Free Web NovelChapter 2032: Chapter 2032: The Detective’s Birthday Celebration
Leaving Priest Augustus with Dr. Schneider, Shard returned home in the evening with concern, only to find both Dorothy and Luviya there. Shard also informed them about Priest Augustus’s condition, and both Miss Writer and Miss Diviner were very worried.
Luviya even suggested doing a divination for Priest Augustus, but the card she casually drew was the one representing "Brightness".
The meaning of this card is "a hopeful future", considered one of the best results in divination, so Luviya reassured Shard that if the priest really develops any other issues, they would all help.
Surprisingly, Luviya didn’t leave that night and participated in Shard and Dorothy’s study session.
In every Saturday night of the past month, although Dorothy or Lecia would show up at Shard’s home, not much studying actually took place during these Saturday sessions... instead, there were more entertainment activities.
Having rested for a month now, Miss Writer and Her Highness the Princess intend to resume a new round of studying. They feel like it’s actually them choosing the enchantments for Shard, because every time they start the course, Shard would obtain the Fairy Tale Enchantment in two to three months.
"So what will the study material be this time?"
Luviya, listening on the sidelines, asked with great interest from the side of the desk. The gaslight in the study illuminated the faces of the two girls, and the warm family atmosphere made Shard even more grateful that Detective Sparrow had left him this house back then.
"My Low Ring and Inner Ring Ascension Words are ’Matchstick Girl’ and ’Cinderella’, and Lecia’s Low Ring Ascension Words are ’Sleeping Princess’; Shard has already studied these three stories, so now it’s Lecia’s turn for the Inner Ring Ascension Words."
Luviya was already aware of the secrets of Miss Writer and the Princess so such topics could be discussed openly in her presence.
"It’s a fairy tale about mermaids, the ocean, and love. Lecia happens to be teaching Angelina similar content, and we have quite a bit of related materials on hand."
"By the way, has Angelina decided on her Low Ring Ascension Words?"
Shard asked curiously. Since the Draleon Princess joined the Zaras Literary Academy, there was no need for her to wait half a year to read the Sublimation Codex of Zaras Literary Academy.
Dorothy nodded:
"They were decided this week, and the witches have also agreed: Spirit Silence, Cleave Through the Mist, See the Truth. [Spirit][Silence][Mist][Eyes], as well as Angelina’s own Core Spirit Rune, [Truth]."
"It seems Zaras Literary Academy and the Witch Council intend for Angelina to become a strong perceptive Circle Sorcerer?"
Luviya asked:
"The Prophet’s Society also has this Ascension Words; if she is willing, she could even learn some divination knowledge."
"Yes, the professors at Zaras Literary Academy believe Angelina has a very high perception and soul sensitivity, and the [Truth] Spirit Rune resonates well with her. Her situation is different from ours; she’s not a Moonlight System Incantation and Time Investigation genius like Shard, nor a natural Diviner like you, Luviya, nor are she and Lecia kind of Circle Sorcerers specializing in Enlightenment Elements... Excelling in perception isn’t bad. Although high inspiration can sometimes be dangerous, most of the time it helps avoid danger."
Shard also nodded in agreement.
Then, Miss Writer brought the conversation back to the topic of the night’s study:
"The fairy tale known as [Mermaid Princess] is well-known, with many versions passed down over time. But overall, it is divided into two parts: The first part is the Mermaid Princess living under the sea, encountering a shipwrecked prince and saving him; the second part is the Mermaid Princess paying a price to become a human but ultimately failing to win the prince’s love."
After saying this, Dorothy shook her head:
"That girl is really silly. With her powerful abilities, she should’ve just taken the prince back by force, and yet she watched his wedding and even blessed them... I even suspect she’s a bit too naïve."
Luviya chuckled on the side, while Shard suspected that these words might have come from Lecia, fitting well with the domineering spirit of that Princess.
"That story is indeed well-known; I’ve heard of it too. By the way, Miss Aphrola’s family has had good relations with mermaids for generations. During the Battle of Green Lake, she even called on mermaids for help. It’s interesting to think about how the mermaid race views this story. Maybe it’s a tale based on true events."
