CHAPTER 502: BE VERY CAREFUL

Leaning outside the loud cafeteria was Haji. He hung his head low, his expression dark as he listened to the conversation inside. Although the chatter was loud, it quieted enough for everyone to hear the back-and-forth between Izu and this guy, Chuck.

"Tsss." Haji clicked his tongue, running his tongue along his teeth.

"That... motherfucker," he whispered, his eyes glinting malevolently.

Lola believed Haji was training hard or was upset because he lost to Izu. But that was far from the truth. Haji and Izu sparred—it was a friendly fight to warm up their joints. Winning or losing didn’t matter at that time. However, the twins were there to tease him, making Lola think Haji was upset about losing.

That wasn’t it.

What frustrated him were these people—these guys who didn’t work closely with Lola.

Unlike Lola, who was busy training or studying, or spending time with the twins or Atlas, Haji had been fully aware of the soldiers’ thoughts about her. He had gotten wind of their opinions about Lola, and how they talked about her behind her back.

"If not for her... I would’ve broken that guy’s teeth," he clicked his tongue, glancing at the door before peeling his back away from the wall beside the doorframe. "He better listen to Izu, though. They don’t know her."

And if it were him, he’d rather not know her at all.

They wouldn’t want to meet the woman Vito would die to have back.

*****

Meanwhile, Izu and his team walked away from the cafeteria on the other side. But just as they walked out into the corridor, they paused, catching sight of Baby leaning against the wall.

"..." Izu glanced at his men. "Go ahead first."

His men quietly nodded and walked off, leaving their captain and Baby behind. The latter watched them go, keeping his eyes on them until Izu finally spoke.

"Don’t tell her," Izu said, waiting for Baby to look his way. "Or the master. It’ll only upset them."

Baby stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you think the master isn’t aware of everyone’s feelings about his marriage?"

"He might be, but he doesn’t care enough," Izu shrugged. "But it’s better to keep this to ourselves."

He let out a shallow breath, his eyes downcast. "The madam is still adjusting to this new environment, and I don’t want her to feel pressured just because others think so low of her."

Besides, Izu understood that everyone—especially those in the inner circle—disliked her because they all worked closely with Scarlet. Many had once expected Scarlet to become the matriarch of the family. Hence, their instant animosity toward Lola.

Having said that, Izu nodded at Baby and began walking off to rest before returning to work. But he barely took a few steps when Baby spoke again.

"You know it’s not true," Baby said quietly, watching Izu’s back. "You’re not in the outer circle because you’re weak."

Izu snorted, glancing over his shoulder. "I was told that if I’m not good at comforting someone, I should shut up," he joked lightly. "You don’t have to comfort me like that, Baby. I’m alright. What Chuck said back there doesn’t affect me at all."

He let out a chuckle and resumed walking. Izu waved a hand without looking back, while Baby studied his figure quietly.

"It does affect you, though," Baby whispered, blinking almost innocently. "And I’m not trying to comfort you."

Baby was simply stating the truth. From someone who didn’t belong to any circle—because he was directly under Atlas—Izu was not weak at all. But he couldn’t blame Izu. For a long time, the soldiers had been overly invested in their ranks as a status symbol.

It was important in this family.

And at one point, Izu aspired to be part of the inner circle. Unfortunately, before he could reach it, Atlas assumed power in the Order and placed Izu in the outer circle.

Baby exhaled softly and shook his head before dragging himself toward the cafeteria. Even before he stepped inside, the chatter reached his ears. But the moment he entered, silence fell.

Eyes shifted toward him, with some from the inner circle clearing their throats uneasily.

Baby sauntered inside, but instead of heading toward the trays and food, he went straight to Chuck’s table. He gazed down at the smaller man, who arched a brow at him.

"What?" Chuck asked bravely. "Did Izu run to you—"

His words died in his throat as Baby placed a hand gently on the table. Baby didn’t do anything threatening; his touch was light. But his eyes—those were sharp.

"Careful with your words, boy," Baby warned in a low voice. "You wouldn’t want those words falling on certain people’s ears."

After all, not everyone had Izu’s patience and resilience. There was Slater in the manor—and the twins. Although those guys rarely came to this wing, coincidences happened.

Having said that, Baby withdrew his hand and walked off toward the food area. As he walked away, Chuck’s face twisted.

"Tch," he hissed, pushing himself to his feet. "I’ve lost my appetite."

He tipped his tray of food and glared at his group. "Let’s go."

This time, he and his group left the dining hall.

Baby glanced toward their retreating figures before resuming what he was doing.

*

*

*

Atlas had more business in the main town, checking some sites and ensuring the area was secure. It was a monthly or quarterly routine to make sure everything was safe. Despite placing more people—the sheriffs—to protect the townspeople, Atlas still came down personally.

So, when they arrived back, it was already late.

"Baby," Lola turned to him as soon as she got out of the car. "I’ll just look for the twins, okay?"

Atlas paused, thinking about his gift. What about it?

"I’ll come to you later," Lola winked, already skipping away from him. "See ya~!"

Atlas didn’t even get a word out, watching her hop away. He frowned and sighed heavily, then turned to Baby—who had come to welcome them—with a pointed look.

"Did anything happen here?" he asked.

Baby took a second before shaking his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary, master."

As for Lola, she quickly made her way to the backyard, expecting to find her children there, probably hanging out with Slater or Haji. But upon arriving, neither her children, Haji, nor Slater were present.

Instead, she found Izu training alone.

"Does he ever rest?" she wondered, tilting her head. "I left early and saw him training, and even now, he’s training."

Lola was about to approach him when she noticed the angry expression plastered on his face as he beat the training dummy to absolute smithereens.