I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

As the rain intensified, pattering against everything around it, it only made this place of farewell seem even more silent.

Duanmu Yan walked slowly and quietly to her side, afraid of disturbing the solemn atmosphere.

Koleta noticed his arrival but said nothing. She simply bent down slightly and gently placed a bouquet of flowers, fragrant with dew, in front of the tombstone.

“Ettore Motari.” Her voice was soft, almost swallowed by the rain. “I swear in the name of my family that Giacomo Facibina—will personally offer his condolences. May his repentance bring peace to your soul.”

Seeing this, Duanmu Yan couldn't help but slowly lower his head, silently mourning in the quiet atmosphere.

Although he did not know the owner of the tombstone, he possessed empathy as a complete human being.

The cemetery was silent.

Only the rain kept pounding on the tombstone, making a sound like fate knocking on the door.

The silence didn't last long before it was quietly broken by the girl's cool words.

"You've probably heard about the incident that caused such a stir on West Street a while ago—the private caravan that suddenly went out of control and went berserk, resulting in injuries?"

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Yan turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the girl. He nodded gently and replied in a steady voice, "Yes, I've heard about it."

In the land of Lina Xita, people's daily lives are largely dependent on the public spaces carefully managed by the religious order, which maintain daily stability.

However, the Mortari family has recently begun to openly promote the widespread use of private terminals and private voice fragments, a move that is undoubtedly a provocation against the authority of the order.

This is precisely the root cause of the irreconcilable conflict between the two, which has spread like wildfire.

“That wasn’t some random outburst, but a meticulously planned attack,” Colletta said. “And the victims are us. If the promotion of private terminals and Sound Remnants is hindered, the Motari family will suffer an unprecedented blow.”

"The family will not let down those who have made contributions, and correspondingly, it will not let any traitor go unpunished."

"Based on the clues we have so far, all the evidence clearly points to one fact—the Fácsbiner family played an extremely crucial and important role in this incident."

Hearing this, Duanmu Yan had a general idea of ​​what Koleta was going to say next, as well as the expectations she might have for him.

kill?

Although Duanmu Yan was not the kind of compassionate saint, he was by no means a cold-blooded person who could take another's life without a conscience or burden.

If he were to deal with a heinous criminal whom everyone would want to kill, Duanmu Yan would not hesitate to take action and deprive him of his right to continue living in order to uphold justice and fairness in the world.

but……

If he were to raise his blade merely to satisfy the intricate power struggles between families, or to easily take another's life simply because of someone's selfish desires and ambitions, it would be far too difficult for him, and far too contrary to his own conscience.

After all, no one is willing to become a gun wielded at will by others, or a victim of a struggle for interests.

"Don't worry, I won't ask you to kill anyone—that's my job."

Koleta's words were crisp and decisive, dispelling Duanmu Yan's concerns before they could spread like vines.

This only made Duanmu Yan more curious about why Koleta had approached him.

"So, Miss Koleta, what kind of work do I need to do?" Duanmu Yan asked with a hint of doubt.

“Your job is simple.” Koleta’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Help me gather all the evidence linking the Fachibina family to this operation.”

"..."

Is this simple?

I'm just a low-level employee, not some high-ranking spy.

How could I possibly do something like that?

"What's wrong? Judging from your expression, are you scared?" Koleta turned around gracefully, tilted her head slightly, and gazed at him.

Duanmu Yan subconsciously scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment and helplessness, and said, "It's not that I'm scared, it's just that I... have absolutely no idea where to start."

“Oh, is that what you’re worried about?” Coleta said casually and calmly. “No need to worry. Giacomo is the current head of the Fachipina family. He is obsessed with music and built a luxurious theater specifically for this purpose, which he also uses as his office.”

"At that time, I will arrange for someone to put on a wonderful performance at his theater, and you will take this excellent opportunity to sneak into his office and carefully search for any clues related to this."

"In that case, Miss Koleta, why don't you arrange for someone from your family to take on this task?" Duanmu Yan asked, full of doubt.

"Compared to me, an outsider with no connection to the family, shouldn't there be more reliable and trustworthy people within the family?"

“It is precisely because you are an outsider that I entrust such an important task to you,” Koleta explained meaningfully, her gaze deep.

“What if I told you that Ettore’s death was not a simple accident? Wouldn’t you find it strange? A high-ranking member of the family would die under mysterious circumstances in a sudden attack, while the family’s security forces were completely unaware and took no action.”

Having said all that, the deeper meaning is already quite clear.

Duanmu Yan wasn't stupid; he naturally understood what Koleta meant.

—A traitor has appeared within the family, and she doesn't want to alert him and disrupt her plans.

"So, Miss Koleta, aren't you afraid of my betrayal?"

Hearing his question, Koleta simply raised the corners of her lips, revealing a faint smile: "From the moment you asked that question, I no longer had that worry."

"why?"

“Traitors wouldn’t ask such a question,” the girl said calmly, “because they’re guilty. Besides…”

She spoke softly, leaning forward slightly, tilting her face up, and gazing into his eyes.

I love your eyes.

"Especially when you are staring intently at something, it will shine brightly, like a gemstone."

