Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

Unable to suppress the corners of her lips and the little bit of smugness in her heart, she was indeed still the charming Sofby Diehl.

Just as the little peacock was about to make a sound, Charlotte smiled gently and began to recite her own poem.

"Sophie, you are the pearl of Florence, the diamond covered in dust, waiting only to be wiped clean so that you can see the light of day again and shine brightly once more."

“But this step was incredibly difficult, so I descended from the heavens, traveling thousands of miles from a distant star beyond the world, to come to your side.”

“I am a stranger who has only known you for a short time, a friend who is equal to you, and also a benefactor who helped you.”

The door in her pupils, the person in her shadow, Sufby stared blankly at the silver-haired girl.

"I am a shooting star that flashes across the night sky, the sun you yearn for in your dreams. You don't want to owe me anything? That won't do."

"Because you have always longed for it, longed for it so much, longed to get out of this predicament, longed to bloom again, to proudly raise your head in front of everyone, and announce Dill's return, just like that book 'The Newcomers of Tundra' that you've read countless times."

"It doesn't belong to Samuel; it's belonged to you from the beginning, right?"

Sophie didn't reply, but instead gripped the hem of her clothes and the wet wipe stained with blue blood.

Clearly, the inference hits the bullseye.

From the moment Charlotte saw the silver foil and noticed Sophoby's expression, she knew that the little peacock had been deciphering those ancient Sophobic codes.

Pulling out the paper with the words written on it, the girl gently placed it on Sophby's head. It was the recipe for a potion, the gateway to the extraordinary.

"What you need, what you desire, I will give you."

The light paper swayed above the girl's head in the wind, seemingly about to drift down at any moment.

But it never fell. Sofby reached out and slowly removed it from her forehead.

He took it off, but his gaze never left Watson, not even for a moment.

Her eyes reddened again, and tears, drop by drop, covered her bright red pupils with a film of water.

She covered her mouth and sobbed. She could no longer describe the emotions she held in her heart. The last bit of suspicion shattered and transformed into pure gratitude, even happiness, surging into her very being.

"Why are you so concerned about me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Charlotte smiled softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. The smile was both incredibly sweet and incredibly alluring.

"How foolish. Actually, there's no such kind-hearted person. I want you, not Bertrand, but Dill, to rise to the top again."

"Not only will you be unable to repay the debt of gratitude, but you will also owe more and more, until you can never repay it all, until you don't know how to repay it, until you can only adapt, only admit it, and only accept it with a clear conscience."

"Finally, unable to let go, unable to give up, Sofby, I want to see your future self, to see you struggle desperately in the sea of ​​self-respect, to see you bite your lip, to see you rack your brains, to see you step by step, little by little, completely reveal the soul hidden beneath your body..."

"Dedicated to me."

The thin sheet of paper slipped from between my fingers, swirled by the cold wind blowing in through the cracks in the wall, and drifted around several times before landing on the old table, revealing the sequence of strokes.

arbiter.

"So, don't worry about what you owe me. You should enjoy my kindness, and then—"

Silver-gray and bright red, their eyes reflected each other's presence.

"To shine with its own light once more."

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Grand Show Begins (5.5k)

Rewind to the beginning. As the night deepened and the snake lay limp on the ground, carrying with it the shadow of evil, the beautiful woman arrived with her sword drawn just moments after the detective had left.

Carrying a longsword as red as blood, Sylva remained silent, only gazing at the wound on Vorn's forehead and his body, now that of a normal person.

"The heavy blow to the head caused dizziness, the bullet hit its mark precisely, and there were also traces of a psychic ritual."

Picking up a handful of mud, the white-haired beauty reconstructed the scene of the battle one by one, and the more she recalled it, the more horrified she became.

"To defeat a Sequence 8 'monster' with a normal human body, is that why you are so at ease and issued the decree?"

Looking up at the distant moon, Sylva raised his sword and instantly cleaved the former's corpse into pieces, leaving only the head that had confessed its identity.

"Placed on the scales of justice, they will eventually taste the bitter fruit of their evil deeds. Even if it is your order, if they commit evil again, I will not show mercy."

