Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"Was there a beautiful woman in her thirties among them? Someone exceptionally beautiful, with fair skin, a voluptuous figure, a pointed chin, slightly arched eyebrows, and an air of both alluring charm and intellectual sophistication?"

Livre described the woman's appearance as meticulously as possible during the divination.

Fors answered almost without hesitation:

"You must be referring to Mrs. Luna Bell, right?"

“Luna Bell?” Liviel repeated the name softly. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“It’s definitely her.” Fors nodded firmly. “Among that group of writers, she is the only female writer who fits your description. I’m not saying that the other female writers aren’t beautiful, but Mrs. Luna Bell is just too outstanding. Whether it’s her appearance or her temperament, she is unforgettable. Many famous writers and people in high society regard her as their dream lover. Well, if you remove the word ‘dream lover,’ it’s actually not a problem.”

Livre nodded slowly, a thought suddenly flashing through her mind: she seemed to have seen the name "Luna Bell" somewhere before. After a moment, she finally remembered: when she was looking through the mail at Fors's house, there was a letter from Mrs. Luna Bell, but she hadn't had time to open it.

She quickly pressed for an answer:

"You corresponded with Mrs. Luna Bell?"

“Yes.” Fors nodded. “After receiving Bright’s commission, I wrote to Mrs. Luna Bell to consult her on the creation of the witch character. Her portrayal of the witch in ‘The Long Night’ is very vivid, and I think it is very valuable for reference.”

"Why did you specifically seek her advice? There must be more than just her who writes about witches, right?"

Fors nodded calmly:

"Indeed, she wasn't the only one. But shortly after I received Brett's commission, at a literary salon, I happened to talk with Mrs. Luna Bell about the topic of witchcraft. She shared many novel ideas and approaches with me, explaining them very clearly, which is why I wrote to her for advice..."

As she spoke, Fors's voice gradually lowered, and her expression became puzzled. She suddenly realized that something seemed amiss.

Livre pondered for a moment, then spoke with a serious expression:

“Ms. Fors, you must have realized that you may have fallen into a trap.”

Fors, still not quite grasping the connection, asked in bewilderment:

"A trap? What trap?"

“It’s about your scriptwriting,” Livre explained slowly. “Mr. Bright invited you to write, and then subtly asked you to create a witch character with a contrasting personality. Later, at the salon, Mrs. Luna Bell took the initiative to talk to you and instilled in you her ideas about creating a witch. I guess the character of the chivalrous witch in your script who assassinates corrupt officials was largely influenced by Mrs. Luna Bell, wasn’t she?”

Fors nodded repeatedly, a look of sudden realization on his face:

"Yes! That's right! My God, looking back now, I was completely mesmerized by her words, and naturally, I sketched out that image of a witch in my mind. Following her prompts, I gradually conceived this script... How could this be? How come I didn't realize something was wrong back then?"

"Instigator".

Livre calmly uttered three words.

Xiu paused for a moment, then immediately asked in return:

"You mean, the Assassin's Path Sequence 8—The Instigator? The extraordinary one who can use language and rhetoric to instigate others to act according to their own will?"

Livre's heart skipped a beat; Hugh seemed to know quite a bit about the assassin's methods.

She nodded slightly: "Yes. I'm afraid Mr. Bright and Mrs. Luna Bell are in cahoots, and their goal is to trick you into writing this dangerous script."

Fors was completely stunned. Scenes from the past flashed through her mind, and fear gradually crept into her heart. Her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Hugh frowned, his face full of doubt, and asked:

"Did they go to all this trouble just to get Fors to write a play? Mrs. Luna Bell is a well-known writer herself, why doesn't she write it herself?"

“The most reasonable explanation is to avoid risks,” Livre said slowly and carefully. “They are only responsible for secretly guiding Fors to carry out the specific creation. Just like today, after the incident, only Fors was arrested and held accountable, while Bright and Mrs. Luna Bell were able to stay out of it.”

Hugh nodded slightly, his doubts easing somewhat, but his eyes still held a hint of confusion:

"But I still can't understand. Is it really worth all this trouble for a play? A transcendent being who is at least Sequence 8, is going to such lengths just for a play? What if the play doesn't pass the legality review? Wouldn't all their efforts have been for nothing?"

Liviel pondered for a moment, her eyes becoming deep, and involuntarily, she recalled Xia Lani's captivating singing voice on the stage of the Riverside Theater.

She said slowly:

"The purpose of theater is not necessarily to make money. It may represent a certain symbol, or even be part of a special ritual."

Hugh and Fors were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other in shock. They had never imagined that a play could involve such a terrible thing.

A moment of silence followed in the carriage. Fors looked at Livre and said earnestly:

“Miss Monroe, since this play is so dangerous, you shouldn’t stay at the Paria Theatre any longer. Come with us to the East District. The three of us can look after each other.”

