Fors couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Jack, do you know any way to lift this curse?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't find anything about it in the records. I can't help with that," Luo Lin said, shaking his head. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "But I could try divining for you. Maybe it'll turn up some clues."
Fors exchanged a glance with Xio, who gave a slight nod. Fors nodded back. "Thank you, Mr. Jack. How can I repay you?"
"Let's talk about repayment after the divination," Luo Lin said, waving a hand. "Honestly, I'm not confident I'll find anything."
Instead of parting ways at their usual spot after the carriage stopped, the trio found a nearby café and booked a private room.
Once settled, Luo Lin took out his astrolabe and began divining for Fors. He'd prepared for the possibility of failure, intending to use the divination as a pretext to feed Fors the clue about the Fool, paving the way for joining the Tarot Club. To his surprise, he actually divined something.
"…The Fool and the Door," Luo Lin murmured, frowning at the result. That shouldn't be possible. Divining entities of this level should be blocked. Am I getting through because of the Nyarlathotep fragment in me? He glanced at Fors, whose expression was taut with anticipation, and said honestly, "The divination suggests that resolving your issue is tied to the Fool and the Door."
"The Fool? The Door?" Fors's smile was a mix of confusion and surprise.
Xio shot Luo Lin a skeptical look. "You're not just saying this to trick us into digging up more about the Fool, are you?"
Her suspicion was understandable—the result seemed too convenient.
Luo Lin's face darkened. He packed away the astrolabe and said coldly, "I have no reason to lie about this. If you don't trust my divination, fine. Just don't ask me to divine for you again."
Fors and Xio exchanged another glance. Fors hurried to smooth things over. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jack. We didn't mean to doubt you. Xio didn't mean it that way—she's just not great with words…"
"I'm sorry," Xio added quickly. "I spoke without thinking. Don't be upset."
Though they still weren't fully convinced by the divination, it was the only lead they had. Neither wanted to risk offending Luo Lin, the one person offering a clue. If he was telling the truth, this could be Fors's only shot at breaking her curse.
Besides, Luo Lin had no real motive to deceive them. He'd already commissioned them to investigate the Fool, and with money on the table, both Xio and Fors would do their best regardless. There was no need for him to stage this.
Luo Lin's expression softened. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "Alright, I forgive you. I get why you'd react like that. Honestly, this result surprised me too."
"But if this Fool can really help with your curse, Miss Doctor, I might feel a bit more at ease," he continued. "An entity capable of breaking curses probably isn't some evil god."
He flashed a relieved smile, then frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what the Door means, though. The Door…" He paused, as if recalling something. "I think I read in my family's records that the Abraham family is tied to the Door, but I don't remember much else. Tell you what—I'll check the records when I get home. Maybe I'll find something."
"Thank you, Mr. Jack. I really appreciate it," Fors said earnestly. If her curse could be lifted because of this, Luo Lin would have played a pivotal role.
She was also forming a clearer picture of him. He seemed to hail from a faded ancient Beyonder family, with a kind, helpful nature. By all accounts, he was someone worth befriending.
"No need for thanks," Luo Lin said with a grin. "Just make sure to let me know if you hear anything about the Fool. I'm getting more curious about this entity by the minute."
"You don't have to call me Miss," Fors replied. "Just Fors is fine. And don't worry—if I find anything about the Fool, you'll be the first to know."
She'd used "Doctor" as a codename before, wary of Luo Lin. But after these interactions, with trust budding, she didn't mind sharing her real name.
"Fors? As in Forsi Wall, the author of Stormy Villa?" Luo Lin's face lit up with surprise.
"You've read my novel?" Fors asked, caught off guard.
"Of course! It's a fantastic story," Luo Lin said, nodding. He wasn't lying—on a whim, he'd made time to read Stormy Villa over the past few days.
Fors had real talent as a writer; the novel was genuinely impressive.
She could tell his praise was sincere, and a warm, fan-meeting glow settled over her.
They chatted briefly about her book before Luo Lin, almost offhandedly, suggested, "Have you ever thought about writing a story set at sea? Maybe something about a cool, dashing adventurer and a pirate queen? I've always wanted to read that kind of tale."
Fors's mind raced, instantly conjuring a sweeping, tangled romance between an adventurer and a pirate queen. "That's a great idea," she said. "But I've already got a theme for my next book, so I'm not planning to write that just yet."
This was a lie. The truth was her procrastination flaring up—she wanted to bask in the idea without actually writing it.
Luo Lin could tell she was dodging the work but didn't press. It had only been a passing thought. "That's a shame," he said with a slight, regretful sigh.
Then, glancing at his pocket watch, he stood. "It's getting late, and I've got some things to take care of. Let's keep in touch!"
Xio and Fors had no objections.
The trio parted ways. Luo Lin returned to his Backlund residence, made some preparations, and boarded a steam train to Tingen with a ticket he'd secured in advance.
Having successfully "borrowed" Mr. A's power, his next step was to meet Leonard and Old Man Pales as a descendant of Zoroast.
(End of Chapter)