Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

Chapter Twenty: The Arbitrator's Approach (Second Update)

Mr. Singh, your arrival is perfectly timed.

Charlotte was only murmuring this to herself as she discussed the effects of the potion on her mind and body with Ms. Mossant. Just as she received the reply and before she could even process it, the old detective returned to the front hall as if he had timed it perfectly.

If it weren't for the surprise on his face, the girl would have almost thought that he had been eavesdropping the whole time, just waiting for the right moment for them to finish talking.

Ignoring Singh's words for the moment, she recalled the scene that had just occurred.

"Ms. Mosan, after the potion takes effect, in which specific parts of the body will it act?"

With a thoughtful look in her eyes, Ms. Mossang remained silent for a long time before giving a concise and definite answer to the girl's question.

"Spirit and flesh. The spirit is the most core and fundamental part of each person outside the body. It is the consciousness that rises to the surface, while the flesh is the limbs and senses in a broad sense. It is the carrier that sinks to the surface. Both are indispensable. Different magic potions sharpen the spirit in different directions, and you need to gradually adapt to it."

It's not that there's nothing to say; this is precisely the point that Charlotte must clarify first.

After all, the body she inhabits is merely a living puppet. Whether the potion will affect her original body, who is still in prison, or grant the current Miss Watson extraordinary power remains to be seen.

Of course, through gradual communication, Charlotte had a general idea that the fundamental spirit would inevitably bear extraordinary marks, and the flesh that formed the base would most likely be this puppet that had separated from the original body.

This is a good thing, but also a bad thing. The good thing is that it won't expose the true identity of the main body, but the bad thing is that the result of high attack and weak defense is not necessarily a good thing.

Clearing her mind, Charlotte refocused her attention on the scenery and people in front of her, and asked a question, continuing the previous topic.

"Mr. Singh, I wonder if you have found any clues about those words?"

"Ahem, I'm very sorry. I thought that some of the past cases would have involved this type of variant font, but unfortunately, my criminal investigation experience doesn't seem to be rich enough to encompass the entire history of the empire."

With a light cough, Singh cleverly cracked a joke using a more indirect approach, defusing the previous awkwardness.

"From now on, Mr. Singh, you'd better brush up on your knowledge in this area. If I, as your assistant, ask you a question during a case investigation and you can't answer it, it will be quite embarrassing."

"I think that with your understanding and reasonable nature, you wouldn't so inappropriately touch on my sore spot."

Their responses were perfectly synchronized, demonstrating the tacit understanding they shared in their conversation.

Putting down the large stack of documents in his arms, the old detective dusted off his clothes and pulled out the nearest chair.

"Although it was only for a brief moment, while I was organizing the data, I remembered that you said the fourteenth victim was connected to someone we know. And Ms. Watson, you've only been at the firm for a day, and you have an aristocratic background, so she must be Sophie Bertrand from yesterday, right?"

"correct."

Seeing the two begin discussing the case, Ms. Mosang, who was sitting quietly to the side, stood up and joined the conversation in a low voice.

"Gentlemen, I'll take my leave now. You don't need to investigate this disappearance case in depth for the time being. At the very least, don't put each other in danger."

"Oh?"

There must be a reason for the change in attitude, and during this period, only his assistant had communicated with this lady, so the answer is self-evident.

Singh instinctively cast a questioning glance at Charlotte, just as he was about to ask a question, when the dark-haired beauty interrupted him.

“This has nothing to do with Ms. Watson. She is a good girl, and you cannot blame her.”

With her eyes slightly widened, like a mother protecting her child, Ms. Mosang glanced at the old detective as if to remind him, and then spoke.

“My conversation with her was very amicable, but this case was beyond my imagination and beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. You must have experienced something similar, Mr. Singh.”

"......I see."

His lips moved, but the words he wanted to say remained stuck in his throat. Singh's eyes dimmed slightly, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally just sighed softly.

So, it really involves extraordinary power?

Of the many cases he had handled, the veteran detective had indeed come across some involving sensitive matters, but these were mostly subsequently taken over by specialized departments. Therefore, when Watson jokingly mentioned the mysterious abilities fabricated by writers, he had already entertained this idea, but—

“Ms. Mossan, I am somewhat unwilling to accept this. Whether it is my dignity as a detective or my concern as a citizen that this serial case is not over yet and that there are still victims, it always makes me feel powerless.”

"No, you and Miss Watson have done more than enough. Not only did you discover new victims before the police, but you also uncovered that this case involved a clandestine area."

Walking to the main entrance of the firm, the dark-haired beauty gently knocked on the door to get her attention, and also intentionally softened her tone.

