Operation Red Book

That cold night in 1965 is known as the coldest winter night in British history.

In a shabby wooden house at the end of Mephisto Street in London, Jacob's mother had just ended her short life full of lies and alcohol.

The floor of the cabin was covered with a thick layer of straw, which Jacob had spent three nights searching for.

And now, large areas of straw in the house were stained red by the blood oozing from Jacob's mother's throat.

Jacob's mother died of a broken glass bottle slashing her throat, and little Jacob was sitting next to her at the time of the incident.

Was it because he was drunk and didn't step firmly, or was it a deliberate murder... Jacob couldn't remember anymore.

Or maybe he didn't want to remember at all.

Because the death of this woman was just a rare relief for him at that time.

He only remembered his mother's gradually blurred eyes and a body temperature that was colder than the wind.

Jacob stayed in front of his mother for a whole hour. If Anna hadn't suddenly come in, he might have stayed longer.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"

Anna screamed twice before she completely brought Jacob back to consciousness.

He turned his neck stiffly and looked at Anna little by little, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Confusion, helplessness, surprise, despair... No matter which one it is, the tears sliding down from the eyes will never lie.

"You killed her!"

Anna screamed.

"not me."

Jacob replied dully.

“It’s you! You also killed Evelyn! You killed them! You killed your mother! You killed people! Ahhhhhhhh—”

"Don't make a fuss, I didn't."

Jacob's gaze returned to his mother's body, and his thoughts, like fireflies by the lake, gradually drifted away into the distance.

Evelyn had been pushed down the stairs and died six hours earlier, her neck broken on the way down the stairs.

When she was found, her body was twisted, her expression was painful, and she looked horrible.

Of course, it was too late to save the situation.

Jacob knew that his mother was responsible for Evelyn's death; he saw it with his own eyes.

Because when his mother and Evelyn were arguing fiercely, Jacob hid in the corner of the stairs below.

"How long have you been seeing that boy?"

The mother spoke in a hoarse voice, her tone very dissatisfied.

"What does it have to do with you?"

Evelyn replied unceremoniously. Jacob had never heard such a harsh tone from Evelyn's mouth, which was extremely impatient and sarcastic.

"Who sent you here! Mr. Duran? Or that hypocritical bitch! Could it be... Could it be the Viscount?"

"You better show some respect to Madam Duran! After all, we have all served her before!"

"Oh! It's that bitch! It was that bitch who asked you to get close to that brat, right?"

"Show some respect to Master Jacob!"

Jacob...

Jacob's nerves tensed up suddenly when he heard his own name, but he immediately became flustered.

Master?

To him, this was an extremely honorable word, and he always felt a little uneasy when it was put after the name Jacob.

"Why should I respect him?"

His mother's roar came from above, and Jacob instinctively shrank back.

"Since that bitch handed him over to me, it's my own freedom to call him whatever I want!"

"You vicious whore! If I hadn't secretly treated him, he would have been tortured to death by you! Haha, let me kindly remind you that this is not the result Mr. Duran expected!"

"Bah! You running dog! A cheap bone bought by the Duran family!"

"Oh! Jacqueline! I haven't told you that you are a brainless and ignorant bitch..."

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, a crisp slap sounded into Jacob's ears. He was so scared that he trembled all over and almost hit the cabinet above his head.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that, you lowly servant..."

A third voice came, and Jacob covered his mouth in surprise.

This childish and lively voice belongs to Anna, who lives with him day and night.

"Yes, ma'am."

It turned out that the person who was beaten was... Evelyn.

Jacob was so shocked that he held his breath. The development of the situation above seemed to be far beyond his expectations.

"Anna?"

Jacob's mother said with a trembling voice.

At this moment, she lowered her posture, and her tone was gentle and guilty that Jacob had never heard before.

"Is it... Anna... Annabelle? My... my little Anna... Anna..."

"Snapped!"

Another slap was heard, and this time Jacob was sure that the person being hit was his mother, because he heard a whimper from her throat.

"Do you think you can call Miss Anna by her maiden name? Besides, straighten yourself out. This is the honorable Miss Annabelle Jean Duran, not your child!"

"This is my child! Anna... Anna..."

"Snapped!"

"How dare you! Are you saying that the honorable Miss Annabelle is the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Duran and a kitchen maid? Jacqueline! Your son is Jacob, and he has nothing to do with Miss Annabelle!"

“Evelyn, you’re talking too much.”

Anna suddenly spoke, her accent had obviously changed, and her condescending tone was completely different from Anna's usual tone.

Jacob was a little dazed. He wanted to stick his head out to take a look. Maybe Anna, Evelyn, Jacqueline... they were just people with the same name. There were many people like this in London... right...

But he himself didn't know about this absurd inference...

"Mother..." Anna's voice suddenly softened, "Why did you agree to the Durans to exchange my childhood with Jacob?"

"Anna... my dear daughter, if we don't agree to their request, both you and I will die. At least... at least if we make the exchange, you can still be a noble lady for ten years, and enjoy ten years of wealth and glory! This is what I have always dreamed of, Anna! Anna! Please don't blame me..."

"But mother, you knew what would happen ten years later, right?"

"Anna..."

"They will kill me at the festival, and the Duran clan will use my soul to buy a century of continuity."

"Jacob, the biological son of the Durans, will receive the title of the old viscount and live a life of glory..."

"And all this started ten years ago..."

“Hehehe… Mother, mother… why… why did you agree to them?”

"Why should I agree to use my life and my soul to buy a new life for our enemy..."

"Anna... Anna..."

"why why why!"

"Tell me why! Why! Why! Why ah ah ah ah!"

"Anna!" Jacob heard his mother crying heartbreakingly, "I'm sorry! It's my fault! It's my greed that hurt you!"

"Miss……"

"Evelyn."

Anna suddenly calmed down, as if what happened just now had never happened.

"Miss……"

Evelin was a little scared, and her voice was extremely uncomfortable, as if she had eaten a whole bag of arsenic.

"You seem to like Jacob very much."

"No, Miss... you asked me to take good care of him..."

"Because I needed him to be alive until now, but I didn't tell you or Mrs. Duran."

"Miss, you worry too much. I am your personal maid, and it is my job to report your recent situation to Madam. Besides... I didn't say anything that I shouldn't have said. I didn't say anything that followed your wishes..."

“Don’t lie to me anymore, Evelyn. You are from the Duran family, not mine. I understand what you are thinking.”

"No, miss!"

With a crisp “bang” sound, Jacob heard the sound of Evelin falling to her knees.

"Miss! Miss, please give me your instructions!"

"The Durans are dead, just now."

"What did you say!"

Except for Anna, the remaining three people spoke in unison.

"The ceremony will continue tonight... and you, my dear Evelyn, like the Durans, are the appetizers presented to the great Lord Satan."

"No, no! No... Miss! Miss Anna! I am on your side. I will always be loyal to you!"

"Oh! Mother... Mother... For your poor daughter, for our future glory and wealth..."

"You understand what to do next..."

"Of course, my Anna."

"No! Don't! Miss Anna! Miss, spare me! Miss!"

"Miss!"

"Ahhhhhhh-"

"Boom!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of the young body rolling on the stairs was exactly the same as Jacob's panicked heartbeat.