Chapter Text
The sensation of the sea breeze against his peaceful face was one of his favorite feelings in the world.
Unfortunately, right now, he was stuck in a richly decorated room, preventing him from feeling any natural wind caressing his face. And even if his expression was seemingly peaceful, Suo was quite the expert in hiding and faking his emotions.
That was precisely why he was here in the first place.
"I must admit, I am quite surprised by the quality of your merchandise."
Without even a flinch in his faked friendliness, Suo refocused himself on the person in front of him. A middle-aged man of rather wealthy appearance, which can be noticed thanks to his long white wig and his tight aristocratic outfit embroidered with gold. This man, who liked to make himself called a Viscount, was currently seated in front of him, staring at him with a seemingly pleased air. They were face to face, seated around a little golden table in a huge room with a lot of expensive paintings and furniture, like long mirrors or oriental vases.
Suo forced himself to ignore the little wrinkles around the corner of his mouth trying to be hidden by a slight white powder spread on his skin, the man probably expecting to look younger than his real age. That want to always appear younger in the aristocratic sphere never missed to amuse him, but he couldn't laugh about it. Not right now.
In comparison, Suo's attire was much simpler than the extravagant clothes of the man in front of him. A tight white blouse with black tailored trousers, no straight corset, high boots or richly decorated jewelry, only a burgundy red scarf hung around his slim waist as a belt. His attire resembled perfectly that of a humble but professional trader. The only items that were probably a little special in his outfit being his long earrings and his full black eye patch. But in this period of time, it wasn't that rare to see people with an eye hidden by a piece of cloth.
Suo's stance was straight on his chair, waiting for the man to ask him to talk before answering. Despite his appearance, Suo knew perfectly all the codes and norms in aristocratic families, how to stand, straight but not too much, how to smile, friendly but not too much, how to talk, always interested but waiting for permission. It was like rules he internalized so long ago that acting like a noble was a second nature for him. Maybe because it was like he should've acted, what he should've become.
But Suo was too attached to liberty to ever accept this strict and imprisoning fate. Even in his younger years, when the only perspective he had was to follow the rules and become what they all wanted him to become, he hid that rebellious and wicked part of him deep down, knowing that it was something he wouldn't be able to ever let out.
Well, it was before his encounter with the sun.
"I sincerely thank his highness and applaud his expert eye, those merchandise are indeed of first quality."
Praise and compliment were always very used in aristocratic conversations. Always with that hypocrite smile and fake admiration, but either the nobles were all hypocrites and knew about those tricks, or they were all profoundly stupid to notice it. Because they were falling for the trick every single time.
Here wasn't an exception, the wealthy Viscount in front of him let his guard down a little more and smiled happily.
Stupid pig, thought Suo. If there was something he hated more than anything, it was most definitely nobles and their ignorance. They were all filthy and grotesque, talking with that superior air when they knew nothing about life.
Suo tried to contain his disgust. Now wasn't the time to let his inner thoughts show. He had an important mission to perform.
"Yeah right? After years and years of trading like me, you tend to get experience. You are still a little young, but I am sure you will make a great trader in the near future!"
Suo's smile grew a little more and he bowed respectfully before the man.
"I thank this lord once again for his kindness. Does that mean you are buying the boxes that I brought here?"
Always show them that you respect them. Always make them think that they have the upper hand. Always make them think that they are leading you on.
"It is your lucky day my friend, I will take all your cargo!"
"But... won't it be better for his highness to come and see the cargo before buying everything?"
"I know young traders like you do not have wrong intentions. I am sure that the tea you served me today is the same in all those boxes I have seen on your ship. And I do not want any other concurrent or rival family to buy them before me." The Viscount smile became a little more petty. "I only should have the upper hand on a tea of this quality. Maybe even the queen would invite me to the Palais!"
Always show them that you are on their side.
"I am undoubtedly certain his lordship will be summoned."
Experience my ass.
The noble once again sent him a pleased look. Suo raised from his chair before placing a hand on his heart, his smile still kind and respectful.
Now was the time to cook him.
"If his highness is satisfied with my care, I will now prepare everything for the merchandise to be brought to your castle."
"No need to hurry my dear." The man chuckled lightly. "The young generation is always so pressed. Do you have any other affairs today?"
