Chapter 257: Name

Chapter 257: Name

Outside Red Rose Manor, Klein stepped down from the carriage, cane in hand.

Looking at the red-uniformed soldiers standing guard at the entrance, he closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to remain calm.

Since that Sealed Artifact suspected to be “0-08” has constantly been creating coincidences to prevent the woman wearing the sapphire ring from meeting me, then today should be no exception. I don’t need to worry too much about running into her. As long as I can rely on acting to deceive Prince Edessak, there should be no problem… Klein settled his thoughts and strode toward the manor entrance.

After handing over his shoulder holster and revolver and passing inspection, he followed a male servant along a road paved with gray stone slabs, around a fountain spraying clear water, and into the main house. He reached the second floor and arrived outside a room that, judging from the layout, ought to be a sunroom.

Throughout the entire process, Klein’s heart remained suspended. He feared encountering an accident. He feared the situation developing in the worst, most malignant direction.

Knock, knock, knock. After lightly rapping on the door, the male servant leaned close to the panel and lowered his voice.

“Detective Moriarty has arrived.”

Silence lasted for a full dozen seconds before a thick voice came from inside the room.

“His Highness invites him in.”

Accompanying those words was the creak of the door opening. Warmth drifted outward, slightly stronger than in the corridor.

Under the gazes of two tall guards, Klein stepped onto the thick, soft, warm-yellow carpet patterned with designs.

He walked forward several steps, passing around the inner and outer sides of a partition and museum cabinet. Then he saw Prince Edessak seated beside the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the rare winter sun of Backlund.

That rounded face, which gave others a feeling of familiarity and left a deep impression, bore not the slightest smile. It naturally created a solemn, heavy atmosphere.

Because of the combined effects of the elegant fireplace and the metal pipes, the room was warmer than late spring. Prince Edessak wore no coat. His upper body was clad only in a white shirt whose cuffs bloomed like flowers and a pale-yellow waistcoat. Accessories such as cufflinks, collar pin, and badges were not especially conspicuous, yet expensive enough.

Seeing this, Klein instead breathed out inwardly in relief, because the lady wearing the sapphire ring was not accompanying the prince.

Thus, he hurried forward and bowed.

Prince Edessak held a steaming cup of black tea in his hand, but did not invite Klein to sit.

Maintaining his previous expression, he asked in a low voice, “Are there results from the investigation?”

“No. My divinations, my spirit channeling, my visits, and my investigations all tell me that Talim passed away from sudden heart disease.” Klein replied with pain in his expression and obvious self-reproach. “In every respect, I am far too weak. Your Highness, you should invite a stronger and more capable helper.”

Please find someone better qualified… he silently added in his heart.

At that moment, Edessak seemed finally to see Detective Sherlock Moriarty’s face clearly. He felt the other man had aged several years compared to before, as though he had not been able to sleep peacefully for a very long time.

This was not Edessak’s misconception. Before leaving home, Klein had used his Faceless ability to slightly adjust the state of his face, making his skin appear dry and dull, allowing messy stray whiskers outside the main shape of his beard to sprout in scattered points, and making the bags under his eyes larger, darker, and more obvious.

Edessak fell silent for a while, then set down the white porcelain cup inlaid with gold thread.

“I understand. It truly was too difficult…

“I will have someone else take over the follow-up. Write up an investigation report. Do not omit anything.”

Good! Klein clenched a fist inwardly and quickly took a stack of folded papers from his pocket.

“Honorable Your Highness, you do not need to wait. I have always had the habit of keeping written records.”

After instructing an attendant to take the investigation report, Prince Edessak casually flipped through it, then placed it to the side.

“Do you have anything else?”

“No, Your Highness. Please allow me to take my leave. Ah, right. I will be heading south for some time. I wish to use the warm sunlight there to melt the pain in my heart.” Klein answered with a sigh.

“That is a New Year custom for many Loen people.” Prince Edessak nodded gently and turned his head toward the old butler Finkel. “See Detective Moriarty out and arrange a carriage for him.”

The nearest town was fifteen to twenty minutes away on foot from Red Rose Manor. Only there could one hire a carriage.

“Yes, Your Highness.” The old butler bowed with meticulous precision.

Klein did not relax his vigilance. He hurriedly took his leave.

He followed the old butler all the way outside until they reached the manor entrance, where he retrieved his shoulder holster and personal weapon.

Less than a minute later, he sat inside one of Red Rose Manor’s carriages.

Leaning against the carriage wall, watching the manor outside the window grow more and more distant, smaller and smaller, Klein relaxed and slowly breathed out, letting his suspended heart settle back into place.

He understood that at this moment, he had already left center stage.

Next, I bid farewell to Backlund, head south, and make a full exit… After that, I change to another face and sneak back… He calmly considered his follow-up plan.

