Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"Miss Marilyn Monroe, is that you back?"

Fors and Livre exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat helpless. Fors teased:

“I feel like Hugh has some kind of strange ability. As long as I’m with you, no matter what we’re doing, she can sense it.”

Livr smiled faintly:

“It’s rare that we’re having a serious conversation. Why don’t you go open the door for her? I also have something I’d like to say to you.”

Fors nodded, went to open the door, and met Hugh's somewhat surprised gaze:

Fors, what are you doing here?

Fors simply gave a confident smile:

“An apprentice can be wherever she wants to be.”

Hugh glanced into the room and saw that the two were fully clothed and there was nothing strange about them, so he felt relieved and sat down with Fors on the edge of Livre's bed.

"Ladies, I regret to inform you that I have suffered a significant emotional blow and will need some time to recover."

Livre, pale-faced and weak, slowly recounted her ordeal. Hugh and Fors, filled with worry, quickly offered their words of comfort.

Liviel then spoke:

"At the moment, I may not be able to participate in most of the investigation and will have to stay in my room. So, let me review what we need to do in the near future and ask you to go and investigate."

"First, as I mentioned before, is the investigation into Rowling Augustus, Sinclair, and the Witch Cult."

"Secondly, I received an invitation to Baron Hoy's party this Sunday. It's a grand party that not only Mrs. Sharon will attend, but also many members of Tingen's high society. We can sneak in, so let's make the necessary preparations beforehand."

"Third, investigate one person, Emily Garcia."

“Emily Garcia?” Fors and Hugh both repeated the name they were hearing for the first time. “Who is she?”

Liviel gently shook her head, a blank look appearing in her eyes:

“I don’t know. I’ve lost my memories of her, but I can clearly feel that she must be someone I have a close relationship with. If I can figure out her identity, perhaps my confused memories can be fully restored.”

Hugh and Fors instantly understood how important Emily Garcia was, and they both nodded in agreement, telling Livr to relax and rest well.

Livre felt slightly relieved, then solemnly reminded the two:

“Thingen City has been a bit unsettled lately. The Aurora Society and the Secret Order seem to have their eyes on Tingen. A mysterious big shot is also keeping an eye on Tingen, perhaps because of that Quaternary notebook, or perhaps because of some other unknown factor. In any case, we must be careful.”

Fors and Hugh noted down these instructions, and the group discussed the follow-up plan in detail before getting up and leaving the room.

Livre lay in bed, gazing at the night sky outside the window, her thoughts still churning and unable to find peace.

……

……

Meanwhile, Klein sat alone in the crystal room of the Diviner's Club, his mind still unsettled. He never wanted to come to this club again, never want to set foot in the place where he had met that beautiful woman. But Dunn judged that the woman was likely to return to the club to gather information, so he instructed Klein to come here as usual, partly to secretly gather various intelligences, and partly to try to use her as bait to lure her out.

In the lounge outside the club, Leonard and Emily, disguised as ordinary members seeking a divination, leisurely enjoyed fragrant black tea and exquisite snacks.

Leonard said with a hint of satisfaction:

"This task is quite luxurious. You receive a £5 fee, register as a member of the fortune-telling club, and then enjoy their tea breaks while providing bodyguard services for our great fortune teller, Klein."

He popped a small chocolate cheesecake pastry into his mouth, chewing as he said:

"I dare say this is the easiest task I've received this year."

Emily remained untouched by the black tea in front of her, cautiously observing her surroundings, and said softly:

"Leonard, you'd better be careful. Have you ever heard the saying: 'Pain makes poets, comfort makes fools'?"

Leonard's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he remained calm and said:

“Miss Emily, I used to think that your choice of Hunter Potions was a mistake, but now I think you are really well-suited for it, especially for the next sequence of Hunter Potions.”

Upon hearing this, Emily asked with some curiosity:

What is the name of the next sequence?

Leonard revealed a hint of mockery:

"Provocateur".

Just then, a woman who looked reasonably attractive but had a sorrowful expression walked toward Klein's orange crystal room.

Leonard and Emily immediately became alert. Leonard activated his spiritual vision to observe them, while Emily followed and they entered Klein's crystal room together.

The woman glanced at Emily with some surprise, then at Klein sitting at the table, looking somewhat bewildered.

Emily smiled gently:

“Miss, please don’t mind. I am Mr. Moretti’s bodyguard. As you know, it’s quite normal for a great fortune teller to have bodyguards.”

Klein blushed slightly at Emily's words and quickly greeted her:

"Miss, please have a seat. How should I address you?"

The woman placed her hat aside and said slowly:

“My name is Anna. I would like to ask about my fiancé’s situation. He went to the Southern Continent for a business deal. On the 3rd of last month, he sent a telegram to me and his family saying that he would be setting sail to return soon. However, twenty days have passed and he still hasn’t returned. At first, I thought it was due to the weather in the Raging Sea, but today, more than a month has passed and the ship he was on, the ‘Clover,’ still hasn’t arrived at Enmat Port.”

Klein nodded slightly, asked Anna for details about her fiancé Joyce, and performed a divination.

A little while later, he told Anna with a smile:

"Don't worry, your fiancé will be back safely soon."

Anna was taken aback, somewhat incredulous, but after being persuaded by Klein, she turned and left with a heart full of doubts.

Emily asked with some curiosity:

"Did you really divine that her fiancé would come back?"

Klein responded frankly:

"Of course it's true. Since I successfully became a fortune teller, my predictions have been quite accurate."

As soon as he finished speaking, Klein suddenly remembered something very strange and turned to Emily, saying:

“Emily, after the woman who used the alias Mrs. Lemerson was exposed, she asked me a very strange question.”