"Afterwards, I will inform the relevant departments and ask them to take this case seriously as soon as possible to minimize the number of subsequent victims. Because of your efforts, the girls in Tingen were able to escape unscathed later."

"Yes, but."

Seeing the old detective's disappointment, Ms. Mossang offered words of comfort.

"Professionals should do professional things. I will not prevent you from participating in the case. The commission is still valid. It's just that your direction has changed. You will gather information and assist the authorities. As for the salary, I will adjust it according to the value of the clues."

What a thoughtful lady.

After hearing these words, Charlotte couldn't help but feel a deep sense of emotion.

It can be said that Ms. Mossant took everyone's feelings into consideration, not only soothing each other's frustrations, but also making good use of their strengths to make the commission proceed smoothly.

Just as he was thinking this, the beautiful woman turned around and looked at him gently before leaving, speaking softly.

“Miss Watson, if you are still confused or restless, you can come to Lavis Cemetery to find me.”

He left his words behind, and as that beautiful figure walked further and further away, a splash of bright red hair also appeared at the end of his sight.

Oh, isn't that the flower girl she was supposed to meet?

With her elbows braced against the table, her hands supporting her chin, and her dangling legs twitching slightly beneath the hanging chair, Charlotte suddenly had a few wicked thoughts.

So he spoke:

"Mr. Singh, I'm going to the restroom first. If anyone comes after me, please don't tell me I'm at the office~"

The ups and downs of emotions often create a deeper impression. I suppose that peacock was eagerly waiting for its little sister.

If she finds that she has not kept her appointment, she should be quite disappointed. But then Miss Watson reappears and tells her that she has been waiting for him for a long time. Isn't that a way to wait for her in vain?

With a slight upturn of her lips, forming a gentle curve, she stepped into the enclosed cubicle, sinking into deeper thoughts.

The superficial playfulness was secondary; Charlotte came to this quiet space primarily to organize the knowledge she had gained from Ms. Mossant and arrange the ancient Sue on the silver foil into complete sentences.

Empty your mind and let your thoughts build bridges, straightening the order of words and measure words. In just a moment, the disordered words and phrases are transformed into a whole and float in your mind.

[Sequence Nine 'Arbitrator', Potion Recipe]

[Extraordinary Materials: A pair of pupils from a Clear-Eyed Demon Insect, 40 ml of blue blood.]

[Additional materials: 80 ml pure water, 5 g rosemary, 10 g orris root, 2 rue stalks, 6 drops of water fern juice.]

[Promotion Ceremony: Relying on one's own abilities and scheming, a public trial is held in front of a large audience to determine justice or evil. Then, amidst cheers, a magic potion is consumed to complete the promotion.]

Is Chapter Twenty-One right? Or wrong? (Third Update)

Clang...

As expected, the office door was pushed open again by a slender hand shortly afterward.

The woman who entered through the door was a red-haired girl with an elegant braided hairstyle.

More radiant than when we first met, more genuine than when we met in a moment of leisure; her fair face, untouched by artifice, shone with the brilliance of a blooming flower.

A poorly fitted court dress, instead of suppressing her natural charm, accentuated her ample breasts and raised her slender waist, blending maturity and innocence together.

And when she turned her eyebrows to reveal her blood-red eyes, the gaze would leap from her proud figure to her delicate and exquisite features, and then become fixed on her.

As if she had regained her pride and dignity, Sufby slightly raised her chin, revealing her slender, snowy neck, and said in a sharp voice.

"Mr. Singer, is Josephine Watson not here today?"

However, despite her outward arrogance, the red-haired girl's gaze lingered repeatedly in the hall, as if searching for a long-awaited figure.

Seeing that no one was around, she was immediately taken aback, her eyes clearly revealing panic and confusion.

How could this be? Why didn't Josephine Watson come? Didn't we agree to meet here last night?

Just as he was feeling unsettled, the old detective's words came to his ears again, intensifying his growing anxiety.

"You mean Ms. Watson? Well, she... thankfully didn't come to the office this morning; she must have been busy with other matters outside."

He intended to reveal the location of his assistant, but recalling the man's earlier instructions and glancing at the girl before him, Singh understood the man's intentions.

Upon hearing this, Su Fu felt even more helpless than before, to the point that she fell into a vortex of self-doubt, and felt even more disappointed and aggrieved.

Why didn't she keep her promise? Did I not satisfy her last night, or did I misunderstand her intentions? She clearly did exactly that.

"Then, sir, when will she be able to return? I have something important to discuss with her."

