Was it really Swart that she came for?
Gawain quietly sat back down.
Like the other men in the hall, he watched as a visibly excited Swart, accompanied by the young maid, headed towards the corridor on the side of the hall—leading to the staircase to the second floor.
Unlike the others, who were filled with envy, Gawain was deep in thought.
He couldn't believe that Miss Sila would summon Swart without a reason.
There had to be something more behind this.
As Gawain pondered, suddenly a crumpled piece of paper was tossed into his lap.
Discreetly, he opened it and read the clear message written on it—
"Restroom!"
Gawain crumpled the paper back up and, while everyone's attention was focused on Swart, he turned and headed towards the restroom at the corner of the hall.
"Here," a voice called out quietly—from the women's side.
Gawain frowned.
He didn't enter immediately but stood by the door instead.
Moments later, Morey emerged from the restroom.
The instant Gawain saw him, his frown deepened.
In fact…
He felt the snacks he had just eaten churning in his stomach.
Morey was dressed in a blue dress, with a white shawl, his face heavily made up. His lips were painted a bright, almost blood-red color, and the stubble around his lips hadn't been completely shaved off. His hair had been styled, though poorly, perhaps intended to look naturally curly but instead resembling a bird's nest. He carried a parasol, and when he saw Gawain, he winked.
Gawain felt nauseous.
From the moment he knew he would be meeting Morey at the Garden Club tonight, Gawain had imagined how their encounter would unfold. But no matter how hard he tried, he never could have anticipated this.
When he first met Morey, the man was dressed in a black tailcoat, with a white shirt, and a layered cravat. Despite his graying hair, he still gave off the air of a gentleman.
And now?
He looked like a complete creep.
"My apologies for making you see me like this!"
As he spoke, Morey lifted the hem of his skirt apologetically.
Seeing how naturally Morey did this, Gawain instinctively took a step back.
"Please believe me, I have no particular fondness for wearing women's clothing. This disguise is out of necessity," Morey said awkwardly, then, almost unconsciously, made a shy expression.
If a young girl had made such a face, it would have been charming.
But when a middle-aged man does it...
Gawain couldn't help but dry heave again in response.
"I don't discriminate against anyone's hobbies as long as they don't harm others," Gawain quickly clarified, not wanting to dwell on this topic.
Then he got straight to the point.
"Now, can you explain everything?"
After speaking, Gawain stared directly at Morey, ignoring the disgust he felt.
Morey blinked.
Gawain could only describe the sight as painful, but he didn't avert his gaze.
"In the afternoon, you had Swart investigate me," Morey didn't respond immediately but instead asked a question.
"I don't want to lose my life carelessly," Gawain answered bluntly.
"Being cautious and careful doesn't guarantee a longer life, but it does make people take notice—A month ago, the official investigator responsible for the supernatural in Luste, along with two assistants, all three of them were completely wiped out!"
"The last note in their journal mentioned the 'Fog Killer'!"
"And the place where the 'Fog Killer' will appear is precisely the Garden Club tonight!"
As Morey spoke, Gawain's frown deepened.
Gawain had already speculated about the death of the official investigator responsible for the supernatural.
He had also deduced that the 'Fog Killer' was responsible.
He could even understand why the 'Fog Killer' might appear at the Garden Club.
But what he couldn't grasp was how Morey was so certain that the 'Fog Killer' would be at the Garden Club tonight.
It was as if Morey could see the confusion on Gawain's face, and he immediately provided an answer.
"Divination!"
Gawain was taken aback.
This was an answer he hadn't considered.
Divination, that powerful?
If it was that effective, why not just find the 'Fog Killer' directly and save everyone the trouble?
---
"Divination isn't omnipotent, especially when it comes to interpreting the results, which requires extremely professional individuals—if it wasn't the 'Fog Killer' who killed Allen Crowley and his two assistants, that master wouldn't have stepped in."
Morey immediately explained.
"Mm."
Goethe, who didn't understand extraordinary powers, could only nod. Although his desire for this power grew stronger, Goethe knew that now wasn't the best time to ask questions.
So, he continued to ask, "What about my family? Why did they meet with misfortune?"
Morey's expression immediately turned serious.
"That's exactly what I need to explain to you!"
"Goethe Wayne, 'Wayne' shouldn't be your surname. Your real surname should be... Modeus!"
"Goethe, Modeus!"
"Of course, this surname may be unfamiliar to you, but if I use a surname that common people understand, you might have heard of it—"
"George!"
Morey mentioned a surname.
"The one imprinted on coins?"
Goethe was taken aback.
When he read the text about the 'Witch's Blessing,' he naturally knew that Goethe had an extraordinary lineage, known as the 'Mad King's' bloodline. However, he never thought that the 'Mad King' was actually George I.
"Yes, the one imprinted on coins, that Majesty, the 'Founder of Tessin,' 'Protector of the Magha Islands,' 'Son of the Dragon,' 'Blessed by the Fairies,' 'Invincible Knight,' George I."
