The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 337: The Coming Rainy Season

During a break in her etiquette lesson, Sarah asked her maid, Eileen, to deliver a letter to Adam with the utmost urgency.

Just as everyone had expected, the evil spirit ensured the letter never reached its destination. The Baroness, playing her part in the story, handed the letter to the viscount. After reading it, the viscount flew into a rage, ordered Sarah to her room, and stationed servants at her door, forbidding her to leave until dinner the next day.

[Sarah was like a princess, imprisoned by a witch in a high tower, but the prince was in no hurry to save her]

As members of the viscount's household, the Baroness, Lu Li, and the others were not restricted in their movements.

[When Eileen entered the room, avoiding Sarah's gaze, Sarah did not seem angry. "You know Father intercepted the letter, don't you?" she asked softly. Eileen nodded uncertainly, not daring to tell her mistress the full truth.]

Due to the narrative constraints and her role as one of the shadows, the Baroness couldn't read the letter in secret, but its contents were easy enough to guess: a plea for Adam to rescue her, to take her away.

The exorcists interpreted "Sarah's" calmness, serene as a windless lake, as a sign of her hope for rescue. But with the letter intercepted by the "viscount," how would "Adam" ever learn of her plight?

The five participants in the evil spirit's ritual found themselves in a contradictory situation. They all wanted a happy ending for the lovers, yet the plot forced them to keep "Sarah" and "Adam" apart.

All they could do was react to events as they unfolded.

During the day, a guest arrived at the viscount's estate, and Lu Li and the other four servants had a brief interaction with him.He was Sarah's uncle, the viscount's younger brother. The viscount, however, seemed displeased by the visit and ordered the guards to see him out. Before he left, the uncle announced he would be back the following day.

The incident was merely a brief interlude, and the exorcists could only speculate that it might signal the beginning of a new storyline.

By evening, the rain had stopped, and a light breeze blew through the garden, rustling the branches and making an eerie sound like the wail of a ghost.

[A weary Sarah, without bothering to change into her nightgown, lay down on the soft bed and slowly drifted off to sleep]

The ancient, whispering voice gradually faded away. The sixth chapter had ended.

Maintaining their silence, the Baroness, Lu Li, and the others left the bedroom corridor, and as they walked away, they re-emerged into the real world.

The Baroness excused herself for a moment to change, while the butler led Lu Li and the others to their rooms. Shortly after, they all gathered in the dining hall.

Over dinner, they discussed the potential developments in the plot, and afterward, Lu Li took his leave.

...

"It's so much better here at the detective agency!" Anna muttered, burying her face in the sofa cushions.

Lu Li switched on the radio and turned the dial, but only a distorted crackle of static came from the speaker.

"Missed the Alliance broadcast again."

He switched off the radio and looked over at Anna, who was lounging on the sofa. "Did you find anything?"

"No... It seems the evil spirit either didn't notice me or simply doesn't care," Anna replied, propping her head on her hand and slightly bending her translucent legs beneath her skirt.

As she grew more comfortable around Lu Li, "maintaining her propriety" felt increasingly tiresome.

"The story will be over soon, won't it?" Anna mused, rubbing her chin. "Tomorrow's dinner is probably the crucial plot point. After that, they'll either escape together or part ways, and the story will end."

This was a good sign—she was starting to think.

"If that's the kind of story the evil spirit wants, of course."

The entity behind this whole affair was unlikely to be a fan of romance novels.

And then there was that suspicious title: "The Book of Sarah's Death."

Lu Li picked up a newspaper from the table and unfolded it. News of the Awful Giant and the Land of Hope had been pushed to the inside pages; the front-page headline was printed in bold.

[Rainy Season to Hit Allen Peninsula on Sunday!]

[The storm has already reached nearby waters and is expected to hit the Allen Peninsula tomorrow evening. Belfast and Himmfast, on the eastern side of the peninsula, will take the main force of the storm!]

[Residents are advised to dress warmly and stock up on food, kerosene, and other essential goods for the rainy season. We recommend visiting the "Aster" department store for a wide assortment and low prices...]

Sunday was tomorrow.

"I should probably collect my payment from Baroness Joseph tomorrow and buy the Deep Sea Stone and some supplies before the prices shoot up," Lu Li thought, putting the newspaper down. After washing up, he returned to the sofa.

The spot on the sofa where Anna had been sitting moments before was already cold. Lu Li pulled a blanket over himself and, hearing Anna's quiet "goodnight," closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.

As was her habit, Anna watched Lu Li's face for a few moments. Then, picking up a book, she drifted over to the chair by the desk and settled down to read in the lamplight.

The detective agency fell silent. For a time, the faint sounds of muffled conversation and coughing drifted from the neighboring room, but as the night wore on, even those noises died down.

At midnight, the rising howl of the wind could be heard outside the window.

The sound echoed through the darkened agency. Anna, still at the desk, raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced toward the window.

A cold wind seeping inside stirred the edge of the curtain.

Anna stole a glance at Lu Li on the sofa. His brow was slightly furrowed in his sleep, but he didn't stir.

"Sweet dreams," Anna whispered.

...

[Sarah opened her eyes]

[Moonlight flooded the balcony. In its soft glow, Sarah slowly sat up, her bare feet pressing into the plush carpet as she walked to the window. The moon was as beautiful as ever, and from its depths, she could hear faint voices.]

[While everyone else in the estate slept, Sarah sat down in a chair, pulled open a drawer, and took out a sheet of paper.]

[Taking up a quill, she began to write by the moonlight.]

[Dearest Adam,]

[I am writing this letter in secret. Father has locked me in my room, and I cannot leave.]

[Tomorrow, he will marry me off to a man I have never even seen.]

[If you love me, come to the estate tomorrow evening and take me away.]

[Sarah, who longs for freedom]

[Setting down the quill, Sarah blew gently on the ink to dry it. She folded the letter and stepped out onto the cold balcony. "Coo," she called into the night sky. A short while later, as if in answer, a faint sound echoed from above.]

[A dark silhouette emerged from the night's gloom and landed on the balcony railing. It was a carrier pigeon, one that had carried many letters between Sarah and Adam.]

["I can only trust you now..." Sarah whispered, holding the pigeon in her cupped hands. She tucked the letter into its carrying tube and gently released the bird.]

[The pigeon beat its wings and soared into the sky. Sarah watched as it carried her hope away, disappearing into the darkness of the night.]