Chapter 8 8

Bombarded with questions, Elliana's cold face stiffened. She frowned a bit, feeling burdened since she never got such a lot of questions. Yet in the end, the woman still answered in her unique hoarse voice.

"Family. So-so."

"No bro. No sis."

"Parents. Alive."

"Ability. Fire. Speed."

Elliana's answer was choppy, and people knew that her ability to speak...isn't very good. That's why her speech was choppy.

For others, dealing with someone who couldn't speak fluently might be annoying. But for Ainsley, Elliana's value was even more worthy than others.

Yes! She can't speak well! I don't need to worry about her building a relationship with others behind me. I can just pick someone else to fill the role of speaking.

As for my guardian...they must be my tool.

Ainsley observed Elliana once more after confirming that she didn't have siblings and her parents were so-so.

From the way Elliana stood, she looked like a warrior instead of someone who schemed behind others. The woman's gaze had been steady on Ainsley, but it didn't contain any malice.

If anything, Elliana looked a bit interested in Ainsley. One could see her eyes brightened, and her lips twitched. It's clear that she's also excited.

Seeing that the woman looked willing to serve her, Ainsley pursed her lips.

"Okaaay, Ain wan sis El!" Ainsley suddenly decided. The baby beckoned Elliana to come over with a broad smile on her face.

"Fwom now, El ish Ain gualdian!"

Ainsley was so enthusiastic about picking Elliana, but the others had a dark face once the baby chose Elliana. All the members left in the hall looked at Elliana and Ainsley as if they were idiots.

"Seriously? I wasted my time, and the heiress picks someone like that?"

"Wow, this is unbelievable. The elders should be the one leading in the dark then. Elliana can't lead the family."

"She's just a guardian. I'm sure that the elder will be the one doing things."

"Yes, yes, but to think the heiress likes someone like that...is the heiress gullible or what?"

"Hush, don't speak too loud. The heiress is just a toddler. She might find Elliana's skin and eye colour to be unique."

Ainsley heard the whispers, but she turned a blind ear. The girl kept urging Elliana to come closer, and after Elliana was so close to the throne, Ainsley wiggled her finger.

"Kneew! (Kneel)." The baby ordered arrogantly, but instead of looking like a brat, she looked comical instead.

Elliana didn't feel offended at all, and she just silently went on her knees. The woman still had a poker face when Ainsley suddenly threw her body to the woman.

"El! Lewsh geth awong weww!" Ainsley clung to Elliana's neck and rubbed her smooth milky cheek against the woman's coffee-like cheek.

The huge contrast between the two looked strangely harmonious and breathtaking.

"Em. Y-yes. Believe." Elliana was slightly flustered by Ainsley's action, but she didn't push the girl away. Her red eyes were shaky, full of confusion, and shock. Her hands also sweat a lot, but regardless, she carefully patted Ainsley's back.

So small...this creature. I need to protect her.

Elliana gritted her teeth and silently swore that she would protect this baby from the ugliness of the mafia world. The woman embraced Ainsley and savoured her warmth which seeped into her heart.

She wasn't good with children, in fact, she's bad with them. The children always cried when she came to them. But now, not only the baby wasn't scared of her.

She's even looking forward to working with her.

Heiress– no. Milady. My princess. I'll be your shield and sword.

Ansley didn't know anything about Elliana's oath because the woman's face was still stiff, not showing anything even when her inside was in turmoil.

Because of this, Ainsley casually hugged Elliana tighter as she poked the woman's back, signalling her to stand up.

"Gwandpa! Ain wan El!" Ainsley shouted as she poked Elliana's neck to bring her to the elder with blue eyes. No matter what, she needed the elder's permission to pick a guardian.

"Oh, the savage beast." The elder made a mysterious smile as he nodded in satisfaction. One wouldn't know what he was thinking with just one sentence, but Ainsley couldn't care more.

As long as the elder is kind to her, she won't probe him.

"Em. Gualdian!" Ainsley repeated the word 'guardian' as she enjoyed a free ride from Elliana.

Now that she had chosen a guardian, isn't it time for her coronation?

Ainsley was about to ask when she would take the seat of the family head when someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"Wait! I don't agree with this decision!"

The loud voice attracted others' eyes. They simultaneously looked at the source of the vote, but they couldn't see who talked just now.

Before the guests could see who dared to interrupt the elder, another voice of a man sounded.

"Yes, yes! Elliana isn't fit to be the family head!"

"Right! Bring her down!"

"She can't be the heiress' guardian!"

Voices of dissatisfaction and protest started to pop out everywhere. The guests didn't know who said that, but at least half of them, around 250 people spoke one by one.

"Elder, please reconsider."

"The young miss might be blinded by Elliana's exotic beauty."

"Yes, yes! If the heiress wants, we can just buy an exotic slave."

! Slave?

Ainsley's breath stilled. The baby who planned to ignore these people's protest suddenly threw away her plan.

I smell a corrupt person!

The baby quickly looked at the crowd in a black and white suit. Her ears had keen senses, and she could immediately pinpoint those people who talk about slaves just now.

There!