Morey spoke with an unusually respectful tone.
"So, that makes me royalty?"
Goethe joked.
It wasn't a real joke but a disguise.
A disguise for the unrest in his heart.
Goethe clearly remembered that, according to the 'Witch's Blessing,' he was supposed to be the one who ended the 'Mad King's bloodline,' and if George I and the 'Mad King' were the same person, then what about the current Tessin royal family?
Imposters?
Or something worse?
But, regardless of which, just look at how respectful Morey is.
Goethe knew that these were matters he couldn't inquire about now.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
"In January i.D1860, the royal family and ministers issued the 'Dispersal Act'—since then, the royal family no longer acknowledges any bloodlines of His Majesty George I that were left behind because... there were simply too many!"
"That Majesty had too much energy. According to royal records, he had over a hundred offspring, let alone the bloodlines left behind outside, which were so numerous it was shocking."
"So, Goethe, you're not exactly alone. If you count distant relatives, you still have hundreds, even more, of relatives now."
Morey shook his head with a smile.
But Goethe found it increasingly strange.
The 'Mad King's' true bloodline had already been severed, yet there were hundreds of descendants in name.
It's truly ironic.
And...
The 'Witch'!
What exactly happened back then that made the 'Witch' hate the 'Mad King' so much?
So much that she wanted the 'Mad King's' bloodline to end?
Goethe pondered in his heart, while Morey continued speaking.
"The 'Fog Killer' first appeared in the capital of the kingdom, 'Bod.'"
"He murdered five women of special professions in the eastern district of Bod using a method of disembowelment, and then disappeared."
"We tried our best to hunt him down at the time, but to no avail, because every time he committed a crime, it was on a foggy night, which earned him the name 'Fog Killer.'"
"Just when we thought he had disappeared, he reappeared, this time in Lust..."
At this point, Morey glanced at Goethe before continuing.
"Your family's death was likely an act of revenge by the 'Fog Killer!'"
"The previous order to hunt down the 'Fog Killer' was signed by a member of the royal family—he couldn't resist the Tessin royal family, but he could take out his anger on a declining branch of the bloodline."
"Allen Crowley probably discovered this and tried to stop it, but failed, losing his life in the process."
Suddenly, Goethe's face turned cold.
"Mm, what do we do now?"
Goethe asked in a cold tone.
Once again, he was playing the role of a vengeful young man.
Clearly, Goethe had performed well enough before that this role had taken root in people's minds, and Morey only sighed slightly, without doubting anything.
"Capture him!"
"Or..."
"Kill him!"
Morey said directly.
Then, this official in Lust made a promise.
"Of course, as agreed, I'll do my best to ensure your safety."
"And that 'Fog Killer' will definitely come after me."
"According to his pattern of targeting young and beautiful women with special professions, as long as he notices me, he'll definitely come after me—don't worry, I have a true identity here: Beatrice, a poor girl who had to sign a short-term contract with the Garden Club to pay for her sister's medical treatment."
Morey spoke with great confidence.
So confident that the cold expression Goethe had been faking almost cracked.
"Setting aside the name Beatrice and the fact that she's supposed to be young and beautiful, shouldn't she at least be a woman?"
"Right now, you look like a perverted man in drag!"
Goethe couldn't help but grumble in his heart.
"You still don't understand the 'Mystical Side!'"
"Nor do you understand 'Extraordinary Power!'"
"Goethe, do you know..."
"About potions?"
Clearly seeing Goethe's distrust, the next moment, a test tube appeared in Morey's hand. Then, he uncorked it and drank it down.
In just a breath, Morey underwent a dramatic transformation.
His skin became fair and smooth, radiating a milky glow under the light.
His facial features shrank proportionally, making him appear delicate and beautiful.
His figure became tall and slender, and even the long dress couldn't hide his smooth ankles.
Even the previously messy hair now added a touch of natural beauty to Morey's appearance.
As for the makeup that previously looked vulgar, it now seemed to exude a unique wildness, like a lazy female leopard lounging in a tree.
Beautiful yet dangerous!
Makeup, beauty filters—they're nothing!
If you want to look good, you need cosmetic surgery!
Goethe sighed inwardly.
And once again confirmed the saying: how good your clothes and makeup look depends on your face.
Just like Morey at this moment—one face changed everything!
Really beautiful!
Goethe couldn't help but compliment the beauty, but then he remembered Morey's previous appearance, and his mouth twitched.
"Let's go!"
"It's our turn to take the stage!"
Morey's voice also became soft and light.
And he even raised his arm.
But at that moment, something suddenly occurred to Goethe.
"According to that diviner, the 'Fog Killer' will definitely appear at the Garden Club tonight?"
He asked.
"Of course!"
Morey was very certain.
Suddenly, Goethe's face changed—
Swart!
He finally realized what the problem was!
(End of Chapter)