Shard said, and Dorothy thought for a moment:
"This is indeed an interesting research direction. Lecia and I haven’t seen any similar theses. However, the mermaid race lives in the ocean and currently in the Sixth Era, they rarely communicate with human sorcerers, making it difficult to investigate... Lecia has two mermaid scales in hand; I can bring them next week for study, which could help us feel the power of the sea."
Shard thought there might be other arrangements that night, but the night class continued until after nine-thirty, when "Teacher Luisa" expressed a desire to rest.
She wasn’t joking; after washing up, she really went to the first floor with Luviya. When Shard, holding the cat, watched the girls wave goodnight as they headed to the first floor, Luviya even warned:
"Shard, don’t come knocking on our door tonight. If you respect the ladies, you and your cat should just spend the night in your own bedroom."
Shard could imagine the expression on his face would be quite remarkable, but since both Dorothy and Luviya had rejected him, he indeed didn’t go downstairs that night, and Mia, unusually, wasn’t locked in the wardrobe on that Saturday night.
After a peaceful night, at half past six on Sunday morning, the cat’s meow woke Shard up on time. The Outlander reached out to gently pat the cat on the head; the small cat, knowing Shard was awake, crouched down silently.
"Sunlight Moon, twenty-second, today is Sunday, a year ago it was Saturday."
He gazed at the now-familiar ceiling and thought about this day a year ago when this room still belonged to Sparrow Hamilton, with the detective lying in the usual spot. A year ago, the Outlander who had just "awakened" was panicking due to the unfamiliar environment beside the bed.
"It was a morning, too."
He continued his thoughts while the cat beside him started to grow impatient, urging Shard to get up rather than waste life in bed.
"Alright, alright."
As he sat up from the bed and waved his hand, the curtains automatically parted, revealing the grayish morning scene outside the window.
"One year ago, I obtained this house here, obtained [Impermanence: Silver Moon], and... heard your voice."
Laughter echoed in his ear, a gentle laughter that swept away the grogginess of waking up.
[Should I say something?]
"She" asked softly, and Shard replied while putting on his slippers:
"Sure."
[When the cool early summer breeze blows away the lingering fog, the Outlander awakens once more on the day of Silvermoon’s shine. The adventures of the past year have left you weary, but the powers and emotions settled within your soul enrich you. Having crossed the first year, the wind blows leaves into the second year. Present World: Sixth Era, Summer of 1854, Silvermoon’s shine day, good morning, hope you love this world, my dear Outlander.]
Shard’s mood suddenly improved, and even his steps out of the room became much lighter.
Unexpectedly, a steaming breakfast was already set out on the table, but the girls who cooked it were nowhere to be seen on the second floor. When Shard went downstairs to find Luviya and Dorothy for breakfast, both of them were already gone.
He went outside to pick up the goat milk and newspaper, only to find a letter in the milk box.
The envelope wasn’t stamped, nor did it have a return address, and its contents were pieced together from words cut out of the newspaper:
[Tobesk’s famous detective:
Your cherished treasures have been taken by me, hidden in various corners of the city. You must find them all before sunset, or else...]
The awkwardly arranged, oversized newspaper words required flipping to the next page to read further.
[Or else you will not be allowed to attend tonight’s party. The first clue is in this letter, and with your wisdom, you’ll surely discover it.
Note: Remember to have breakfast before searching. Don’t run around the city on an empty stomach. Your treasures won’t be harmed by your tardiness, so don’t rush.]
"A challenge for the famous detective? An ingenious way to celebrate a birthday, but I feel they’re treating me like a child,"
Shard thought as he walked up the stairs, holding the items in his hands:
"I’ll set out after eight."
[Have you discovered the first clue?]
"It’s too simple. The texture of those clippings feels like they all come from the Steam Bird Daily. The office opens at eight, there’s no point going too early."
At eight o’clock sharp, wearing a black coat, a brown deerstalker hat, and with little Mia perched on his shoulder, Shard arrived at the Steam Bird Daily Office in the University District. But upon entering, apart from greeting acquaintances, he didn’t find any familiar girls, and was even told after inquiring that he was the first visitor from outside the office that morning.