"No, not really..." Suo showed an embarrassed smile. "The truth is, I was so anxious about this encounter with the Viscount that I canceled all my other appointments... It was my first time trading with a famous aristocratic family so... I guess I panicked a little too much."
The laughter following Suo's sentence is real, a little less strict and more authentic. That is precisely when Suo knows he already got what he wanted.
"Oh my, you sure are new in the field my boy." The noble sent him a kind smile. "What about I help you get more experience around aristocratic folks, hm? I organized a little party tonight in my castle to celebrate the new season and my recent purchases on the market. I can invite you so you will be able to get new relations with other traders and travelers. What do you think?"
Suo raised his head a little with a surprised expression.
"Me? But... I really do not deserve that honor..."
"Oh come on boy, you are a talented merchant, you sure have your place at my table. And you told me you came from oriental countries right? You for sure have a lot of stories to tell."
Inviting me to entertain high society? Fair enough, I'd say.
Suo was really kind of disappointed. They were all using the same tricks when they saw a new talent, be it on the commercial field or everywhere else, they would try to act with sympathy and kindness to gain their trust. Then they will position themselves like mentors and teachers, and before Suo would notice it, he will become a slave under this man's grip, doing whatever he wanted him to do and following each order this old man will give him, the noble using emotion and money to have him around his finger.
It was always all about possession. They always wanted to have more and more and more, even if families and entire populations were starving and dying, they wanted to have more money, more food, more gold, more clothes, more rare objects... Suo was so fed up with this hierarchy, with this world with a minority of rich and wealthy assholes governing and taking again and again.
This world was so fucked up it could be funny.
"If his highness insists, it would be an honor for me to attend tonight's event."
The smile on the noble's face became a little more vile, but he tried to hide it by coughing slightly, his hand in front of his mouth. Unlike Suo, he wasn't able to control every single emotion of his. What a waste.
"But before I stay with this lordship." Suo showed a slight anxious smile. "I have to go to my ship to verify that everything is in order. To be honest, I am not quite reassured with all the recent rumors, so I prefer to be careful."
Hearing this the lord frowned a little, his white hair still perfectly fixed against his skull and a cup of the famous tea in his hand.
"What rumors are you talking about, boy?"
"His highness didn't hear about it?"
In his mind, Suo's smile became more amused. This really was too easy...
"Pirates, sir."
It was only a word.
One tiny little word.
But it was able to entirely change the Viscount's demeanor.
His relaxed attitude suddenly became tense, his expression stressed, his skin pale and eyes widening. And he was trying so hard to hide his sudden fear, Suo would almost praise him for his efforts, if that man wasn't embodying what he hated the most: adults acting like spoiled children.
Really, it was too funny how this simple word was able to crush every confidence an aristocrat managed to build. Suo could laugh out loud about it, if his mission wasn't so important.
"...pirates, you say?"
"Yes sir. There have been rumors about a new ship coming to this coast, and even if my boat is small and my shipment is not so important, I am positioned in the big harbor of the town. The chances for my ship and crew to be attacked are high..."
"And do you maybe happen to know which crew is it?"
Suo's eye began to shine.
"Bofurin, your highness."
This time, the cup of tea fell onto the floor and broke into millions of tiny porcelain pieces. The expression on the aristocrat's face was horrified, and Suo was delighted to see this in person.
"Bofurin?? Shouldn't they be near the high seas right now??"
"As you probably know, Bofurin is a fleet of several ships whose commanders are independent of each other. Even if they remain extremely loyal to their captain, some boats can afford to go wherever they want. Their slogan has always been freedom, even within their own crew. That is probably what makes them so powerful: their freedom and loyalty."
As the noble was now anxiously asking for his trading register while a maid was cleaning the mess in his feet, the man not even caring about kicking her if she was in the way, Suo found real satisfaction in seeing this trash be so frightened by the only name of this pirate crew. But he wasn't an exception, every single noble was terrified by the mention of this only name.
After all, Bofurin wasn't a simple name one could utter like this. It was an ancient name of a huge pirate crew that traveled on the seas for a long time now. They were known to be powerful and respected, winning almost all their battles and losing very few crewmembers even during the most violent fights.
But what was so special about them was that they never attacked or robbed the common people.
No, their targets were always rich and wealthy aristocrats.
