Outside the Red Rose Manor, Klein, carrying a cane, stepped down from the carriage.
Looking at the soldiers in red uniforms standing guard at the gate, he closed his eyes to calm himself down.
Since the Sealed Artifact, suspected to be "0-08," has been creating coincidences to prevent the woman wearing the sapphire ring from meeting me, today will be no exception. There's no need to worry too much about running into her. As long as I can fool Prince Edessak with my acting, there won't be any problems... Klein's thoughts settled, and he strode towards the entrance of the manor.
After handing over his holster and revolver, he was searched and led by his male servant through a gray stone-paved path, past a pool spraying clear spring water, into the main house, up to the second floor, and to the outside of a room that, according to its layout, should be a sunroom.
Throughout this process, Klein remained constantly on edge, fearing unexpected events and that the situation might develop in the worst possible direction.
After a light knock on the door, the male servant approached the door and whispered:
" Detective Moriarty has arrived."
After a full ten seconds of silence, a deep voice finally came from inside the room:
"Your Highness, please invite him in."
The door creaked open as these words were spoken, releasing a warm feeling that was even more comforting than in the hallway.
Under the watchful eyes of two tall guards, Klein stepped onto the thick, warm yellow carpet with a pattern.
He took a few steps forward, around the display cases on the inside and outside of the partition, and saw Prince Edessak sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the rare winter the Sun in Backlund.
That round face, which was both endearing and memorable, was devoid of any smile, naturally creating a serious and somber atmosphere.
Thanks to the elegant fireplace and metal pipes, the room was warmer than late spring. Prince Edessak wore no coat, only a white shirt with flower-like cuffs and a pale yellow vest. The accompanying cufflinks, brooches, badges, and other accessories were not conspicuous, but they were certainly expensive.
Seeing this, Klein secretly breathed a sigh of relief, because the lady with the sapphire ring was not by the prince's side.
So he quickly stepped forward and bowed.
Edessak held a steaming cup of black tea and did not invite Klein to sit down.
He maintained his previous expression and asked in a deep voice:
"Any results from the investigation?"
"No, my Divination, my Spirit Channeling, my investigations, my inquiries—all tell me that Talym died of a sudden heart attack." Klein replied, his expression heavy with grief and obvious self-reproach. "In every aspect, I am far too weak, Your Highness. You should seek help from a stronger and more capable ally."
"You'd better find someone else..." he silently added to himself.
In that instant, Edessak seemed to finally see Detective Sherlock Moriarty's face clearly, and felt that the man looked several years older than before, as if he hadn't been able to sleep peacefully for a long time.
This wasn't his imagination, because before Klein left, he had used the " Faceless's" ability to subtly adjust his facial features, making his skin look dry and dull, causing stray the Star to appear, and making his eye bags larger, darker, and more noticeable.
Edessak was silent for a moment, then put down the white porcelain cup inlaid with gold thread and said:
"I see, it was definitely too much of a stretch..."
"I'll have someone take over the follow-up. You draft an investigation report, making sure nothing is missed."
Okay! Klein clenched his fist in his mind and quickly took out a stack of folded papers from his pocket:
"Your Highness, you need not wait. I have always maintained a habit of keeping written Record."
Prince Edessak instructed his servant to take the investigation report, glanced at it casually, and set it aside, saying:
Is there anything else?
"No, Your Highness. Please allow me to take my leave. Oh, by the way, I'm going south for a while. I want to let the warm sunshine there melt away the pain in my heart," Klein replied with a sigh.
"This is a New Year's custom for many people of Loen." Prince Edessak nodded slightly, then turned to the old butler, Finkel. "Send Detective Moriarty out and provide him with a carriage."
Red Rose Manor is a 15- to 20-minute walk from the nearest town, where you can hire a carriage.
"Yes, Your Highness," the old butler replied with a meticulous bow.
Klein remained vigilant and quickly took his leave.
He followed the old butler all the way to the entrance of the manor, where he retrieved his gun holster and personal weapons.
Less than a minute later, he boarded the carriage at the Red Rose Manor.
Leaning against the wall, watching the manor outside the window grow smaller and smaller in the distance, Klein relaxed, slowly exhaled, and let his anxious heart return to its place.
He realized that he had already left the center stage.
Next, he would bid farewell to Backlund, head south, and make his final exit... Afterward, he would return under a different guise... He calmly considered his next steps.
Just then, an Spirit Intuition struck Spirituality, and he saw the carriage door open quickly and then close silently!
Before he could react, a figure flashed out, dressed in a heavy black dress and wearing a sapphire ring.