Perhaps because she was completely focused on Watson, Sophie was unaware that the head of the agency was right in front of her, and only kept asking about his whereabouts.

"Why are you so concerned about that lady? It's not that I'm prejudiced, but your relationship isn't exactly close, and you're even competitors for the same position."

As he stroked his dark brown pipe, the more they talked, the more curious Singh became about what had polished this dusty pearl overnight, making her less arrogant and more sincere.

"That's irrelevant, I—"

"—I made an agreement with her; she promised to wait for me here in the morning."

“Yes!” Sophie nodded subconsciously, but then realized something was wrong. Her fair face immediately turned bright red, and even her ears burned.

"No, wait, who's responding to me?"

“Of course it’s me, Miss Bertrand.”

She straightened her felt hat, smoothed her lapel flowers, and spoke in a light tone. Her silver-gray hair, like silk and satin, cascaded over her dark trench coat, and her clear eyes met Sofby's bewildered gaze.

Charlotte bowed slightly to her and smiled back, saying softly, "I remember we made an appointment to meet last night. Have you forgotten already? That's really heartbreaking."

"Watson..."

Ignoring the former's distortion of the truth, the red-haired girl couldn't help but call out.

Those were looks mixed with surprise and reproach, a slightly ingrained habit of dependence.

She watched Charlotte walk towards her from a distance, a mixture of shame and joy swirling in her heart like black and white threads intertwined, an incredibly complex mix.

Of course, she was delighted. To see the person she had been longing for reappear when she was feeling disappointed was naturally surprising and she was happy because of the contrast. But because of those words that turned the tables on her, Sufby felt increasingly annoyed.

Did I fall for their trap?

Seeing the young woman's joyful gaze, Charlotte smiled inwardly. Stripped of her title as a fallen noblewoman, this peacock was actually quite simple-minded; though she felt disappointed because of Charlotte's deliberate avoidance, she rarely blamed herself.

Well, actually, the kind-hearted Miss Watson didn't intentionally delay for so long. It's just that the words written on that silver foil, besides the potion recipe and promotion ceremony for the 'Arbitrator,' also included a general description of this sequence.

[Possessing convincing charisma and sufficient authority, as long as one is in familiar territory, one can establish rules through consciousness and constrain the actions of things within that area; those who violate these rules will be bound by extraordinary abilities and levels of perception.]

Does a word become law, and an order be obeyed without question?

It's a very straightforward description, and the results are quite forceful, but who wouldn't like the ability to make a decisive move and control the situation with ease?

Having already given this sequence a nine out of ten rating, Charlotte, after seeing Singh also looking at her, finally put aside her thoughts, reached out, and gently grasped the red-haired girl's fair fingers, as if to offer her some reassurance.

"Sophie, I'm here, I've always been here."

She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to the former to wipe away his tears. At the same moment, the girl raised her eyebrows and looked at the old detective with a reproachful expression, as if she were there to interrogate him.

“But Mr. Singh went too far. He deliberately hid my whereabouts even though I was right in front of him. Look, it even made you cry.”

"...?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Singh seemed unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. After confirming that his assistant was indeed blatantly framing him, the old detective hesitated, wanting to say something but swallowing it back under Charlotte's gaze.

Well, an old man like him doesn't need to care too much about his reputation anymore. Let the two girls make a fuss, as long as he does his job during working hours.

"How did you rest yesterday? Is the workload still heavy?"

Charlotte gently led Sophie to sit down on the sofa to one side, softening her tone and asking about everyday matters, as if they were close friends.

To be honest, the girl was initially surprised when she saw the bright red dress, after all, just yesterday, the red-haired girl had clarified herself and explained her situation to her.

So, is it because you care about your reputation and are unwilling to take off your disguise in front of outsiders, or is it that you can only accept being seen by me alone in your disheveled state after falling from the branch?

So be it, it doesn't matter which way it is. She will eventually make this useful peacock adapt to whatever she wants, letting herself be molded and shaped.

“Watson, Miss Watson, you know, my sister is missing, and I can’t find peace of mind to sleep.”

Restraining her haughty demeanor, Sufby gradually shed her pretentious attitude in front of Charlotte, revealing only hope and dependence.

"Of course, I remember it very clearly. You told me all of that yourself, which is why I specially invited Mr. Singh, who has been busy with horse racing lately, to come here for you."

“Well, many times, he can’t even get up early.”

Chapter Twenty-Two: Tools and Titles (Fourth Update)

“Oh, Ms. Watson, you really have a knack for poking people where it hurts.”

Within just a quarter of an hour, Singh retracted his earlier praise of the girl as understanding and reasonable.