"Miss, please come in. The Lady is already waiting for you."
Angel was led by a maid into the same reception room where she had previously met Cevilia.
The latter wore a purple silk gown today, decorated with some black lace, her long hair tied in a ponytail, making her appear younger than before.
"Good, it seems you did read that etiquette book. If you had come here in a cloak and trousers, I would have sent you straight back home."
Cevilia looked at Angel with satisfaction and nodded.
Angel had changed into a light yellow ruffled gown today. Her forearms, restored to healthy skin tone by healing potions, were exposed. Her hair was also carefully tied back, though under the Frenzy Ring's effect, it remained black.
The etiquette book isn't the point—the point is I spent 20 pounds on this outfit and matching shoes...
Angel, who had thrown the Rose Bishop's corpse into the Tussock River to feed the fish yesterday and gotten up early this morning to buy clothing, pressed her lips together but ultimately didn't dare bring up reimbursement.
Taking Baron Langdon's four-wheeled carriage, the two traveled from the West End to a luxurious villa in Queens.
Led by her personal maid, Lady Cevilia entered the villa's garden with elegant bearing. Angel followed at the rear, as if she were another of her maids.
The villa's butler opened the main door. Inside, the salon had already begun. Today afternoon's theme was literature. The villa's owner, Viscount Glaint, had invited famous literary figures and novelists from Backlund, along with nobles he knew well. They were engaged in animated discussions in the large parlor that connected the first and second floors.
Feeling curious, scrutinizing, and amused gazes concentrating on her, the noble etiquette Angel had crammed instantly fled from her mind.
Xio Derecha sat on a sofa in the parlor's most remote corner, holding an exquisite crystal glass and watching the tiny bubbles floating in the carbonated fruit wine inside.
She had absolutely no interest in this low-alcohol wine that nobles drank at gatherings, yet she had to pretend to enjoy it. This hypocrisy was making her extremely uncomfortable.
If it weren't for Fors going with Miss Audrey to a Beyonder gathering in the North Borough suburbs, while she had matters to report and needed to wait for the two to return, she wouldn't want to stay at this salon where everyone wore fake smiles and put on airs for even a moment.
The door was opened by a servant, and two late-arriving guests entered the parlor. Xio's professional instincts made her unconsciously observe the newcomers.
A black-haired lady in a purple gown with stunning beauty instantly attracted the entire room's attention. Viscount Glaint, who had been conversing with guests, immediately approached, performed a hand kiss, and began talking with her warmly.
The young lady behind her, nearly 1.8 meters tall in a light yellow gown, trembled slightly with her right hand, as if also wanting to raise it in invitation. But she stopped the motion halfway, nearly making Xio laugh out loud. She quickly raised her glass to take a sip, covering her expression.
But immediately after, she recalled learning of Williams's death this morning, and her smile vanished instantly.
Xio had learned of Williams's death from the morning paper and hadn't even been able to see her friend one last time.
This poor man had merely asked other acquaintances in the East Borough to spread out and search for clues about Lanrewus, yet was found by an overreacting opponent who came to his door to kill him and eliminate evidence. This couldn't even be called cruel—it was simply mad.
Ordinary wanted criminals, when someone inquires about them, would quietly slip away, change hiding places, or even leave the city, avoiding key search areas.
But why would Lanrewus openly kill to eliminate evidence? Was it disdain for hiding, or was there something preventing him from leaving in the short term?
Xio had already informed Miss Audrey, who issued the commission, about Williams's death and that of his other friend, plus the information that Lanrewus might be hiding near East Balam Dock. But the other party had then gone with Fors to a Beyonder gathering and wouldn't return until who knew when.
"Forget it, I'll just go home first. When that Fors comes back, we'll come here together again..."
Having had enough of a salon she couldn't fit into, Xio picked up her wine glass from the coffee table, drained the fruit wine, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Miss Xio," Viscount Glaint, bringing a guest to the room's corner, called out to her. "This is Miss Irene, Lady Cevilia's niece. She came to Backlund from Tingen not long ago and is attending my salon for the first time."
"She's interested in those matters..." the Viscount added in a lower voice.
Who is Lady Cevilia?
Xio instinctively wanted to ask back. The other party's expression seemed to indicate something everyone should know, so she didn't have the nerve to ask.
But "those matters" she could guess referred to their shared little secret: mysticism interests.
This hobby connected people of vastly different status—Miss Audrey, Viscount Glaint, herself, and Fors—and had brought her quite a few well-paying commissions, helping her obtain the "Sheriff" potion formula.
Xio nodded and looked at the slightly nervous-looking lady beside the Viscount, recognizing her as the black-haired woman who had entered the parlor earlier with awkward etiquette movements.
She's a full head taller than me...
With some envy, she looked at the other party and curtsied, introducing herself: "Miss Irene, good afternoon. I'm Xio Derecha."
Hearing her name, Miss Irene raised her eyebrows with interest, making her somewhat round face appear even more adorable.
