The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

The Rose Theatre, backstage dressing room.

Daisy, who had just arrived at the work site, was sitting in front of an oval vanity mirror, skillfully applying her makeup with a fine brush.

The face in the mirror was young and beautiful, but there was still a faint red handprint on her face. She tilted her head slightly, intending to cover the mark with some more rouge.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of the dressing room door being pushed open.

"Daisy Harper, here is a letter for you."

A man with a bushy head and a bear-like build stepped into the room, waving a bulging envelope in his hand.

A letter? Daisy turned her head in confusion, not remembering having any written communication with anyone, especially since the letter wasn't sent to her address but directly to the theater.

Nevertheless, she quickly got up and hurried to the door.

"Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Dave. I had completely forgotten about receiving the mail."

Daisy gave a coquettish smile and expressed her gratitude to the theater manager.

"Remember to change the delivery address to your home address next time. The theater isn't responsible for collecting your things," the man called Dave instructed, handing over the envelope.

"Yes, you're right," Daisy said, clasping her hands together in apology. "I'll be more careful next time."

After the tall man walked out of the dressing room, she closed the door and began to examine the contents of the envelope in her hand.

Upon opening the envelope, one finds a letter and several stacks of coins piled together.

Daisy roughly counted and found that there were exactly five hundred gold pounds, and her eyes widened involuntarily.

My first thought was that someone had sent it to the wrong address.

Five hundred pounds is almost equivalent to a middle-class person's annual income. How could someone be so generous as to give away this money for free?

After a brief moment of shock, she took a deep breath to calm herself down, then carefully put the stack of coins back into the envelope and took out the letter to read.

To my dearest Daisy:

First, I must apologize to you. Yesterday's events were my fault; I rashly misunderstood you. This letter is to bid you farewell. Due to certain special reasons, I must sail to a very far place; please do not try to find me. The gold pounds enclosed with this letter are compensation for the years I have wronged you.

Remember that sunny southern town you mentioned? Take this money and head there now to witness the beaches, skies, and rainbows you've always wanted to see. The theater is a hopeless place; staying there too long will erode all your dreams.

I tried my best to make money, and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise in the end. Perhaps we were just not meant to be, but at least my feelings for you were genuine, and I sincerely hope you can embrace a new life.

At the very bottom right of the letter was a line of small print: "Love, Quilt."

The dressing room was silent, with only the faint sounds of audience discussion coming from outside the theater.

Daisy blinked, her eyes suddenly reddening. She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her sobs, but tears still rolled down her cheeks.

She wasn't entirely unaware of Quilt's misdeeds, but in such an environment, how many people could remain pure and maintain that worthless dignity and respectability?

"Idiot!" she murmured softly, her voice thick with sobs, "How could I possibly blame you?"

Why do you have to work so hard to make money? Why can't you understand... that I value you more than a wedding and a church?

……

The Kingdom of Hiran, the Earl's Mansion.

After the rain, the dewdrops dripped onto the pure white window. This mansion is located in the most pleasant area on the outskirts of St. Christine, next to a meticulously maintained garden and surrounded by sprawling estates and land.

In the spacious and elegant room, Charlotte sat at the desk by the window.

She looked away from the opened envelope, and just as she was about to pick up her pen to reply, she was drawn to the view of the courtyard outside the window.

Lifting her skirt, she stepped into the garden path, dew instantly splashing and wetting her shoes.

This open-air garden, besides being a display of the family's wealth and taste, was also built at Charlotte's insistence. Every detail was meticulously calculated by professional designers, presenting different natural scenes from different angles.

When guests visit, the Earl of White often invites them to tea in the courtyard, but this varies depending on the circumstances; occasionally, he also invites them to a dinner party at the estate for wine tasting.

Charlotte came to a corner of the garden and stopped in front of an asters that had not yet bloomed. She bent down, her emerald eyes quietly gazing at the tiny bud, her gaze filled with anticipation.

Not all the plants in the garden were purchased for ornamental purposes. There were also plants like the asters that Charlotte had carefully cultivated and tended herself, but for some reason, they never bloomed.

"Why does my little princess seem to have something on her mind?"

A teasing remark came from behind, and Earl White walked slowly over with a doting smile on his face.

"Father," Charlotte turned around, withdrawing her hand that had been lightly touching the flower bud and gracefully placing it on her skirt, "why have you suddenly come to a place like this?"

"I just wanted to see if my daughter has made any progress lately."

Earl White clasped his hands behind his back, walked to the blooming lilies not far away, picked the most vibrant one, and gently tucked it into the girl's hair.

The pure white flowers set off her light brown hair, creating a gentle and beautiful scene.

Charlotte shook her head helplessly: "Father, I'm not a child anymore."

After saying that, she picked the lily and, as if in protest, lightly punched the man's arm in front of her.

it hurts.

Earl White forced a smile, appearing as if nothing had happened, and gently rubbed his arm that had been hit.

Where did this child get such incredible strength? He couldn't help but marvel at this, while also deeply realizing a cruel truth.

My daughter has grown up and started to dislike her old father!

"In your father's eyes, you will always be a child." Suppressing the sadness in his heart, Earl White said with a faint smile.

"I know you're eager to deal with that robbery and prove yourself to us, but you need to understand that growth doesn't happen suddenly; it takes time and experience."

Charlotte smiled sweetly when her father brought it up:

"I was just about to tell you, Father, that there's been a new development in the case. I'm sure you've already heard the latest news this morning, haven't you?"

New developments? Earl White paused for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment and began to recount the news from this morning.

"Police received a report that a male body was lying on the street with a fatal wound to his chest. Judging from the torn clothing, the deceased was likely a member of that organization."

But what does this have to do with any new developments? Apart from confirming the identity of the deceased, the police have not received any other clues, and the scene has been completely washed away by the torrential rain.

Unless… Earl White’s eyes opened slightly, and a thought flashed through his mind.

Charlotte's face suddenly showed a hint of smugness:

"Remember the detective I mentioned to you before? He orchestrated this incident, and now he's even brought new clues through letters."

This girl actually did it?

Earl White's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, and he suddenly felt that his daughter seemed to have matured a bit.

It's not about growing in superficial diplomatic etiquette, nor is it about naive talk of ideals and possibilities; it's about tangible results in action, which are more convincing than any words.

"Of course I remember my little Charlotte." Earl White smiled, a genuine smile of approval. "Since you have such good taste, I'd like to meet the legendary detective myself."