The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 113: The Admirer

"You seem to be staring at something all the time... Is there something in the clouds?"

Anna followed Lu Li’s gaze toward the sky, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. To make sure she was looking at the same spot, she moved closer to his head and peered out the window.

In the narrow slice of sky visible beyond the glass, there was nothing but dark clouds.

She was about to say something when she noticed Lu Li getting to his feet. She quickly pulled back to avoid bumping into him.

"Where are you going?"

Lu Li had been gone all night, and Anna had a mountain of questions for him.

"I'm going to return the oil lamp and buy you a book while I'm at it," Lu Li answered, rolling down his sleeves. He walked to the door, placed his hand on the knob, and pushed it slightly. Turning back, he asked, "Do you need anything?"

"No."

Floating behind the desk, Anna waved him off.

Lu Li turned back to the door and suddenly swung it open. A cascade of dozens of frozen, gray, identical faces rushed toward him!His pupils contracted slightly, but that was the extent of his reaction. He had already recognized the source of those faces—a bouquet crafted from folded shillings.

A rustle...

The bouquet of shillings was held in a delicate, pale hand, which moved it aside to reveal a face that could make one's heart skip a beat, no matter how many times one saw it.

Unlike their first meeting at the police station, her face was free of the bright, provocative, and aggressive makeup. She appeared to be wearing none at all, and her lips, instead of a vibrant purple, were a soft, apricot hue.

Simply put, it seemed she was without makeup today.

"Do you like it? My butler said it would be more sincere if I presented it to you myself."

Her voice was as husky as before, but combined with its low timbre, it possessed an unexpectedly pleasant, magnetic quality.

Lu Li said nothing, his gaze dropping.

She wore a perfectly tailored men's suit, her golden hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, and her narrow, ruby-red eyes were mesmerizing. If she were to cut her hair and bind her chest, most young women would find it impossible to resist this charming baron, whose every gesture radiated nobility.

Noticing Lu Li’s glance, Baroness Joseph smiled broadly. "This way, I look more professional. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aileen Joseph, a baroness granted my title by the Principality of the Allen Peninsula. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The bouquet of shillings, which she had momentarily moved aside, was once again presented to Lu Li.

"Thank you," Lu Li replied calmly, accepting the bouquet. "I like it very much."

It was difficult to say whether his last words referred to the baroness’s gesture or to the shillings themselves, folded into a bouquet.

The only minor drawback was that there was only one bouquet.

"Is that a guest? Or a client?"

A quiet, soft voice suddenly spoke beside him. Lu Li turned his head slightly but didn't see Anna.

"A guest," he replied.

A standard, high-society smile was fixed on Joseph's face. She tilted her head slightly. "Hmm? Who are you talking to?"

"Anna."

Lu Li passed the bouquet behind his back. His clipped response and impassive expression seemed a bit rude, especially just after accepting a gift.

Baroness Joseph, however, didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, she appeared even more intrigued.

"You have a girlfriend?" she asked, surprised, but her polite smile immediately returned. "No matter, I don't mind. I assure you, you'll be far better off with me than with your girlfriend... What is that?!"

Baroness Joseph suddenly saw that the bouquet of shillings Lu Li had passed behind his back was hovering in mid-air, as if held by an invisible hand.

"As I said. Anna."

"Anna is..." The elegant smile vanished from the baroness's face. Her eyes widened, her lashes fluttering.

"My assistant."

"I mean, why is she transparent...?"

"Because she's a ghost."

"..." Baroness Joseph took a deep breath, the buttons on her chest straining against the fabric. She forced a smile and, looking up at Lu Li, said, "Steady me."

"What?"

As Lu Li spoke, Baroness Joseph's legs suddenly gave way. If not for the wall, she would have collapsed onto the floor.

"No! Don't steady me! I'm fine!" Joseph's face was flushed. Not daring to meet Lu Li's eyes, she waved a dismissive hand at him.

"What a disastrous meeting, damn it!" Baroness Joseph clutched the corridor wall and started for the exit. After muttering a quiet curse, she tried to adopt a gentler tone. "Mr. Lu Li, I just remembered I haven't watered my garden. I must return to tend to it. So, when my legs stop shaking... that is, when I've finished with my gardening, I'll return."

She didn't dare turn around until she had opened the front door and stepped out of the hallway.

"It seems I scared her... Perhaps you should comfort her?"

Anna materialized beside Lu Li, holding the bouquet, and asked softly.

"Do you want to comfort her?" Lu Li asked.

"Pfft... You, of course," Anna covered her mouth and giggled, but then her expression fell as she recalled something. "I'll only frighten her more..."

Lu Li had no intention of doing so. "There's no need. I only want her money. I have no desire for any other kind of relationship with her."

"Don't say such awful things in such a calm voice!"

...

With her head lowered, Baroness Joseph returned to her carriage with trembling steps.

Fortunately, she had impulsively decided to wear a men's suit today, and no one had recognized her.

"Is he really that handsome? Enough to make your knees go weak."

A surprised voice drifted from the carriage. Baroness Joseph snorted coldly. "Nonsense. I was simply frightened!"

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a short female butler in a tuxedo helped her mistress climb inside. "Is he really that terrifying? Enough to make your knees tremble."

"I told you, I was..." Baroness Joseph began to protest, but she caught the butler's mocking gaze.

"I said nothing."

"Tch," Baroness Joseph decided against defending herself and changed the subject, demanding angrily, "How on earth did you conduct your investigation?! There's a ghost in his detective agency!"

The short butler adjusted the thick, round glasses on the bridge of her nose and helped the baroness take a seat. "He's an exorcist. It's perfectly normal for him to associate with ghosts. I trust you are aware of his profession, Baroness. And frankly, if you harbor this... unhealthy interest in him, you had best overcome this fear."

"It's just a game," Baroness Joseph retorted quietly.

"Then all the more reason."

Baroness Joseph averted her gaze, her voice stripped of its earlier confidence. "Not today. My legs are still shaking..."

The short butler sighed softly and ceased her chiding. "Very well. But in the future, please be more careful not to show your weakness in front of others."

Baroness Joseph flinched slightly but gradually composed herself. She seemed to transform back into the same Baroness Joseph from Belfast's rumors.

"Of course."

Her voice was husky.

"Let's go."

The carriage slowly pulled away, leaving the house behind.

From the carriage window, ruby-red eyes watched the figure that had appeared in the doorway. Beneath a sleeve, a hand slowly clenched into a fist.

"I will be back!"