Chapter 1 The Apology

The old cowboy grinned, revealing a mouthful of smoke-stained yellow and black teeth, with a missing front tooth that let the wind whistle through when he bragged.

His appearance wasn't exactly impressive, not much different from the seedy old warehouse managers at the docks.

Suren couldn't figure out why this old cowboy, who should have been strong, looked so pathetic.

At least in terms of perception, he was much stronger than the Razor Party boss, "Brute Bear" Lawrence.

Suren even suspected that this guy had some mysterious Shinto methods and might be tricky to deal with.

But his opening move of admitting defeat was truly baffling.

At least not having to fight meant less trouble.

...

With a sheepish look on his old face, the old cowboy spilled everything to Suren.

"Don't get me wrong, sir. This matter has a little to do with us, but not much. I really don't know that 'Frost Demon'. We received a commission from an employer to find a kidnapped girl. As you can see, we rescued her."

The old man was tactful. He knew that this person could detect Emilia's second attempt to sneak in and save people, so he must have seen all their previous actions. Naturally, he had also noticed his own role in covering them.

There was no point in hiding the process.

Besides, given the "blood-colored gold coin" result of the divination, this was definitely a heartless killer.

Rather than hiding and being misunderstood, it was better to be honest and avoid trouble.

The old cowboy swallowed nervously and continued, "Then this girl caused trouble... Fortunately, you stepped in to defuse the situation, sir, otherwise it would have been a disaster."

As he spoke, he nudged the short-haired woman beside him with his elbow, urging impatiently, "Hey, Emilia, hurry up and thank this gentleman for saving your life!"

Although Emilia knew in her heart that this person had saved her, and she should be grateful,

looking at his face, she still remembered the scenes in the club just now and still thought... what a hateful guy!

If she had to describe the lesson, it had certainly left a deep impression.

But she still thanked him with mixed feelings, "Thank you, sir."

Suren raised an eyebrow noncommittally, "So?"

He seemed to care little about the small favor he had done.

Knowing that he was asking about the assassination on the street, the old cowboy quickly explained, "As you know, sir, this club is Razor Party territory. To rescue this troublemaking girl, I had to think of other ways. I happened to see Count Bronny there, so I sold the information to a colleague... The result is what you saw."

As he spoke, he looked at Suren's expressionless face and reiterated, "I swear, I really don't know that 'Frost Demon'."

"Oh?"

Suren snorted softly.

This guy probably didn't know that he had already sensed that his soul was special. He was continuing to pretend.

After all, with this guy's strength, even forcing his way into the club wouldn't have been a problem.

Even with the sixth-tier "Augustus" in the club.

But he didn't intend to pry into other people's secrets.

At least the two of them had left him with a good impression for their actions in saving people in the club earlier.

Since this old cowboy wanted to play the weakling, Suren didn't plan to expose him.

It was easier to communicate about some things if he didn't expose him.

Suren glanced at the old man, seemingly uninterested, and deliberately probed, "So... you let an innocent nobleman suffer misfortune in order to save people?"

Hearing this, the old cowboy was about to explain something, but Emilia, thinking that Suren was biased towards the interests of the nobility, couldn't help but interject, defending her teacher, "That Count Bronny deserved to die! He is one of the shareholders of this club and the protector of the entire illegal human trafficking operation in London. This kind of sinful guy deserves to die a hundred times, a thousand times!"

Suren still had an expressionless face as he listened, seemingly unsurprised.

He didn't care about the assassination of a nobleman.

Anyway, since this old man liked to play the weakling, he continued to inquire, "Tell me about the commission. How did you come here?"

The old cowboy said, "As you can see, we are private detectives. We previously accepted a commission from a businessman to find his kidnapped little daughter. Then, based on some clues, we found this place. And then, you know the rest."

So it really was a detective.

That was about what he had guessed. Suren then asked, "Do you know why those people kidnapped those girls?"

The corners of the old cowboy's eyes twitched inexplicably, and he said decisively, "I don't know."

"Hmm?"

Suren questioned coldly.

Clearly, this old man knew some facts, otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have been so cautious.

Seeing that he intended to get to the bottom of things, the old cowboy's expression immediately turned miserable, "Oh, sir, please don't make things difficult for us little detectives who are just trying to earn a living. Human trafficking is a deep-rooted problem in the Empire's system, and behind it are top noble lords. What do you want me to say?"

