Capítulo 1359: Chapter 1359: Women, Married Couple, and the Earl

Lecia also noticed Shard’s gaze was attracted to a certain piece of fabric. She pursed her lips, but it was certainly impossible to say she didn’t want it.

But seeing Shard’s gaze quickly turn back to her, Lecia warmly gave Shard a hug:

“I thought it would be hard to see you in Tobesk recently. Do you have plans for lunch? If not, how about staying for a meal with us?”

Even though she was also a guest, she extended such an invitation.

“Of course, I have no problem with that.”

Shard agreed, tossing the cat onto the sofa, then looked at Miss Galina. The red-haired witch stood by the table with one hand resting on it, standing comfortably while watching the two embrace.

Lecia knew Shard’s sudden appearance here meant he had something important to do. So after chatting with Shard for a few moments on the sofa, she excused herself to the washroom to freshen up, temporarily leaving the room.

Tifa closed the door from the inside, and the witch holding a teacup remarked:

“My great-niece, in some ways, is indeed the most qualified lady educated by the House of Cavendish.”

She asked Shard:

“Is it urgent? The Time Key task, what does it require this time?”

“No, no, it’s not the Time Key. I want you to find someone for me and have her proceed to Randall Valley as soon as possible.”

“Something in Randall Valley? Alright, who?”

“Marilyn Handel.”

Shard mentioned the name, and Miss Galina slightly frowned:

“The woman Joey Barton exchanged from death?”

“Yes, you were the one who gave her the road fee to leave Tobesk. Although I didn’t ask later, I don’t believe you didn’t have someone watching her.”

The witch smiled:

“Such a dangerous person, of course, I couldn’t just let her mysteriously vanish. However, I haven’t exactly put someone on her, but knowing her whereabouts isn’t difficult. Today is Tuesday; she could be found within the week. She should be in the United Kingdom of Carsonrick now.”

Given the information transmission methods of this era, this speed was quite fast.

“Alright, have her proceed to Randall Valley City as soon as possible. While the people of the True God Church don’t know her, she should be cautious to avoid them. There’s an Abundant Land Inn in the city center of Randall Valley; have her stay there, and I’ll personally go to meet her… There’s no great hurry; as long as she arrives within half a month.”

“These are minor matters, but what are you planning? Is a woman burdened with a death curse and a soul still useful to you?”

“Of course, I need them to help deal with a potentially troublesome soul. It’s a triple insurance, and they are the third layer.”

“A soul? What soul?”

“The person isn’t dead yet. I plan to kill him sometime later, and this is to prepare for his afterlife in advance.”

Shard explained briefly, causing Miss Galina to have a peculiar expression.

That morning, Shard didn’t leave Galina Manor. After discussing matters with the witch, Lecia returned as well. Since the weather remained cold, the three didn’t engage in outdoor activities for long. Miss Galina took Shard and Lecia to tour the newly built greenhouse garden after she returned to Tobesk from the County of Saradiel.

Galina Cavendish lacked nothing in terms of gold pounds, so the garden was already planted with flowers one would typically not see in this season.

She even casually plucked a fully blooming purplish-red rose, handing it to Shard with a smile, while Lecia seriously inquired about the construction cost of the greenhouse garden, as well as the time and manpower required.

She certainly didn’t think it was wasteful; she simply wanted to convince Queen Diana to also build one in Yordle Palace.

Today, Lecia and Miss Galina unexpectedly showed a rather harmonious relationship, which was a significant improvement over the tension Shard usually recalled during their past meetings. After lunch, Shard inquired about the reason from Lecia, but Her Highness the Princess didn’t want to explain and instead asked if he wanted to return to the city.

She planned to return to Yordle Palace by evening, so she took the initiative to handle taking care of Mia that afternoon and feeding the cat in the evening. Apparently, she still had matters to discuss with Miss Galina, ones Shard wasn’t supposed to know about.

After all, Shard returned to the city on his own, arriving at the Church of the Forgotten’s courtyard around 1:30 in the afternoon.

After a month of simple renovations, Miss Lathis and the believers had turned the long-abandoned church into something presentable. Though they planned to patch the large hole in the roof in spring, it didn’t hinder the church’s revival from silence into vitality.

