Chapter 351: Night Raid (Part 2)

"Mm."

After responding flatly, Renard studied his secretary, suspiciously asking:

"Where did you go? It was just a simple order—why did it take so long?"

"The guard on duty was asleep and wouldn't wake up no matter how much I called, so it took longer. And on the way, a stray cat startled me. Sorry…"

After giving a vague reply, "Mark" trudged back to his desk and resumed reviewing the unfinished documents.

Back at his desk, Renard glanced at the pale dawn sky and suddenly felt a sharp ache in his lower back and shoulders; he couldn't help yawning, then waved wearily:

"Stop for now. We're done for today. I'm going to rest."

"Tomorrow afternoon, we're meeting the president of the Wangdu Commercial Association to discuss imposing an additional monopoly tax on the big companies led by Charles Department Store. You should also lie down in the anteroom for a bit—don't be late tomorrow!"

"Understood."

Hearing Renard's words, the secretary rose immediately and followed closely behind him as they left the office and entered the dimly lit corridor.

As the two walked one after the other down the corridor, beneath the cold gaze of portrait paintings on either side, their shadows stretched longer and longer behind them, until the secretary "Mark's" shadow crept closer and closer, gradually covering Renard's head, nearly engulfing him entirely.

"By the way, how's that woman from Baohua Estate?"

Unaccustomed to his loquacious secretary's silence along the way, Renard awkwardly broke it:

"Is she still living in the garden?"

"…"

Upon hearing Renard's question, "Mark's" shadow paused slightly, stopped elongating, and softly murmured:

"Yes, she still lives in a small wooden hut in a corner of the garden, with your daughter."

Your daughter…

"Shut up! Don't mention that monster! She's not my daughter!"

Renard's body froze instantly. He turned, eyes blazing with fury:

"Damn it! I drowned that monster myself long ago! But she… MARK!!! How dare you? How dare you bring her up in front of me?!!"

"Sorry! Marquis, I'm sorry! I spoke out of turn!"

Startled awake by Renard's sudden rage, the secretary, realizing his mistake, slapped himself hard, snapping out of his dazed, half-asleep state, trembling like a leaf:

"I… I just… I must've been too tired… Marquis… I… I…"

"Enough! Shut your mouth!"

Scowling with disgust at his secretary, Renard, already planning to find an excuse to dismiss him tomorrow, coldly warned:

"I'll let this slide because you've stayed up late helping me and your mind's fuzzy. But if you utter another word about her, don't blame me."

"I… I remember, Marquis, I remember!"

Snorting in irritation, Renard, now that the topic was open, pressed on:

"I ordered you to clear out the estate—did she see it? Did she say anything?"

"She… probably saw it."

After a flicker in his gaze, "Mark" replied:

"But she said nothing, didn't interfere—she just picked up the Baohua family crest from the trash pile in front of the main house."

"I see… Hmph."

Renard sneered with contempt:

"After that incident, I actually saw her twice more. Back then, her gaze at me felt like she was looking at a dead man—I was terrified for a long time."

"But now… hah. It seems the Cleanup Bureau's hold on her is stronger than I thought. She doesn't even dare step forward to stop us. The last of the Baohua… that's all."

"Cleanup Bureau? What's that?"

"It's… a secret division under the Police Force."

Glancing at his curious secretary behind him, Renard regretted his careless slip—why had he mentioned that dangerous organization? But after a moment's thought, he explained, his eyes tinged with wariness:

"They possess unusual abilities, capable of things ordinary people can't do. They handle special cases. Their recruitment criteria are extreme; most people have never even heard of them, and those who do quickly forget. I only know of them because that woman was chosen by them—they placed a Word-Spell on me to keep me from approaching her, which is why I still remember."

"So there really is such a miraculous organization…"

The secretary sighed in awe, then asked anxiously:

"Marquis Renard, if that woman from Baohua Estate joined the Cleanup Bureau, doesn't that mean she has unusual abilities too?"

My lord Renard, since that woman from Bao Hua Estate was able to join the Cleanup Bureau, she must have some unusual ability, right?

Renard couldn't help glancing back again at his strange secretary. He reasoned that even if the man learned this now, he'd forget it tomorrow morning anyway. And after years of silence, he truly wanted someone to listen. So he answered:

"I don't know the details, but I suspect her ability is resurrection."

Although I'm not entirely sure, I suspect her ability is very likely to bring people back to life!

"Yes! Resurrection! She might desecrate the souls of the dead!"

Renard nodded, continuing forward as he spoke, voice thick with dread:

"Back then, I clearly… well, that monster child you mentioned—she was definitely dead. But that madwoman kept buying children's clothes."

"When I noticed something was wrong, I thought she'd gone insane. But the men I sent to investigate actually saw a little girl within the garden grounds! I even saw her myself through a telescope—her features were identical to… identical to that monster child!"

After I realized something was wrong, I thought she'd gone mad—but the scout I sent there actually saw a little girl within the garden's boundaries! I even saw her myself through binoculars—her features were identical to… identical to that monster child from before!

"Damn it! If this opportunity hadn't been so rare, and if the Finance Minister and the Queen hadn't ordered me, I'd never have set foot near that damned estate!"

"Mm, I think I can imagine. And even if I can't imagine it now, I'll see it soon enough."???

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Hearing his secretary's strange reply, Renard whirled around, furious:

"Damn it, Mark! What's wrong with you today? You… how are you here?!"

"I came to see you."

A clear, sweet child's voice answered cheerfully:

"I wanted to see what the man who drowned me looked like. And…"

The little girl who replaced the dream-Mark smiled before Renard's horrified eyes, her gaze innocent as she asked:

"Where's my body? Where did you throw it? Tell me, please?"

Where is my corpse? Where did you dump my corpse? Please tell me, okay?

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"