What he said made sense,

but Suren didn't intend to let this slippery old cowboy off so easily and said faintly, "Tell me what you know."

The old cowboy wore a bitter face, hesitated, and finally said, "In the past year or two, there have been many cases of missing girls from commoner families in London and the surrounding territories. Hmm... this time may be earlier, but I only started paying attention to these kinds of cases around that time."

Hearing this opening, Suren knew that this guy knew a lot: "And then?"

The old cowboy continued, "I have also handled several cases of this kind of disappearance, and I haven't been able to find the person every time. Later, during the investigation and visits, I also discovered some commonalities in the cases. The missing girls are all between 12-26 years old, and they are all formal professionals. The kidnappers don't want ransom, and it's not revenge..."

Suren frowned slightly as he listened. Although he had already guessed that these girls were being sucked dry by that "Augustus" to dilute the cursed properties of the vampire ring, he still felt uneasy.

He asked, "Then have you found out why those people are kidnapping these girls?"

The old cowboy shook his head like a rattle drum, as if deliberately avoiding the question, "No."

Suren glared again, "??????"

Seeing the threatening look that he was about to take action at any moment, the old cowboy reluctantly said again, "I've heard that some evil sacrifices require the blood of pure girls. As for why this age, it's because if they're too young, their fate is uncertain, and the sacrificial effect is not good; if they're too old, even if they're virgins, they've been defiled by the world. Maybe... I mean maybe, it might be for some ritual used by some big shot."

Suren pondered for a moment as he listened.

It had to be said that this old cowboy was truly a capable person.

Although he looked like a wimp who didn't want to get into trouble, it could be seen that he analyzed things very thoroughly.

It would have been impossible to get to this stage without deliberately investigating.

There was actually a subtle understanding in the conversation between the two.

This old cowboy saw what Suren wanted to ask, which was also what he wanted to say himself.

They used this method to ask and answer.

Emilia, who was beside them, didn't understand the subtlety between the two people's conversation and felt that this greasy man was even more hateful, coercing an old man and forcing him with his tone. Her gaze became more and more unkind.

At this time, Suren asked again, "What's the deal with the 'Frost Demon'?"

The old cowboy said again, "I really don't know about this. It's just that a newcomer has appeared in London's 'Assassin Alliance' recently, nicknamed the 'Frost Demon'. This guy is very strong and good at using the power of the ice law. Moreover, almost all of the assassinations he carries out are on big shots, and his ranking is rising very fast. But his origin is very mysterious, and no one has ever seen anything like his abilities before. So I've only heard of him."

These messages could be inquired about, and the truth could be known with a single question. Suren then asked, "Why did someone want to kill Count Bronny?"

The old cowboy replied, "I really don't know about this. Political matters are not something that ordinary people like us can ask about."

This time, Suren didn't ask any further.

The old man had actually answered even though he said he didn't.

Since it was a political assassination, then the "Frost Demon" was working for his employer.

Suren knew that it was Duke Raphael behind it and that the assassinated Count Bronny was from the Rodriguez family, who happened to be political enemies.

After asking for a long time, Suren also confirmed that the two of them had nothing to do with the previous "Frost Demon" and didn't know much.

He didn't intend to make things difficult for them.

But suddenly, Suren thought of something and confirmed again, "Are you a detective?"

The old cowboy had obviously guessed something and gave a preventive shot in advance, "Yes, but we are just third-rate detectives in London. Our main business is investigating extramarital affairs and finding lost cats and dogs... We can't take on big cases."

Suren didn't want to listen to his nonsense and said directly, "I have a commission. It won't cause trouble."

This old cowboy was very strong and also a very good detective. He might be able to help investigate some information.

"Doesn't cause trouble?"

Hearing this, the old cowboy dared to answer. He didn't even ask what the commission was and said with a greedy look, "How's the reward?"

Suren didn't waste any words and directly took out a stack of banknotes, "A hundred thousand deposit. I'll pay the final payment depending on the investigation results."

Seeing how readily he gave money, the old cowboy's old face immediately showed a strong interest. Seeing the money, this guy suddenly seemed to have changed his face and said with a flattering smile, "Honorable client, what do you want to investigate?"

