Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 87 Trendy Mouse

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden hue on the walnut tabletop in the tranquil study of the Biden Estate.

Miss Afra was curled up in a comfortable armchair, a thick copy of "Rise of Kingdoms: Britain" open on her lap. In the other corner of the desk, Bella lay comfortably on the carpet, snoring softly, her clean white fur fluffy and soft in the warm light.

In the midst of this quiet reading atmosphere, one after another, surprised shouts came from outside the door.

"Oh! Look at it..."

"What an exquisite little backpack! It's like one made for a toy doll!"

"Did you sew it by hand, Miss?"

"it's beautiful……"

The pages of the book on her lap turned gently in the wind. Afra slowly raised her head, unfolded her bent knees, and looked curiously towards the door.

"What's going on?" she asked loudly.

Before the maid could reply, a mouse with its head held high and carrying a light gray cloth bag walked in through the door.

Swish.

Afra sat bolt upright, the book on her lap nearly slipping to the floor. Her beautiful eyes widened, then lit up with surprise.

"Traitorous Rat, where did you get this little crossbody bag... Did Mr. Sherlock make it for you...? This is so cute! He's such a thoughtful person!"

Bella, who was fast asleep on the floor, was also startled by Afra's loud voice. She whimpered in dissatisfaction, lazily raised her eyelids, and happened to see the little gadget that had appeared on Lu Ran's waist.

After a moment of stunned silence, it suddenly jumped up excitedly, circling around Lu Ran and barking. If Afra hadn't been there, it probably would have started talking.

Lu Ran noticed the envy in Bella's eyes and then arrogantly raised his head.

Afra was both amused and exasperated, and quickly pulled Bella away from her overly excited state.

"Alright, alright, Bella, be quiet!" She rubbed Bella's hot head to soothe her. "I'll make one for you later, okay?"

Hearing this, the fiery flames in Bella's eyes subsided slightly. She sniffed and sat down next to Afra's legs, looking aggrieved. But her round dog eyes remained fixed on the small crossbody bag at Lu Ran's waist, as if to say: It's only been a short while since I last saw you, where did you get such a trendy outfit?

After all, Bella knew perfectly well that there was no Sherlock Detective at all.

Afu stretched out her hand to lift Lu Ran, but as soon as she exerted force to lift the rat's body, a heavy feeling made her immediately realize that something was wrong.

"Huh? How come you've gotten so heavy?" She weighed the little one in her palm in surprise, then leaned closer to examine it more closely. "Your size doesn't seem to have changed much... Have you gained weight? Or..."

Her gaze returned to the small handbag. "Did you... stuff something in your bag?"

Afra spoke with curiosity, and just as she was about to reach for Lu Ran's handbag, she saw a pair of hands immediately press down on the handbag, looking wary.

"Huh?" Afra's finger froze in mid-air, a little bewildered by the reaction, and she immediately stared with incredulous eyes.

"What do you mean? You don't want me to see it? Why are you so wary of me... Can't I even see Mr. Sherlock's handicrafts? I'm not going to steal them from you."

The mouse shook its head firmly.

The main problem is that this thing isn't an ordinary cloth bag; it's a living treasure chest monster. Who knows what will happen if Afra touches it?

"You! You traitorous rat, you really are..." Afra was about to protest a few more words when suddenly, the small gray paw in front of her nimbly flipped.

"squeak."

Lu Ran deftly pulled out a piece of paper from that magical satchel, folded multiple times and resembling a small block of tofu.

"Is this Mr. Sherlock's letter?"

Afra quickly and excitedly snatched it away, unfolding it rapidly. "A new detective story?"

Seeing that Afra was engrossed in reading, Lu Ran quickly ran to the table and saw the neatly placed white invitation card with an exquisite silver border. He carefully unfolded it and read the name inside.

Pal Perez.

Is it really the same person?

Lu Ran was somewhat astonished. If they had the means to invite the count's daughter, and she even had the exact same name, there was almost no chance of them sharing the same name.

In other words, the other party is a church figure of similar strength to Anthony, who is currently advancing from the second to the third tier.
Lu Ran glanced at Afra, who was engrossed in reading the letter, without making a sound.

This level of power suggests a high status within the church. Are the salons he organizes truly just about knowledge sharing?

A sense of uncertainty suddenly arose in Lu Ran's heart.

……

As the days passed, spring grew ever more vibrant both inside and outside the manor. Afra not only devoured Professor El's several difficult forbidden books, but also made thick notes and summaries to avoid having nothing to say at the gathering.

Lu Ran also checked the system's progress from time to time. The number on it had reached 98%, but the progress at the very end just wouldn't go up. He wondered what problem the research mice on the other side were encountering.

Finally, the appointed day arrived.

That afternoon, a well-maintained four-wheeled carriage bearing the Biden family crest slowly drove out of the estate gate. Instead of heading towards the bustling town of Baker, it traveled along the winding green road in the suburbs in another direction.

Because the journey was quite long, Lu Ran didn't keep looking around. Instead, he found a corner, curled up, closed his eyes, and took a nap.

Afra, on the other hand, chatted idly with her maid Hela.

The carriage traveled for about four hours. Afra yawned, looking a little tired, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from fields to a more orderly woodland estate.

Finally arrived.

After navigating a winding cobblestone driveway wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side, the carriage finally came to a stop in front of a three-story main house with a small portion of its off-white exterior gently covered by ivy.

A male servant wearing white gloves stepped forward and respectfully opened the carriage door. The door opened, and Afra stepped out, dressed in an elegant pearl-grey silk gown.

She was led through a magnificent foyer, with high ceilings adorned with ornate plaster reliefs and gleaming parquet flooring beneath her feet.

Passing through the foyer, you enter the main hall of today's salon, where several young gentlemen and ladies, like Afra, are gathered.

Lu Ran cautiously peeked out from the exquisite beaded evening handbag that Afra was carrying, after all, he had gained a lot of weight and it was no longer suitable for him to sit on Afra's shoulder and run around.

He looked around and saw that everyone there seemed to be a young person.

Speaking of Professor Al, what happened to him?
Just as she was pondering, she saw Afra's gaze sweep across the crowd, and suddenly her eyes lit up. Her steps quickened, and she almost ran towards a brown-haired girl who stood quietly not far away, with a gentle temperament like a daisy.

“Matia! Darling, it’s been so long!” Afra’s voice was filled with genuine joy, and she couldn’t help but complain, “You haven’t contacted me since the last ball.”

Lu Ran subconsciously looked in that direction. The girl looked to be about the same age as Afra, but her figure was thinner than Afra's. She was wearing a simple ivory-colored lace-trimmed long dress.

Her long hair was a deep chestnut brown, with a few stray strands falling across her pale forehead, obscuring half of her face. The other half of her eyelid drooped slightly, revealing an undeniable weariness.

As Afra walked, she sensed something was wrong and slowly slowed her pace.

"Matia, what's wrong? You look like...did something happen?"

Mattia looked up at the sound and said apologetically.

"Ah, Afra... I'm so sorry, something really happened at home, and I couldn't reply to your letter in time... I just happened to be invited here to relax."

(End of this chapter)