"My intuition tells me that you are a person with your own principles."

"Therefore, they are worthy of your trust."

"So, you won't let me down, right?"

The most heart-wrenching pain in the world is regret.

And the most difficult regrets to quell in the world almost always begin with trust.

To be precise, all love, hate, and grudges in the world begin with trust.

Trust, it seems, is something that is hard to define.

Trust is so inexplicable and so unfounded because we all trust our intuition too much.

Intuition, however, is often the most unreliable thing.

His eyes reflected the girl's smiling face, and after a brief moment of thought, he gave his answer.

He will not betray her trust.

"As you wish, Miss Coleta."

Volume One: Chapter Eleven - The Concert

The rain had stopped and the clouds remained, but the sky was still shrouded in a heavy haze, without a trace of light.

Holding a letter of introduction, Duanmu Yan stopped in front of a shop.

"Although this operation is an infiltration, for such an occasion, one should at least change into presentable attire."

"Here, take this and go to a clothing store called 'Dream Lover' to have a well-fitting uniform custom-made."

This is what Coleta said to him as they left the cemetery.

Duanmu Yan had heard of this shop before.

It is said to be a renowned top fashion boutique in Laguna.

However, the shop owner has a rather eccentric personality. If you want her to tailor clothes for you, money alone is far from enough; you also have to see if she's willing to do you the favor.

“Speaking of which…” Duanmu Yan paused in front of the shop, gazing up at the signboard with a thoughtful look in his eyes, muttering to himself, “What is the shop owner’s name? Naya…”

"Nyarlathotep".

Suddenly, the shop door creaked open.

Before Duanmu Yan could react, a strange sight appeared before him—a set of clothes stood upright in front of him, without the support of a hanger, standing there in mid-air, as if held up by an invisible hand, exuding a sense of mystery.

"Eh?"

Duanmu Yan was stunned for a moment, looking at the clothes in front of him, somewhat at a loss.

Was that outfit speaking just now?

"Hmm? An unfamiliar face, looks like a new guest."

Now, Duanmu Yan is certain that it is this outfit that is speaking.

No, it should be the shop owner speaking.

"you……"

“I know you have a lot of questions,” Nyarlathotep said, picking up the letter of introduction from Duanmu Yan’s hand and flipping through it on her own. She then said to him, “The eloquent mask, the elegantly dressed voice, the graceful coloratura singer… the Laguna people have described and called me by far more names than the characters I have personally played.”

"Fantasies about my true appearance have already drawn countless gazes, all focused on this invisible shell—"

"It can be said that people's curiosity and imagination have given me a thousand different appearances."

"So, what kind of person am I in your heart?"

Duanmu Yan was slightly taken aback; he had a feeling...

This explanation sounds strangely familiar.

Add to that strange name, Nyarlathotep...

Could it be that Nyarlathotep, the God of a Thousand Faces—she is an Outer God!

Uh, it shouldn't be that outrageous.

This invisibility ability is probably her resonance ability.

"So it was Miss Koleta who recommended you?" Niara gently put down the letter of introduction in her hand, her tone carrying a subtle and unfathomable quality. "That's quite unusual. Miss Koleta actually wrote such a letter, specifically instructing me to use the finest fabrics in the shop to carefully craft a dress for you."

As she spoke softly, she took light steps and slowly walked around Duanmu Yan, carefully looking him over from head to toe.

"Excuse me……"

“Don’t mind me, I was just giving a rough assessment of your figure.” Nyarlathotep interrupted him unhurriedly, then turned and walked to the cabinet, skillfully taking out some professional measuring tools. “Well then, time is of the essence. Let’s begin.”

after a while.

The preliminary work regarding the custom-made dress has been completed.

Nyarlathotep clapped her hands lightly and looked at Duanmu Yan, saying, "Then please wait patiently for my news."

Duanmu Yan bowed slightly and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble."

He then walked out of the shop, took out his terminal from his pocket, and quickly tapped on the screen to report the matter to Koleta.

The dress has been custom-made.

Soon, the terminal screen lit up, and a message from Koleta came back.

[Well, I understand. 】

By the way, there's a concert at the theater tonight.

Although it's just a small performance and Giacomo won't be attending, you might as well take a stroll around the theater beforehand to familiarize yourself with the route.

I've already asked someone to buy the tickets; someone will contact you when the time comes.

Wow, there are free concerts here?

Where's Miss Nakola? Would you like to come along?

Is this an invitation for me to attend a concert? That's a bit of a shame, I have work to do right now. However, once this matter is resolved, I might seriously consider your invitation.

Just then, the terminal screen lit up again, and Zanni's message appeared on the screen.

Sorry, something came up yesterday and I had to leave.

By the way, why didn't you come to work today?

Duanmu Yan stared at the message from Zanni, his eyes flickering slightly, his mind racing. He

After hesitating for a moment, I finally decided not to tell her the truth.

After all, Coleta had specifically warned that there was a traitor lurking within the family.

It wasn't that he suspected Zanni, but the matter was of great importance, and the fewer people who knew about it, the safer the subsequent actions would be.

It's nothing serious, I'm just not feeling well, so I asked for leave.