NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5 - De Lucia (1)
Thud—
A taxi raced down the street and turned into a dark alleyway.
It’s six o’clock, just as the sun sets. The shops are opening in the early evening, and their colorful neon signs are lit up.
Those still in daylight, on the other hand, looked grimy and dingy. It was the epitome of Demercy’s back alleys, the enclave’s best neighborhoods.
A yellow taxi pulled up to a stop on that grayish, cigarette-smoked street, and then the door opened.
Swoosh—A breeze blew through a lock of her hair, which seemed fragile when held in the palm of a hand.
It was a rare sight in a city where the majority of women stuck to short haircuts.
A style that had long since gone out of fashion, but the color that radiated from her flowing platinum locks was mesmerizing, drawing the attention of all the men in the room.
Lilia wore a dress that covered the toes of her feet and had a low-cut, boat-necked sleeve, and a rich fur coat draped over her bare arms.
Only the beading of the dress, which cinched at the waist like a belt, revealed the graceful curves of her body.
But there was no doubt that her understated beauty made her stand out. She was like a swan stepping into muddy water.
Flick—Whistles were blown, and crude jokes were directed at her. Lilia shrugged them off as unworthy of her attention and continued on her way to a particular establishment.
《De Lucia》It was an old bar, one of the Benedetti family’s strongholds.
‘I’d heard about it from Wayne, but I’d never been there, and this is what it looks like,’
she thought.
The place looked like it was 20 years old. It hadn’t been remodeled and looked shabby and run-down.
It looked more like a dilapidated bar than a place where mafia members hang out.
Even the faint music playing through the door sounded like something you’d hear on the radio in the 40s.
‘Is that a trick of its own? It certainly doesn’t make me want to venture inside.’
Lilia’s hand gripped the rusted doorknob as she heard another round of boisterous banter behind her.
“Hey, lady. Are you sure you’re not in the wrong place?” “If I may give you a piece of advice, you shouldn’t go in there.”They didn’t mean to, but their comments sounded like they were talking about Lilia’s entire life.
That if she went in, her life would never be the same.
I know that. If I wiped Benedetti and Corella out of my head, I could live a different life. I wouldn’t have to take any risks.
But there’s no going back if I set my mind to it.
Lilia grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.
Click—The people sitting on the wooden stools in the corner of the bar, quenching their thirst, turned to look at the entrance. So did the bartender with the graying hair, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of Lilia.
“Um….”The bartender put down the glass he was polishing and walked over.
“You want a drink? Today is—” “Uh, no. I’m here to look for a job.”The bartender’s brow furrowed at the outburst, and laughter erupted from somewhere in the room.
Lilia was the only one keeping her composure.
“I heard this is a jazz bar,”she said again.
It was a decision she’d made last night. She was willing to become a part-time vocalist as a first step in infiltrating the organization.
‘I’ve always wanted to be on stage again.’
And then it happened.
Among the organization’s many locations, the jazz bar stood out for its loose atmosphere.
As a woman who sings there, it’s easy to interact with other members of the organization and build rapport.
So I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.
De Lucia’s bar attracts all sorts of people.
People who owe them money, those who owe them favors, business entanglements, not to mention their members… There are really all kinds of people.
That includes civilians who don’t know whose territory this belongs to.
And Maurizio, the bartender, was used to tucking civilians away, but today he was baffled.
The woman who asked him if there were any jobs available shoved the papers in his face without giving him a chance to say no.
He looked down at them in disbelief.
A resume with brief biographical details, and performance contract offers from several of the city’s top hotels and bars.
‘I guess she’s not so bad, but….’
Maurizio clicked his tongue and handed the papers back. He didn’t bother to look any further.
This wasn’t the kind of place that welcomed a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into.
“We don’t have any openings. I suggest you look elsewhere.” “No jobs, or no jobs for a common girl?”Maurizio paused at the blunt question. What did she know?
‘From the way she talks, it sounds like she has some idea of where exactly she is.’
A sour look crossed his face as his teeth clenched.
I could imagine that she must have heard about this place from across the street and come here with some sort of ridiculous fantasy.
Sometimes there are such people. Humans demand to be accepted by the world as if it were some great honor.
That’s not entirely untrue, but the woman before me was a surprise. She was not the sort to envy the world of the underworld.
‘Well, looks can be deceiving, I suppose, but she’s tough as nails, and I’m not sure whether she’s immune from getting in trouble.’
With a sigh, he pushed the innocent-looking woman toward the door. It was the least he could do, a warning.
“You’d better stay out of this place, and go home safely.” “Hmm. Hold on, wait.”That’s when someone interrupted.
Maurizio was silent for a moment, for the intervention of ‘the man’ was unexpected, and so was Lilia, who was also in the midst of an argument.
Her gaze flicked to the man who was approaching them.
His leather jacket and biker boots stood out from the rest of the crowd. His jet-black hair was slicked back over his forehead like Elvis Presley’s.
As she studied his face, she couldn’t help but recognize him.
‘Antonio Benedetti?’
Although she didn’t know him, she couldn’t help but recognize him. He was a cousin of the Benedetti brothers, as the last name implied, and…
‘A low life who was said to be a lunatic in many ways.’
But why was he here? He was obviously not on good terms with the owner of this area.
The reason might not matter right now.
“My dear young lady, don’t you think you’re in a position to cover up your hot and cold meals?”Answering his question was the priority, but just as I was about to rack my brains over his unclear intentions, a sneer followed.
“Well, if you came here after leaving it in one piece, you must have gone to the bottom of the barrel. Can I help you?”An uneasy premonition flashed through my mind.
Antonio’s mouth curved upward in a soft smile, and a lecherous voice slipped from between his lips.
“Tell me. I can give you the job you want.” “Ah…”This wasn’t the scenario I was expecting, and it wasn’t where I wanted things to go.
In her memory, Antonio was the caporegime in charge of the West Peal district, and Lilia’s current location was managed by someone else entirely.
There had to be a reason why he’d come here out of all the places he could have been.
Lilia’s eyes flickered in confusion.
‘Why is this man here… It shouldn’t be like this.’
And since I had a feeling I knew what he was referring to, I didn’t want to listen to his suggestion.
The problem was, that I had no excuse for not listening or saying no to Antonio. Lilia swallowed hard and asked what had been on her mind.
“What’s this about your recommendation…?” “There is such a thing. A job that suits you perfectly. We have a lot of important people come to our shop, and you’re supposed to serve them.” “…I—” “Serving them isn’t much, just listening to stories and singing if the lady wants to sing. It’s not that hard, and they pay well…”Antonio wrapped his hand around Lilia’s waist and whispered in her ear.
“…And plenty of beautiful things.”A shiver ran down her spine.
Lilia closed her eyes, catching her breath at the unpleasant sensation. Her thin lashes trembled weakly.
“Ha…”When she opened her eyes again, the green depths beneath her lashes were as fresh and vibrant as the grasses of the August solstice.
But in contrast to their color, her eyes held the coldness of the winter wind.
I didn’t need to ask any more questions to know what he meant by arrangements. My guess was correct.
‘He’s making it sound like a good deal to work in a red-light district.’