However, after careful inquiry, he learned the office had received a strange anonymous letter that morning. Shard obtained permission to open it, revealing a riddle inside:
[It’s like a painting but not a painting, like a mirror but not a mirror. By day it’s a painting, by night it’s like a mirror.]
"Window... Sorry."
The puzzled detective went to the bedside, then saw the carriage parked at the office entrance downstairs. Shard went down, and sure enough, through the carriage window, he saw Dorothy smiling cheerfully at him. That carriage was clearly Miss Galina’s, and the coachman, looking normal, was actually a Miss Maid in male attire.
He boarded the carriage; Miss Writer kissed his cheek, but Luviya, also in the carriage, immediately pulled Dorothy aside.
The purple-eyed girl in a black gown wrapped her arm around Dorothy’s neck; beneath the white lace-trimmed cuff of her right sleeve, she held a sharp silver dinner knife to Miss Writer’s throat.
The girl in black addressed Shard:
"Oh, Detective, I didn’t expect you to solve my riddle so easily. But you were a step late. Now, I’m going to hide this golden-haired girl again. Go, quickly leave here; even if you found the first one, don’t be arrogant, you absolutely can’t find the rest of your treasures."
Shard blinked:
"And if I choose to fight you here, what would you do?"
As he spoke, he grabbed Luviya’s hand holding the knife; the purple-eyed girl didn’t resist but smiled, saying:
"Then let’s fight."
The carriage slowly began to move, turning into the alley beside it, while the two girls in the carriage grabbed Shard’s arms together. Amidst the cat’s cries, workers happened to stack boxes at the alley entrance, blocking the parked carriage.
Half an hour later, the carriage emerged from the alley, and the detective, covered with lipstick marks and with his clothes disheveled, was "kicked" off the carriage due to his "failed" fight.
He hurriedly tidied his clothes, then caught a handkerchief drifting from the departing carriage.
"Miss Galina’s perfume scent."
He sniffed lightly, recognizing it, then noticed the irregular stitch pattern on the handkerchief’s lower left corner:
"This is... Southern Cross’s star map? Oh, I got it, Lucky Southern Cross Club!"
Thus, after sorting himself out, the detective adjusted his mood and brought along the sulking cat, heading to the club on Grass Hill Avenue in the north of the city, where he first met Miss Galina.
The club, now turned into a "kidnapping accomplice," wouldn’t let Shard in so easily. From entering the door, the detective, accompanied by the cat, defeated 7 Miss Maid with Roder Card games to reach the third floor, and only after finishing a final multiplayer card game with three Miss Maid including Tifa at the staircase did he gain access to the club’s inner room.
In the dim yet familiar study, Shard met the gorgeous Duchess. Similarly, the purple-eyed Female Diviner in a black gown had already arrived there beforehand.
Tifa temporarily retreated with the maids, and the two ladies who were chatting over tea put down their cups:
"Oh, detective, detective, maybe I’ve underestimated your skills. But even if you found your second treasure, what does it matter? In the end, she remains in my grasp."
Shard suspected these lines were written by Dorothy; whenever Luviya spoke them, it sounded like she was reciting lines from a stage play.
The Diviner in a black dress once again took out the silver table knife from earlier, pressing it against the Duchess’s neck, who was smiling happily:
"Help me, Detective, I am willing to give you everything in return."
"Yes, I’m coming to save you."
As he spoke, Shard put the cat on the sofa, took off his coat and hat, and reached toward the kidnapper and the Duchess.
The fight in the room lasted for more than an hour again. When the disheveled Shard emerged from the room holding the cat, it was already eleven o’clock in the morning.
Outside, the maids were laughing, but they still helped Shard tidy up his clothes under Tifa’s guidance, wiped away the lipstick marks on his face and neck, and sprayed perfume to mask some strange odors.
After finishing all this, Shard still wanted to speak to the two ladies inside, perhaps to have lunch together, but the maids ushered him to the first floor. The black-haired Head Maid seriously said:
"Detective, your tardiness caused you to miss out on the second treasure. Fortunately, the loyal maid noted down the key clues when the mistress was taken. The clues involve cats, and there are three of them. Your wisdom will surely help us bring back the poor mistress."