They were a pirate crew known for their strength, but also for their kindness. Against all assumptions, their crewmen always made a point of distributing their treasures to the poorest people. Saving the widow and the orphan was their daily life, and if at first everyone found this behavior rather strange from a crew of pirates, after several years they had become a symbol of freedom and equality, heroes whom the people cheered and supported against the biggest riches of this world who didn't care the slightest about the fate of normal people, or the corrupted pirates killing and violating innocents.
So if they incarnate the heroes of the common peoples, they were also the worst enemies of the aristocratic empire.
"I didn't get any alerts of Bofurin pirates in the area." The middle aged man suddenly said, reading his big trading book with attention. "Those robbers are never so silent or discreet, always making a fuss when they come into town. If they really were there, I would have been noticed about it."
The master of the house's clean and supposedly perfect demeanor changed to be a little more frantic, some white hair falling in front of his anxious eyes and his hands trembling slightly.
Suo's smile became a little more apologetic. Inside, he was beaming.
"My apologies sir, those are just rumors I happen to hear. If this lord was not noticed, then it must be my mistake."
The man let out a long sigh, urging the maid to finish cleaning everything before standing up. He gave the big book to another servant and walked to the huge windows, standing before them and clasping his hands on his back.
"No, you did good to notice me about it. Knowing their reputation, I will not take any risks."
Now positioned in his back, Suo let an evil glimmer pass though his reddish eye.
Here, fall in my trap, filthy little rat.
"That would be a great idea, my lord."
"Hm. But I won't let those excuses of humans stop our fun, I will show them that they are nothing against the empire! Tonight will be one of those nights one should never forget."
Oh believe me, it will.
"You are entirely right sir."
"You know," the man chuckled a little. "The first time I saw you I thought you were one of that filthy kind. It is not so common to see a seller with an eye patch like yours."
"Well, I have traveled a lot and things happen..."
"That is what I understood. But at first, I really thought you were a pirate."
Suo's eye shone with something the man couldn't see, his back still facing him. In this late afternoon, as the sun was starting to set, his red pupil reflected a light dancing with amusement and evil, contrasting with his still sincerely kind smile.
"Me, a pirate? I would never."
"That is what I thought after I talked with you." The man chuckled again. "No pirate would be so well educated as you."
You would be surprised.
"And for your ship," the Viscount turned to look at him, his seemingly kind smile back. "Do not worry about it, I will post some of my men to help your crew."
"I cannot accept this..."
"I insist. You really have the good reflexes, talking to me about those pirates and trading with the best sellers in town. Your talent is impressive for someone of your age, and I would love to hear more about your stories. I'm sure my guests will really appreciate you as well. So? Are you agreeing for tonight's event?"
Suo faked a conflicted expression before showing a little smile, bowing respectfully to the man before him.
"I cannot possibly refuse such an invitation."
The aristocrat laughed sincerely, more and more interested in the boy in front of him.
"Then you will be my guest of honor, boy!"
And as Suo stayed bowed in front of the man, he let his smile grew a little more mischievous.
Really, it was too easy.
"It would be my pleasure."
***
It was quite interesting how Suo was always feeling better during the night.
Maybe because the night was helping him feel freer. Maybe because the night facilitated expression of emotions. Maybe because all his life, nighttime was the only moment he was able to truly express himself.
Maybe night was helping reveal true emotions thanks to its special and unique atmosphere. Night was the time of wild life, the time of expressing desires, the time of breaking rules and defying authority. And even if Suo was raised and educated in a strict environment, hierarchy was one of the things he hated the most in the world.
So yes, he was always more relaxed in the arms of the moon. Whereas for some people night was dark and hopeless, synonymous with fear and desperation, described as a frightening time, for Suo it was simpler than that. Night was a moment where people were becoming wilder and scarier only because the darkness helped reveal their true identity.
Was it for the common people, as well as the richer.
As the moon was reflecting its pale rays against the huge stone castle of the Viscount Baker, the man Suo was trading with a little earlier in the day, a lot of richly dressed people were arriving, creating a crowd of highly classified folks. During the little event, Suo acted like one of them, creating pleased smiles and expressions when they were looking at him.
