Kalmin keenly noticed that her gaze almost entirely lingered on him.
Deep within those eyes, a hint of an almost imperceptible… longing was hidden, though skillfully masked by her elegant smile.
Geralt clearly had little patience for such false pleasantries.
He directly interrupted the Night Queen, his tone flat yet sharp: "If it's just small talk, why didn't you come down while we were chatting, and only invite us when we were about to leave?"
The Night Queen, exposed, showed no embarrassment, merely swirling her wine glass and sighing, "Witchers are indeed so direct."
She finally dropped her casual demeanor, her gaze sweeping between Kalmin and Geralt, ultimately resting primarily on Kalmin.
"There is indeed a small matter I'd like to ask for your help with."
"A nobleman named Patrick has been causing trouble for our House of Night recently," she said, setting down her glass and leaning slightly forward.
"It concerns one of our newly joined sisters, she's called Blue Eyes, and she had some past conflict with Patrick," she glanced at Blue Eyes, who stood silently beside her.
"I hope both of you… especially Mr. Kalmin, as you now have influence with the King."
"Could you help mediate? To make that Lord Patrick restrain himself a bit."
Although she spoke to both of them, anyone could tell that her primary hope rested on Kalmin.
After all, a Witcher's influence was far from comparable to that of a newly appointed baron's heir, highly favored by the King.
However, after listening, Kalmin's face showed no expression, and he felt even less interested.
The Night Queen had spoken for a long time, all empty words, without mentioning any remuneration, clearly just drawing a pie in the sky.
Why should he, for a vampire he had just met, provoke a nobleman he didn't know?
Moreover, with the strength of a high-level vampire, which dignitary in Vizima could she not kill? Of course, he was certainly not among them.
High-level vampires possessed magic he didn't know; to make someone die without anyone knowing was a simple matter for her.
But the Night Queen hadn't done so, likely due to concerns, or perhaps she hadn't been pushed too far.
Geralt was equally expressionless, his eyes even colder.
He didn't want to get involved in any noble squabbles, especially trouble that clearly involved non-human races.
To deal with a human nobleman for a vampire? That was simply too terrible.
A brief silence fell in the living room, broken only by the faint crackle of burning candles.
The Night Queen's suggestion was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, failing to stir even a ripple.
Seeing that neither of them was moved, the Night Queen's eyes flickered, and she reluctantly laid out her terms.
"Three hundred oren each, plus unlimited choice of services from our House of Night sisters, provided they are willing."
After she spoke, a confident curve formed on her red lips, as if certain that these generous terms, especially the latter, would move any man's heart.
The House of Night sisters were renowned, and ordinary people found it hard to secure even a single night with them, let alone non-human races with extraordinary charm.
Moreover, only human women in the House of Night engaged in the flesh trade, which made the companionship of the vampire women even more precious and rare.
However, silence was her only reply.
Geralt's white eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, and a flicker of consideration passed through his cat-like eyes.
The generous oren reward was indeed quite appealing to him.
But the companionship of the sisters... He glanced at Kalmin beside him, whose reaction was much more direct.
He shrugged indifferently, as if he had heard a boring story, and even deliberately yawned, showing a complete lack of interest.
He turned to Geralt, his tone relaxed: "Looks like there's nothing else here, I need to go, Geralt."
Don't forget, I have a lady's appointment waiting.
Kalmin's meaning was clear: he had no interest in the Night Queen's proposal.
He wasn't short on money now, and he had Triss as a partner.
Even if he wanted to be with other women, he would at least have to respect Triss's opinion.
Geralt nodded, and following Kalmin's words, he spoke in his characteristic low voice, with a rare hint of playful teasing.
"I understand. With a partner like Triss, you'll probably forget your friends' names someday."
Kalmin, without turning his head, simply raised his right hand high behind Geralt's back.
Then, he skillfully curled his other fingers, leaving only his middle finger upright, making a perfectly clear friendly gesture.
This crude yet direct action created a subtle contrast with his current status as a baron's heir.
Geralt looked at the finger, his face still expressionless, but a faint trace of amusement flickered in the depths of his amber pupils.
Kalmin's crude and uninhibited interaction actually made him feel more at ease.
Seeing Kalmin's continuous steps, truly about to descend the stairs so decisively.
The confident smile on the Night Queen's face instantly froze, replaced by a look of astonishment.
She seemed completely unprepared for someone to reject her terms so unhesitatingly, without even leaving room for negotiation.
She opened her mouth, intending to call out to Kalmin, but his figure had already rapidly disappeared around the stairwell, his steps too quick for her to speak.
Hearing the sound of the main door opening and closing downstairs, the Night Queen somewhat sullenly withdrew her gaze.
She refocused her attention on the Witcher who had not left.
She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her elegance, and began a new round of negotiations with Geralt, though her confidence seemed less robust than before... Kalmin walked quickly through the streets of Vizima at night, the cool night breeze slightly dissipating the scent of wine and perfume clinging to him.
When he returned to Triss's residence in the Trade District, he found it completely dark and silent.
"Triss, are you in there?"
He pushed open the bedroom door and called softly, a rich and alluring scent of roses wafting towards him.
Just then, a soft, fragrant body, accompanied by a waft of perfume, suddenly pressed against his back from behind the door.
A pair of slender yet strong arms tightly encircled his waist.
"Hey, were you scared?"
Triss's voice, laced with a smile, sounded in his ear, her warm breath caressing his earlobe.
Kalmin could clearly feel her body, clad only in thin underwear, pressed tightly against his, the soft touch making his heart race.
Kalmin was about to answer when Triss suddenly sniffed.
Her tone immediately took on a dangerous edge: "Hmm, besides the scent of wine, there seem to be several perfume scents?"
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