Chapter 2095 “Cousin”
After leaving the Three Cats Hotel, Shade first said goodbye to Dorothy, who was going to the Steam Bird Newspaper Agency in the afternoon, and then asked Dr. Schneider about the recent situation of the August priest.
“The treatment has made progress, but it still needs to be observed. The priest’s problem is not big. In fact, I think it would be better to let him go out for a walk and relax. But the priest doesn’t want to travel far anymore. If he has time, We still need to talk to him more.”
After bidding farewell to the doctor, Shade originally wanted to go to Iluna and ask her what she was investigating at the Three Cats Hotel today. But thinking that it was still her working time, Shade didn’t bother.
After returning home and letting the lazy cat take a nap, he went to Yuewan City again.
Since the investigation last night encountered people from the [Dragon Feast Order], Shade naturally wanted to talk to Mr. Bernhardt and Miss Belindel. For the former, it is a reminder of security issues, and for the latter, it is also a valuable investigation clue.
Because Belindel Manor is relatively close to the city gate entrance of St. George Stone Bridge, Shade went to that manor first. The witch had probably already said hello, so the servant of the manor let Shade in directly.
As luck would have it, Miss Belinder happened to be at the manor this afternoon, but she looked like she was about to go out. Seeing Sha De coming, she didn’t even give him time to speak, so she asked the maid to get clothes for Sha De to change into, and went out with her.
“What do you want to do?”
Xia De did not refuse, but the blond witch with a beautiful fat-red birthmark between her eyebrows looked quite troubled:
“Go to church. The Belindel family sponsored the decoration of the old wing of the local Dawn Church. I need to have men among the servants around me. I am going to church, and I can’t let the maids use illusions to disguise themselves. I used to endure nausea. , I was forced to let the valet follow me. Aren’t you here now? Remember to stand closer to me, just in time to get rid of suspicion.”
“What suspicion? Oh, when I didn’t ask, the suspicion of a witch?”
“Yes, yes, because the Parliament performed so well in the previous events of the Chosen Ones that the church began to secretly investigate members of the Parliament. A young, beautiful, wealthy, free and single woman like me will of course be suspected.”
Although it sounds like I am bragging, this description is surprisingly correct:
“I don’t know what other people are like, but I can’t let the church doubt me.”
As he said that, he looked at Shade suspiciously:
“Speaking of which, I remember that earlier this year, Vanessa had an affair in the Randall Valley. Reporters photographed a man having an intimate meal with her in a restaurant and entering and exiting the opera house. They even photographed a man suspected of kissing. So when the church investigated the witch, they didn’t suspect her at all. At that time, I thought she asked a girl from the troupe to dress up as a man and act out a scene with her, but now that I think about it, the man dating Vanessa wouldn’t Is that you?”
“It’s me.”
Xia De did not deny it.
Then the great witch of fate frowned slightly:
“Did you really kiss?”
“No, and it wasn’t considered a date. It was similar in nature to today, just to help her get rid of suspicion.”
Shad felt self-loathing for lying, but it only lasted a second or two.
“Is that so?”
Miss Belindel didn’t seem to believe it. When the maid fetched the clothes and Shade went to the next room to change them, she casually took out a coin and tossed it. Somehow, when the coin fell, she suddenly felt a little palpitated. After just a second of hesitation, the coin actually fell directly to the ground.
Danglanglang~
The coin kept spinning on the floor. Not only the witch, but also the maid next to her, Miss Matilda, looked over. But in the end, the coin that stopped spinning actually stopped vertically on the floor.
Miss Belindel did not give Shade the clothes of the valet, but a black formal dress. This means that Shade is not acting as a servant or attendant, but has another ambiguous identity.
But to be honest, except for the style of the hat and the two rows of decorative silver buttons on the chest of the coat, that black outfit was no different from Shade’s daily wear.
“You are my cousin.”
When Shade changed his clothes and came out, Bella Belindel felt that the more she looked at it, the better it felt, and she was satisfied with her vision in choosing clothes. She did not give Shade a specific task, she only asked him to follow her and approach her at specific times to show some casual “ambiguity”.
Xia De listened carefully and was ready to act. Probably only Miss Mathilda, the witch’s apprentice, knows the witch’s little thoughts contained in this.
In short, when the carriage set off with a group of people, Shade and Miss Belindel sat in the same carriage. The two of them didn’t talk much on the way, and the witch kept looking sideways out of the window to cover up the faint blush on her face.
Six maids, six guards, plus Shade’s “cousin”, these are all the people accompanying the count on this trip.