The girls laughed again, and Shard nodded at Tifa:
"I understand, I understand. This time it’s the Three Cats Inn."
The Three Cats Inn, like the club, is located in the northern part of the city, so one can even quickly reach it by walking.
Since it’s already noon, there are quite a few guests at the Three Cats Inn, making business very busy. As Shard walked in, he glanced around and didn’t see any familiar faces, so he went to seek help from the shopkeeper, Mrs. Sangmi.
The apron-wearing middle-aged woman saw Shard approaching and instantly smiled:
"Though I don’t know what you all are doing, today’s young people really know how to have fun... Oh, listen to me, young detective!"
Her deep voice almost startled the cat on Shard’s shoulder:
"Yes, there have indeed been strange visitors here today. A woman in a black dress full of malice and curses rented the room upstairs and trapped two butterflies in a cage."
As she spoke, she handed the key to Shard, and winked at him:
"Detective, I don’t want bad people residing in my property, please help drive her away."
Shard took the key and opened the third-floor room, where Grace and Helen were sitting on the sofa chatting. Upon seeing Shard come in, they immediately kicked him out:
"Quickly leave, quickly leave, the kidnapper hasn’t arrived yet, you can’t come in."
"Wait, aren’t you supposed to not leave Milestone easily?"
"Oh, quickly leave, the kidnapper hasn’t arrived yet!"
Of course, Luviya hadn’t arrived yet; she should still be cleaning and freshening up in the club. Shard purposely tried to see if she could always outpace him.
So Shard first went downstairs to have lunch with Mia, which took twenty minutes. When he opened the room door again, Luviya had already arrived.
Behind the purple-eyed Diviner, the pitiful-looking black-skirted girls had their hands tied together, their blue eyes looking at Shard with a pleading expression.
Shard wanted to step forward but was glared at by Luviya, so he asked:
"Looks like again I’m late. So, will you once more threaten me with a knife?"
"No, detective, today you’ve opposed me numerous times, so I must punish you."
The purple-eyed girl pointed at Helen and Grace:
"I will humiliate the three of you. Now, follow my instructions, or I’ll harm them with a knife. You have no choice; now, remove your coat and set that dangerous cat aside..."
The righteous knight merely intended to rescue the "bad person" captured butterfly sisters, but was eventually coerced into doing various things.
And when he had bathed, taking Mia out of the room, it was almost two in the afternoon.
The cat lay sulkily in his arms, perhaps regretting tagging along with the detective today.
The next clue wasn’t here; once more chased out, the detective followed the final clues left by the butterfly sisters before "falling into a faint." An only he could see red butterfly, leaving the Three Cats Inn. After walking north along the street outside Hymn Square for less than a hundred steps, he stopped at the door beneath a hanging kerosene lamp.
This was the City North Theater where Dorothy once took Shard, and the Jasmine Opera Troupe performed here.
After paying 8 pence for the ticket, Shard followed the red butterfly inside, watching the somewhat vulgar afternoon performance, "Snake of Desire." He then received a quill pen, indicating where he should go next.
With the cat, he went to Feather Quill Street where Dorothy lived, knocking on the door of Building B at 211. The landlady scrutinized him before letting Shard in.
Dorothy rented the entire third floor, but Shard first saw Lecia sitting on the sofa before noticing Miss Writer nearby holding a small knife, dressed in a very familiar black dress, saying:
"Detective, you again..."
"Pardon me, why switch actresses? Is this Luviya’s dress? Where is Luviya?"
Miss Writer slightly frowned, displeased at Shard for interrupting her:
"Don’t speak nonsense. Luviya already performed three shows and went to rest. Do you think she shares the same stamina as you? Now I’m stepping in, as today marks the Red Butterfly Day starting now. Remember the date, next time it’s your turn to arrange..."
Her Highness the Princess on the sofa coughed twice, signaling them to return to the main topic, so Dorothy continued:
"Detective, you have once again found clues that led you here, but this beautiful princess is still my prey. If you want to take her away, you’ll have to defeat me first."