Under the coffee table, the golden retriever Miss Audrey had left here tilted its head, its wise eyes looking in this direction.
Angel looked toward the parlor's center. Cevilia was at the salon's focal point, with several young nobles crowded around her, competing openly and covertly for the chance to converse with her. Cevilia occasionally glanced this way, seeming to supervise Angel's work.
But Miss Audrey Hall wasn't at this salon at all—she wouldn't even return today...
She sighed somewhat helplessly and looked at the petite lady sitting on the sofa across from her. The other party had messy yellow hair and slightly chubby cheeks. Combined with her height, she looked like an underage young lady.
During the brief introduction led by Viscount Glaint just now, she had already learned the other party's name—Xio Derecha, the bounty hunter who was commissioning East Borough informants to find Lanrewus, causing Angel to be mistakenly attacked by the Rose Bishop.
Of course, Angel wouldn't blame her. The problem was with the Rose Bishop who attacked without clarifying the situation, and the latter had already become a contaminated Beyonder characteristic, quietly lying in her basement, paying for his sins with his life.
"Miss Xio, I heard Backlund only has sunshine two months a year. I just arrived here—is that true?"
Um, this sounds like I'm criticizing Backlund...
As soon as these words left her mouth, she realized something was wrong. Wasn't her attempt at small talk stepping on a landmine?
"I suppose so. Anyway, the weather here is terrible, far worse than East Chester County."
The other party seemed not to notice the problem with this topic, answering with a wandering gaze, her thoughts clearly not on the conversation.
Good, she didn't mind...
Angel breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Xio's outfit—which didn't conform to the etiquette book's standards but didn't seem disrespectful either, instead giving off a sense of authority—recalling several topics the etiquette book mentioned as easy conversation starters.
"Miss Xio, your outfit..."
"Miss Irene, let's not beat around the bush. What do you specifically want from me?"
Xio rudely interrupted her words, exuding an authority that made one want to obey, further confirming her identity for Angel.
"Alright, I'll be direct. You're a Beyonder, aren't you?"
She lowered her voice.
The gaze opposite sharpened, green eyes staring unblinkingly at Angel.
"How do you know?"
"I've seen you," Angel glanced toward the parlor center, confirming that Viscount Glaint was chatting with Cevilia and no one else was paying attention to this small corner before continuing. "At Mr. A's gathering. You and another lady wore no disguises. I was also present at the time."
"I see. So what exactly do you want? You're not just trying to expose my identity, are you?"
Xio, whose Beyonder identity had been revealed, showed no panic.
"I just wanted to meet Backlund's Beyonders. I just came from Tingen and am eager to expand my social circle. Well, perhaps we'll have opportunities to cooperate in the future."
If only you could introduce me to Miss Audrey, that would be even better...
Angel added mentally.
Upon learning from Xio Derecha that her target today, Audrey Hall, wasn't present, she felt somewhat disappointed. But now she could only build a good relationship with this bounty hunter who was "waiting for Miss Audrey to return"—perhaps she could use this to meet Audrey later.
Besides, apart from the "Witch Sect" mission, she had another purpose.
Seeing the bounty hunter's face show impatience as she prepared to stand and leave, Angel said softly:
"You're searching for a wanted criminal, aren't you? His name is Lanrewus?"
Xio's movement stopped. She turned to look at Angel, her eyes showing a trace of surprise and wariness.
"What do you know?"
"I know he changed his appearance and is hiding in the Dock District, in the dock workers' dormitory by East Balam Dock," Angel said, satisfied with her reaction, lowering her voice while glancing toward the group of guests engaged in animated discussion in the parlor center. "Bronze skin—quite distinctive, shouldn't be hard to find. Whatever you want to do, please hurry. Perhaps tomorrow, the official Beyonders will know about this."
"East Balam Dock? Indeed..."
The bounty hunter seemed to have already investigated quite a bit of information. She didn't appear surprised at hearing Lanrewus's hiding place, but then she frowned and looked at Angel, asking back:
"Why are you telling me this? If you know where he is, why don't you go claim the bounty yourself?"
"Just a small gift—consider it my meeting present."
Angel answered with an air of mystery, standing up and preparing to find Cevilia, who had finally become available. But due to wearing the high-heeled dancing shoes she wasn't quite used to, she stumbled and nearly twisted her ankle.
Fortunately, a Beyonder's physical coordination allowed her to quickly steady herself. Sighing, she straightened her skirt and left the corner.
As she departed, she felt a gaze full of curiosity but without malice. She instinctively looked in that direction and saw a golden retriever lying obediently by the wall, watching her.
Its eyes held appreciation. Seeing Angel look over, its head tilted and it wagged its tail in a friendly manner.
Appreciation, friendliness... How can I read these emotions from a dog?
Angel felt her thoughts becoming somewhat confused. She quickly said goodbye to the contemplative Xio and went to meet Cevilia, who was walking this way.