it, if you weren't arrogant and provoked my anger, I wouldn't have let you be here!

"Drink this" I commanded. His trembling hands greeted the bottle of mineral water. Our eyes met with a glimpse and he immediately frowned in disdain.

"Don't do much, or I'll hit you!"

"Until when are you gonna tie me up here?" Fawn responded to me with a withered voice. Tears came back on her cheeks.

"Until I get tired of you, maybe?" I responded with a voice I made a joke of. His face immediately turned to me, his forehead shriveling in confusion.

"You're a psychopath, Ace."

"It's not the first time I've heard that impression of you, but thank you."

The worse and worse the impression people have on me the better. A non-scary person cannot be a leader. It is only with my ugliness that I can be at the top of the food chain now.

"You know that's not a compliment, right?"

"I know." I said and then I thought back to the paperbag I had brought before. "By the way, get up. I have a gift for you."

I sat on the lip of the bed, unpacked the paperbag I was carrying and took out the contents. Fawn who sat curled up while hugging her knees watched me in silence.

"Your feet" I said again, then without waiting for his reaction, I pulled his right leg into my lap.

"GET OFF!" He came back screaming. "Ace fucker! Unhand me!"

A bracelet I took out of the box. A digital bracelet with a red light flashing on its screen. Ignoring Fawn who was struggling in fear, I put the bracelet on her leg.

"Perfect," I muttered after putting on the bracelet. "From now on, this will be your new handcuffs."

"Huh?" Fawn felt the bracelet on her leg with discomfort. He looked at me with confusion in his eyes. As if asking what kind of madness I was doing to her.

"It's a sensory bracelet," I explained gently. "After I put this bracelet on you, the sensor will light up. Every beat of your heart, the width and length of your steps will be closely monitored."

"For what?" fawn's voice was low and puffed up. "What is all this madness for?"

"Don't I tell you I'll keep you as my toy?" I chuckled a little before looking back at Fawn's face with a sour expression.

"My explanation is not finished. Anyway, about this clock, you can't let it go. To be more precise, if you release this clock, a warning alarm will sound. If your heart rate weakens and your location is outside the area I'm limiting, the alarm will also sound."

"If you stay insistent on running away or trying to hurt yourself, the alarm will sound. When the alarm goes off, three people you know will receive punishment for your actions. Hows it? Do you understand?"

"Are you crazy? What do you mean three people? Is keeping me here not enough? Who are those three?" Fawn's eyes widened.

"I heard you were very close to these three people. Lilian Alder, Vita, and-oh, Joseph?"

Color fading from Fawn's face. He paled in fear. At that time, I knew I had won.

"Suppose this guarantee, Fawn. I won't hurt them as long as you don't act. Now, you really get it, don't you?"

...--------...