"Yes, precisely the Khoy you have in mind."
Alexander Hoy nodded slightly, then smiled at Julian and said:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Albrecht.
"I never imagined that you were not only an outstanding scientist, but also a Mysticologist accomplished in divination. You truly are a man of many talents."
Those two remarks instantly told Julian that his visitor must have investigated him before coming.
The Khoy family sponsored Khoy University, and the previous Baron Khoy had even chaired its board of trustees.
Considering the young man's distinguished attire and manner of speech, he most likely held a position of considerable importance in the Khoy family. He might even be a member of the university's board of trustees himself.
"Mr. Hoy, I truly wasn't expecting you. Please forgive my lack of hospitality."
Julian shook his hand again. Only after they were both seated did he ask:
"How may I be of service?"
"Before I explain my request, I hope you can promise me one thing."
Alexander Hoy paused briefly before lowering his voice.
"Whether or not you can help, please don't tell anyone what we discuss today."
"Of course. You have my assurance."
Julian's expression grew serious as he gave his promise.
For Alexander Hoy to say something like that, the problem he faced was most likely a family scandal.
No wonder commoners love gossiping about the nobility. Judging by this, these outwardly glamorous nobles really must have plenty of scandals behind closed doors.
He grumbled inwardly.
Viscount Oakley had previously sought Julian out over a family scandal, and now the Khoy family was doing the same.
This was mainly because nobles had money. On the one hand, once people became wealthy, they were prone to stirring up all sorts of bizarre trouble. On the other, more people with ulterior motives would approach them, creating unnecessary problems.
"Two years ago, my uncle, the previous Baron Khoy, died of an illness.
"My father died in the war against the Feysac people, so my uncle raised me from childhood. I always regarded him as my father."
A trace of sadness appeared in Alexander's eyes before he continued:
"But shortly before his death, he married a beautiful young woman named Sharon. After he passed away, she used her legal status as his widow to claim a considerable portion of his estate. She even tried to interfere with the operation of the family foundation, causing a period of chaos.
"She even got involved with my cousin, Baron Khoy's son-her own stepson... utterly shameless!"
Alexander's voice grew increasingly low and strained with indignation. After a long pause, he continued:
"To be honest, I could never understand how my elderly uncle became so besotted with a woman... it was completely out of character for someone as cautious as him."
"Fortunately, the other members of our family intervened in time, so she didn't cause any serious damage.
"Given how little time passed between their marriage and his death, and the enormous difference in their ages, I've always suspected that she had something to do with my uncle's death, and that she approached him with ulterior motives in the first place."
At this point, Alexander sighed softly.
"Unfortunately, I have no evidence, so I can't accuse her of murder. That left me deeply frustrated for quite some time."
As Alexander spoke, Julian had been observing the fluctuations in his aura and the peculiar light emitted by his breath.
Although his visitor was speaking of frustration, Julian could see strong orange and red light surging from him.
That meant his underlying emotions were growing more agitated, and his desire to express himself was intensifying along with them.
"It seems you've made a new discovery recently, which is why you're hoping I can offer you some guidance?"
He smiled as he ventured the question.
"How did you know?"
Alexander Hoy froze for a moment before realization dawned on him.
"Was it that miraculous face-reading divination of yours?"
Julian smiled and nodded gently, then watched Alexander without saying a word.
After waiting quite some time without receiving any further "prophecies" from Julian, Alexander could only elaborate:
"Recently, that bitch has gotten involved with another man, a married member of parliament named Maynard."
Alexander sounded angry.
"As a baron's widow, she's spending the Khoy family's money while fooling around with other men. It's unforgivable... so I hired a private detective to do some basic investigating.
"I've heard that Member of Parliament Maynard hasn't been in good health lately either. I suspect Sharon intends to do the same thing to him, though her motives are still unclear.
"I want to investigate Sharon, but I'm afraid it might antagonize Maynard.
"He belongs to the New Party, while the Khoy family belongs to the Conservative Party. If this isn't handled properly, someone could easily exploit it to intensify the conflict between the two parties.
"But I can't just let it go... so I hope you can give me some guidance on what direction to take. I truly don't know what to do now."
Alexander looked earnestly at Julian.
"Just as you helped Viscount Oakley... please."
Julian, however, looked troubled.
"This won't be easy to handle."
"Rest assured, I'll pay you a sum you're satisfied with... just name your price. As long as it doesn't exceed two thousand pounds, there will be no problem whatsoever. I must make that bitch pay."
Alexander spoke hurriedly.
"It's not a matter of money."
Julian shook his head.
"Are you worried about getting caught up in the politics?"
Alexander immediately assured him:
"The Khoy family won't let our enemies off, nor will we fail our friends. You won't suffer any repercussions whatsoever. There's no need to worry about that."
Despite his promise, Julian's expression remained grave.
In truth, he wasn't worried about money or political struggles. Quite the contrary, the problem lay with Madam Sharon herself.
What Alexander didn't know was that she was a Sequence 6 Demoness of Pleasure who served directly under Katarina Pelle, the White Saintess of the Demoness Sect.
Sha, face another
ron's troublemaking in Tingen City was itself tied to the schemes of 0-08, the Quill of Alzuhod. There were even faint signs of the Twilight Hermit Order's involvement behind the scenes.
This wasn't baseless speculation. In the original story, Maynard's death had intensified the conflict between the New Party and the Conservative Party to a certain extent, which also fit the Twilight Hermit Order's predetermined script for the development of the era.
In other words, the waters surrounding this matter ran very deep. But if Julian ignored it, the Nighthawks would end up getting involved just as they had in the original story, resulting in casualties and worsening Dunn's tendency to lose control.
After quickly piecing the whole affair together, Julian suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and a plan emerged in his mind.
Perhaps I could use the Aurora Order to deal with Madam Sharon?
"I can try to help you resolve this matter."
Julian looked up at Alexander Hoy.
"Really?"
Alexander brightened at his words.
"Of course. However..."
Julian added with a smile:
"It'll cost extra."