The Belated Dance

This sudden turn of events left Dunn momentarily at a loss. He opened his mouth, but it took him quite a while before he nervously stammered out a few words:

"Daly… No… I'm not…"

As the former captain of the Nighthawk squad, he had always been someone who could face death with composure, yet in this moment, he appeared completely flustered.

At the same time, Miss Daly's gaze sharpened. Thanks to her earlier probing, she had already confirmed that the man before her was indeed her Dunn—and not some "monster" resurrected by the Fool!

Without waiting for Dunn to finish, she pounced forward, pinning him against the entryway wall. After casually shutting the door, she grabbed the front of Dunn's shirt with both hands, lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes, and spoke in a slightly domineering tone:

"Change your face back. I prefer the way you looked originally!"

Dunn, who had been about to explain himself, looked into Daly's eyes—filled with joy and sorrow—and couldn't say another word. All he could do was sigh deeply and deactivate the effect of the "Jester Mask."

When that familiar face appeared before her, Daly felt as if the "light" that had once led her out of darkness had once again shone into her heart, bringing with it a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

Last time, I missed my chance… But thankfully, with the blessings of the Goddess and Mr. Fool, the only "light" in my heart has been returned to me…

So this time, I won't make the same mistake. I must truly reach out and touch that "light"!

As the thought emerged, a boundless courage surged up within Daly's heart, and the corners of her lips slowly curled upward.

That expression—tender, sweet, yet resolute—left Dunn utterly stunned. But the next moment, he felt Daly's hands cup his cheeks, and as she stood on tiptoe, her lips drew closer and closer to his…

With graceful and playful steps, the two began to spin lightly, their breathing gradually growing heavy, clothing slipping off piece by piece, scattered from the entryway to the living room, from the living room to the bedroom… left everywhere in their wake…

At the same time, the rare afternoon sun pierced through the fog and illuminated all of Backlund.

…

No. 9 Bellotto Street, West Borough – MI9 Headquarters

Xio hadn't gotten any valuable intelligence from the informant buried deep within the Intis Embassy, so she came to Princess Vera, hoping for insider information. After all, some secrets could only be known by someone in the Princess's position.

Of course, she also took the opportunity to report the matter of Prince Edessak's theater in the Hillsdon District being transferred to Ebner.

—Although it was a reward meant for herself, it had once been royal property. It was best to receive the Princess's formal endorsement.

After hearing Xio's report, Princess Vera seemed disinterested in the Intis Embassy affair. Instead, she was far more intrigued by the "film company," and remarked with admiration:

"That really is an amusing idea. He—well, I mean Detective Bryan—actually came up with something so imaginative!"

As she spoke, she asked proactively, "Is that 'film company' short on funds? I'd like to invest in it."

The Princess wants to buy shares? Then will Ebner still retain managerial control? Xio hesitated. Ebner still intended to use the company to help digest the Mysticism Magister potion…

Sensing Xio's hesitation, Princess Vera smiled and said:

"Don't rush to reject me. You'd better discuss it with him first before giving me an answer.

"Besides, my investment in the film company would also greatly benefit Detective Bryan.

"After all, anything profitable will inevitably attract the covetous gaze of greedy people… and I can help ward off most of the trouble that comes with that."

That's true… Ebner might be powerful and have the support of Mr. Fool and the Tarot Club members, but that can't be made public. Sooner or later, some idiot would try to reach for what they shouldn't…

And if too many such fools are dealt with, it'll definitely draw the attention of official Beyonders…

"Also, I'm not asking for much…" Vera added, her features exuding a heroic elegance. "Just 10% of the shares, in exchange for my stake in The Daily Observer and 3,000 pounds of capital. That's not too much, is it?"

Xio was shocked—not because the offer was too low, but because it was too high!

The Daily Observer shares had been transferred to Princess Vera's name after Prince Edessak's "death" as part of the royal rewards for her defeating the Aurora Order's "Shadow Saint" during the Great Smog incident.

Back then, Prince Edessak had invested 3,000 pounds into The Daily Observer and even held a ball at its headquarters to celebrate. Now, with the newspaper rising to become one of Backlund's top publications, its stock had soared in value—easily worth at least 5,000 pounds if sold!

