Lyra and I rushed around the room, tearing through cabinets in search of presentable clothes. Thankfully for me, I had a few options to choose from. In the end, I decided on a black suit vest and slacks combo with a white shirt, red tie, gold watch, and black dress shoes. Lyra chose a similarly formal red cloak with a red leather corset over a white shirt and black bowtie that she matched with black slacks and boots.
"You know," Lyra said as she adjusted her makeup in the mirror. "We don't need to rush. We already know how negotiations pan out."
"Maybe," I acknowledged as I sprayed myself down with the first cologne I found tucked away in the trunk in front of my bed. "But we also don't know how long they're going to try. All we know is the outcome. If they give up before we get there, that's bad for us."
"Worst case, I can send us back a few hours. It's all I can manage for now. I'll be out of commission if we have to, though, so let's hope we're not due any intense fights today."
"We might not be due for a fight, but we are going to figure out why exactly House Greaves never sold in any loop. I'd be happy it just turned out that nobody was a fit for the family, but knowing Isobel and how committed she is to keeping the place, I wouldn't be surprised if she did something to ensure nobody could buy the House."
"Let's think positive," Lyra said, sitting down on the tiny chair in front of the vanity mirror. "If Isobel does anything to prevent the sale, you can exploit your 'special connection' with her to calm her down. As for the family, why wouldn't we be a fit? We're wealthy, reputable, and strong. Why wouldn't they…" She paused, suddenly horrified.
"What?"
"Lloyd. You… didn't you get into it with one of them yesterday? Isobel's brother?"
My heart dropped. Ah, shit. "You don't think he's the petty type, right? He wouldn't hold a grudge, you think?"
"Well, we're about to find out."
***
The walk to House Greaves had been tense. We silently walked through that same gravel path that I walked down with Isobel. Though the memories of our time together did play back, they were immediately followed by the sounds of her angry voice, I was bound to hear soon – if they weren't preceded by her brother's potential moaning beforehand. At moments like this, I usually looked to Lyra for guidance or emotional stability, but the poor girl looked even more anxious than I did, so that was a no-go.
Things weren't any better when we finally arrived. Like the flier had said, there were refreshments: sandwiches, cut fruit, and those bready sugar cookies aristocrats loved for some reason, all served with cold water and what looked to be bottles of expensive wine. That wasn't what initially caught my attention, though. No, what caught my attention was the swathe of men and women sitting on cheap wooden chairs in front of the comparatively lavish table serving said refreshments.
"Don't bother," A man said to me the moment we made eye contact. He wore a three-piece brown suit with a similarly colored tophat. "The lady of this house has made it clear that House Greaves is not for sale."
I shared a pensive look with Lyra before returning my gaze to the man. "Isobel Greaves, you mean?"
The man nodded. "Things were going well, but she came from her chambers upstairs and derailed the conversation, dismantling my deal before I could finish it. A shame, really."
"At least she wasn't being obnoxious during your meeting," Another person spoke, an older woman dressed in a frilly shirt with a long skirt and knee-high heels. "Each time I attempted to speak, she spoke over me! I could hardly get a word out! I was so fed up that I ended up leaving."
"Wow, things were fine for me," Another man said. "She was quiet during my meeting, but I swear I was hearing things. Did any of you deal with that? I kept hearing people whisper in my ear, and I kept turning to face them! She ended up calling me out for not paying attention and demanded I leave!"
A group of younger men and women, adventurers, I assumed, based on their utilitarian attire, nodded their agreement, one of the women from the group speaking up to talk about how they wanted to turn House Greaves into a party house, but were turned down by Isobel's mother rather than Isobel herself.
After hearing even more stories from the others outside, Lyra and I excused ourselves… after getting some of the refreshments. We stood a bit further from the crowd, deeper into the gravel path between the farmland, eating sandwiches and imported fruit while ultimately raising the same point between bites: this might just be a lost cause. Not only were we unlikely to actually get the house, but with my appearance here, there was a decent chance that Isobel would be emboldened to attack us!
"Okay, look," Lyra started, covering her mouth as she chewed and spoke. "These are the times when we compare pros and cons. Let's do that."
"Alright," I accepted. "Con. We create our worst enemy, and she seeks us out the moment she's strong enough."
"Pro, we… uh… get the House somehow, and that doesn't happen."
"Con. We do get the House, but Isobel is so angered by the sale that she approaches the Demon Lord immediately, getting a power boost we can't handle just yet and taking House Greaves from us."
"P-pro… We use our status to… hire an army… and–"
"Who in Podros can fight off Demon Queen Isobel and an army of demons?"
"I-I don't know! We… okay, Lloyd. I think we should call this one off. The idea was nice, but we'd be better off looking for Mere–"
"Is that who I think it is?! Lloyd May? The 5-Star Adventurer!" A familiar voice called, coming from the House.
My stomach turned as the speaker approached. Lyra gave me a concerned look as I approached him.
"Laurence Greaves! It's good to see you again."
The man was dressed in a white shirt with black pants, shoes, and a bowtie. Which was unfortunate, because he was absolutely drenched in sweat. He still reached out to snatch my hand, furiously shaking it as he spoke. "May I say you are the most handsome devil I have ever seen in my life? Goodness, if my sister weren't so smitten with you, I might just snatch you up myself!"
"Um–"
"And you!" He continued, turning to Lyra. He bowed, kissed her hand, then smiled at her. For whatever reason, I felt the urge to hit him. I pushed it down. "Lyra Knight! I've heard such great things about you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The two of us shared a look, shared an uncomfortable nod, then turned back to Laurence. Peer pressure was a bitch.
"We're… here to put in an offer."
I may as well have offered the man the Heavens. "Oh, Lloyd!" Laurence cried. "I knew I was right about you!" He snatched our hands and practically dragged us toward the House. "Come, the two of you. Now! While Isobel is away," He said, muttering those last words under his breath.
"What was that?" Lyra asked.
"Nothing! Nothing at all. Please, let's just be quick. Very quick. Please!"