Shade winked at Mr. Enriques.
"Also, I'm hiding out for some peace and quiet. I ran into a very troublesome person at the banquet, so I wanted to lie low. Oh, Mr. Enriques, I didn't expect we'd meet again. What a coincidence. Speaking of which, how have things been between you and your wife since we last met?"
He put on a curious expression. He truly was curious, and since Mr. Enriques knew that Shade understood most of the situation, he did not hide anything.
"After tossing that coin, I realized what I truly wanted. Following your advice, I consulted a psychologist. He said I was overly anxious. Though his hourly rate was outrageously high, talking with him did make me feel that I had gained something."
Mr. Enriques waved the letter in his hand at Shade and stepped beneath the light of the Kerosene Lamp.
"But it would be impossible to say that I have no lingering reservations at all. After all, she was my childhood sweetheart, and she is now my wife."
Shade immediately coughed, and only then did Mr. Enriques awkwardly realize what he had said.
"All right, I admit it. The story about my friend I told you last time was actually about me."
He no longer displayed the confusion and hesitation from before. This time, he had clearly prepared himself and made up his mind.
"I asked a relative with considerable connections in Weilun Dai'er City to investigate my wife's past while she studied there. I also found some of her former classmates and questioned them, in order to confirm... confirm..."
"What she and that former lover of hers actually did in Weilun Dai'er City."
Shade said it for him, making Mr. Enriques feel even more embarrassed.
"I have experienced many stories in both the