Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 840 - 33. There will ultimately be a parting

Chapter 840: 33. There will ultimately be a parting

In memory, Oliver usually showed this kind of flattering look when he had a request—such as asking for an advance on his salary or seeking help.

"What’s the matter?"

Lu Li’s gaze lingered on Oliver’s Lean Monkey-like face.

On that day in the real world, Oliver did indeed come. So, was his purpose in the Emerald Dream the same?

"Mrs. Slav wants to apologize for her rashness that day..." Oliver carefully observed Lu Li’s expression, but he found it hard to discern anything from that calm and handsome face.

Lu Li was also observing Oliver. He wasn’t holding Mrs. Slav’s love letter.

It seems the situation has taken a different turn.

"It’s nothing." Lu Li indicated he didn’t mind. He was contemplating whether to let Oliver stay, despite how insignificant that seemed.

After all, he was dead; keeping him would be no different than filling the stomach with sea breeze, except intentionally doing it for the Emerald Dream to see.

Just consider it a way to increase the anticipation for the Emerald Dream, Lu Li thought, preparing to let Oliver stay.

"And... this." Oliver suddenly stammered, took out a newly written letter with a pungent perfume smell from inside his clothes. "This is a love letter from Mrs. Slav written for you..."

As soon as he finished speaking, an unfriendly gaze watched from the bedroom.

Oliver seemed frozen, his teeth uncontrollably clattering together, "Tsk tsk tsk tsk."

"Close the door."

"Ah?" Dazed for a moment, Oliver shrugged his neck and closed the door to the Detective Agency.

"Close it from the outside," the voice from behind the desk said.

"Oh..."

Oliver dragged his heavy body, completely opposite of when he came in, toward the outside.

Lu Li’s voice continued: "Go find Jojo; she misses you. And... don’t go near the Shadow Swamp, it’s no longer safe there."

"Okay, boss!"

Oliver straightened his back a little before disappearing outside the door.

Though the process differed, the outcome remained the same.

"A love letter?"

Anna pretended not to care, but kept sneaking glances at the letter on the table.

"Who is Mrs. Slav?"

"The person who rents a house to Oliver."

"Uh-huh."

Anna waited for Lu Li to continue speaking, but he had already returned to silence.

Unwilling, Anna kept staring at Lu Li, until finally, after two minutes, Lu Li responded—by throwing the love letter into the trash can.

"Aren’t you going to look at it?" Anna deliberately asked.

"No need."

Upon receiving a satisfactory answer, Anna let Lu Li go and began the day’s tasks.

Anna hummed a melodious tune, her ethereal spirit donned an apron, cleaning the Detective Agency like a little maid.

The stone statue by the coat rack behind the door didn’t like water; the humidity before the rainy season resulted in less dust in the house, so Anna merely used a feather duster to sweep the sculpture.

Having finished mopping the floor, Anna reminded Lu Li not to walk around dirtying the wet floor, and then she gently landed on the sofa, attending to the flowerpot on the windowsill that never sprouted, then stared blankly at the bustling street outside.

Watching Anna’s back, a previously unfelt impulse, contrary to reason, suddenly motivated Lu Li to do something.

After a moment of silence, Lu Li spoke: "Do you want to go out?"

Anna turned back from the window in surprise: "What?"

Lu Li lowered his dark eyes: "Let’s go to the seaside."

...

Except for destruction, nothing could strip the traces of the ocean from the Sailor District. In some sense, the sailors and the sea fish hung on ropes made the Sailor District more "sea-flavored" than the actual seaside.

This also left the Sailor District with just one pitiful little tailor shop that sold linen clothes ordinary people wore.

Lu Li bought a black robe from that tailor shop two streets away, entered an empty alley with Anna, who was hiding her presence: "Put this on, and you won’t have to hide in the Inner World."

A minute later, Lu Li and Anna, enveloped by the cloak, walked out of the alley.

The black robe concealed Anna’s alluring appearance; she walked forward slowly, radiating a chilling and ominous aura like a religious adherent, ignoring the passersby and carriages on the street.

"I can’t... I can’t see the road."

The hood of the cloak blocked her vision, and she kept stepping on the hem.

"Float up."

Lu Li said, holding Anna’s hand under the cloak.

...

Standing before the railing, thick clouds blocked the afternoon sunlight, flocks of seagulls circled above Rodest Port, with the distant sounds of ships arriving and departing.

The sea breeze blew off Anna’s cloak; she was a little flustered trying to put it back on but found no one paying attention to them, thus starting to enjoy the vast scenery.

"I seem to smell the ocean breeze..."

Anna indulged in the expansive lead-grey ocean, suddenly feeling a bit lost as she turned to look at Lu Li.

He released Anna, squatted down to take off his shoes, rolled up his pants, then pulled Anna up again, holding his shoes in the other hand, walking into the beach.

Anna and Lu Li strolled side by side on the beach, leaving a trail of footprints behind them.

"Why did you suddenly think of... bringing me to see the sea."

The sea breeze lifted her cloak, making it sway like a gauzy veil.

"I don’t know."

"Did you bring me here because of a nightmare?" Anna tilted her head and asked.

"Yes."

"Would you like to tell me? About your dream."

"The dream is long."

"We have plenty of time, don’t we..."

"Yes."

The "dream" was indeed long; even without intentionally dragging it out, Lu Li spoke until evening when Belfast lit up.

Returning from the now chilling beach to the Detective Agency, Lu Li finally ended the story.

"I woke up in the Emerald Dream and saw you."

Anna could only comfortingly urge Lu Li to forget those things: "Dreams are opposite, and no matter what... I would never hurt you."

Lu Li said nothing.

Gradually, night fell; as usual, Anna softly said to Lu Li lying on the sofa: "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Lu Li replied.

The night was silent.

For the entire week afterward, Lu Li seemed no longer bothered by whether this was real or fake—at least not in front of Anna.

Lu Li avoided letting the Emerald Dream think he was a pitiable man trapped in fantasy.

It was like a tacit understanding between him and the Emerald Dream.

Lu Li kept the Emerald Dream’s expectations alive, and the Emerald Dream ensured Lu Li didn’t escape.

Yet, as time passed, the Emerald Dream seemed to grow weary, starting to proactively warn Lu Li: twice Anna attempted to murder Lu Li.

Once was when Anna found the task list in the drawer that said "Try to leave here," and another was realizing Mrs. Slav’s love letter.

Lu Li quietly waited.

Waiting for eternal night to depart.

On the fourteenth day at noon, Lu Li took out the dagger he’d found under the bed three days ago, to bid farewell to Anna who was cleaning with an apron on.

"I should go back."

"Those are false; it’s just a nightmare." Anna attempted to stop Lu Li but failed, and sobbingly said: "Why leave the dream... What’s wrong with it here? Everyone is alive; we can live here forever..."

Lu Li only gently said.

"She is waiting for me."