Hugh flicked Fors' forehead and said helplessly:

"Are you being foolish? Once the police discover you've escaped, they'll definitely focus their investigation on people associated with the Paria Theatre Troupe. If Miss Monroe suddenly disappears from Paria at this point, wouldn't that be an admission of guilt? It would only arouse more suspicion."

Fors stuck out her tongue awkwardly, glanced at Hugh with a wronged expression, and muttered softly:

"I was just worried about Miss Marilyn Monroe."

Liviel looked at the two women in front of her and couldn't help but smile:

"Xiu is right. But don't worry, once things calm down, I'll find a reasonable excuse to leave the Paria Theatre. I will absolutely not perform in 'The Trial of the Witches,' after all, there are so many shady dealings behind it."

Silence fell again in the carriage. The three of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts, filled with confusion and uncertainty about the future.

After a long silence, Livre finally broke it and spoke solemnly:

"I have another question I'd like to ask you about, concerning Tingen."

Upon hearing this, Fors showed a hint of guilt on her face and glanced at Hugh apologetically, her eyes seeming to say, "Sorry, I still revealed a little bit of your secret."

Livre quickly added:

“Ms. Hugh, please don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of prying into your privacy or secrets. It’s just that for some reason, I’m particularly interested in all the extraordinary events that have happened in Tingen. Could you give me some hints so I can determine whether this matter is related to me?”

Hugh was silent for a moment, looking into Livre's sincere eyes, then glancing at Fors beside him, before slowly speaking:

“Since you saved Fors, I will remember this kindness. I can tell you some information about this matter.”

Livre nodded quickly to express her gratitude, leaned forward slightly, and waited quietly for Hugh to continue.

Hugh said slowly:

“I have been investigating something related to myself, and recently I received information that someone connected to this matter is currently in Tingen City.”

Livre understood slightly and asked another question:

"Is that person an extraordinary being?"

"Yes."

Hugh nodded.

Livre continued to ask:

"Is he an extraordinary individual who has transcended the paths of prisoner, criminal, and assassin?"

The prisoner and criminal pathways are both related to the Rose School. If it doesn't belong to these three pathways, then this matter is most likely unrelated to her.

Hugh paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before replying:

"How do you know all this? He was indeed on the Assassin's Path, and he was an instigator of Sequence 8. But that was a long time ago, and he may have already advanced to a higher sequence by now."

Livre was also stunned, a wave of emotion washing over her: the instigator in Tingen City? This could very well be related to the Tingen City Women Teachers' Mutual Aid Association and Ms. B!

Ms. B, a follower of Chik, had provided her with considerable assistance when they were in Tingen.

She composed herself and slowly said:

“Ms. Hugh, I have a fairly deep understanding of the extraordinary assassins in Tingen City. I wonder if I could ask you for more information about that person? If you plan to go to Tingen to investigate later, I would be happy to accompany you, and perhaps I can be of assistance.”

Hugh was clearly taken aback by Livre's request, and after a moment of hesitation, he said:

"Okay. I'll head to Tingen once this blows over, and I'll contact you then."

Livre nodded, took a piece of paper from her pocket, wrote down her address at 27 Minsk Street, and handed it to Hugh and Fors:

"This is my address. If you have any new information about Tingen or any other intelligence, please contact me. We can help each other and have more security."

Hugh took the note, carefully put it away, and nodded, saying:

"Okay, once we've settled down in the East District, we'll give you the address too."

Livre nodded and looked out. The carriage was almost at the East End, and to the west of the East End was the Joewood District. Livre told the driver to stop the carriage here and get off, preparing to walk back to Minsk Street.

She leaned close to the driver's ear and quietly activated her instigator's abilities, whispering in a soft yet seductive voice:

"Forget everything that happened tonight, forget about me and these two ladies, get them safely to their destination, and don't tell anyone that we rode in your car."

The coachman's eyes glazed over instantly, completely captivated by Livre's allure. He nodded mechanically and drove eastward.

In the darkness, Livre slowly walked back to 27 Minsk Street.

It was already late at night. She glanced at the clock on the wall and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I can't even get four hours of sleep. Sigh, why is my life so tiring?"

She quickly washed up, lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, Livre struggled to turn off the alarm clock and got out of bed.

"Becoming extraordinary doesn't help ease the pain of getting out of bed."

She dressed somewhat mechanically, rubbing her red, sleepy eyes, quickly washed and dressed, and walked to Paria.

On the way, Lively bought a Dipsy pie, added extra meat to it, and a cup of coffee, indulging in a vengeful feast.

Delicious food can soothe a tired body, and after the rich gravy bursts in her mouth, Livr feels a little more alive.

When Livr arrived at the Paria Theatre Company today, it was much later than usual. The hall was already mostly filled with people, but the atmosphere was unusually somber. No one was chatting or joking, and there were no extra words. Everyone had their heads down and were silently tidying up their rehearsal props. A sense of oppression permeated the air.