Suren took out a communication card and said, "Recently, a 'Red Death' is spreading in the London market. I want to know where the source came from. Contact me at any time if you have any news. The contact information is on this."

The old cowboy had obviously heard of this disease. A thoughtful look flashed across his eyes, and he directly agreed, "Okay!"

Suren didn't plan to stay any longer and turned around and left.

...

Seeing the person leave, Emilia said angrily, "Old man, why were you so polite to that guy? Why did you say so much to such an annoying guy?"

The old cowboy touched the bulging money bag and said meaningfully, "That person is not simple."

"Tch!"

Emilia was still standing up for her teacher for being forced just now, muttering, "He's just a little stronger. You don't necessarily can't beat him."

But the old cowboy shook his head and didn't respond to this, but instead sighed, "Girl, you see things too superficially. That person's strength is definitely beyond your imagination. Moreover, do you think ordinary people would be interested in those kinds of intelligence? Besides, he saved you. You should be grateful."

During the few sentences of conversation just now, both sides were probing each other, and the old man saw something deeper.

Hearing this, Emilia looked unwilling, but she was also suspicious of herself: Did I look very stupid?

She felt like she had listened to the entire conversation just now, but she didn't understand it.

...

Suren originally wanted to look around the neighborhood to see if he could find any other clues, but there was no chance.

An Imperial Earl was assassinated on the street, and he was also a member of parliament. The matter was very big.

In just a few minutes, dozens of mounted police from several surrounding blocks arrived, and many police cars from the London Metropolitan Police also drove over. There were also people in plain clothes, who at first glance looked like they were from military intelligence, mixed in with the crowd.

Then there were the reporters who flocked in upon hearing the news.

These people blocked the entire nightclub district.

The clubs were checked one by one, and suspicious people would be investigated on the spot.

Suren didn't intend to cause trouble and could only leave first.

He used the communicator to ask Sabina.

The assassin "Frost Demon" was indeed quite famous recently and specialized in assassinating politicians. But everyone thought he was an ice-type professional, and there was very little information.

If Suren hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have thought that this was a black technology product developed by Duke Raphael.

He asked Dr. Banks in the Little Void Realm and learned more.

In Duke Raphael's "Neuro-Mechanical Project," there was once a topic called "Frost Demon Specter."

That was to directly leave behind a person's brain and nervous system, removing all other body tissues.

In this way, the person's soul would not have enough carriers and would easily drift out, turning into a special condensed state that could carry and manipulate absolute extremely cold energy, which was the ghost-like form that Suren saw with his all-knowing eye.

This was just a theoretical topic.

But now he saw the real thing.

If it could be mass-produced, it might be like the mechanical revolution of the former Mafa Empire, and it might not change the pattern of future battlefields.

However, the pattern of the two empires' war was not so easy to change, and small fries like Suren didn't care much.

He asked about the situation of the old cowboy, but Sabina had actually heard of him.

The old cowboy was indeed quite famous in London's detective circle and was considered a more "oddball".

The old man didn't tell a lie. This guy was an expert in catching all kinds of extramarital affairs and was known in the industry as "Friend of London's Rich Women."

He had a good reputation, but he never took on big cases.

He only took on some cases that were well-paid, didn't cause trouble, and that other detectives couldn't solve.

His whole person revealed a style of secretly developing and being timid and afraid of trouble.

Suren also found it quite interesting.

Because after chatting for a few sentences just now, he vaguely had a feeling that the old man seemed to be the same type of person as himself.

That guy was a coward on the surface, but he used this to suppress the terrifying demon in his heart.

Just like his past self.

Suren once again lamented that the water in London was very deep.

.......

The news of Count Bronny's assassination spread throughout London like wildfire. A few minutes later, almost all well-informed nobles had received this information.

At the same time, in a luxurious mansion in the wealthy noble district north of the Rockwater River.

A girl with a waterfall of purple hair was trying on a dress in front of a dressing mirror.

In the dressing mirror, there was a pearl-white classical court dress, adorned with gold and silver patterns.

The style was elegant and grand, and it also revealed wealth. There was nothing to criticize.

