As we arrived at the next station, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. It was impossible not to recognize it, given the presence that stood out like a beacon amidst the throng. Draped in a coat slung casually over one shoulder and puffing on a pipe, the woman exhaled long streams of smoke with every breath, like a scene from an old black-and-white film. I couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of admiration.
As she stared at the train, the woman suddenly waved at me with a wide grin. Her red eyes curved mischievously. I knew her very well, after all—
“Lucita!”
How did she know we were here? We’re quite far from London.
The absurd thought crossed my mind that perhaps she’d received a telegram. Considering the letter left at 13 Bailonz Street, Lucita’s sudden appearance was somehow explainable.
More than Lucita catching up with the train overnight, I was astonished by Liam Moore sending a telegram from a moving train. I squinted at Liam and Lucita in turn. Liam avoided my gaze, his tightly shut mouth resembling a guilty cat.
Ah, you’ve done something again. It seemed there had been some communication unbeknownst to me. Perhaps a phone call. Best not to dwell on it.
“Dear Miss Osmond!”
Lucita spread her arms wide with a bright smile. Though she seemed ready for a hug, I wasn’t brave enough to leap into her arms.
I retrieved a velvet box from my pocket. Lucita looked like she wanted to dive at us right then.
“I found it. Just confiscated it. The kid who stole it is a bit…”
I tapped my temple, and Lucita twisted her lips knowingly. Judging by her predatory gaze, she was deciding what to do with the thief who had stolen something precious enough to chase us here.
“That little brat?”
I considered correcting her for calling a grown man a brat. Lucita opened the box to check its contents, then handed it back to me. Apparently, she couldn’t hold onto it while delivering due punishment.
“Lucita!”
A desperate voice rang out. The organizer, grinning foolishly, was trying to flatter her.
“I’ve never seen anyone like this in my life.”
Lucita seemed baffled, her face flushed with an odd, almost displeased, hue. The person running towards her was unfamiliar to her, likely a first-time encounter.
Most people, in my recollection, feared Lucita. The man who opened the door at her mansion followed her devotedly, calling her mistress, but showed no signs of genuine affection.
Lucita, flustered by kindness! It was somewhat amusing.
“Miss Osmond.”
Lucita turned to me at that moment, her cheeks glistening in the sunlight. Her sculptural beauty, praised by the greatest artists of the time, smiled.
“That’s a gift for you.”
“…What?”
Who in the world retrieves their own gift?
Ah, it was me. I stared at the box and Lucita in bewilderment. She gestured for me to open it, and under her persistent gaze, I complied.
Inside was a transparent gem, quite large, set snugly in a case. It was about the size of a child’s fist, resembling a crystal or diamond, but eerily transparent and almost hypnotic.
Threaded with a golden string to be worn as a necklace, it seemed far too valuable to wear casually. Liam Moore gasped, recognizing its significance.
“It’s a very old jewel. Acquiring and taming it was quite an effort. It should be useful to you, Miss Osmond. It’s a masterpiece crafted with the utmost care.”
Did she craft it herself?
I touched the gem’s surface absentmindedly, feeling a thrilling satisfaction, almost as if it were filling me up.
“No one but you can use it.”
“What is this?” I asked. Lucita laughed.
“Oh, it’s nothing special. Just an old crystal.”
Liam didn’t interrupt but subtly held my sleeve, keen to understand Lucita’s intent in giving this to me.
“You’ll need a means to protect yourself. This serves that purpose. You encountered ‘Marauding Raiders’ on the train, didn’t you?”
Marauding Raiders?
“Well, yes. That monstrosity.”
I nearly blurted out the name naturally but caught myself. In this line of work, there’s a way of speaking obliquely about certain things, much like avoiding names to ward off evil.
“When Miss Osmond encounters such things…”
Lucita’s voice, like a whisper from a cave, was seductive yet invoked primal fear. However, it wasn’t directed at me. Her grin, baring fangs, was full of animosity and a touch of anger towards those things.
Daring to cause trouble here, she began.
“…this will help you.”
She placed the necklace around my neck, her cold hands brushing against my skin. Initially heavy, it soon felt so light I almost forgot I was wearing it. Lucita’s innocent smile met my awed expression.
“Don’t worry, Moore. I wouldn’t harm your lady.”
“I’m not worried. Just…”
“Not using it will bring more hardship than any drawbacks from using it. You don’t want that either.”
Drawbacks? I squinted and asked.
“Are there any issues with using this?”
“Ah.”
Both fell silent. Liam spoke first.
“Remember when I killed the ‘Marauding Raider’?”
Of course. I’ll never forget. Liam Moore seemed on the brink of breaking then. Though he recovered quickly, he wasn’t entirely unscathed.
I nodded, prompting Liam to continue slowly.
“You might experience slight fatigue and headaches, not as severe as that. It’s best not to overuse anything. Even medicine can become poisonous if overused. For self-defense, it should be fine.”
Still dubious, I saw no harm in accepting it. It was a gift intended to protect me, after all. Smiling lightly, I thanked Lucita, who returned a gentle smile.
“You’re welcome.”
She shrugged nonchalantly.
“Now that I’ve given the gift and completed the task, and found the cheeky thief…”
Liam Moore, gently holding my shoulder, asked Lucita.
“Are you leaving?”
“I’m going to have a good time with that kid.”
Her smile seemed a bit ominous. I quickly grabbed Lucita.
“Lucita, please, don’t hit him too much.”
Lucita laughed heartily, her face suggesting I was worrying over nothing. Yet, why did her laughter make me feel even more uneasy?
“Don’t worry, Miss Osmond. I know my limits.”
No, I don’t think you do.
Nevertheless, Lucita elegantly curtsied and began walking away. I could only bid her farewell.
If I hadn’t heard her murmur as she drifted away like the wind…
“I’ve found a perfectly moldable talent, ready to be shaped.”
Her fan was still grinning cluelessly. Did he realize it wasn’t a time to smile? Hearing the sound of his life unraveling in real-time, I sighed and looked away.
Liam rested his chin on my head, watching the man being dragged away by Lucita. After a moment, he spoke up.
“Shall we go home?”
It seemed impulsive. He looked surprised by his own words. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one exhausted. Liam Moore buried his head in my shoulder, mumbling.
“I’m sick of train travel for a while…”
For once, I agreed wholeheartedly. The auction and its incidents had made me wary of ever getting involved again.
“Let’s go home.”
13 Bailonz Street awaited us.