Moonlight After Sunset's
Lake Sinju pt 3

"A peaceful city is simply a camouflage of evil itself."

******************#####****************

In the morning everything returned to its original state, there was no commotion, there was no violence there were only people who laughed happily together with occasional jokes about the day they had been through.

The atmosphere looked beautiful like most of the fairy tales in the books. Where everyone lives happily and helps each other, there is only cheerfulness and warmth to be seen in this city.

"I'm sorry" murmured at the sight of the warm sight before him.

Dusk knew very well that they did not know at all what their own hosts had done. No one knew that the small lake that they regarded as a symbol of purity was the dirtiest place in the kingdom.

While enjoying a cup of warm tea and a light snack, Dusk is still focused on sneering at the citizens who look stupid to him. The faces filled with warm smiles only made Dusk even more disgusted with this place.

"Miss, your face is so ugly right now."

Dian who had just arrived could not see the disgusted expression of the lady. Dusk is silent with its ac. He did not respond at all to Dian and was still focused on what he had seen.

Dian herself could only sigh deeply with the cold reaction of the lady. A few minutes later Dusk decided to walk around the city.

Along the way, Dusk only saw the happiness that increasingly upset him without cause, while Dian who was beside him only felt strange with the attitude of his miss.

"Miss, if you're not well. Let's just go back to the inn."

"No."

Dusk answered briefly before going inside the bar beside him.

"This city is not as chaotic as the Kingdom of Guira but still this appearance is still strange to me." Inner Dusk as he entered the door of the bar. Surprisingly this bar does not look like other bars in general.

There are many differences here, apart from the decoration, the placement of the judgment room also looks very simple and social or even can be said to be low.

"What's this?" ask Dusk frontal when you first see a bar with a strange feel like this.

"It's..."

"It looks normal" cut the strange man out of nowhere.

The man arrogantly stood beside Dusk. The man's clothes looked old but still looked luxurious with silver ornaments around his hands and chest.

Slowly Dusk looked at the man who was now smiling gently at him. The smile seemed sincere yet somehow Dusk did not like this man beside him at all.

"Am I that good-looking, sir?" the man asked still with a big smile on his face. Dusk who heard the man's narcissistic question only narrowed his eyes.

"You look old-fashioned," replied Dusk after a moment of silence.

"I don't like you" he continued cynically before staring back to the front to see the contents of the bar.

"Oho, I'm so flattered by that."

The man replied with a sharp sarcasm. He looks so interested in Dusk who is currently in a position disguised as a man.

"Huh."

Dusk replied with a sigh of annoyance. He then left the man to enter one of the gambling rooms.

The gambling room looks exactly the same as the outside, so simple and ordinary. There is nothing special about the gambling room, there are only a few players who are playing casually.

They looked indifferent to the arrival of Dusk there, besides they were all average aged. Some of them even looked quite old like someone who lived for more than half a century.

"I put two chips together" one of the old men shouted as he threw his chip.

"I'm coming," the other excited.

"True ke*arat!" the others choked while throwing their cards on the floor.

"Bhuaahaha.., go you loser."

The man who was yelled at looked increasingly irritated, his face flushed like he was ready to explode at any moment. He ruthlessly pushed his chair and left the room.

"Fuck old man" the man murmured as he crossed his eyes with Dusk. He roughly let out his breath before leaving the room.

"Hey, what's up, man?" screeched the mysterious man who had previously spoken to Dusk.

"It's a little less fussy" he continued, stroking his tugged chest.

Dusk himself just stared lazily at the mysterious man. He has absolutely no interest in what's going on there.

"It's a bother," grumbled the cold twilight.

"We meet again here," exclaimed the mysterious man still with his friendly smile.

"..."

"Hahahaha.." the man laughed awkwardly as Dusk simply ignored his greeting. He looked embarrassed by scratching his neck which was not itchy at all.

"Introduce my name Derick" he continued back with outstretched arms. But once again Dusk just stared blankly at Derick's hand with his turn.

"I don't care," wrote Dusk sharply who asserted that he did not like Derick's presence in the room at all.

"Is that so?" derick asked curiously, but instead of answering Dusk went to leave him for the empty seat that had previously been left by the owner violently.

"Who is this?" ask one of the old men who was right in front of Dusk.