Looking at the dress she would wear at the wedding where she would receive the Empress's blessing in half a month, her cold eyes did not show too much satisfaction or dissatisfaction as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She was just a little tired from changing so many sets, so Yekaterina said indifferently, "Okay, let's go with this one."

Hearing this, the top tailors of the Russian Empire breathed a sigh of relief and retreated together.

At this time, the old butler, who had been waiting at the door for a while, came in and reported, "Miss, Count Bronny was assassinated ten minutes ago. The murderer was the 'Frost Demon'. It looks like Duke Raphael is giving a warning to those who voted against his military equipment bill."

Yekaterina didn't seem surprised and didn't respond.

The old butler then said, "There has been some movement in the batch of imported equipment that you asked your subordinates to pay close attention to recently. Viscount Brody, who was in charge of the shipyard, died suddenly at home, and that batch of equipment also mysteriously disappeared. The clues point to the Full Moon Ball."

Hearing this, Yekaterina seemed to have thought of something and said a few more words, "Don't touch the Full Moon Ball. Although that old man is easy to get along with, he is nearing the end of his life after all. Don't cause him any trouble."

"Yes, Miss."

The old butler nodded and asked, "Shall we continue to track the whereabouts of that batch of equipment?"

Yekaterina raised her eyebrows slightly, "No need. Since it didn't fall into the hands of Duke Raphael, there's no need to worry about it. Besides, I probably know who that batch of equipment fell into the hands of."

Thinking about it, she continued, "Send more people to infiltrate Duke Raphael's secret arsenal. Mechanical technology will definitely become the mainstream in the future. Having those secret technologies in our hands will give us more say on the future battlefield."

"Yes."

Hearing this, the old butler nodded like a qualified mouthpiece.

He also said, "After the evaluation by the Council of Elders, they asked me to ask you, Miss, since you have chosen to marry the second son of the Riegeldi family, then that William Young Master may become a major threat in the future. The family's interests may suffer losses due to a powerful heir to the throne. See if it is necessary to deal with it in advance."

Yekaterina said indifferently, "There's no need. Doing so will not only attract huge resistance from all sides, but it will also make our Lance family look too petty."

The old butler continued, "But according to intelligence, Riegeldi's eldest son, William, and his maternal family line are very close to Duke Raphael, and it looks like they already have some secret cooperation."

Yekaterina didn't take it to heart and said, "It would be strange if there were no actions. Those old guys from Riegeldi also want to restore the country with all their hearts. They plan to marry the second son to our Lance family and also lean towards Raphael, playing both sides. Duke Raphael doesn't have enough foundation and happens to need the resources of this old royal family of Riegeldi. Hehe... It's good that they cooperate. When I take control of the Riegeldi family, it will save me a lot of trouble."

Speaking of this, she could already hear footsteps outside. She waved her hand and said, "Tell the Council of Elders that they don't need to worry about the matters on Riegeldi's side. I have my own plans. If there is only one heir to the throne, it doesn't matter whether it is the eldest son or not."

"Yes."

The old butler understood and didn't say any more. He also said, "Miss, there is one more thing. The wedding date is coming soon, but that 'Young Master Fick' hasn't shown up yet. The madam asked me to ask if we should contact him?"

Yekaterina, "No need. If he says he'll come, he'll definitely come."

The old butler bowed with his hand on his chest and retreated, "Yes, Miss."

Just as he finished speaking, a blonde beauty happened to walk to the door.

She looked at Yekaterina, who was wearing a dress, with a smile and made no secret of her envy and admiration, "Wow~ Katyusha, your dress is so beautiful! Oh, I'm glad I came back in time. If I couldn't attend my best friend's wedding, I would regret it for the rest of my life."

Her name was Anna Phillips, the daughter of the Marquis of Crescent, and Yekaterina's childhood playmate, best friend, and classmate.

Anna walked over and unceremoniously grabbed Yekaterina's dress to look it up and down, and then joked, "Oh, Katyusha, you are so beautiful. If I were a man, I would definitely be fascinated by you."

Yekaterina shook her head with a smile and didn't say any more about this topic. Instead, she asked with a teasing tone, "Anna, what about you? How did it feel to go to the south?"