Just then, his inspiration stirred, and his spirituality tightened. He saw the carriage door swiftly open, then close without a sound!

Before he could react, a figure rapidly outlined itself before him. She wore a heavy black dress, and upon her hand was a sapphire ring.

A sapphire ring! Seeing that, Klein’s pupils contracted. Although he had been about to attack or jump out of the carriage, he sat back down instead, not daring to act recklessly.

That was a terrifying figure who possessed a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, or who herself was a demigod at that level!

This… This really is whatever I fear most arriving… “0-08,” or whatever else you are, where are the coincidences you created? Klein’s spirit and body instantly tightened to the extreme as he watched that figure fully appear.

The young lady’s age contrasted sharply with her style of dress. She looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, with a slightly round face and narrow eyes. Her bearing was gentle and refined, sweetness hidden beneath elegance. She was an outstanding beauty.

She… Klein first froze. Then he recognized her and blurted out, “Trissy!”

Wasn’t this the fellow who had changed from the Instigator Tris into the Witch Trissy?

How had a wanted criminal become the prince’s woman?

How had she, a member of the Demoness Sect, managed to get close to Prince Edessak?

And she even carries a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, or a mystical item of the same level!

Looking closely again, he discovered that Trissy had changed to a certain extent compared to before. Her individual features, which had not been exceptionally outstanding, had become more delicate and feminine, and when combined, they now stirred the soul.

Hearing his astonished words, Trissy was not startled but delighted. She revealed a sweet smile.

“You know me…

“I knew you knew me!

“A detective with Beyonder abilities would definitely pay special attention to wanted notices!”

He—no, she—seems very happy… Klein asked cautiously and doubtfully, “What do you want to do?”

He remembered very clearly that the other party was no kind soul. Tris had personally instigated the tragedy of the Clover, while Trissy had caused many innocent civilians in Tingen City to die in advance.

Trissy pursed her lips and smiled.

“It’s very simple. Go report me to the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind as soon as possible! Let them come here and arrest me!”

She wants to call the police on herself? This—this transvestite, no, this woman has gone mad, hasn’t she? Klein was momentarily bewildered.

Very quickly, he sensed the implication behind it.

Trissy would rather be locked behind Chanis Gate than remain in Red Rose Manor. She was working hard to break free of this place!

Simply put, she believes this is more dangerous and more hopeless than being caught by the Nighthawks and the Mandated Punishers… Klein worked hard to control his expression and asked gravely in return, “What are you afraid of?”

Trissy stared blankly for one second. Then her eyes widened, hazy and unfocused, as she said, “Someone is manipulating my life. There are always coincidences that make me feel horrified after the fact.

“And I am becoming less and less like myself.”

At this point, the corners of her mouth lifted.

“Can you imagine it? I, who used to like shy, cute maids, always wake at dawn to discover myself in the arms of a naked man. Can you imagine that pain?”

I can. That’s why one should stay far away from Assassins and Witches… Klein could not help imagining such a scene, and a chill rose in his heart.

Trissy continued with a seemingly self-mocking smile, “I thought if I worked hard to advance and became a Pleasure, I would be able to escape that strange condition. So I asked someone to help me gather the corresponding Beyonder materials. The result was that it became even more serious.

“Sometimes, I forget many things, yet they truly did happen. Holding back disgust, I seduced Talim, wanting him to help me escape this place. Who knew that at some unknown point, I used a curse to kill him… Do you believe such a thing could happen?

“Heh. They even changed my name. They want me to completely abandon my past self. No! Never!

“They thought I could only defeat coincidence for a very short time before soon returning to the proper path. Hmph. That is the illusion I deliberately created for them. And so, I met you, Mr. Detective!”

Pleasure… Demoness… materials… Klein abruptly recalled an old matter: at a Beyonder gathering organized by the Eye of Wisdom, Mr. Isengard Stanton, someone had sought to purchase the main ingredients for the Pleasure Witch potion. Possessing that formula, he had noticed it at the time but had not interfered. Later, he gradually forgot about the matter.

So that was Trissy’s helper! Back then, she was already by Prince Edessak’s side? Why do I inexplicably feel that her smile now looks tragically beautiful… Pleasure is poisonous… Klein inhaled, his thoughts a tangled mess.

While organizing them, he casually asked, “What did they change your name into?”

Trissy furrowed her beautiful brows. Her eyes became slightly misty as she answered, “Trissy Cheek.”

Trissy Cheek… Cheek… Cheek! Klein abruptly raised his head and once again felt the sensation of his entire body going numb, as though he had turned into a marble statue.

At this very moment, only one Roselle diary entry echoed madly in his mind:

“June 5th. I obtained an ancient text, and it actually mentioned the name of the Primordial Demoness…

“She is called Cheek…”