Even Lucy, who usually loved to strike up a conversation with her, only raised her eyes and nodded slightly today, without exchanging any unnecessary pleasantries.

Livre understood and wasn't surprised by the atmosphere. After all, within just two days, Paria had lost its male and female leads: Isabella died, and Coleman was arrested by the police as a suspect. These sudden changes cast a shadow over the entire troupe.

Without saying much, she silently walked to her seat, tidying up her costumes and script for rehearsals while discreetly observing the activity on the fourth floor. Right now, Brett's every move was what she cared about most.

'There must be a conspiracy between him and Luna Bell regarding the play "The Witch Trials," but we don't know what it is yet; we can only investigate slowly.'

'Bright isn't even sure if he's an Extraordinary, but Luna Bell is at least a Sequence 8 instigator. If she were originally male, she might already be a Sequence 7... But her obsession with witch-themed creations, could it be to digest witch potions? If so, wouldn't she already be a Sequence 7 witch?'

As Liviel pondered this in her heart, a figure entered the rehearsal hall on the third floor—it was Brett, whose expression was somber. But with her keen insight into emotions, Liviel sensed that the somberness didn't seem to come from the heart; it was more like a deliberate act.

Bright gathered everyone together and slowly began to speak:

"Colleagues, I'm sure you're all feeling bad about what's happened these past few days. First of all, let's take a moment to mourn the passing of Ms. Isabella."

After speaking, he closed his eyes first, clasped his hands together, and whispered praises to the Lord of Storms, his expression solemn. The others also raised their hands, some drawing the crimson moon gesture, others making the triangular emblem of the Steam Church, and followed suit in silent mourning with sorrowful expressions.

'Pretending!'

Liviel cursed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm and raised her hand to draw the triangular holy symbol.

Livre was filled with questions about Isabella's death. Even if Bright and Luna Bell were plotting something, why kill Isabella? And why use methods related to Extraordinary Beings? This would undoubtedly attract the attention of official Extraordinary Beings. Could Isabella's death be an integral part of their conspiracy, or even a sacrifice in some kind of ritual?

In a flash, Livre suddenly remembered the witch's role-playing rules she had summarized: a witch's role is to instill fear in others with an evil core.

"Could it be that Lady Isabella was tortured to death in extreme fear, becoming a sacrifice for some witch to digest the potion and fulfill her role?"

The thought sent a chill down Livre's spine, a cold shiver running through her. At the same time, she felt a pang of unease about her future as a witch; she was absolutely unwilling to risk human life and harm the innocent just to digest potions.

“However, if it were like in ‘The Witch Trial,’ making those corrupt officials who oppress the people and line their own pockets feel fear, that might be a good way to play the role.” Livre thought to herself, “Ms. Fors has really created a script that resonates with people and is popular with the masses.”

Just as her thoughts drifted away, the moment of silence ended. Bright slowly opened his eyes, his expression gradually hardening, and his tone gaining a more seductive power:

"However, our performance career in Pariya will never stop here! No matter how many difficulties we encounter, we cannot give up. This is our shared dream!"

Moved by his words, the people in the hall gradually lost their heavy expressions and nodded in agreement, truly regarding this play as a dream they had to uphold.

"Instigator!"

Livre felt a chill run down her spine as she clearly sensed that familiar spiritual fluctuation. Bright was indeed an instigator, and he was in cahoots with Luna Bell!

At this moment, Livre had already reached a conclusion: Luna Bell was definitely not a witch acting alone; she and Bright most likely belonged to some secret organization, just like the female teachers' mutual aid society in Tingen back then. And such organizations should all belong to the witch cult.

Although Chick had treated her well, the Witch Cult was never a charitable organization, and they were bound to do some heinous things behind the scenes. Liviel was caught in a dilemma: pray to Chick? That would be too ridiculous; given Chick's status, he certainly wouldn't care about such petty squabbles at the Sequence 7 level.

She was filled with distress: she had originally planned to join the Witch's Church, but unexpectedly, the people of the Witch's Church came to her door and even posed a subtle threat, leaving her in a dilemma.

At this point, Bright continued to exert his persuasive abilities: "However, given the recent criminal case in our Paria, everyone must keep a low profile. Remember, absolutely do not reveal any content related to our play to anyone, no matter who they are! If anyone asks, just say that we have stopped rehearsing the play, understand?"

"Understood!"

Everyone responded in unison, their tone resolute after being instigated. Livre nodded in agreement, feigning a successful sway and obedience.

After his instigation ended, Bright's gaze slowly fell on Livre, a meaningful smile appearing on his face:

"Miss Marilyn Monroe, could you please come here for a moment?"

Chapter 118 Miss Hunter

Livre's heart stirred, and she obediently followed him to the corner of the hall, bowing slightly and adopting a docile appearance of listening attentively.