He knew perfectly how to act, how to be rapidly accepted by them and be considered as one of them, or more as one that could be one of them. He was acting in the perfect boundary between being like them and knowing he would never be a real noble, recognizing their supposed superiority, that same superiority they only got thanks to their name or ancestors history. And playing that role, acting like you recognize their power and supremacy, means that they recognize you in return and that they accept you in their close social circle. Only because they loved hearing how superior they were from people that were supposedly inferior.
They were so, so easy to fool.
And Suo loved that. He loved playing with them, seeing their delighted and satisfied expressions when he was praising them, praising their outfits, their beautiful and elegant dresses or costumes, praising their jewelry and make up, envying their world and manners. He loved acting like he was jealous of them, but still respectful because it was so obvious they were inwardly disregarding him.
But Suo didn't care about that. He didn't care about silently being despised, because in the end he knew he was the winner in this little unsaid battle. Not because he had more money or charisma than them, but because they were acting exactly how he predicted.
But while this party was in fact a little amusing for him, not for the same things everyone else were having fun for though, Suo couldn't help but think about his own situation. With a little common sense, he knew he should prefer those parties instead of his usual nights. He should favor rich food, expensive drinks and interesting discussions instead of rough alcohol, loud laughter and drunk conversations. But no, while observing all the highest persons of this town having "fun", without his little manipulation game he couldn't help but be bored. Profoundly and utterly bored.
How could those people live like that? Constantly acting like friends when they will let the other sink in a second if one of them has a problem?
Friendship wasn't about profiting from the other, friendship was about understanding and helping when the other was at its lowest. That's what Suo discovered and learned after meeting a certain person, and he will forever be grateful for this.
Well, even if Suo was having fun fooling and manipulating all those supposed high classed people, he didn't forget about his mission. After a few hours discussing and talking with a lot of people, so that everyone will witness him being present at the event, he chose to discreetly sneak out during a huge dance when everyone was focused on the main characters of the night swaying in the middle of the ball room.
Eyeing every guard, he skillfully moved behind them to leave the room without even being noticed. He then slipped easily into the corridors of the castle since the Viscount had taken him on a great guided tour during the afternoon (probably to boast and convince Suo to continue trading with him). Thanks to this, it was really easy for him to move and reach the gardens, but he shouldn't let his focus down, it wasn't finished. There were still some guards outside, however the darkness of his great friend the night helped him move easily to reach the back of the castle.
Away from any unwanted places, Suo let his demeanor be a little more relaxed. During his guided tour by the Viscount himself, the middle-aged man told him that this part of the garden wasn't visited at all, the guests prefering to wander at the front or at the back where the gardens and plants were more spectacular. Here, Suo was around one side of the castle, at the opposite of the ball room, where he could have a look at Baker's work room. From where he was he couldn't clearly see everything that was in the room, the darkness preventing him from distinguishing precisely the working place. However, he remembered everything from his visit in the afternoon, so he was able to move easily in the gardens.
So he raised his head to the window, still aware of any sound or anomalies around him, and looked at the huge clock he could spot in the work room.
2 am.
He was in time.
After that, Suo chose to lean against the wall, his eye and serious expression still looking attentively at his surroundings. There were mostly some bushes and trees, this part of the garden being indeed much less well maintained. The reason why this part of the castle was less visited was also because of its positioning: from here, it was easy to observe the sea in all its splendor. And at that time, the sea was synonymous with wealth, but also with danger.
However, Suo relaxed a little more upon staring at this bluish immensity. Tonight the sky was clear and the moon a croissant, allowing the stars to shine and reflect themselves against the moving galaxy that was the sea.
The moon always reminded him of one and only pupils that made him feel too many emotions.
Still waiting, Suo glanced at the clock he could still see thanks to the light of the moon.
2h08.
Suddenly, a sound.
The young man quickly turned his head in the direction of that sound and focused his vision. One of the bushes moved, making his reflexes grab his weapon hidden in his back and clench it, his expression remaining calm and serene.
Then, someone came out of their hideout.
And Suo's smile became real for the first time of the day.
"There you are..."
A grunt was his only response, but Suo's smile has never been so authentic in these past few days.
And he felt his whole body burn with passion when a deep and moon-colored eye locked in his single pupil.
"Goodnight to you too, Suo."
He was there. Finally, he was there, in front of him, after long and long days of being separated.
"Long time no see, Sakura."
And finally, finally, Suo felt like living again.