Bishop Fernandi of Dawn Church in this diocese led two highly respected priests and many young priests and nuns to greet the visiting count and his entourage at the door of the church. There were even local reporters setting up cameras aside. Photograph. Bishop Fernandi is much younger than Bishop Owen of Tobesk Diocese, and Shade even doubts that he is even fifty years old.
The two parties exchanged a few words at the door of the church, and then went to visit the newly renovated side hall together. Shade didn’t know how much money the Belindel family donated for this matter, but at least the church was very respectful to the countess and even arranged for the children of the choir to sing hymns in the side hall.
After more than two hours of visiting and sightseeing, everyone seemed to be quite happy, but from the moment they entered the church, Shade noticed that someone had been staring at them. From this point of view, perhaps Miss Belindel’s worries are not unnecessary.
When the visit came to an end at around 4:30 in the afternoon, the blond countess with a fat-red birthmark on her eyebrows once again led her entourage to listen “devoutly” to the citizens in the newly renovated side hall. A sermon by Bishop Fernandy.
I thought the matter would come to an end here, but when the sermon ended, an elderly nun invited the countess to say a few words. Of course Miss Belindell agreed, for she called the nun “Aunt Phyllis.”
“The previous generation of members of the Belindel family became nuns in the local church, and judging from their clothing, they are still the kind of nuns who have never left the church throughout their lives. Interesting, what happened to the Belindel family?”
A wonderful story already appeared in Shade’s mind, and while the witch was talking to the old nun alone, the maid, “cousin” and guards were waiting outside.
The rooms in the church are well soundproofed, so the corridor is very quiet. The group of people waiting outside were not idle either. Father Leonard, who had just greeted the count and his party along with Bishop Fernandi, soon came over with a gentleman with black hair.
Both Miss Matilda and Shade are strangers to him. He is none other than the nine-ring warlock York O’Connor, another “player” who participated in “Dice Stories”. However, because of the “wishes” made by the witch after the story ended, he could no longer remember what exactly happened.
His identity at this time is the priest in charge of exorcism at Dawn Church, hoping to learn some information from the maids and guards. The head maid, who had already prepared for this, also cooperated in the investigation. Even Shade answered questions such as “Have you heard any strange noises recently?”
“Speaking of which sir, are you the cousin of Earl Belindle?”
Mr. O’Connor asked Shade when they were talking. Shade glanced at the blonde maid, shook her head slightly, and answered:
“As a cousin who is not related by blood, you can also tell that I am from the North. My relationship with her is not very close. But other relationships are very close.”
During the interrogation, the silver ring on Mr. O’Connor’s hand has been emitting traces of elements. This kind of alchemical item that can detect lies is also the standard equipment of Iluna team. But even without the witch’s warning in advance, this thing would not have any effect on Shade.
The conversation between Miss Belindel and the old nun on the other side did not go very smoothly. When she opened the door, the witch was obviously very angry. When she said goodbye to the old nun behind her, she also looked angry:
“Auntie, you will regret it.”
Then he left with a group of people, so Father Leonard also took people out to see off the countess. But when she arrived at the door of the church, Miss Belindel remembered that she had left her handbag with the old nun just now, so she asked the two maids to get it. When they walked out of the church door, another maid and personal bodyguard came down the steps to greet the carriage.
For this reason, when Miss Belindel stood in front of the carriage and said goodbye to the priest and his entourage, except for the servants and guards who were not closely following her, the only people close to her were Shade and the head maid Mattie. Miss Erda.
Unfortunately, when the head maid opened the door, she “accidentally” discovered that the “door step” that facilitated ladies in long skirts to board the carriage was missing. She looked at her master with some embarrassment, and the Countess frowned:
“Can such a thing be lost?”
Then he naturally stretched out his hand to the side.
This was not what was promised in advance, but since the lady extended her hand, Shade would not ignore it.
He then reached out and held Bella Belindel’s right hand, and helped her onto the carriage. Miss Belindel stumbled again on the way. When Shade helped her, she lay down in his arms and was almost carried into the carriage by him.
Of course this scene was shown in front of everyone in the church.
“It went very well. Although I don’t expect to dispel the church’s doubts just this time, it can at least eliminate me from the top priority list of suspicions.”
The carriage started slowly, and Miss Belindel said with a blush on her face. Not daring to look into Xia De’s eyes, he turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
At this time, Shade didn’t think too much, but was thinking about whether, except for Miss Carina, who was not worried about this kind of suspicion, he should help other ladies get rid of the suspicion recently.
As for the third person in the carriage, the blonde maid Miss Matilda, she admired her master’s ingenious plan of “killing two birds with one stone” while looking at the man who was thinking about something:
“She does look good.”
PS: The picture in this chapter is “Miss Matilda”.
I don’t know why, but this angle looks good.