Hearing this, Anna's spirited expression suddenly dimmed, and she pouted, "Not good. The marriage partner that the family chose for me is a mining tycoon family in the south. I heard that he is a few grades ahead of us. I still had a little expectation before. I completely lost hope when I went there. He is a big fat pig with acne all over his face. No matter how gorgeous the clothes are, they can't hide his vulgarity, lust, and incompetence. It's terrible."

As she spoke, she shrugged and showed a helpless expression.

As children of noble families, they knew from an early age that this was their destiny.

Anna seemed to have completely resigned herself to her fate and didn't have much emotional fluctuation, but she was quite helpless, "So... I plan to live in London for a long time after I get married. Maybe I will be like my aunts and find a few handsome lovers. God, I used to have fantasies about love, but now that I think about it, it seems that I can only follow the path of my elders. There is no choice at all."

Yekaterina also frowned slightly as she listened and felt sorry for her best friend.

She was so beautiful, cultured, elegant, and talented in literature.

Unfortunately, she would still have to take this path in the end.

However, she didn't say much and only said, "Okay. We can still meet often if you settle in London in the future. I was worried that you wouldn't come back from the south."

Anna also felt that being able to meet her best friend was probably the only thing worth looking forward to.

She didn't talk about her own affairs and instead asked, "By the way, Katyusha, what about you? I heard that you chose the second son of the Riegeldi family?"

As she spoke, she helped Katyusha tidy up her dress and asked in confusion, "I said, Katyusha, since you are both marrying for the sake of the family, why did you choose a good-for-nothing from the Riegeldi family? Given the current situation in the Empire, choosing William is the most suitable choice. Besides, William is handsome and talented. Even if you don't like him, you will think he is not bad. Besides, if your two families really get married, it may be a little troublesome in the short term, but others won't dare to really stop it."

Yekaterina smiled and said lightly, "That 'Fick' is not as unbearable as the outside world says."

Anna was slightly surprised and blinked, "Ah... you have already met him?"

Yekaterina raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "I have met him."

Anna felt that her best friend's expression was a little strange, "What is he like?"

"Hmm... well, let me think about it."

Yekaterina thought of something and thought for a long time.

Seeing Anna looking at her with anticipation,

she said in a very calm tone, "In the eyes of most people, he should be the kind of person who is wise, gentlemanly, stable, responsible, and kind... A very good friend. Of course, for me, it is enough to be suitable."

"?????"

Hearing that series of praises, Anna was stunned for a moment.

Then she realized what she had heard.

Her best friend actually had such a high opinion of a man?

She exclaimed in surprise, "Ah... you... you... you wouldn't have really fallen for that 'Fick', would you?"

Hearing this, Yekaterina pondered for a moment and suddenly raised the corners of her mouth.

Katyusha's choice can also be considered her own choice.

There was nothing to hide from her best friend about things she wouldn't mention to anyone else.

She shook her head, but then raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I guess so."

Her expression and the words she said seemed a little contradictory.

"God... God...!"

Anna looked shocked, and her crystal eyes were full of incredulous expressions, as if she had heard the most outrageous words in the world, "I thought there was no man in this world who could catch your eye. As a result... you... you..."

She was so shocked that she was a little incoherent.

Yekaterina had a smile on her face, but there was no fluctuation in her eyes. She only said, "Since it's all about marriage, then choose one that is pleasing to the eye."

Anna felt that her brain couldn't seem to digest such shocking news.

She gently caressed her chest, which was rising and falling sharply, and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "This is too incredible. What did that Young Master 'Fick' do to make our angel-like beautiful Miss Katyusha actually have worldly thoughts?"

What did he do?

Yekaterina recalled the poem deep in her memory that seemed to praise the mountain flowers in spring.

It was not too strong and not too weak, but just right.

But,

there was no need to go into details.

Looking at her best friend's gossipy eyes, Yekaterina's beautiful face rarely raised a playful smile and then gave a response that was more like a little prank, "Me."

"?????"

Anna's expression froze.

What does that mean?

What did he do...

Me?

After savoring their conversation just now for a moment, she suddenly realized.

Then, as if she had discovered a new continent, Anna's eyes lit up with the fire of gossip. She exclaimed loudly, disregarding her ladylike image, "Ah... God! Is this world crazy? Either I'm crazy or you're crazy... Oh, no! I must go and see what that 'Fick' looks like!"