Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"It's alright, you rest, I'll take care of the washing. Hmm... why is there still trace of Miss Marilyn Monroe's spiritual energy in the room?"

Hugh looked suspicious.

Oops!

Livia, hiding in the corner, felt a pang of anxiety. Was she left with no choice but to confess to Hugh?

Fors's expression changed, and he quickly explained:

"Ah, Miss Marilyn Monroe just came to visit me..."

The doubt in Hugh's eyes disappeared, and he suddenly realized:

"Oh, I see."

As he spoke, Xiu picked up a large bundle of clothes, went into the washroom, and began to wash the clothes one by one.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Livre quickly and quietly slipped out the door. Before leaving, she glanced at Hugh one last time. Hugh was facing away from the door, concentrating on washing her and Fors' clothes. Her own clothes were covered in mud and showed signs of fighting, making her petite body look somewhat tired.

You've worked hard, take a break...

Livr sighed softly and returned to her room.

She went into the bathroom and began to take a shower and wash her body.

At this moment, she discovered that her potion of pleasure had been digested to a certain extent, and the extent of digestion was quite significant.

Livre thus summarized the second rule of the Pleasure Potion:

Joy is to find joy in battle.

"This role-playing rule really suits the witch's temperament. Ms. B, Mrs. Sharon, Luna Bell, all the witches I've met, whether they've reached Sequence 6 or not, are like this. Am I going to become like them too...?"

Livre muttered to herself with a hint of helplessness, feeling somewhat lost about her future.

……

The next morning, a new week began.

There was a knock on Livre's door. When she opened it, she saw the energetic Hugh.

“Miss Monroe, let’s go have breakfast together. I’ll tell you about the information I found out yesterday.”

Hugh extended an invitation to Livre, a hint of pride in his eyes.

It seems Ms. Hugh knows nothing at all...

Livre nodded, forcing a smile:

"Okay, I'll change my clothes. See you at the restaurant downstairs."

Twenty minutes later, the three of them sat in the small restaurant on the first floor of the Lily Hotel, enjoying buttered oat bread with jam and a large cup of coffee with sugar and milk.

Hugh ate with relish, while Fors and Livre were somewhat restless, mechanically stuffing small bites of food into their mouths.

Hugh glanced at the two of them with some curiosity and asked:

"What's wrong? Don't you have any appetites?"

"Hmm... I'm not feeling well."

The two gave the same answer in unison, then looked at each other in surprise, before quickly and awkwardly lowering their heads.

Hugh felt increasingly puzzled and confused, but she didn't pay too much attention to it, and lowered her voice to recount the findings of yesterday's investigation:

"Yesterday, that information broker tried to extort money from me because I'm a woman, but I taught him a lesson!"

"Then, he obediently helped me get Sinclair's household registration information sorted out. Police records showed that Sinclair had died in a traffic accident five years ago and his household registration had been revoked."

Livr looked up, somewhat puzzled:

"A Sequence 8 Extraordinary, died in a traffic accident? While it's not impossible, it still feels a bit suspicious."

Hugh nodded in agreement:

"I also think that was just a way for him to escape. He probably faked his death, changed his identity, and got rid of the royal family's possible pursuit."

Fors said with some concern:

"Wouldn't that mean the trail has gone cold again?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu crossed his arms and said smugly:

"You underestimate me. With my intelligence gathering abilities, how could I stop here?"

Livre quickly offered a compliment, satisfying Hugh's vanity. Then, Hugh continued:

“I found out that Sinclair’s household registration information on Narcissus Street does not only include his name. There is also a girl named Rowling living with him.”

Rowling...

Upon hearing the name, Livre shuddered violently, as if an electric current had passed through her body. Then, she felt a dull ache in her brain, as if something was about to surge from the depths of her mind.

Seeing this, Fors quickly stepped forward and asked:

"Miss Marilyn, what's wrong? Do you have a headache?"

Liviel wiped the sweat from her forehead, gritted her teeth to calm herself, and slowly said:

“I don’t know either. Whenever I hear the name Rowling, it feels like something is about to overflow from my mind. There’s something I haven’t told you. Actually, my memory might be a bit off. There are some things that happened in Tingen that I might not remember, or my memory might be inaccurate…”

Hugh and Fors exchanged a surprised glance, neither of them having expected that Miss Marilyn Monroe had such a past.

After thinking for a while, Xiu pondered and said:

"Perhaps you need a therapist. I'm not talking about those sitting in hospitals, but a real therapist, an extraordinary person with the Audience Pathway Sequence 7. Their abilities might help you recall forgotten things and sort out your confused thoughts."

Livre nodded, agreeing with Hugh's point, and then asked:

"So, do you know any psychologists?"

Both women shook their heads and frankly stated:

“We only know one intermediate-sequence extraordinary being, and that is you.”