After leaving the Church of the Forgotten, Shard went directly to the destination, which was Earl Granger’s city manor. Among the three items sold at the Cassandra Auction House possibly related to the Heart of the Earth, the statue and vase were most likely ordinary items, and the last key should hold significance.

Because he didn’t want the identity of John Watson to be connected with the Golden Dawn Opera Group, Shard visited this time as himself, and Earl Granger, despite his busy schedule, made time to meet with Shard for half an hour.

To avoid being late, Shard arrived quite early, and after being shown into the manor by the servant, he was asked to wait in the first-floor lounge for a while.

It was evident that Earl Granger, who had just returned from outside the city, had many matters to attend to, as Shard was not the only one waiting to meet him in the lounge. Already waiting there were a young newlywed couple, who were not strangers to Shard.

“Mr. Enriques, Mrs. Enriques.”

He entered the room and greeted them by doffing his hat. The couple, who had been talking by the window, turned to face him; Shard recognized them as the protagonists of the countryside wedding he attended with Ston Osenfort.

“May I ask who you are…?”

The young Mr. Enriques, who looked virtually unchanged in the week since his marriage, asked politely in his formal attire. Shard shook his head:

“You probably don’t know me, but I was invited by a friend to attend your wedding. I’m sorry I didn’t offer my congratulations then. Happy newlywed life, Mr. Enriques, Mrs. Enriques.”

This simple blessing did not bring much joy to the young gentleman, though he managed to squeeze out a smile:

“I must apologize for not hosting you properly at the banquet. May I ask your name?”

“John Watson, a writer traveling around the Old Continent seeking inspiration for stories. Recently, I helped Earl Granger find some lost family antiques, which is how I came to know the Earl.”

“Oh, are you talking about those two medals? I’ve heard about that.”

Mr. Enriques spoke warmly, and as the two men conversed, the young bride stood alone by the window, watching them.

Neither of them recognized Shard, or perhaps they had never seen him and Ston Osenfort at the time. Judging from the current situation, although the wedding banquet concluded smoothly, the marriage, which began with an accident, already showed signs of discord. Even though the man Mrs. Enriques knew while studying art in Velindale had died, the shadow of that event still loomed over their newlywed household.

Shard didn’t know if he still loved her, nor did he know if she loved him. The Enriques couple’s marriage story was already shrouded in gloom, and marriages like theirs usually don’t last long.

The parents of both Mr. and Mrs. Enriques were old friends of the Earl. They had come this time to thank the Earl for his wedding gift, so Mr. Enriques exchanged only a few words with Shard before leaving with his wife under the guidance of the old butler.

Shard didn’t wait long before being led by a servant to the study. The Earl was seated behind his desk, looking quite troubled. Shard sat down on the chair outside the desk:

“Earl, it’s been nearly half a month since we last met, and you seem to be in poor health. Though winter hasn’t ended, please take care of your well-being.”

“Oh, it’s nothing; with spring approaching, trouble comes in heaps.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and folded his hands together, asking Shard:

“So, Mr. Watson, what brings you here this time?”

“I continued to investigate the affairs of your great-uncle Thomas Granger here and made some significant findings.”

“Oh?”

The Earl’s eyes lit up:

“Please, do tell me.”

“I haven’t discovered his whereabouts after he left home, but I found out that at one point he meticulously investigated the origins of your family.”

The Earl immediately nodded:

“Yes, and you discovered this? I had only heard bits and pieces about it from my father. My great-uncle was quite fond of folklore and very interested in the history of our family.”

“From what I understand, Earl, your family was established in this city before the Common Era Calendar began and was among the first members of this city.”

Hearing Shard’s words, the Earl showed a subtle look of pride:

“The development of Randall Valley to what it is today owes something to the Granger Family.”

“There are very few historical records and documents from before the Common Era Calendar; it was a primordial era. Fortunately, I have friends working at a university who know a very capable archaeology and history professor in Tobesk. Based on the findings, the earliest origins of your family likely trace back to a man with the surname ‘Lyman’ who migrated here from another place. Of course, this is merely one theory. However, some later evidence shows that your great-uncle indeed investigated this matter and hoped to find Mr. Lyman’s tomb.”

The information above was half-true, making it less likely to raise suspicion. The Earl frowned slightly, as he truly didn’t know:

“Mr. Watson, have you already found that tomb?”