The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 336: The Engagement

[The viscount, as usual, had stayed up late. A sudden knock on the door broke the night's silence. He lifted his head to see a figure holding a candlestick appear in the doorway. "Why are you still awake at this hour?" he asked coldly, frowning.]

["Why did you order the servants to watch me?" Sara, usually so deferential to her father, took a deep breath and looked at him directly. In the dim light of the night, he seemed much older than he did during the day.]

[Sensing the change in his daughter, the viscount paused for a moment before setting aside his ledger. "If I hadn't," he replied, "you would have already run away with that pauper."]

[Her father's reply confirmed Sara's suspicions. The sting of her friend's betrayal made her sneer. "A father spying on his own daughter..."]

[The viscount sighed and spoke gravely. "Count Fran is not our equal; we are minor nobles. He only agreed to this marriage because of an ancestral pact. His influence could protect our family for decades... What do you think they would do if they learned of your secret meetings with that young man? Our family could be ruined! For the family's sake, for your father's sake..."]

["So, being an aristocrat means sacrificing your children's happiness?" Sara interrupted with a cold laugh.]

["Sacrificing happiness?" His daughter's sharp tone angered the viscount, and he couldn't help but raise his voice. "Do you have any idea how hard-won this life of yours is?! How many people in this city go hungry every day, how many live without hope?! A single one of your jewels is worth more than their monthly wages! Everything you enjoy is thanks to your ancestors!"]

[Sara lowered her head, looking at her father who had lost his composure, and suddenly asked, "Did you love my mother?"]

[The viscount froze. "Love is merely a fleeting fancy of youth. Perhaps now you think I'm trading you for gain, but you will understand my reasons later."]

["Then you have simply grown old," Sara said, lifting her head as proudly as a swan.][His daughter's defiance reminded the viscount of something from long ago. His voice gradually calmed, but his words carried an unyielding resolve. "You will not leave your room for the next two days. The day after tomorrow, I will host a reception for the Count and his youngest son. You will be engaged. Now, go rest."]

[Sara gave her father a long, final look and left the room. Dressed in white, she wandered the corridors like a ghost. Without realizing it, she found herself standing before Eileen's door.]

[Through the thin door, she could hear the sound of even breathing.]

...

The endless rain and the sudden drop in temperature had forced the pedestrians on the streets to bundle up in warm clothing.

The warm, bright manor of the Baroness seemed to exist in another world entirely. The Baroness and the exorcists were seated at a long table in the dining room.

"Perhaps only in Belfast can one find caviar this fresh," Petra remarked with admiration, licking his lips.

Baroness Joseph nodded with a faint smile, her gaze falling on Lu Li, who was seated to her right. "Is everything to your liking?"

"Yes, thank you for the meal."

Lu Li wiped his mouth with a napkin and glanced at his watch.

6:40. There was still half an hour until "Sara" was due to awaken.

"If you wish, I can arrange to have it served to you every day," the Baroness said, her tone laden with meaning.

Suddenly, Petra felt the caviar had lost its flavor.

"We can talk about that later," Lu Li replied. This opportunity to shamelessly stock up on nutrients wouldn't last forever. Perhaps, after the case was closed, he should ask the Baroness to deliver food to his detective agency.

The Baroness finished her breakfast and departed with her maid to change. Petra and the other exorcists briefly discussed the potential developments in today's story, then followed the butler to the bedroom. As before, the Baroness had concealed her appearance with dark makeup and freckles, ensuring the plot wouldn't compel her to leave the manor.

7:10. The ancient, whispering voice did not sound at the appointed time.

The exorcists exchanged glances. Had the plot changed?

A long wait ensued. The clock hand was approaching eight when the ancient, whispering voice finally spoke.

[Chapter Six: The Decision]

[Sara had fallen into a deep slumber, a wave of drowsiness washing over her. She remained in a state of oblivion for some time before remembering who she was. "My lady, you overslept today," said her maid, Eileen, with a faint smile. But Sara, contrary to her usual habit, did not reply with her customary lazy, cat-like purr.]

["What's wrong, my lady? Did you have a nightmare?" Eileen asked, puzzled.]

"It's nothing," the Baroness repeated calmly. "Did Adam say when he would arrive?"]

["This morning," Eileen replied, opening the wardrobe. "What would you like to wear today, my lady?" "The blue pleated dress," Sara answered.]

The Baroness opened her own wardrobe and, after hesitating before a multitude of luxurious outfits, reluctantly chose her least favorite: a sky-blue pleated dress.

Lu Li waited for the servants to temporarily leave the room before returning a short while later. Sara had already changed. The new dress was no different from the last—it still reflected no color, remaining utterly black.

Perhaps because of Adam's impending visit, Sara was extremely nervous and much quieter than usual. The ancient, whispering voice only uttered a few phrases.

[The servant, Lu Li, ran to inform Sara of Adam's arrival.]

A short time later, the action of this chapter began.

The four servants did not take part in it. Their task was to clean the bedroom and tend to non-existent houseplants. Only the Baroness, in her role as the personal maid, accompanied Sara to the drawing room.

This time, they were gone for quite a while. It was nearly noon when the Baroness and "Sara" returned. Sara went off to her etiquette lesson, and as soon as the ancient, whispering voice ceased its focus on them, the Baroness recounted what had happened.

Just as David had predicted, the viscount would naturally not allow his daughter to marry a pauper, even if Adam's ancestors had been petty merchants.

The expected confrontation never happened. The viscount calmly explained to Adam that he and Sara were not suited for each other. Sara would never be able to adapt to the life of a commoner, and their affection was based on illusions. Reality, he insisted, was far harsher.

This was far more painful than simply having the servants throw Adam out of the house. Soon after, Sara appeared and began to argue with her father.

The viscount ordered the butler to escort Sara away, and before she left, he informed Adam that Sara was betrothed to the count's youngest son. The engagement ceremony would take place the following evening.

In the end, Adam, still holding the gift he had prepared, left the estate in a state of despair.

But the story did not end there.