99 Western Garden Street, the terrace.
After Tarite brought out tea for the guests, he stood there feeling somewhat uneasy and embarrassed.
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Similarly, when faced with strangers, Linda Camille felt equally uneasy and embarrassed.
Arthur watched the two and couldnât help but find humor in the situationâdidnât both of them have experience in social situations? Yet, here they were, plagued by social anxiety.
It was like how the lady in Arthurâs memory, despite having a face that could bring disaster to a country and rumors of a hundred boyfriends, had never actually held a boyâs hand. To avoid awkward situations, she never denied those rumors. Moreover, to avoid trouble, she always presented a cold and aloof demeanor to strangers.
And once you got close?
Prepare to be crushed by malicious words!
What stuck in Arthurâs memory most was how this lady had once reduced a suitor who dared to come calling to a state of mental collapse, causing him to flee with a tear-streaked face.
âI wonder how my dear Aunt Cassandra is doing at Inner Bay Girlsâ School?
She must be quite comfortable!
After all, itâs an all-girls school, so there shouldnât be any annoying people around!â
Arthur sighed inwardly and then suddenly thought of Marinda.
âHmm, Marinda is special, isnât she?
There shouldnât be anyone so unique in a girlsâ school, right?â
Arthur thought, stroking his chin.
Soon after, the young âSpirit Mediumâ withdrew his thoughts and looked towards the young girl.
"Linda, go across to the grocery store and buy some tobaccoââOld Iron Armor,â right? The new or the aged one?"
Arthur looked toward Tarite.
Owing to Marindaâs influence, Arthurâs understanding of tobacco and pipes had skyrocketed.
At least he could tell that Tarite smoked âOld Iron Armor,â a brand of shredded tobacco that was chaotically flavored when new and scorned by many as not true tobacco.
It was quite popular among smokers in South Los.
"Whichever is fine,"
the âPigeon Breederâ said repeatedly.
After the girl stood up, she bowed slightly before heading downstairs and running to the grocery store across the street. The young âSpirit Mediumâsâ gaze followed the girl, and naturally, the âPigeon Breederâsâ gaze was drawn to her as well. Beside the âPigeon Breederâsâ ear, the young âSpirit Mediumâsâ voice sounded softlyâ
"If your daughter hadnât died, would she have been like Linda, knowledgeable and well-mannered, yet bashful?
She wouldnât have been as pretentious and dominant as Edith; she was just an ordinary, shy, kind young girl. Thatâs why I hope she takes control of the âPigeon Club.â
Because only Lindaâs kindness can prevent that kind of thing from happening again.
After all, you wouldnât want your daughterâs tragedy to repeat, would you?"
Arthurâs voice was soft and drawn out.
The word [Bluff] kept flashing.
The âPigeon Breederâ watched Linda in the grocery store asking the owner for prices, his eyes softening as if he really saw his grown daughter buying tobacco for him.
The âPigeon Breederâ felt tears well up in an instant.
It was a scene he did not dare to envision even in his dreams, despite having imagined it countless times in his heart.
Tears blurred the âPigeon Breederâsâ vision.
In the haze, the silhouette of the girl blended with that of his daughter.
All the while, the voice of the young âSpirit Mediumâ continued.
"You may still be dwelling on your mistakes.
But such brooding isnât a good choice.
Doing something worthwhile is a far better option.
Go and help the innocent and kind Linda; she deserves your help.
You should knowâ
A fool like Clay is more than enough."
As Arthur spoke, he watched the âPigeon Breederâsâ expression, when suddenly he frowned slightly.
"By the way, are the grocery stores on your street always this deceitful?
They would even trick a young girl like Linda?"
"Selling fresh âOld Iron Armorâ at the price of aged âOld Iron Armorâ?"
Arthurâs voice was full of surprise.
But Tarite couldnât sit still any longer.
The âPigeon Breederâ stood in front of the balcony and bellowed across the streetâ
"Ussack, if you dare sell Linda the freshly-cut âOld Iron Armorâ at that price, I swear Iâll beat you black and blue!"
After his shout, the âPigeon Breederâ nodded to Arthur and hurriedly went downstairs.
Following were the âPigeon Breederâsâ roars inside the grocery shop and the shopkeeperâs apologies.
Arthur sat in the chair on the balcony, watching everything that happened across the street in the grocery department, lifting his teacup with one hand, slightly sipped, and then his lips curled up into a smile.
You see, breaking the ice is just that simple.
All you need is the right person, a not-so-bad timing, and a little bit of "Bluff" is enough.
And by the time Arthur put down his teacup, the âPigeon Breederâ had already led the girl out of the grocery store, with her holding a double-wrapped roll of tobacco leaves, and the âPigeon Breederâ continued to babble non-stop to the grinning shopkeeperâArthurâs smile grew more pronounced.
However, when the familiar rickshaw appeared, the young âSpirit Mediumâ couldnât help but sigh, got up, and walked downstairs.
"Please make sure to take Linda home safely."
Arthur instructed the patrolling policeman who drove the carriage.
"Donât worry, consultant."
The policeman gave his assurance.
Then, Arthur turned and walked toward Linda and Tarite.
"Something came up, I need to handle it."
Arthur gestured to the rickshaw behind him, and Marinda sitting inside nodded in acknowledgment.
The girl recognized Lady of the Eternal Night and immediately curtsied, bending at the waist.
The âPigeon Breederâ also removed his hat and gave a respectful bow.
Without further interaction, as Linda watched Arthur get into the carriage, worry filled her eyesâshe hoped Arthur would be safe, but her own power was too weak.
She still couldnât hear the âworldâsâ voice.
Seeing this scene, the âPigeon Breederâ immediately made up his mind.
"Linda, do you want to protect Mr. Arthur?"
"Mhm."
The girl nodded.
"Perhaps you will have extraordinary powers in the future, but before you come into your own, I think some guys are still useful.
Please forgive me for saying useful.
But they only deserve to be usedâ
Follow me, Iâll show you some of the information they exchange."
As he said this, the âPigeon Breederâ headed toward number 99.
The girl holding the tobacco leaves hurried after him.
Moonlight gradually stretched behind the girl, the bright color slowly spreading along the entire street, and when it shone upon the rickshaw, overlapping shadows fell to the ground.
Sitting inside the carriage, Arthur and Marinda instinctively shied away from the brightness, seated across from each other in the darkness, watching the girlâs figure.
Only after the figure of the girl had disappeared did the two start to speak.
"Confirmed?"
"Youâve already given such an obvious clue, of course, itâs confirmedâboth âBell Ringersâ are Blood Descendants of that âBlood Descendant.â
And, you would never guess where that âBlood Descendantâ is!"
Saying this, Lady of the Eternal Night looked at the young âSpirit Mediumâ with a slightly challenging gaze.
Obviously, Arthur had easily spotted Haiteâs clues, but her own subordinates had spent an entire day with no result, which made the lady eager to turn the tables here.
"Childish!"
Arthur gave back to her the word she often used to describe him, and then his brain started working rapidly.
Merely seconds laterâ
An answer emerged in the young âSpirit Mediumâsâ mind.