Mystery: The Witch of Desire

Why am I being treated like I've been caught cheating?

Levi was both amused and exasperated. He ran to a nearby hotel, booked a temporary room, and changed into men's clothing.

Then he suddenly realized that the women's stockings were gone!

It was left in a rented room at 46 University Street!

"What should I do? Has Emily already found out? How am I going to explain this to her?"

Levi's forehead broke out in a fine sweat, feeling the embarrassment of a teenager caught by his mother watching inappropriate movies in his room.

He rushed back to his rented room at number 46, wondering if he could take the women's stockings before Emily found out.

After knocking three times long and once short, Emily opened the door as usual.

Unlike her usual enthusiasm, her expression was somewhat strange today.

Reeves felt a chill run down his spine: I'm doomed! Emily must have found those stockings. What will she think? Will she find out I'm cross-dressing...?

"Jason, Jason, I've protected your innocence, but now I'm about to lose mine?"

A feeling of shame and indignation welled up inside him. He dared not look directly into Emily's scrutinizing eyes and hurriedly returned to his room.

"Rive, where did you go last night?"

Emily called out to Reeves, and seeing his evasive gaze, sighed and asked.

“The company had an urgent repair task last night, so I had to stay and work overtime.”

Levi feigned exhaustion and answered with a wry smile.

Emily didn't say anything, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

After a long pause, she finally spoke slowly:

"Riveh, you're 18 now, practically an adult, but there are some things I still want to remind you of..."

"Oh no, it's about to start..."

Levi's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Emily continued:

"If, well, I mean if, you already have a girlfriend... well, I'm not against young people dating, dating is a wonderful thing, but you must be careful about boundaries. Before you've decided to be together long-term, you must cherish the girl and not easily, well, take that step. Do you understand what I mean?"

Emily's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and her cheeks flushed slightly. After all, she was only three years older than Levi, so they were basically the same age.

However, Emily felt obligated to guide Levi's healthy growth properly, and insisted on finishing what she had to say.

Levi was stunned, even forgetting his embarrassment:

"So Emily didn't think I was cross-dressing, but that I brought a girl home?! Good heavens! I've never been in a relationship in either of my lives, how could Emily think that? Do I look like the kind of womanizer?"

Chapter 81 Practicing Ballroom Dancing with Emily

Reeves smiled somewhat helplessly:

"Emily, how could you think that? I... I'm not in a relationship..."

Emily paused for a moment, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

She took out the pair of women's stockings that she had hidden behind her back and asked with some concern:

"Where did these women's stockings come from? Did a thief break into the house? But there are no signs of forced entry on the door lock, and the windows..."

As she spoke, Emily looked towards the window, wanting to go and investigate. Reeves quickly ran to the window first, pretending to inspect it, and casually wiped away the footprints he had just left on the windowsill, saying confidently:

"The windows are fine, so there shouldn't be any break-ins in the house."

Although Reeves wanted to blame the appearance of the white stockings on a non-existent thief, he refrained from doing so to avoid alarming Emily.

"Where did these socks come from?"

Emily fiddled with the women's stockings with increasing curiosity; the silk lining seemed to still retain a little warmth.

"Could it be your own socks that you took out and forgot about?"

While trying to change the subject, Levi slipped into the kitchen to prepare dinner, away from the crime scene.

"I have very few clothes, I definitely don't have socks like these..."

Emily muttered to herself, sighing helplessly as she watched Levi's reluctance to continue the conversation. A jumble of thoughts raced through her mind:

"Rive must have lied to me. That bad guy, we can't treat him like a child anymore."

"However, if Levi could really bring me a younger brother or sister-in-law, it wouldn't be a bad thing. At least the house would be more lively..."

"No, no, what am I thinking? Levi is only 18! His life has just begun. After we escape danger, he still has to go to university. Getting married so early will only restrict his life..."

Emily shook her head, banishing these chaotic thoughts from her mind, and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner with Reeves.

The dinner was quite silent. Both Levi and Emily were quietly tearing apart their oat bread and dipping it in the soup, hardly uttering a single unnecessary word.

As dinner was drawing to a close, Reeves broke the awkward silence by saying:

"Emily, let's practice ballroom dancing together after dinner. The party is coming up soon, and to be honest, I'm a little nervous."

