Lord of the Mysteries

Old Kohler seemed to be a slightly afraid of her ferocity as he subconsciously took a step back.

“Liv, this is a detective, and he w-wishes to help you find Daisy.”

Liv’s wrinkled, peeling face turned to Klein and said coldly, “We’ve already made a police report.”

Although she was perhaps in her thirties, she looked to be in her fifties.

Klein looked around the room where many wet clothes hung. He vaguely remembered the last time he was here. There had been a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, carefully holding a crude homemade iron to iron the clothes which had wrinkled from being hung to dry. Her hands had been covered with burns.

She’s the “missing” Daisy… Klein looked back at the laundry maid, Liv, and said in a neutral tone, “Do you believe that the East Borough police will really be looking for Daisy?

“Are you sure the people who caused Daisy to go ‘missing’ wouldn’t cast their sights on your family?

“Do you wish to lose another daughter after losing one?”

When the cruel yet heart-wrenching words reached Liv’s ears, the indifferent expression on her face slowly crumbled. She turned agape, but she couldn’t say anything. The corners of her eyes gradually turned red.

She abruptly lowered her head and muttered to herself in pain and despair, “I don’t have any money…”

The room suddenly became silent. Even the sobbing girl didn’t make another sound.

Klein pursed his lips and let out a silent sigh.

“I occasionally do volunteer work, simply to help others. Heh heh, I haven’t done so in a long time, so please give me a chance.”

“Volunteer work?” Liv lifted her head and ruminated over the phrase.

Klein nodded slightly and answered, “The job will be done pro bono. No, it is not completely free either. Kindness will bring me great satisfaction.

“Since you have no other solutions, why not give it a try?”

Liv was silent for a moment. She raised her hand, which had wrinkled from being soaked in water for an extended period of time, wiped her eyes, and said in a low voice, “Mr. Detective, you… you really are a kind and good gentleman…”

Her voice suddenly became choked with sobs.

“… This was what happened—at midday before yesterday, at noon, Daisy delivered a load of washed laundry under Freja’s lead. It was just outside East Borough, and they needed to cross several streets.

“In order to rush back for lunch, Freja had chosen a secluded alley, but a momentary distraction left her realizing that Daisy, who had been following her, was gone.

“She retraced her route but never found Daisy, and Daisy hasn’t come back yet.

“Where did this happen, Freja?”

named Freja had already stood up, her eyes were red

in Broken Axe Lane, Mister Detective. Will Daisy

replied without much

police dog. It has an

Liv thought for a moment and said with a sad

if the situation had

she blinked and

“Daisy’s vocabulary book!”

book?” Old

school at night. I can keep washing clothes, but they can’t

such a good mother… Klein

amount of paper. It was an education that was need-blind, and it would at most involve

method was established. Teachers would arrive early, gather the few students who had the best academic progress, imbue them with

as the technical workers’ workshop, which were truly accessible to the poor, and one of the few outlets to escape

were too few similar organizations, and it

in her bed every day. She

to the bunk bed and took out a stack of crumpled paper from under

extended periods of time, the

the sheets of paper were worn out, as though they had been turned over and

Klein the so-called vocabulary book, which had no binding at all, and

answered very

it was something that had accompanied her all this while.

the vocabulary book and said, “Then I’ll start

watch as Klein and Old Kohler leave, repeating the words “thank you,” “thank you, Mr.

apartment, Klein turned to Old Kohler and said, “You should pay attention to those female textile workers who lost their jobs, especially those who have neither found new jobs nor become street girls, and pay more attention to those who have gone off to

to your own safety. Ask less and listen more. If you do this well, you’ll get a

Old Kohler

a moment, he asked with a tone full of expectation, “You’ll find Daisy, won’t you, Mister

only say that I will do my best.” Klein

Kohler sighed and smiled

very unwilling to see this

and walked towards another

at a leisurely pace, wrapping Daisy’s “vocabulary book” around the head of the cane and, without attracting any attention,

It’s not possible to confirm if I’m suffering any interference or misdirection… He looked down at the direction in which the cane was going to fall and put

Klein went all the way out of East Borough and

directions, stopped at Iris Street, near Cherwood Borough and West Borough. It stopped in front of a house with a vast lawn, a wide

this moment, Klein’s cane had fallen down inside

window, Klein could see the guards patrolling inside the gates

inside was

made him sense that there was great danger hidden

a dangerous place?Klein thought for a few seconds, then