Ainsley found several people who shouted, protesting her choice. Those people blended very well, making it hard to see from which family branch they were. But the tattoo on their neck exposed them.

Hm, tiger?

Ainsley saw those people had the same tattoo, a golden tiger crouching alone. The eyes of the tiger were blue, just like the colour of the pendant she was using.

Ainsley instantly furrowed in displeasure.

Which branch family has the symbol of a tiger? How come I get a dolphin while they use a tiger? Isn't that unfair?

Ainsley grumbled and started to look for the other people's tattoo on their neck. Some had a tattoo of a Doberman. Some had a tattoo of a lion while others had the tattoo of an eagle.

Only a few had the tattoo of Orca, a killer whale, and a chameleon.

Ainsley felt like looking at a zoo.

A tiger, a Doberman, a lion, an Eagle, an Orca and a chameleon.

6 families, then? Including the main family with the symbol of a dolphin...it means there are 7.

Ainsley couldn't help but frown for the second time. She was sure that there must be a deep meaning behind those animal tattoos.

But for now, she had to know which family used the tattoo of a tiger.

While the guests were still rioting the elder, Ainsley took this chance to ask Elliana.

"El! Tigel. Wat ish tigel? Wat famiwi?" Ainsley tugged Elliana's collar while clinging to her. Her pronunciation and her sentence structure might be a mess, but Elliana knew what the baby wanted to say.

Is the mistress trying to ask me about the branch families? Tiger, family.

Even if Elliana wasn't a brilliant woman, there's no way she wouldn't know about the family tree of the Sloan Family. She hurriedly answered Ainsley.

"Tiger. Riger Family. Second branch. Business. Weapon." Elliana tried to say that the one with a tiger symbol was the Riger family, a branch family of the Sloan. They dealt with selling weapons.

Ainsley knew that Elliana couldn't speak well. Thus, those clues were already enough for her.

"Hmm hmm, pew pew pew...gwun (gun)?" Ainsley nodded in satisfaction.

Riger family. They sell weapons, huh? Then the other branches....

"Em, em, Doggo! Eagwe! Owca! Chamesh! (Chameleon), Wion! Wat awe theysh?" Ainsley asked the rest of the family branches. Of course, she wanted to know which business they do.

Elliana seemed to read Ainsley's mind as she quickly explained in a hushed voice.

"Doberman. Dober family. Drugs."

"Eagle. Ale Family. Air force."

"Orca. Raos Family. Killer. Assassin."

"Chameleon. Chale Family. Spy."

"Lion. Lionel Family. Frontline agent. Bodyguard. Hitman."

Ainsley paused once Elliana explained blatantly. She even said that among those branches, there was a family specialised in drugs and killing.

Oh damn. This Sloan Family has a department special for drugs and assassination? They even have an air force, spy, and hitman.

Doesn't this mean the Sloan family is quite large?

Thinking like this, Ainsley subconsciously looked at the people with a tiger tattoo again. They were the one who was most eager to drag Elliana down.

What is their motive? Why did they mention buying a slave? Does that mean they also sell slaves?

Ainsley wanted to ask Elliana when suddenly, the guests became even more agitated. Since the elder was silent, they started to promote their own family branch to replace Elliana and somehow....

One of them started to use their ability to attack others.

"You! Don't disgrace our branch family!" A tall man with a Doberman tattoo suddenly whistled, and dozens of Doberman popped out of thin air.

GRRR. GRRRR.

The four dogs were as tall as an adult's knees, and they snarled at the other guests.

"Oy, oy, you want to fight, hah?!" The other one with a lion tattoo roared in anger. He snapped his finger and small electricity sparked at the tip of his finger.

The others, who were insulted by some other branch families, also started to use their abilities.

There were those with fire balls floating around their body-some used water to suffocate the enemies.

Some had a non-visible power, and the opponent suddenly fainted with white foam flooding out of their mouth.

The situation became dangerous in a blink.

"G-gwanpa. T-twat..." Ainsley and Elliana approached the blue-eyed elder and hid behind him. Ainsley even looked at the elder with shaky eyes.

This is a mess. Why are these people so hot-tempered? Do they know that this is a sacred hall? How can they do this on the day I'll be elected as the leader?!

But...but...

"Don't worry. This is normal. They usually fight like this." The elder interrupted. He laughed softly, but he still hid Ainsley behind his back so that the girl wouldn't see what's going on in front of her.

"Young miss, you will be the head of this family one day. You should be accustomed to these people's temper." The elder advised Ainsley one more time.

Yes, those in a mafia world would choose fist over words or diplomatic means. That's why most ability users joined a mafia family rather than playing superheroes or other occupations.

The nature of an ability user itself is dangerous.

The elder didn't say this, but he believed that Ainsley would know sooner or later. A pity that he didn't notice Ainsley's reaction toward the ability users' performance was calm.

If it's her first time seeing someone used an ability, or it's the first time she knew about ability users, she would be shocked or show other reactions.

Yet Ainsley only calmly watched the mini battlefield shaking the whole hall.

Well, she's not calm. Her chuunibyou blood is boiling.