Another day passed. Audrey sat on the hanging chair in her private garden, quietly reflecting on what had happened the day before.
The Viscount Forth still made her feel uneasy, even a little horrified—but since he hadn't done anything yet, there was no cause for alarm. She decided she would ask Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. Devil, and Mr. Fool about him at the next Tarot Gathering. And if the matter truly turned out to be serious...
Audrey glanced toward the direction of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. At that moment, she seemed to suddenly comprehend the special talent every Tarot Club member possessed—the divine instinct to report to the authorities. Indeed, members of the Tarot Club were worthy of being called disciples of the "Faith in Reporting" deity.
As for why she didn't go and report right now—first, because the Viscount had yet to commit any crime, and second, because she had no proof. She'd asked several people about him, including her maid Annie, and even her father, Earl Hall, all of whom confirmed that such a man truly existed.
That discovery sparked Audrey's curiosity. She couldn't help but feel an urge to investigate the man herself. After all, the Tarot Club members all shared the same reckless-and-cautious duality—something that had been passed down from Klein himself.
Then there was the matter of Fors.
Miss Salted Fish had asked Audrey to help rescue her "girlfriend," Xio Derecha. Audrey had looked into it: Miss Xio did indeed have a good reputation in the East Borough—a fair and upright arbiter known for both her integrity and her impressive strength. Despite being only one and a half meters tall, she often carried herself with the aura of someone 1.8 meters tall.
The charge that landed her in a temporary jail was that, during a dispute over property, she'd leapt up and struck a gentleman's knee—so hard, in fact, that he was still bedridden in the hospital and might never walk again.
Fors' explanation was that the "gentleman" in question was actually the leader of an East Borough gang who made his living as a loan shark.
After some investigation, Audrey confirmed that this was indeed true.
"Tomorrow night there's a ball at Count Wolf's mansion," she said with a slight nod, having made up her mind. "I'll inform Glaint of it, and we'll proceed according to the lawyer's advice."
"I wonder if Viscount Forth will attend," she murmured. Depending on what she learned at the next Tarot Gathering, she planned to adjust her attitude toward the mysterious viscount accordingly.
Feeling relaxed again, Audrey leaned back into the shadows, adopting the posture of one who "hides in darkness and observes the light." She watched the vibrant flowers in bloom, feeling her Audience potion digest a little further.
"Hmm… observe from behind the scenes and subtly guide the development of events," she added another line to her personal code of Audience acting principles.
Then, an idea struck her. "If the Psychology Alchemists also use the 'Acting Method,' doesn't that mean they could be hiding among psychiatrists?"
The thought filled her with excitement—her emerald eyes sparkled like diamonds under the sunlight, bright and clever.
"Her eyes are as round as copper bells—flashing with lightning-like brilliance," whispered a low voice beside her. It was Sairres, humming softly to himself while holding a camera.
[How thrilling, how thrilling—soon I'll witness the great Dog speaking aloud!]
Indeed, there's no escaping the bloodthirsty audience.
Just then, Audrey noticed her golden retriever, Susie, creeping toward a cluster of flowers—moving stealthily to a spot only gardeners usually reached.
A true case of "doggy suspicious activity."
"Susie… what are you doing?" Audrey whispered from the shadows, her eyes following every move.
The golden retriever, apparently intoxicated by the floral scent, didn't notice her owner. She opened her mouth and made several awkward throat sounds—"Ahh, ahh," "Yah, yah."
[Da…]
"Swallow it back."
[Alright.]
The air around Susie vibrated faintly, and from it came a clumsy, halting voice:"Hello… how… are… you?"
Audrey's mouth fell open—completely forgetting all ladylike composure. She could hardly believe what she was seeing—or hearing.
Without thinking, she stood up abruptly and blurted out,
"Woof, woof woof!"
"Susie, you can talk? Since when could you talk?!"
The golden retriever yelped in surprise, jumping into the air before turning to face her mistress.
[Miss Susie, you wouldn't want anyone else to know you can talk, would you?]
"Unbelievable…"
Susie wagged her tail in a panic, mouth opening and closing several times before she managed to make the air tremble again, forming words:
"I… I don't know how to explain it. After all, I'm just a dog."
"I have a bold idea," said Sairuis, stroking his chin.
[You're unbelievable too.]
he crouched beside a bush, pulled out "Bucket Boy," and retrieved something from inside, setting it down on the ground. Then, he nudged it toward Susie.
(End of Chapter)