56: Fifty-six.

Two interviewers 56: Fifty-six.

Two interviewers Richard probably has the obscure night watchman running around like a headless chicken.

But since they haven’t contacted Lu Li yet, it indicates that the situation is still under control.

Otherwise, there’s no reason not to ask the person involved, Lu Li.

The Detective Agency seemed rather leisurely today.

They returned last night, and Anna went back into her portrait to rest.

Lu Li moved the cans into the Detective Agency and, earlier this morning, drove a carriage to the client’s house to deliver the single torn-out page.

This earned him the deserved reward and a tearful thanks.

Afterwards, Lu Li returned the carriage and bought breakfast on his way back to the Detective Agency.

Anna had slipped out of her portrait early.

Ever since leaving the gallery, she had grown increasingly averse to staying inside it.

At the moment, she was propping her chin with her hand and kicking up her legs, gazing out the window at the view.

Outside the window, a drizzle fell, reducing the number of pedestrians on the cobblestone roads, yet the scene remained lively.

Children played and ran about in the rain, most people being elated by the downpour that dispersed the fog and mist.

Except for the sculpture, which remained as usual, unmoving as if it were dead.

Lu Li tucked the 100-shilling reward into a book’s pages.

He had now accumulated 900 shillings, and with just another 100 shillings, Hades would reveal the dark truth.

Conveniently, Lu Li had reserved a commission related to the Haunted House to complete.

However, an unexpected event disrupted Lu Li’s plans.

“Umm…

boss…

I mean…

uh…

what I want to say is…”

Oliver hemmed and hawed on the other end of the phone.

Lu Li kept silent, quietly waiting for him to finish beating around the bush.

“Um…

are you still listening, boss?”

“Listening.”

After a lengthy pause, Oliver came clean, “Mrs.

Slav pressured me again to send you love letters, but I’ve come to deeply realize how wrong it is.

It deeply hurts our relationship, so I’ve decided—”

“I want the truth,” Lu Li interrupted Oliver’s lecture.

“Ah…

okay.

My brother told me there’s a shipment that can be transported from the other end of the Ailen Peninsula to Belfast to make a lot of money, and I want to give it a try.”

Oliver spoke quickly and without pause, revealing the truth.

“That’s fine,” said Lu Li, not rejecting the proposal.

After all, his relationship with Oliver wasn’t purely an employer-employee one.

Afraid of being misunderstood, Oliver quickly added, “There will temporarily be a capable replacement filling in for me!

She’s incredibly competent!”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“Yes!

I believe there’s someone who can handle the job.”

Oliver didn’t say who the person was, and Lu Li didn’t ask.

After a few seconds of deadlock, it dawned on Oliver that he couldn’t keep his boss in suspense, so he reluctantly disclosed, “It’s my sister Joanna!”

Anna, who was looking at the scenery by the window, perked up her ears; she felt like someone was calling her name.

“She’s been deeply interested in ghosts since she was little, and I feel she’s very much in line with the Detective Agency’s vibe.

She will definitely be a great assistant!

However…”

Oliver paused momentarily, hemming and hawing, “She’s just a tad quirky…”

“In that case, we don’t need to hire anyone temporarily.

The Detective Agency has enough with just me alone.

When will you be back—”

“But she’s super pretty!”

The shout from the phone interrupted Lu Li.

“…When will she arrive?” Lu Li asked after a brief silence.

Disdainful eyes looked at him from the side.

An air of nobility and ladylike grace was gradually disappearing from Anna.

“I’ve already told her, as soon as she has some free time—”

Thump thump bang—

A knock sounded at the door at that moment.

“I hear it!

Is that a knock?

She must be here then, I’ll hang up now~”

Beep—

On the other end, Oliver hastily hung up the phone.

Lu Li put down the receiver and got up to walk towards the door.

Standing at the door, he tilted his head and asked, “Don’t you need to hide?”

“I’ve learned how to make myself unseen.” Anna giggled, her figure turning dim and disappearing into the air.

“You can’t see me now, right?”

And so, Lu Li opened the door straight away.

On the dimly-lit corridor, a girl in a white dress stood.

The girl had a short, ear-length haircut, delicate features, and creamy skin, the only flaw being her numb expression.

“Is this where the interview is?” The girl looked up, fixing her gaze on Lu Li.

But Lu Li did not feel the focus of her gaze on him.

It was a pair of hollow eyes.

“Yes.”

Lu Li stepped aside, letting the girl enter the Detective Agency.

After closing the door, Lu Li walked back and sat down at his desk, his gaze falling on the girl who took a seat opposite him.

“First, can you tell me your age?”

The girl hesitated slightly, shaking her head gently, “… I don’t remember.”

“What do you mean you don’t remember?”

“I don’t remember anything from before…” the girl said, her murky eyes filled with confusion staring blankly at Lu Li.

“Can I tell a story?”

Perhaps this was what Oliver meant by special?

“… Yes.”

Generally speaking, it wasn’t allowed, but Oliver had mentioned his cousin was rather special.

And she was indeed very beautiful.

“There was a girl… her name was Mishelia.”

The girl started to narrate her tale in a flat, cold voice—as if she herself were the protagonist.

Mishelia wasn’t from Belfast; a year ago, she moved with her parents from the neighboring county to settle in Belfast.

Alpha Street was probably one of the oldest streets in Belfast—established by the first colonists who settled there.

Because of the affordable prices, Mishelia’s parents bought a house there.

Her father worked as a water delivery man, while her mother worked in a laundry.

She was given hope to study at the academy.

Mishelia had been beautiful since she was young, unlike most girls who only become charming after reaching adulthood, she could already be considered delicate and even beautiful.

Being pretty was just on the outside, but as someone from within the home, she came from a poor yet principled family, which gave her a sense of justice—and she wasn’t bad at her studies either.

“The story happened on an ordinary day… It’s half-past eleven now.”

The girl telling the story glanced at the clock on the desk and suddenly stopped, reverting to her previous confused state.

“Actually, this clock is 7 minutes fast,” Lu Li answered.

“If you’re in a hurry, please be quick.”

The girl with a numb look spoke blankly, “I promised my parents I’d be back before noon, so can I come back tomorrow for the interview?”

“… Of course you can.” Lu Li stood up and saw the silent girl out.

Clang.

The door closed.

“Oliver’s cousin seems quite ill…” Anna floated onto the desk and sat beside it.

Lu Li walked back to his desk thoughtfully, and just then, another knock sounded from outside the door.

“She might have something she didn’t finish saying.” Anna shrugged, and followed Lu Li as he returned to the door.

The door opened, revealing a youthful girl with braided pigtails standing at the entrance, wearing a mask.

“I’m Oliver’s cousin; here for the interview,” the girl’s crisp voice rang out.

“…?”

Lu Li and Anna exchanged looks, seeing the meaning in each other’s eyes.

This was Oliver’s cousin, then who was just now…

What exactly had they just interviewed?