Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 28 Mysterious Figure
Levi only briefly glanced through Edwards' earlier diary entries, focusing mainly on his relationship with Emilia and some academic issues. Of course, it also recorded Edwards' confessions from the courtesan killer case, which were largely consistent with his version of events.

For a long time afterward, Edwards had nightmares, not because he was afraid that Emilia would rise from her grave to seek revenge, but because he was worried that Dr. Dolittle would cause him trouble or even sue him—after all, strictly speaking, the device was not legitimate, so providing it to Emilia was an illegal act.

Although Dr. Dolittle had asked him not to tell anyone, Edwards was still worried that the doctor would betray him. For a while, he even had nightmares about a group of police officers coming to his door and locking him up in jail.

Yes, that's very much in line with the mindset of young people this age, not to mention that Edwards is a top student at the Royal Academy of Sciences. Once this is exposed, even if he doesn't go to jail, it will definitely affect his job placement after graduation.

Who knows, they might be sent to some remote area to participate in the "Down to the Countryside Movement".

He only breathed a sigh of relief after the courtesan killer case was solved; clearly, the dead couldn't bring themselves to sue. And the fact that the police hadn't contacted him meant he had successfully escaped. Edwards then shifted his focus, concentrating most of his energy on his graduation thesis.

However, this situation only lasted a few days before the diary turned from academic research into a romance novel.

[...I never imagined I would meet her under such circumstances. She is so beautiful, so gentle, so intelligent. It's as if she were an angel prepared for me by the Holy Lord. Even when I was with Emilia, I never felt this moved. I would give up everything, give her everything, even my life—!]

I confessed everything to her, the sins I had committed, and she accepted me. My God, I never imagined my soul would be redeemed. This is the greatest fortune of my life; her soul is as beautiful as her appearance. What have I done to deserve such a partner?

The majority of the following chapters follow this pattern, primarily recounting Edwards's affection for his lover. However, whether due to Edwards's rigid, uninspired nature or some other reason, Levy finds no description of her features in his diary. Nothing is mentioned—not even her hair color, eye color, or where she is from.

Basically, the impression pieced together from Edwards' diary is that she was a beautiful, gentle, and kind woman, the ideal partner for any man. Edwards even wrote about the life he longed for after graduation at the end of his diary.

I've never felt so hopeful about life. I've made up my mind: I'll work hard to get a good job and earn money. Then, I'll buy that ring, propose to her, and we'll start a family. She loves that ring…

The idea was good, but unfortunately, it's no longer possible to realize it.

After finishing reading the diary, Li Wei sighed, then opened it again.

Although Edwards' diary seemed to offer no clues, Levy managed to find one.

"That ring," "She really liked it!"
In other words, Edwards went shopping with that woman and even visited a jewelry store!

In the foggy city, there are only a handful of jewelry stores. Edwards certainly wouldn't go to the ones that are too expensive or too far away. Eliminating them like this makes things much easier.

Go to a jewelry store and ask around; see if you can find any clues.

After considering this, Li Wei made a decision. He then carefully checked the room again, and only after confirming that there were no clues did he open the door and leave.

Leaving Edwards' room, Levy headed towards the stairwell, just as he heard footsteps coming from downstairs.

A girl with brown curly hair and freckles on her face walked up the stairs. She reached the door at the top of the stairs, picked up the key, and opened the door.

That was none other than Maggie.

Maggie opened the door and saw a note on the floor in front of her. She reached out, picked it up, and read what it said.

I came to ask you to have tea, but you weren't home. Did you go out on something? You haven't been doing well lately, which worries me. —Betty

After reading the message on the note, Maggie looked somewhat disappointed. She put the note away and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Betty…”

As she spoke, Maggie closed the door.

"Click."

The slightly worn wooden door slammed shut with a harsh sound. Only then did Li Wei descend the stairs from the third floor, staring thoughtfully at the door.

Levi had his suspicions when he first encountered Betty here. And now, Maggie's reaction only confirmed his guess.

That is, she lied!

Betty might not know Edwards, but Maggie definitely does! They live in the same apartment building, and are even neighbors!

This isn't the concrete jungle of the future where people don't even know who lives across the hall. In this era, people in the same building are somewhat familiar with each other, and as neighbors, they often visit each other.

Maggie is absolutely lying when she says she doesn't know Edwards!

Similarly, it is probably no coincidence that Edwards' body fell down as she entered the school!

If Maggie hadn't failed to fit the description of the "beautiful woman," Levi would have suspected that she was the mysterious woman.

It's not that Maggie is ugly, just that she's average-looking. If Levi were to use a scale of 100, Katie, who was dressed up for the Brilliant Club party that day, would probably be around 80, while Betty, this slightly chubby, blonde, blue-eyed, and quite likable girl, would be between 60 and 70. As for Maggie, she'd probably be around 50.

She wasn't particularly pretty, nor particularly cute, and had an average figure; she was just an ordinary girl.

But no matter what, she doesn't seem like the kind of woman who would bewitch everyone and make them only remember her as "beautiful".

Even with Katie, Levi could at least describe her features, such as hair color, eye color, height, and body type.