Lecia cooperatively said:
"Detective, you can definitely defeat this woman, right?"
Miss Writer snorted:
"Your Highness, keep your mouth shut. You are currently my hostage, just stay here and watch as I compete with this detective."
"That’s not fair, Dorothy. Although we are one, you can’t just hog everything."
Saying this, she stood up and, together with Miss Writer, walked towards Shard.
This time, Dorothy did not fulfill her promise. Even though Shard defeated them, he still couldn’t reclaim his princess. Around three in the afternoon, he stepped out of the apartment and returned to Feather Quill Street. The cat that had been napping on the windowsill was now sleeping soundly in his arms, and the last clue was the final words Lecia said to him before he left:
"The girls of the Cavendish Family do not yield."
"Cavendish Family... Yordle Palace is impossible, Miss Galina’s manor."
This time, Shard didn’t even need to hire a cab; the carriage was already waiting for him.
Taking the carriage to the manor on the northern outskirts of the city, everything seemed unchanged from before. Upon entering the mansion, Shard saw Megan being forcibly taken upstairs by someone. Megan was supposed to be out of town, so Shard was surprised she managed to come.
So the detective conducted an investigation throughout, eventually arriving at the bedroom belonging to the Duchess within the manor.
The maid outside took away Mia, and when the bedroom door was opened, Shard was stunned by the sight of strands of red and brown hair hanging down everywhere, making the bedroom resemble a spider’s nest.
Upon closer inspection, it was evident that the witches had let their hair grow to extreme lengths, spreading across the entire bedroom like silk.
As Shard walked through the hair that cascaded from the ceiling and entwined the room, he reached the bedside to find Miss Galina in a black dress holding a dining knife to the neck of the brown-haired witch in bed:
"Detective, although you’ve found the last treasure, you’ve also fallen into my trap."
"Changing actors again? Oh, I mean, what trap?"
The red-haired witch laughed as she tossed aside the knife, and Megan sat up, holding her hand. Audrey, hidden under the covers, also smiled and appeared:
"I’m truly sorry, Detective. I’m actually the one who orchestrated all this, deliberately luring you here after a day of running around when you’re exhausted."
"And now, do you still have the strength? Are you ready to face the final enemy?"
With red and brown hair converging onto the bed under their control, it truly became a trap, entwining Shard. The witches held his hand with a smile:
"Now, let’s see where you can run to."
At dusk, the sunset dyed half the sky red. After a full day’s work, Shard stepped out from the manor’s bath, towel-drying his hair.
The maid led the way to the manor’s dining room, where the white tablecloth was already set with gold and silverware and delicious dishes, and a grand five-tiered cake was placed at the center of the table. On top of the cake was a chocolate figurine of the detective in black and the orange-white kitten.
Dressed in luxurious evening gowns, Luviya, Lecia, Dorothy, Galina, Megan, Audrey, and Helen Grace awaited him in the dining room. Even Angelina and Iluna stood with smiles amongst them.
Seeing the guest of honor arrive, the ladies who had been chatting and laughing by the table picked up their glasses. Under the crystal chandelier, their eyes sparkled like their jewelry.
A year ago, the Outlander might have been wondering under the dusk if he could still receive relief food in time, but now, a year later, he no longer had to worry about that.
"Shard, happy birthday."
They raised their glasses together and said, as Tifa, holding Mia, gently nudged Shard into the crowd of approaching ladies:
"Shard, happy birthday."
"Shard, happy birthday."
The light and smiles surrounded him, and the Outlander felt lost in the repeated blessings. The dim lights, possibly cast with an illusion technique, and the familiar faces, laughter, and this night would surely remain in his memory forever.
"Shard, happy birthday."
"She" also whispered in Shard’s ear at this moment.
"Is this really my birthday?"
When Luviya tugged at his sleeve to cut the cake, Shard asked himself.
"Does it really matter?"
Even after a year, "her" laughter was still as pleasant as it was at the beginning. Like a gentle night breeze, like a tender night moon, she was the most gentle shadow in Shard’s heart.
Indeed, it doesn’t matter at all.