After these few words, the woman carrying the sword abruptly turned and walked away.

----

In the distance, accompanied by a few neighs, iron hooves pounded on the stone road, and a simple horse-drawn carriage left the narrow alleyway, flashing past the eyes of passersby and splashing snow water in the potholes.

The silver-haired girl sat by the window, gazing at the surrounding scenery through the hazy morning light of falling snow, and pondering her next goal.

The evidence of the India Party's betrayal of the workers is irrefutable, and Count Bathory's orders to exploit the people are self-evident. All that is needed now is an opportunity, an opportunity for all the previous arrangements to take effect.

"Sophie, come here."

Charlotte spread her five fingers out in front of her, beckoning to her little peacock, and spoke with exceptional gentleness.

"Miss Watson..."

Hearing the call from a distance, Sufby's face flushed slightly, as if she had just recalled the intimate moment. She felt shy and embarrassed, but her body moved closer involuntarily.

Their necks and shoulders were close together, their skin touching, and they could hear each other's softest breaths clearly.

At seven o'clock, since they were together, they took the same carriage to the office as usual to clock in. After all, Charlotte considered herself a punctual and disciplined employee.

"Don't be shy. From now on, you can call me Josephine more intimately, just like you used to call me that in a rude way."

"sorry......"

Charlotte instinctively wanted to apologize, but she didn't give her the chance. Instead, Charlotte raised her slender finger and placed it to her lips.

"Hush, I think you must have a lot of questions, such as why I know everything about you, or the source of the potion recipe, or even how I brought Samuel back."

"Ah."

Nodding in agreement, Sofby's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge; clearly, she wanted to know the answer.

However, the girl shook her head, teasing him with a half-smile.

"Unfortunately, last night a haughty little bird not only flung feathers all over my face but also caused me quite a bit of injury. So, Miss Watson is in a bad mood right now and is very fragile, just like a little girl who needs comfort from others."

Charlotte pulled back the curtains of the carriage, called for the driver to stop, and pointed to the cake shop not far away, saying matter-of-factly.

"For example, go to the shop over there and buy me some delicious Herza cakes, then feed them to me yourself."

"Do you understand what I'm saying, my dear Sophobe?"

......

Who can understand this abrupt change?

The little peacock opened her beautiful eyes wide, staring blankly for a long time before reacting, and said somewhat flusteredly:

"Josephine, are you angry? I shouldn't have said those things, I..."

"Ok?"

Seeing that the timid tone had improved again, Charlotte drew out her words and frowned slightly.

"Um, I, I'll go right away."

She hurriedly got out of the car and jogged to the shop. Soon after, Sophie returned to sit next to the girl with a bag of small cakes.

"Come."

Seeing this, Charlotte no longer concealed herself. In front of the little peacock's gaze, she raised the tip of her tongue and gently licked her pink lips, as if savoring the enchanting kiss of that time, or as if reiterating what she had just asked for.

Her face flushed, the lingering taste of her lips still present, and with this stimulation, Sufby immediately gripped the hem of her skirt, becoming conflicted.

After a long while, she overcame her shame and carefully placed a piece of cake to the girl's lips, opening her lips and mimicking the proper manner.

"Josephine, ah—"

"Mmm."

Charlotte glanced admiringly at the little peacock, took a small bite, and after savoring the sweet and rich chocolate, she stopped chewing and waited for the flavor to gradually fade from her mouth.

It's wonderful, not just because the snacks are delicious, but also because of the comfort and pleasure of being waited on.

Sure enough, a good woman like me deserves to be surrounded by little birds, who tease and arouse her interest from time to time.

Without demanding anything more, the girl simply took out a handkerchief and wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

The rest was for Winnie, who was blushing shyly at the moment. There was no need to go any further, and besides, Charlotte was a person of principle.

This was especially true in matters of pleasure. Rather than achieving it all at once, she preferred to peel away Sofby's layers little by little, like peeling a banana, so that the girl would become increasingly aware of her position and reveal her most alluring side when she was barely clothed.

There's plenty of time ahead; we'll have plenty of time to quietly enjoy this delicious training process.

