As the elevator doors opened with a ding, the fox-masked man led Finn and Iris out of it and into a luxurious hallway, but ominously so. It was made of pure black marble, their boots creating a crisp reverberating sound as they walked. There were no windows around them, only faint white lights on the walls that looked like candles but really were not.
At the end of the corridor, a tall set of metal double-doors lay. They were black with two vertical golden door handles, along with golden lining weaved into curls and flower-like designs. It gave off a posh, exotic feel, but at the same time also somewhat threatening.
The fox-masked man stopped before the doors and gently knocked on them.
"Master. I have brought the two individuals you've requested to see."
After several seconds, the sweet, seductive voice of a mature woman responded.
"… Come in."
"…?" Finn's eyebrow twitched a little at the voice. It was… strangely familiar. But alas, there was no way he could've met this woman before. After all, she was a powerful figure in the Underground City, the same place where Finn had only been to once and met a total of two people in until today.
Iris too noticed something was off, but she didn't voice her thoughts out loud either. The fox-masked man pushed the doors open, and the three entered the room inside.
It was… beautiful.
The windowless room had a greyscale aesthetic, with grey walls and a black ceiling. The furniture was all either black or silver, and even the chandelier did not hold orange flames. Instead, it held white ones, though how they achieved that was unknown.
The back wall across from the three was a grid-patterned shelf, lined with books and silver artifacts. In front of it was a large desk filled with items, and behind that desk was a black leather throne.
And on that throne… the only source of color in the room sat, standing out like no other.
"… Welcome."
A woman with a well-endowed figure sat within the throne, wearing a beautiful red robe that made her seem like a queen. She wore the mask of a cat on her face, but that did little to hide her obvious beauty. Her revealing garments highlighted her voluptuous chest and silky white thighs that peeked out from beneath her robes, able to give any grown man a nosebleed.
For some reason, when Iris saw her, she felt a feeling similar to one she had felt just not too long ago. Where had it been again…? She couldn't remember, mind too focused on this woman's figure. After comparing hers with her own, Iris could only pity herself.
"… You may leave us, Fox," the woman said, to which the fox-masked man nodded and bowed deeply.
"Understood."
With that, he promptly stepped backwards and left the room, closing the door behind him in the process. Iris and Finn were now alone with this mysterious woman, and the two were unsure how to feel about that.
"… Take a seat," the woman said, folding her arms. Then, after sensing the two's hesitation, she sighed. "Relax. It's not poisoned."
"Hm… no hidden mechanisms or traps that I can see," Iris whispered. Finn nodded, then took a seat. Iris shifted off of his back and sat down in the seat beside him.
"I trust you've heard why I wished to meet you, yes?" The woman asked, blowing out on a cigar gently.
Finn nodded. "You want me to participate in this… Warrior's Cage."
"Ahaha~" The woman suddenly laughed in response, elegant and alluring. "Forget about that. It was a lie."
"… What?"
"Truth to be told, I just wanted to see you. However, I couldn't send my servants to invite you without a proper reason. I believe we have met before, yes?"
Finn frowned. "Have we?"
The woman smiled playfully, and slowly reached up to her mask. Then, she carefully took it off, revealing her true beauty.
And it was then that Iris's eyes widened.
"W-Wait… you're… Evelyn?!"
The woman—Evelyn—smiled seductively.
"We meet again, Spade and Heart. Or should I say… Ace and Ivy?"
"I see… so you have two identities…" Iris murmured after hearing Evelyn's explanation on why she was here.
"Precisely," Evelyn said. "I am the proud leader of Evelyn's Heart by day, but also Carmen, the queen of this underground city, by night."
"Hmph. So… which is the real you?" Finn asked.
"Who knows?" Evelyn exhaled out of her cigar. "Maybe both. Maybe neither."
"Um… so what do we call you, then?" Iris asked hesitantly. "Evelyn, or Carmen?"
"Evelyn is my real name. That part is not a lie, and will never change. But to think I would meet you two here… is this a mere coincidence, or fate?"
"Just a coincidence, nothing more," Finn muttered. "So we both have identities. I don't know what your intention is in showing us a weakness we can exploit, but know we won't hold back in exposing you if you make a move against us."
"Yes, I am aware of that," Evelyn said with a soft chuckle. "Your personality says that much. As for why I opened myself up to you like this… you could say it is an act of sincerity."
Finn furrowed his brows. "… Sincerity?"
"Indeed. I would like us… to become partners."
"E-Eh?!" Iris nearly fell out of her chair upon hearing this, heat rising to her cheeks. "W-Wait, what do you mean by partners?!"
Evelyn, seeing her flustered reaction, giggled slightly.
"Relax, little girl. I'm not going to steal your boyfriend here… maybe. After all, it has been a while since I've last had a man~"
"U-Um…!"
"… Partners in what?" Finn cut in, completely unaffected by Evelyn's flirtatious comments. She was like a completely different person under this identity.
"In bed~"
"Definitely not!" Iris hurriedly cut in and frantically tried to stand up, but forgot that she couldn't.
"Fufu~ well, it was a valiant effort, I suppose…" Evelyn sighed and crossed one leg over the other, as if trying to tempt Finn with those plump thighs of hers, without realizing that he was blind anyway. "But truth to be told, I am in a bit of a dilemma right now. I require someone's help—and you, Finn, are the perfect person. Won't you help a damsel in distress?"
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