"What is that?"
Mei Ke had never heard of such a thing before and was momentarily at a loss.
But no one paid attention to her confusion. The gray-haired woman stood with her arms folded across her chest, wisdom gleaming in her aqua-blue eyes.
"You're a detective, but you aren't recognized by the mounted police. Deep down, you desperately want that recognition, yet you only dare to use a false title outside Victoria. Under normal circumstances, someone like you would never voluntarily return to Victoria. But this time is different. You were brought here by force, your lie is about to be exposed, and you're trying to find a solution but have no idea where to start. Am I right?"
Hoshino spoke incredibly quickly, reciting Mei Ke's circumstances in full.
Mei Ke was stunned.
She nodded blankly, unable to resist asking, "How did you know all that?"
"The basic method of deduction."
Hoshino lowered her head, as though she had cut herself off from the noisy surroundings. She completely ignored Mei Ke's next question. Calm, eccentric, reclusive—this was probably the most classic image of a detective in all detective fiction.
Sure enough, Mei Ke's eyes lit up.
A great detective!
If she followed a genuine great detective, there would definitely be major cases, and she could grow at the fastest possible rate.
Maybe she could even make a name for herself through this and solve her own problems in one stroke?
Mei Ke's heart surged with excitement.
But Hoshino would never extend an invitation herself. She waited for Mei Ke to ask. She had to maintain both the lofty bearing of an immortal and the mystery of a detective. It was rather challenging, really.
Inside the Globe Theatre, the historical opera Hannibal had reached its climax.
The plump leading soprano