The old man seemed pleased with the presence of Dusk, perhaps he was thinking of taking a lot of advantage from him.

Dusk lazily ignored the old man's question. He then threw a few chips at the table and looked towards the city.

"start."

Some of the old men who were at the table felt attracted by the figure of the young man who seemed so confident in his actions. They happily welcome the game of Twilight but unfortunately they do not realize that it is the end of the money they have.

*****

"Is it over?" ask Dusk naughty.

"I give up" replied the old man who was beside him.

"I am too."

In the end one by one of the old men gave up on Dusk. They no longer have the money to fight death with a foreign man who is even more cunning than anyone they have ever met.

"What a shame," exclaimed Dusk disappointed. He then threw the chips at the city to be converted into real money.

"Ah, you mentioned the lake of chastity, didn't you?"

The old man's eyes now turned towards Dusk as he asked the obvious in the city.

"That's a newcomer, right" they sneered.

"Well, then do you know what the contents of the lake are?"

"Are you crazy because most of you win?" one of the old men asked with his red eyes.

"In this entire continent, all lakes are filled with water. Water huh, water. You know what water is, right?"

"..."

The twilight was silent while shrugging both of his shoulders.

"Good, this kid!" the man shouted annoyed.

"Uncle, I ask not because I do not know but rather I just wonder why the lake became isolated?"

"That's because the lake was the place of death of the son of the owner of this city. One of the twins died there so the lake was closed to the public."

Obviously the old man who was on the left side of Dusk.

"Is that so? It's so weird."

Now Derick speaks up. He looks excited in this story.

"I feel like the lake is a bit strange. If he had died there, wouldn't there have been a day when the lake was opened in memory of the child's spirit?"

Derick's question made the whole room quiet. They also felt something strange about it, because after the death of his son, the owner of the city never celebrated or mourned with it.

They thought the owner of the city might feel frustrated because the child he loved just died in such a horrible way that he never showed it to anyone. It was possible that the owner of the city was struggling against his agitated heart, but this had taken too long for it.

It has been too long since the death of the princess but the owner of the city remains silent even the story is now only a fairy tale where no one can approach the area that continues to be closely guarded.

Seeing the old men who were confused, Dusk happily joined in making them even more crazy.

"Is it possible that the owner of the town is hiding something there?" ask Dusk with the perfect lure.

"Maybe there are things that he must keep meetings of his citizens so as not to allow anyone to visit there even though it is just a memory of his own daughter."

Dusk just kept sprinkling seasonings into their chaotic minds.

"Maybe the owner of the city is preparing for something big. Yes, it's just a possibility and it could be yes or no. Who knows."

Their minds are now increasingly confused with the sweet spice given by Dusk. Their eyes twinkled violently and without greeting, they left the room with flushed faces and big steps.

"Oh wow, you're so great."

Derick seemed amazed by Dusk who had managed to provoke the old men.

"..."

"Don't keep ignoring me. Just say anything, even if it's just one letter."

Dusk looked indifferent even though Derick had begged him. He still doesn't like Derick no matter what.

"Do you still hate me?"

"..."

"Why?"

"..."

A few moments of silence there, both Derick and Dusk. They were both silent without a word. Until the moment one of the servants entered with the money belonging to Dusk.

"What kind of aura is this?" ask the waiter when he enters the room. He felt a chill on his back and strangely he had no idea of the origin of the cold.

"Sir, this is your money."

The waiter handed over the money in a hurry before leaving the room in a hurry.

Dusk indifferently threw the money bag at Dian. He then stood up from his seat and walked away.

"I just don't like you, just don't like you. That's it." exclaimed Dusk before leaving the room.

After the room only left her a single person, Derick casually drew a mischievous smile on both ends of his lips. He seemed to be so amused by the game Dusk just a moment ago.

"I didn't expect that Duke Ari's Grand Princess turned out to be very good at gambling." Derick muttered softly.

"I didn't even realize he was that smart in provoking someone. Was his innocent attitude just camouflage for his cunning?"

Question after question kept popping up in Derick's mind. He coldly stared at the exit area where Dusk had just come out of there. With a strange smile, he pulled the corner of his tongue to wet his dry lips.

"Do we need to play any further, honey?" derick asked as one of his subordinates entered the room.

"Master, all the preparations are done."

"That's great, let's go." cried Derick as he received a letter from his subordinate.