Emily breathed a sigh of relief and quickly picked up the conversation:

"Wow, I didn't realize you really valued this party."

Reeve smiled and nodded, saying:

"Yes, this is my first time participating in a gala. It would be too embarrassing if I didn't dance well."

While he was saying this, he was thinking to himself: if he doesn't perform well and makes a fool of himself, it will definitely attract a lot of attention, which will be detrimental to his intelligence gathering.

Emily chuckled:

"You're quite concerned about your image, aren't you? Perfect timing! After leaving Mr. Teyvat's house today, I passed a clothing store and went in to take a look. There was a garment there that would fit you perfectly, and the style was nice too. I was still debating whether to buy it. Since you value this party so much, I'll go buy it after class tomorrow. By the way, can you pick me up tomorrow? That way, I can take you to try it on to see if it fits."

“Okay, I’m looking forward to it.” Levi nodded happily, feeling a warm feeling in his heart. In both his lives, this was the first time a woman other than his mother had thought of buying him clothes.

After dinner and cleaning up the dishes, the two of them spaced themselves out in the small living room and prepared to practice ballroom dancing.

Reeve had never been exposed to ballroom dancing, but Emily had danced a few times at college dances and had some basic skills.

She fully demonstrated the qualities of a qualified teacher, smilingly encouraging the bewildered Reeves, and proactively taking his hand and placing it on her waist:

"When dancing ballroom with a lady, you must take the initiative, but you should also pay attention to the degree of restraint. The hand supporting your waist should not be too strong, nor should it be too close."

Reeves nodded repeatedly, but his movements were still somewhat awkward. He stiffly raised his hand and loosely put it around Emily's waist, but as soon as his fingertips touched her soft curves, he could vaguely feel the warm skin beneath her through her thin dress.

Having lived as an Asian for twenty years, Levi was still not quite used to such intimate Western etiquette. His heart suddenly tightened, his fingertips unconsciously clenched, and even his shoulders tensed slightly.

Emily smiled faintly and reminded her gently:

"Don't be too nervous, just follow my steps."

Without any deliberate rhythm, Emily led Reeves slowly through the warm light of the living room. Soft footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. Reeves, clumsy as he was, frequently made mistakes, sometimes stepping too quickly, sometimes veering off course, and occasionally accidentally bumping into Emily's ankle. Each time, Emily wouldn't scold him, but would gently tighten her grip on his hand and softly remind him:

"Slow down, step your left foot back half an inch, then bring your right foot up..."

Reeves gradually shed his initial awkwardness, and his movements slowly became more practiced. He no longer stiffly extended his arm, but naturally placed his hand on Emily's waist, following the rhythm of her soft humming, and danced alongside her step by step. Although the dance steps were still somewhat clumsy, they gradually caught up with the rhythm, and only soft humming and light footsteps remained in the living room.

Finally, after a moment's hesitation, Reeves awkwardly raised his arm. Emily understood and, following his movement, gracefully twirled around, her skirt billowing gently, bringing the song to a harmonious close.

But when the dance ended, Emily did not let go of his hand. She still looked at him with a smile, her eyes filled with tender expectation.

A hint of embarrassment flickered across Levi's face. He already knew what she was thinking, but due to the traditional Eastern shyness and reserve, he was still a little embarrassed. His fingertips curled slightly, and he subconsciously tried to pull back.

Emily showed no sign of letting go; her fingers tightened slightly, and the encouragement in her eyes grew even stronger. Helpless, Levi met her gaze, slowly leaning down as gently as if afraid of disturbing something, only lightly touching the back of her hand with his lips.

The cool touch instantly spread from his lips, causing Levi's heart to race and a surge of heat to rush to his cheeks, turning his ears bright red. Even his eyes became somewhat evasive.

Emily then released his hand and chuckled softly:

"This is a gentleman's necessary courtesy."

Then, she paused, and a slightly sly smile appeared on her face:

"Now, I believe you are indeed not in a relationship."

Chapter 82 Bone Pendant (Third update today)

Reeves was so embarrassed that he gripped the floor with the soles of his feet. He made up an excuse and, without waiting for Emily's response, hurriedly slipped back to the bedroom.

