The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 1003: Sweet Dream

Pris Aristocratic Academy.

True to its name, the academy stood clean and new in a bustling part of the city.

The rented carriage pulled up to the gates. After stating his business to the man behind the iron bars, Lu Li followed the gatekeeper onto the academy grounds.

Knock, knock, knock—

The gatekeeper rapped on the headmaster's office door. After a quiet inquiry from within, he announced,

“Sir, there’s a gentleman here to see you. He says he’s an exorcist.”

“Send him in.”

The gatekeeper opened the door and stepped aside.

A man with graying temples, dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, sat behind a large desk. The quill pen he was using to write on a sheet of parchment paused mid-stroke as his visitor entered.

His eyes narrowed slightly, sweeping over Lu Li and resting on the intricately engraved grip of the spirit gun at his waist.“What seems to be the trouble, Mr. Exorcist?”

“Not yet,” Lu Li replied, his tone cryptic.

“Find a student named Michelle. Keep an eye on her, pay close attention, and if you see her being treated with any malice, you must help her.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t care for riddles. Could you please give me a reason? Within the bounds of what you’re able to disclose, of course.”

Lu Li stated the truth plainly.

“Soon, she will be driven to suicide by her classmates’ bullying. She will become a vengeful spirit and take her revenge on those who caused her pain.”

“The future?..”

The headmaster was hesitant. His position conditioned him to be skeptical of the man before him.

“Are you with the Night's Watch, sir? Or the Investigators? Or are you an independent exorcist?”

“An Investigator,” Lu Li replied, tilting his head slightly.

“Anna.”

A spectral figure in a white dress materialized, and the sweltering afternoon air, thick with the promise of the coming rainy season, suddenly chilled as if coated in frost.

Anna stared coldly at the headmaster, and the pressure of her gaze seemed to steal the air from his lungs—

The spectral form began to fade, and as the suffocating pressure eased, the headmaster stammered, “I’ll handle it immediately. I’ll take Michelle under my personal protection.”

Lu Li gave a slight nod and left the office. The gatekeeper, who had been waiting respectfully in the corridor, escorted him from the academy.

Clip-clop—

The horseshoes clattered distinctly on the cobblestone street.

From inside the carriage came an eager voice, fishing for a compliment. “How did I do?”

“You did great, but don’t do that again.”

A noisy steam car chugged past.

“Mm-hm,” Anna replied. Having conveniently missed the second half of his sentence, she lifted her chin proudly, then asked curiously,

“But how do you know all this?”

“Know what?”

“That Michelle will die and become a ghost.”

“I know the future.”

“So you can see the future!”

It dawned on Anna, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.

“So, when you tricked Benjamin to get me from the gallery... was that also because you saw the future?”

“Mm-hm.”

Lu Li gently pulled on the reins, stopping the carriage. A mother holding a little boy’s hand smiled and nodded as she crossed the street.

“The future... ours... is... is...”

“A family.”

The calm word, drifting into the carriage, cut through Anna’s stammering. A long silence fell between them.

“Where are we going?”

The carriage had crossed half of Belfast, continuing its journey south.

Shaking herself out of an embarrassed stupor, Anna saw a withered oak forest ahead to the south.

“Oak Street.”

The carriage turned onto a street that bordered the withered woods. The remote district was quiet, with only a few elderly pedestrians about.

They proceeded down the dilapidated street and stopped before an old, abandoned house.

103 Oak Street.

Anna saw the battered iron plaque on the courtyard wall, then watched as Lu Li unloaded barrels of kerosene from the carriage and doused the outer walls of the house.

She had a suspicion, and Lu Li's next actions confirmed it.

Sss—

A struck match flared to life. It traced an arc through the air and landed in a kerosene-soaked pile of wood. Pale blue flames flickered and spread, quickly deepening to orange-red—

“Let’s go.”

Before the locals could notice and call the police.

The carriage left the Oak Street district. Behind them, plumes of thick smoke rose into the sky.

“...An anomaly hidden behind the wallpaper killed a family of three... and then set fire to a bookshelf, burning down the whole house.”

Lu Li recounted the story that would have taken place in the future at 103 Oak Street.

For the rest of the day, Lu Li moved through different parts of Belfast, attending to mysterious errands.

Half an hour before nightfall, Lu Li and Anna returned to the Bizarre Detective Agency.

The light from an oil lamp slowly pushed back the gloom. The aroma of fresh baking from Mrs. Filin's shop filled the air, though only Lu Li could appreciate it.

“You seem... out of place...”

Anna had a subtle feeling something was off. Lu Li had been busy all day, as if racing against time—

“Mm-hm.”

Lu Li’s noncommittal answer left Anna lost in thought.

When night had completely enveloped the city, Anna drew the curtains and sat across from the dining table. Resting her chin on her hands, she calmly watched Lu Li eat.

The sounds of their neighbors drifted through the thin walls, creating a cozy atmosphere that reminded her of her old home.

Only...

Splash, splash—

The sound of splashing water came from the kitchen for several minutes. When he emerged, having washed the dishes and his face, Lu Li grabbed a towel and dried himself off.

It was time for bed.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Anna suddenly asked quietly, as if she had realized something.

“Perhaps.”

The answer was still disappointing.

“Good night,” Anna said, floating back into the oil painting.

“Good night. Sweet dreams.”

As Lu Li spoke in a low voice, the figure of Anna in the oil painting stilled and faded.

The neighbors gradually settled down, with only the occasional cough of children and the distant barking of dogs breaking the silence.

Lu Li got into bed and fell soundly asleep.

Silence filled the detective agency. Time seemed to stop—until, at some point, the oil painting stirred.

Anna slipped out of the oil painting and floated silently into the bedroom, staring intently at Lu Li’s sleeping face.

He won’t disappear!

...

Lu Li slowly awoke.

He stared up at a ceiling that was both familiar and strange.

He lay still for a moment, then turned his head to see Anna dozing at the desk.

A few minutes later, Anna stirred and asked brightly, “So, what are we doing today?”

“Nothing.”

“Hmm?”

Lu Li looked down at her.

“Today is yours.”

Perhaps she’d grown accustomed to being flustered over the past two days—she had “swooned” once already, after all—because this time Anna merely blushed and said shyly,

“I don’t know where to go.”

“Do you want to go home?”

Lu Li’s voice seemed to have softened a little.

“To Khimfast? I don’t know what’s left there...”

“The estate was turned into an art academy. Aunt Mery is the headmistress.”

“Aunt Mery...”

A flood of forgotten memories returned, and Anna became lost in thought.

As Lu Li packed for a long journey, Anna trailed behind him, chattering about the childhood memories that were resurfacing.

“The treasure!” Anna suddenly cried out as if she’d spotted a chest of jewels.

“The family’s most valuable treasure! I remember! The family treasure!”

“I know.”

Impatiently, she asked, “What’s inside?” before quickly covering her ears.

“...Don’t tell me.”

A few minutes later, Lu Li finished packing.

“Let’s go!”

At Anna’s eager, chiming cry, Lu Li turned the doorknob, ready to begin a journey meant for just the two of them.

Click—

The door swung open, revealing a dark room.

Dim yellow light streamed into the room from behind Lu Li, revealing a silver crossbow resting silently on the table.