"You did well, but next time, I'll tell you the answer next time."

With a slight smile, she kept everyone in suspense. The contrast between reality and expectation is always the fuse that holds emotions captive; it can make people restless, but it can also be mesmerizing.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the driver pulled the footboard, waiting for the two to step out.

Stepping onto her tiptoes, and taking the little peacock's slender hand in hers, Charlotte pushed open the door of the agency as promised.

Inside, everything was the same as before. During this time before the official opening, Singh was reclining in a deck chair, stroking his pipe and flipping through the newspaper. Winnie had also arrived early, sitting upright with a stiff posture. The wooden tables and chairs were neatly arranged in the corners of the front hall, creating a harmonious scene.

Hearing the soft sound of the door being pushed open, the old detective was about to greet her, but he stopped abruptly the moment he caught sight of Charlotte. He put down his newspaper, his previous nonchalant attitude vanished, and stepped forward to examine the wound on the girl's forehead with a serious and worried look, trying to check his assistant's injury more carefully.

"Ms. Watson, what happened? How did you get so injured? Your gait seems a bit unsteady. Are your legs alright?"

As Singh took the wooden box from the counter and was about to take out the gauze and medicine powder, he saw the girl gently shake her head.

Avoiding the old detective's concerned gaze almost imperceptibly, Charlotte timely revealed a forced and weary expression, and softly comforted him.

"It was just an accident, sir. As for the wound, it was just a minor fall last night, nothing serious."

Holding her cane and maintaining a certain distance, the girl slowly walked past Singh and sat down next to the bird girl.

These words were taken lightly, but just listening to them made Sufby, who was traveling with her, lower her head, her guilt growing stronger. All those injuries were caused by her own actions.

"Okay, I'll be more careful next time."

Hearing Charlotte's clear refusal, the old detective didn't insist, but simply frowned and sighed.

"This job doesn't require you to rush to work. If you're feeling unwell, just let me know."

Knowing the assistant's behavior, if he had no intention of telling him, it meant that the other party had already made up his mind and was unwilling to tell him clearly.

"Thank you for your concern."

Using this as a topic, and with time still remaining until 8 o'clock, this period was a good time for us to rest and chat.

The girl took the still-warm Sachertorte out of the paper bag and was about to call out to Winnie when she saw that the girl had her eyes closed and her head was tilted to the side, looking like she was fast asleep.

Was it because you waited for too long and were overcome by drowsiness that you fell asleep for a short while?

Upon closer inspection, one can see her long, delicate eyelashes trembling slightly, her beautiful breasts rising and falling with her breath, and her small nostrils fluttering like butterfly wings.

Quite cute.

Charlotte spread her five fingers and cupped Winnie's drooping hair in her palm. Without saying a word, she used the subtle movement to wake the sleepy little nightingale.

Gradually, Winnie's dark eyelashes fluttered as she slowly awoke from her nap. Her eyes were still drowsy, and upon seeing the figures of the crowd, her indistinct murmurs immediately turned into a series of exclamations and head-shaking.

"I...I didn't doze off!"

"Pfft."

With a gentle smile, the girl took out the knife and fork given to her by the merchant, lightly cut off a small piece of cake, and brought it to the bird girl's lips.

"Come on, Winnie, open your mouth, ah—"

She always had different ways of dealing with different kinds of birds, sometimes distant, sometimes close, and sometimes direct.

"Well."

With her thoughts still hazy and drowsy, Winnie, who sensed something amiss, didn't react. She simply closed her lips and bit into the chocolate and cake in front of her, leaving a few playful drops of chocolate on the corners of her mouth.

"You said you really liked Sachertorte yesterday, so how did you find it today?"

As she inquired about her feelings, the bird girl, still half-asleep, blurted out her innermost thoughts.

"A rich and creamy chocolate cake base, distinct layers of glaze, and just the right amount of apricot jam..."

"It seems you really like it."

As if immersed in the sweet and mellow flavor between her teeth, Winnie couldn't help but squint her eyes, and even a few tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

"Mmmmm..."

It was a vague, incoherent rambling.