Emily watched Reeves' hasty retreat and couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling a sense of smug satisfaction at having fooled her mischievous younger brother.

But the smile only lasted a moment before it quietly faded away. As if she had remembered something, her expression gradually darkened, becoming indifferent and aloof. Her beautiful eyes were now blank, as if she were lost in thought.

After a while, she slowly stretched out her hands, her fingertips barely touching the ground, as if there really was an invisible man supporting her. She continued to hum the rhythm from before, and slowly moved her feet, dancing the same steps she had just shared with Rivi.

Her dance steps remained elegant, but her expression gradually turned sorrowful, a faint sadness clouded her eyes, her movements slowed down, and the indifference in her eyes was replaced by surging emotions, until a crystal tear silently slid down from the corner of her eye, hitting the hem of her skirt and spreading out a small, shallow wet patch.

"Jason, look, I'm dancing this dance again..."

Silent all night.

The night outside the window gradually faded, and a faint, fish-belly white appeared on the horizon.

When Levi opened his eyes again, the sky outside the window was clear and blue.

That night, he slept soundly and had a dream: in his dream, he shone brightly at Mr. Tewat's party, dancing with the ladies of Tingen and being hailed as the most charming man in Tingen.

"How could I have such an embarrassing dream..."

Levi got dressed somewhat awkwardly and finished washing up. Emily had already gotten up early and prepared breakfast.

"Good morning, Mr. Reeves."

Emily greeted Reeves playfully, showing no sign that she had just shed tears the night before.

Levi responded with a smile, sliced ​​the oat bread, spread it with fresh jam, and ate it with strong black coffee.

He suddenly realized that this kind of life wasn't bad at all: enjoying a simple breakfast in the warm morning air with his family, and then attending a lively party...

The thought lasted only a second before vanishing with the wind.

Behind the seemingly peaceful life lies an extraordinary and unpredictable world; behind the seemingly satisfying material enjoyment lies countless ordinary people struggling in dire straits.

"There are still so many things to do, we can't afford to indulge in pleasure."

He quickly finished his breakfast, arranged a time to pick Emily up from get off work, and then headed out to the Sail Tavern in the dock area.

Reeve went to the front desk and ordered a Fussac spirit from the bartender.

The intense heat of the strong alcohol burned in his mouth, instantly energizing Levi, who stared intently at the bartender.

The bartender, being quite perceptive, took out a small bundle and handed it to Levi.

Reeve opened the bundle, inside which was a small bone pendant, which looked quite ordinary and could be bought even in an inland grocery store.

Also included in the bundle was a note left by Danitz:

"This is a pendant made from mummy bones. It can sense the foul aura of mummies from the Southern Continent. You should wear it with you for the next few days. If Teyvat is hiding any extraordinary items, they are most likely related to mummies from the Southern Continent, and you can sense them in advance."

Note: This pendant is worth £100. You will have to compensate me if it is lost!

Levi cleaned up the note, picked up the pendant, and examined it closely in the sunlight.

The pendant seemed to possess no spiritual power; it was just an ordinary object.

"Perhaps it senses the mummy in some other way? After all, it's only worth 100 pounds, so it shouldn't be an item made with complete extraordinary properties. It might only involve a small amount of extraordinary power."

After much deliberation, Levi decided to first consult Ms. B to have the pendant assessed for any issues before deciding whether to wear it. If its effects were indeed as Danitz had described, it would be very helpful to his investigation.

"Just as Ms. B said, we meet far too often, it's practically like we're lovers!"

With a touch of self-mockery in his mind, Levi took a public carriage to the Flamingo Bar.

He skillfully navigated the secret passage and entered Ms. B's secluded room.

"It's nice to see you again."

Ms. B sat in the chair and offered a lukewarm welcome.

"You've become the man I've met the most of who I've never slept with."

"I am willing to keep this record."

Reeve responded with a smile, and at the same time took out the pendant:

"Danitz gave it to me, saying it can sense the aura of a mummy. Could you please take a look and see if there's anything wrong with this pendant?"

Ms. B took the pendant and examined it carefully.

After looking at it for a while, she took out another mirror, ran one hand over the mirror, and performed a magic mirror divination.