Emily immediately pressed on:

What did she ask you?

Klein carefully considered his words before speaking:

She asked me which friends I had.

Emily was taken aback by his words, somewhat puzzled:

Why did she specifically inquire about this?

Klein shook his head slightly, looking puzzled:

"I still can't figure out why. But when I said your name, whether it was a simple coincidence or something else, she fell into a long silence and thought. Then her mental state became confused and delirious. I seized that perfect opportunity and shot her."

Emily's eyes were filled with disbelief when she heard this:

"It's because of my name?!"

Immediately, she fell into deep thought:

"Could it be someone I know?"

……

……

Anna's two-wheeled carriage glided briskly through the streets and returned to her home in the East District.

She watched the street rushing past the window with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. Before long, the iconic toy windmill in front of her house came into view.

After getting off the carriage, she disregarded her manners and almost stumbled to the door, ringing the doorbell.

The door creaked open, and Anna saw a blond young man in a black suit. He looked haggard and had a nose that looked like an eagle's beak. He was Anna's fiancé, Joyce.

I thought I would miss you today.

Joyce said with a smile.

"...Steam above, you've really returned!"

Anna rubbed her eyes and exclaimed in surprise and delight.

The fortune teller was telling the truth!

No, that's a real fortune teller!

After a warm hug, Anna and Joyce returned home and sat down with their family.

"My poor Joyce, what happened to you?"

Anna could no longer contain herself and asked the question.

Joyce glanced at his fiancée, his expression turning serious:

"Five days after the Clover left Caesar Harbor, we encountered pirates, terrible pirates, Nast who called himself the 'King of the Five Seas'."

“He looted our belongings, but did not harm our lives and left us some food.”

"I thought the misfortune was over, but during the voyage, the passengers and crew of the Clover broke out into fierce infighting. From arguments to brawls, and then to drawing revolvers, picking up straight swords, and killing each other... During those days, all I could see was blood. People around me fell one after another, their eyes wide open as if they would never close, splattering limbs and blood all over the ground."

"And the one who saved us was a hero who called himself Tris."

When Triss was mentioned, Joyce's eyes lit up, as if he were a savior.

"He had a round, kind face and a shy personality. Although he was a man, he gave off a gentle feeling like a girl. He always liked to stay in a corner, and only those who knew him very well could understand how talkative he was. It was his heartfelt words of comfort that encouraged me to regain my hope for life, pick up my weapons, and bravely fight against those damned villains..."

……

On Sunday, the sun shone brightly, and clear light streamed through the glass windows of the Lily Hotel, casting warm patches of light on the floor. Even the air was filled with a pleasant warmth.

After several days of careful rest, Livre has recovered. Her pale complexion has regained its radiant glow, and her eyes have become clear and bright.

Fors excitedly dragged Livre and Hugh to a clothing store to pick out formal evening gowns. She and Livre each chose one and went into the fitting room, while Hugh pulled up a chair and sat quietly to the side, ready to give his opinion.

Before long, Fors emerged first, having changed her clothes. She wore a smoky gray velvet evening gown with delicate pearl trim at the neckline, outlining her graceful neck. A matching satin belt cinched her waist, perfectly accentuating her slender figure and giving her an air of leisurely elegance.

Fors slowly turned around, smiling at Hugh, her tone tinged with anticipation:

"How is it? Pretty, Hugh?"

Hugh's eyes gleamed, but he still managed to remain calm and said briefly:

"Yes, it suits you very well."

At that moment, Livre emerged from the fitting room, wearing a burgundy satin evening gown. It was simple in its embellishments, yet the satin fabric perfectly hugged her figure, outlining her graceful curves. The V-neckline accentuated her slender, delicate neck, and a thin silver chain dangled gracefully from her waist, adding a touch of ethereal beauty. Coupled with the faint smile playing on her lips, she exuded a captivating and alluring charm.

Hugh and Fors were stunned by the beauty and charm, momentarily lost in thought. After a while, Hugh was the first to come to his senses. Looking at Fors, who was still staring blankly at Livre, he couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy and reached out to poke her waist.

"Hurry up and leave after you've chosen your clothes. We still need to pick out gifts and prepare conversation topics to share with the host and guests."

Fors then snapped out of his surprise and murmured:

"Miss Marilyn Monroe, you are so beautiful..."

Livre didn't speak, only returning a bright, knowing look. Fors smiled knowingly, everything understood without words. Only Hugh was somewhat puzzled, secretly wondering if the two of them had done something interesting behind his back.

After a while, the three women chose a bottle of perfume that wasn't too expensive as a gift, and then returned to the Lily Hotel to begin the final preparations.

Fors wrote down the two women's prepared identities on the invitation: Miss Mary Knight and her sister Miss Tess Knight.

Livre and Fors had a brief argument about who should be the older sister and who should be the younger sister. In the end, at Fors' insistence, Fors, who was three years older than Livre, became the older sister.

"You can call me 'older sister' from now on, my dear little sister."

Fors gave a doting smile and ruffled Liviel's hair, causing the latter to roll her eyes.

Hugh watched from the sidelines, filled with envy and jealousy, and couldn't help but regret why he hadn't planned to attend the party.

As evening approached, Livre performed a divination and, after confirming that there was virtually no danger in attending the banquet, the three of them set off together in a reasonably well-decorated carriage to 43 Olsna Street.

Before boarding, the coachman asked with great interest:

"Three beautiful ladies, are you also going to Baron Hoy's party?"

Livre was slightly surprised, and asked with a smile:

"How did you know? Did we have invitations written on our faces?"