Livre couldn't help but feel a little helpless, but besides the psychologist, she did have a few other solutions.

First, she prayed to Chick, asking him to grant her the strength to clear the confusion in her mind.

Secondly, you could seek help from Mr. Fool at the Tarot reading session, or see if Mr. Hanged Man knows a psychologist. Coincidentally, today is Monday, and the Tarot reading session starts at 3 PM.

However, compared to the Tarot Club, Livr prefers to rely on Chick.

However, we can't always rely on Chick. He's a true god of Sequence 0, and he can't be worrying about his own Sequence 6 every day.

Anyway, we already have a direction to investigate, so let's try to find out on our own first, or try to get some money from the Fool at the Tarot Club. If we really can't solve it, then we'll ask Chick for help.

After thinking for a moment, Livre continued to ask:

"So, is there any further news about Rowling?"

Hugh answered in response:

"Her household registration information was also stuck five years ago, and the police concluded that she was missing."

She leaned back in her chair and continued:

"Ladies, have you ever wondered why Sinclair would bring a girl to Tingen? I've investigated; he has no children, and if he's not a pervert, the girl isn't old enough to be his mistress."

Forl thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully:

"What if he's a psychopath?"

Livre and Hugh both turned to look at her.

Fors scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Hmm...you guys continue."

Livre looked at Hugh, her eyes full of inquiry:

"So, what you mean is?"

Hugh said meaningfully:

“I think this girl might be the child of Sinclair’s master, that royal member, Earl Johnson Augustus. I’ve investigated, and Earl Johnson does indeed have a daughter named Loyna, who is about the same age as that girl named Rowling.”

Fors looked enlightened:

"So, Mr. Sinclair actually came to Tingen with the Earl of Johnson's children to prevent persecution by the royal family?"

"Probably."

Hugh nodded with satisfaction, pleased to see that the habitually lazy Fors had finally put her mind to work.

Livre pondered:

"Judging from the results, Sinclair and Rowling's information disappeared five years ago, which could be two possibilities."

"First, they couldn't escape the royal family's pursuit and died quietly."

"Secondly, they survived, changed their identities, and continued to live an anonymous life somewhere."

No, that's not right. It's unclear whether Sinclair changed her name, but Rowling probably didn't. If she did, then I wouldn't have any memories of Rowling at all. Of course, it's also possible that the Rowling hidden in my memories isn't the royal member, Loyna…

Livre thought for a moment, then looked at Hugh:

“Ms. Hugh, the information you’ve gathered is very useful. Next, find the police officer who handled Rowling’s disappearance case and ask him for details. You go and find that officer; this is something you’re good at. Once you find him, I’ll conduct the questioning.”

Hugh, flattered by the praise, readily agreed. Livre then continued:

"Also, continue searching for news of Sinclair, and keep an eye out for the beautiful woman who suddenly appeared in Tingen five years ago and is connected to Sinclair."

Fors was somewhat curious upon hearing this:

Why pay special attention to beautiful women associated with Sinclair?

Livr smiled slightly:

“I have my own considerations. I will tell you when I find Sinclair.”

Fors and Hugh were unaware that instigators who ascended to witchhood would become women, and Livre didn't want them to know either, lest they become suspicious of her.

Although Fors was somewhat dissatisfied with Liviel's attempt to conceal the truth, she merely pursed her lips and said nothing more.

The three of them finished breakfast and returned to their rooms to make further preparations.

Hugh was the first to return to the house.

Livia and Fors, who had already reached the door, exchanged a glance and moved closer to each other without prior arrangement.

"Fors, did Hugh find anything last night?"

Livre lowered her voice and asked softly.

Fors shook his head:

"No, she went home after doing the laundry last night. She was exhausted after gathering so much intelligence."

Livre nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. Then, the two fell into an awkward silence.

After a long pause, Livre spoke up:

"We defeated the demon this time, but Hugh was hurt. We're so sorry, Hugh. We'll make it up to you later."

Fors also said softly.

"Yes, we should make it up to Xiu properly."

The two returned to their respective rooms.

It was almost 3 p.m.

Livre closed the windows tightly, drew the curtains, locked the door, and hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.

Then, she silently took a breath, held the Bloodthirsty Gloves in her hand, and quietly waited for the party to begin.

She also wondered if putting away the Bloodthirsty Gloves would mean losing the spiritual medium and preventing the Fool from pulling her into the party.

But she quickly abandoned the idea. What if the Fool had some other method, or used her own spirituality as a medium? In that case, she would be the one who would be harmed.

Thirsty Gloves trembled slightly, clearly recalling the terrible experience before the last gathering.

Livr gently stroked it and softly comforted it:

"Don't be afraid, I will make it up to you afterwards."

The Bloodthirsty Gloves finally stopped trembling, letting out a few howling cries. Livre was somewhat amused and exasperated; she could actually see a death-defying aura emanating from a single glove.