Therefore, Li Wei felt that the woman was probably not Maggie, and very likely—not even human.

Should we talk to Maggie now?

Li Wei stared at the door, pondered for a moment, and decided not to disturb her for the time being. After all, the matter of Lady Clarty had made him somewhat wary. If Maggie was involved in any of these things, then he might find her dead the next day after questioning her…

In short, let's investigate according to the planned route first.

Levi left the apartment and, following his own intuition, found the only jewelry store in the neighborhood. He chose this store because he knew that Edwards, with his limited financial resources, couldn't afford the more expensive places and would have to choose the relatively cheaper ones.

Jewelry stores are currently very rare, belonging to the category of "luxury goods" found only in middle-class or higher neighborhoods.

This is to be expected; a jewelry store located in the downtown area would probably be smashed to pieces the very next day, so badly that even its grandmother wouldn't recognize it.

Li Wei reached out his hand, pushed open the door, and walked into the shop.

"jingle."

"welcome."

As the doorbell rang, the shop assistant behind the counter quickly straightened up and smiled at the customer. Then, she saw a tall, handsome gentleman walk in. He smiled, took off his top hat, and nodded to her.

"Hello."

"Hello, sir, welcome to Moonlight Jewelry Store."

The shop assistant behind the counter was nearly thirty years old and a mother of two. Even so, when faced with the gaze of the handsome gentleman in front of her, she still felt her heart pounding and her face flushed, as if she were experiencing her first love.

She forced back her excitement and approached him warmly. "What can I do for you? Are you looking to purchase a certificate of commitment for your partner to spend their lives together?"

When the shop assistant said this, a hint of disappointment even crept into his heart, as if he were feeling regret.

"No, ma'am."

Li Wei shook his head, then reached out and took out his ID, opening it in front of the other person.

"I have some questions I'd like to ask you. I wonder if I could take up a little of your time?"

"Hey?"

Upon seeing the documents Li Wei presented to her, the shop assistant paused for a moment before snapping out of her daze and hurriedly nodded.

"Of course, please have a seat... I'll prepare some snacks and tea for you right away..."

"No need to go to so much trouble, I just want to ask a few questions."

Seeing the shop assistant busy, Li Wei quickly stopped her, then took out Edwards's photo from his wallet and handed it to her.

Has this person ever been here before?

Upon hearing Li Wei's question, the shop assistant picked up the photo and examined it carefully.

"Ah, I remember this gentleman. He's come several times and seems quite fond of one of our rings. However, he seems to be short of money and even asked if we could pay in installments..."

"Did he come alone?"

"of course."

The shop assistant nodded.

"No gentleman would let his beloved lady see him in such an embarrassing state, and I think he was no exception."

"And what about the first time? Do you remember what happened the first time he came?"

"Um……………"

If anyone else had asked, the shop assistant would probably have simply said, "I can't remember," but facing Li Wei, she closed her eyes and began to try hard to recall. A moment later, she opened her eyes.

"Ah, right, I remember now. The first time I came here, that gentleman was indeed with a lady. They seemed to be just passing by, intending to come in and take a look. The gentleman looked so happy; he was clearly in love. It was truly enviable..."

"And then? What did they do?"

Li Wei stared at the shop assistant, continuing to ask questions as if guiding her.

"Hmm... they looked at the rings, and then the young lady seemed very interested in the 'Crimson Temptation'."

"The allure of blood?"

"Yes."

The saleswoman nodded, then went to the counter and took out a box containing the rings—generally, she wouldn't show these things to others casually.

Generally speaking.

"This is it, please take a look."

As he spoke, the shop assistant respectfully handed Li Wei a magnifying glass.

"Um……………"

Li Wei took the magnifying glass and examined the ring closely. It was set with a ruby, and under the light, the ruby ​​didn't seem like a solid, but rather like flowing blood bound within a solid. This reminded Li Wei of similar artworks from his own time.

However, it is obvious that this kind of technology did not exist in this era.

However, as Li Wei stared at the ring, something suddenly flashed before his eyes.

The jewelry store clerk who had been so close had vanished without a trace, and everything around him changed. A chilly, steamy breeze rushed towards him as Li Wei stood on the cobblestone street. A bright red full moon, an empty street, a pitch-black night… He looked up and saw, under the moon's glow, the tall clock tower standing prominently before him.

Then, the bell rang.

“Ding-ding-ding—”

The next moment, everything disappeared before Li Wei's eyes, and he returned to reality.

"…………………"

Li Wei put down the magnifying glass and looked at the shop assistant.

"What is the history of this ring?"

"I'm not quite sure either. This ring has been sitting in the shop for a long time and hasn't been sold yet."

At this point, the shop assistant also seemed a little confused.

"That's why I have such a deep impression of those two guests. Normal guests wouldn't pay attention to this ring."

Do you remember what that young lady looked like?

"this……………"

The shop assistant was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I only remember that she was a very beautiful and elegant lady, but I really can't remember exactly what she looked like."

"………………………"

Li Wei stared at the ring, remained silent for a moment, and then put it back in the box.

"Thank you for your help."

(End of this chapter)