My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 35 Rose Manor

Chapter 35 Rose Manor
creak-

Walking on the spiral wooden staircase, every step is accompanied by the groaning of wood, as if this ancient villa is telling its years and secrets.

Jules was even a little worried that it could not bear its weight.

The old maid in front of him was very calm. She just turned around and reminded:
"Guest, please try not to hold the railing with your hands, it may fall down."

"what?"

Jules was feeling the touch of the railing next to him, and when he heard this, he pulled his hand back:
"Are these stairs usually not accessible to people? Why are you making it so dangerous?"

The old maid smiled helplessly:
"I'm really sorry, but since the young lady fell ill, there haven't been many people going upstairs anymore."

When they finally reached the second floor, a stale and decayed smell hit them in the face, mixed with a hint of herbs and spices.

Walking through the long corridor, the wooden floor under my feet creaked slightly, as if whispering something.

Yule noticed that the further he went in, the stronger the smell of the mixed grass and unknown spices became, even forming a layer of pale white mist, like a veil that dreams draped over reality.

The old maid stopped in front of an oak door, opened the small window on the door, and bowed:

"Miss, the guests are here."

She put her ear close to the words, listening carefully. After a while, she turned around and said:

"Guest, if you have any needs, you can convey them through this window."

Jules nodded slightly, picked up his cane, walked to the door, and said softly:
"I want to repair a walking stick. It's quite old and the materials needed are quite rare. I hope you can help me take a look."

While speaking, he kept staring at the small window on the door.

Outside, he still couldn't feel it clearly, but at this distance, his feelings became much clearer.

In the room, it seemed as if life and death, withering and flourishing, these two concepts and forces were clashing and fighting endlessly.

"...pass it to me through the window."

Hearing the girl's weak voice, Jules' eyes flashed slightly and he handed his cane in through the window.

"It's troublesome."

Feeling that the other party had successfully caught the cane, Jules slowly withdrew his hand.

Just then he saw the two hands that caught the stick.

One is as dry as a dying person, while the other is white and smooth, like the most perfect posture of a young girl.

"This..." His pupils shrank slightly, and he said calmly:
"Please also take a look at the materials and cost required to repair this object."

The girl's voice inside fell silent. After a long while, she slowly said:

"Did you kill the previous owner of this cane?"

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense. Yule narrowed his eyes and said:

"Isn't this inconsistent with the issue we need to discuss now?"

As he said this, he did not forget to look at the old maid beside him, always alert to the possible sneak attack from the other party.

If the other party is of the same kind as the esotericists, then he will have to handle the matter impartially.

You know, the Anti-Suppression Bureau is arresting these kinds of social destabilizers.

However, the girl chuckled weakly:
"If you killed him, thank you very much."

"...Huh?" Jules was stunned when he heard this unexpected answer.

"Do you have a grudge against the original owner of this cane?"

The other party did not answer directly, but just said leisurely:

"According to the inscription on it, the previous owner of this cane must have lived in Rose Manor, which is the property of the Wellington family."

"Going further back, judging by its shape, it must have come from the basin of a large river. It was once used by ancient shamans in war rituals. Over time, it also acquired the power of a blade."

"However, now its fangs are broken, and it no longer possesses its former divine power. Even if it were to be repaired, it would require finding a saber-toothed tiger fang as ancient as its own to unleash its original power.

This kind of monster rarely appears these days, and the cost of completely repairing it is extremely high."

The river basin? Based on the map I've seen, it should be the part of India I remember?
Seeing that the other party said no more, Yule said in a deep voice:

"You just need to tell me how much it costs." The other party had obviously judged from the item that he had some knowledge of mysticism, so he was no longer shy in his words.

"One thousand pounds. Suitable saber-toothed tiger tusks are quite rare these days."

Upon hearing this number, Yule's face instantly twisted:

"So expensive?"

This amount of money is an astronomical figure for him now. He probably can't even afford it even if he sells himself!

The girl inside was silent for a while, then said hoarsely:

"I can find a way to fix it for you for free, but you have to do me a small favor."

Yule raised his eyebrows slightly:

"From the sound of it, this job is going to be quite a task. But first of all, I won't do any life-threatening work."

The girl took a deep breath and said:

"Help me get something from the Wellington family's Rose Manor."

"what?"

"A gorgeous diamond necklace. Its name is Heart of the Ocean."

The plain words exploded in Yule's mind like thunder. His brows knitted together and he said:
"As far as I know, the Heart of the Ocean is not there. It should belong to the emerging steel tycoon Carl Hockley."

This matter is not a secret. After all, the other party often shows off this thing in public, so he is not afraid to reveal this information.

He had confirmed that Lolita's necklace was the Heart of the Ocean in this history, and according to his memory, it was "picked up" by Lolita by chance after it sank to the bottom of the sea.

The girl's voice was very firm:
"No, the Heart of the Ocean I want is not the real one. There must be a fake Heart of the Ocean hidden in Rose Manor. As long as you get it for me, I will help you repair this shaman's staff free of charge."

She gently handed the cane out of the window and returned it to Jules.

Jules was able to see the girl's two strange hands again.

He thought about it, and finally said:
"Is your hand... all right?"

As an agent of the Anti-Suppression Bureau, he still needs to be wary of such strange things.

The girl paused, but without much hesitation:
"It's just a side effect of the treatment. I'm sorry to have startled you. So, what do you think of my proposal?"

Yule stroked the cane in his hand, pondered for a while, and said:

"To be honest, it's really tempting, but the conditions..." He looked embarrassed.

Since the previous owner of this cane was from Rose Manor, there is no doubt that it is very likely a hideout of the esoteric cultists!
If I go in there by myself, won't I never come back?

The old maid smiled and said:

"It's okay, you can take your time to think about it. My eldest daughter is not in a hurry these few days."

……

"Going to Rose Manor, the lair of the esoteric cultists? That's too dangerous, but the money is too expensive, I can't afford it..."

With a heart full of worries, Jules knocked on the door of Holmes' room.

"Oh, my friend Jules, you are true to your word."

Holmes looked Jules up and down, ushered him in, and made him a pot of tea:

"You look like you're struggling with something?"

Jules shook his head and drank a sip of tea:

"Perhaps, Holmes, how is your study of the evidence progressing?"

"My research is very simple, but some evidence is hard to come by. Perhaps we need to sneak out and conduct field research to get it."

"where?"