And combined with the 3,000 pounds in cash, the Princess was investing 8,000 pounds total? What a massive investment! Yet she only wanted 10% of the shares…

Does she think Ebner's company is worth over 80,000 pounds? She really has high hopes for this new industry…

While her thoughts were racing, Xio numbly nodded, indicating that she would go back and ask Ebner.

...

As Xio agreed, Princess Vera finally steered the conversation back to the main topic. After some consideration, she said, "I'm not entirely sure what scheme Intis is brewing, but I can say with certainty that Special Envoy Owen is no ordinary man...

"He is most likely 'Lust,' one of the members of the Highest Council of the 'Psychological Alchemy Society'!"

At that, Vera reminded her, "Don't spread this intel recklessly—especially to other official organizations. Of course, it's fine to tell Detective Bryan."

Her Highness seems to view Ebner in a different light... Is it because of the Earth Mother? Or the God of Knowledge and Wisdom? It can't possibly be because of the Fool... Xio nodded slightly on the surface but fell into deep thought.

Afterward, Xio reported some intelligence related to the East Borough and the docks under her jurisdiction, then took her leave.

Once Vera was alone in the office, the bold and valiant princess curved her eyes into a smile and murmured to herself:"What a clever Mysticism Magister acting style... Hm, even the 'cinema chain'—I think that's the word... Once it expands, the ritual for advancing to 'Prophet' becomes much easier..."

...

At the Intis Embassy, Carlson—a member of the "Machinery Hivemind" wearing thick glasses—concluded his questioning of the confidential secretary Mr. Fleiss and summarized:"So, Mr. Surry didn't come to the embassy today. He's missing?"

"Yes." Johnson Fleiss, who had a pair of small mustaches, replied gravely.

"That'll be all for today then. If there are any new leads, please be sure to inform us." Carlson closed his notebook, shook hands with the other man, and left the embassy.

Not long after he left, Johnson's expression suddenly went blank, as if he had forgotten something. But he didn't dwell on it and simply returned to his work.

Meanwhile, in an office on the third floor of the embassy, Special Envoy Owen closed his notebook and silently murmured to himself:"Not being able to capture Surry's granddaughter does impact my plans a bit... At the very least, I can't use the original script where the girl escapes, then—with my help—investigates with great effort and finally uncovers the truth...

"The Church of Steam's investigations aren't like a girl's detective game—I can't control them... So, news of Surry's death must be kept secret for now... Otherwise, the 'Machinery Hivemind' might immediately connect it to the death of that Surry family archbishop. Hmm, this kind of 'disappearance' is much more misleading.

"Heh, if the useless Fleiss family had completed the mission properly and hadn't drawn the Machinery Hivemind's attention to the embassy too soon, then even if the Church of Steam discovered an archbishop's death, they wouldn't link it back to Loen so quickly. The death of a military attaché wouldn't have attracted an official squad's attention either, so there wouldn't have been any need for all this concealment before scapegoating Surry.

"After all, the more I do, the more traces I leave—and the easier it is for the Church's Beyonders to spot flaws.

"This is a lesson. Future 'arrangements' must avoid such accidents..."

Just as Owen was examining his layout and reflecting on himself, the embassy's intelligence personnel suddenly reported the latest news:A secret base of the Spirit Cult in the docks had been accidentally discovered by a wild Beyonder. A conflict broke out between the two sides, resulting in considerable casualties, and a team from the Machinery Hivemind had already been dispatched to handle the situation.

Seeing this, Owen smiled and praised the reliability of the "White Saintess" in his heart.

"It's just... why did she choose to target a base of the Spirit Cult? Weren't the 'Primordial Demoness' and the 'God of Death' close allies?

"Or perhaps, with the fall of the Death God, that alliance has long since ended..."

...

St. George Borough, a slightly dilapidated house on Riverside Street.

As the setting sun's afterglow filtered into the bedroom through the window, a voice filled with shock—and even fear—suddenly rang out:

"The Fool?! What Fool?"I was blessed by a certain Highness while patrolling the Raphael Cemetery! Then I was resurrected thanks to the 'Stone of Life' bestowed by the Earth Mother!"

(End of Chapter)