A sapphire ring! Upon seeing this, Klein, who was about to attack or jump out of the car, narrowed his eyes and sat back down, not daring to make any rash moves.
That person could be a terrifying figure who possesses a level 0 Sealed Artifact or is a Demigod of that level!
This... it's exactly what I feared... "0-08" or something else, what kind of coincidence did you create? Klein's mind and body tensed instantly, watching helplessly as the figure fully materialized.
The young woman's age was completely different from her style of dress; she looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old. She had a slightly round face, long and narrow eyes, and a gentle and refined demeanor with a hidden sweetness. She was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
She... Klein was taken aback at first, then recognized her and blurted out:
" Trissy!"
Isn't this the guy who went from " Instigator " Tris to " Witch " Trissy?
How did she, a wanted woman, become the prince's woman?
How did she, a member of the Demoness Sect, manage to infiltrate Prince Edessak's inner circle?
Moreover, it carries a level 0 Sealed Artifact or a magical item of the same level!
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that Trissy had changed somewhat; her features, which were not particularly striking on their own, had become increasingly delicate and refined, and together they were even more captivating.
Hearing his astonished words, Trissy was not surprised but delighted, and smiled sweetly, saying:
You know me...
I knew you recognized me!
"A Detective with extraordinary abilities would definitely pay special attention to each wanted poster!"
He, um, she seemed very happy... Klein asked cautiously, with a hint of doubt:
"What you up to?"
He clearly remembered that the other party was not a kind person. Tris instigated and single-handedly caused the " Clover " tragedy, while Trissy caused the premature deaths of many innocent civilians in Tingen City.
Trissy smiled and said:
"It's simple, just report me to the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind as soon as possible! Tell them to come here and arrest me!"
Calling the police to arrest herself? This... this transvestite... uh, this woman's gone mad, hasn't she? Klein was a little bewildered.
He quickly grasped the meaning behind it:
Trissy would rather be locked behind Chanis Gate than stay at the Red Rose Manor; she is trying desperately to escape!
Simply put, she believed this was more dangerous and more hopeless than being caught by the Nighthawks Mandated Punishers... Klein struggled to control his expression and asked in a deep voice:
What are you afraid of?
Trissy paused for a second, then opened her eyes wide, her gaze unfocused, and said:
"Someone is Manipulation my life; there are always coincidences that horrify me afterwards."
"And I'm becoming less and less like myself."
At this point, the corners of her mouth curled up as she said:
"Can you imagine? Someone like me, who loves those shy and cute maids, would always wake up at dawn to find myself in the arms of a naked man. Can you imagine that kind of pain?"
I can, so I stay away from " Assassin " and " Witch "... Klein couldn't help but imagine such a scene, and a chill ran down his spine.
Trissy continued with a seemingly self-deprecating smile:
"I thought that by working hard to improve myself and become ' Pleasure,' I could get rid of that strange state. So I asked someone to help me collect the corresponding extraordinary materials, but it only made things worse."
"Sometimes I forget many things, but they really happened. I endured the disgust and lured Talym, trying to get him to help me escape from here, but who knew, I killed him with a curse without even realizing it... Do you believe such a thing can happen?"
"Heh, they even changed my name, trying to make me completely abandon my past self. No! Absolutely not!"
"They thought I could only overcome coincidence in a short time and would soon get back on track. Humph, that was a misconception I deliberately created for them. So, I met you, Detective!"
" Pleasure "... Witch... materials... Klein suddenly remembered an incident from the past: at the extraordinary gathering organized by the old man " Eye of Wisdom " Isengard Stanton, someone had asked to buy the main ingredient of the " Demoness of Pleasure " potion. He had the recipe and noticed it on the spot, but did not pay attention to it and gradually forgot about it afterward.
So that was Trissy's accomplice! She was with Prince Edessak back then? Why do I inexplicably feel that her smile is so poignant now...? " Pleasure " is poisonous... Klein took a breath, his thoughts a jumbled mess.
While organizing his thoughts, he casually asked:
What did they change your name to?
Trissy frowned her beautiful brows, her eyes slightly misty, and replied:
Trissy Cheek.
Trissy Cheek... Cheek... Cheek! Klein suddenly looked up, feeling a tingling sensation all over his body again, his whole body stiff as if he were a marble statue.
At this moment, only one passage from Roselle's Diary was echoing wildly in his mind:
"On June 5th, I obtained an ancient book that mentioned the name ' Primordial Demoness '..."
"His name is, Cheek..."
PS: Requesting recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Monday!