Chapter 1042

After bidding farewell to the mechanic, Xia De, who felt as if he had been running around the city all day, took a carriage from the steam factory in the West City of Tobesk to the North District. Of course, he did not forget to hide his tracks to prevent being followed.

It was already evening when he returned to Noer Alley No. 7. The sky was dim. To avoid attracting attention, Miss Brown had extinguished the brazier and was huddled between two suitcases, wrapped in her clothes and leaning against the wall.

During the time Xia De was away, she seemed to have left as well; at least, Xia De had not seen those two suitcases before he left.

Miss Brown was still being hunted and could be found at any time, so Xia De did not waste time with small talk. He informed Miss Brown of the decision made by her fiancé, Mr. Fellinger, and the former agent's eyes immediately turned red:

"He... I have deceived countless people in my life, yet I never expected to receive such trust and affection."

"Miss, don't waste time singing praises to love; we aren't performing an opera. What is your decision now?"

Xia De pointed toward the direction of central Tobesk:

"If Mr. Fellinger is lucky, he should have already entered the sewers by now. And you, you should decide immediately what to do next. Leave with him? Or reject him?"

"I want to leave with him, but it's impossible for us to leave. I know MI6's style. Tobesk train station must be crawling with their people, and the main exits from the city must be blocked. There might even be a semi-martial law in the city tonight. I know the style of the Sixth Bureau, and I know Director Anluosi's personality. They hate traitors more than enemies."

Miss Brown wiped her eyes, wanting to write another letter:

"Sir, please deliver one last letter to him for me... He doesn't need to wait."

Xia De's mouth twitched a few times, and he asked somewhat strangely:

"Oh, don't write any more letters. I've delivered enough letters today... How did you know I was a good person?"

"What?"

Miss Brown looked at him in confusion.

Xia De exhaled through his nose, closed his eyes, and thought for a moment:

"After leaving here, if you can leave, what do you plan to do?"

"Completely distance ourselves from all of this. We will never come back."

Xia De opened his eyes; they were very bright:

"That's fine. Consider it me being in a good mood today and helping you out. If you want to leave with him, I can try to find a way for you, though I'm not sure if it will work, just that I'll try... Wait here, I'll be back within two hours."

He and Miss Brown synchronized their watches:

"Seriously, to have me encounter such a thing."

He complained and stood up. Although Miss Brown had difficulty walking, she still stood up hesitantly to see him off. At the doorway, she asked embarrassedly:

"May I ask... why are you helping me?"

Xia De looked back at her:

"Just consider it my occasional act of kindness. You're lucky that I'm in a good mood today and have nothing else to do... Don't forget my reward. I'm taking risks to help you, not just for my own spiritual satisfaction."

Although Miss Brown could be considered a traitor to Dellarion, if he went to find Miss Miss Jia Lin Na, that Great Witch would likely agree to help, and she had such power in Tobesk.

But unfortunately, Miss Brown's departure could not be delayed, and if he wanted to travel back and forth to Miss Jia Lin Na's manor outside the city, it would likely waste too much time. Therefore, Xia De intended to ask for Princess Lei Qianya's help.

As a loyal patriot and Dellarionist, although his Princess would surely loathe such a traitor to the kingdom and might even want to shoot Miss Brown herself, for his sake, and because Miss Brown had not actually caused harm to the kingdom, Lei Qianya might provide help.

It was just that Miss Brown's luck was truly bad today. Xia De first went to Quill Street to find Duo Luo Xi, but learned from the landlady that the blonde writer had gone to attend a year-end gathering of writers and would likely not return until around nine in the evening.

So Xia De went to the flower shop opposite the Yodel Palace, wanting to contact the little Princess, A Jie Li Na, to find Lei Qianya. A Jie Li Na was indeed at the Yodel Palace, but unfortunately, Lei Qianya was not; she had accompanied Empress Diana to the outskirts of the city for a stroll and would not return until after nine in the evening.

A Jie Li Na was very enthusiastic about asking Xia De if he needed help in her reply to the maid, but the little Princess did not have Lei Qianya's influence. Rashly involving A Jie Li Na in this matter would likely cause trouble, so Xia De politely refused her and continued to look for someone who could help him.

The trouble he currently faced was that MI6 was searching the entire city for Miss Brown and Mr. Fellinger. He did not want to seek help from his fellow Ringed Shushi friends, but wanted to find someone with power to provide a way to leave the city safely.

But without the help of the ladies, Xia De suddenly realized that he had no high-ranking, powerful friends in this city worth trusting. To escape a search led by MI6, the power required was not something a minor civil servant could provide.

"This is a disaster."

Seeing the sun setting and having no other options for the moment, Xia De could only go home to feed the cat, then go to Canary Manor to see Princess Margaret.

The Princess's afternoon schedule had just ended. When she saw Xia De at the manor, she had originally asked in a good mood whether the letter had been given to Miss Brown, but Xia De told her about Miss Brown's dire situation:

"Simply put, Miss Brown has been exposed."

Xia De sat in the chair in the study:

"Although I don't believe in the superstition of the law of conservation of luck, today is undoubtedly the unluckiest day of that lady's life. But it probably isn't the unluckiest; after all, the unluckiest situation would be if MI6 found her before I did."

Actually, the unluckiest day was eight years ago when she was driven away because the Princess in front of him "didn't like purple cabbage," but Xia De didn't have the heart to point that out.

"Hmph, that is the price of her disloyalty."

Princess Margaret stood in her study, facing away from the window. At this time, only the last ray of sunset remained outside, and the gas lamps used to illuminate the courtyard of Canary Manor had already been lit:

"One must be responsible for what one has done. Detective, I think you shouldn't pity her."

She saw through Xia De's thoughts and knew he was pitying that woman:

"The only one who can help oneself is oneself. She is paying the price for her own actions."

"If it were only her, I could probably only feel sorry for her plight, but today I saw another story."

Xia De then told the love story of Miss Brown and Mr. Fellinger. This story was not long, but it was very interesting:

"I have never really believed in the love found in classical knight novels, but this time I believe it a little. Mr. Fellinger is truly sincere, and even while on the run, Miss Brown does not forget Mr. Fellinger. For the sake of this uncommon love, I am determined to help them."

He looked helplessly at the sunset behind the Princess. Because Princess Margaret was facing away from the window, her entire face was plunged into shadow.

"Of course, my abilities are limited. I won't expose my identity as a Ringed Shushi for a stranger. If there's really no way, I can only temporarily take Miss Brown to the sewers to find Mr. Fellinger, let them hide inside, and then provide them with drinking water and food regularly, hoping that MI6's search will end as soon as possible."

Princess Margaret was silent for a moment:

"You are quite kind."

"After all, life is either boring or requires facing choices one has to make. Occasionally seeing something beautiful, I am still willing to protect it."

"A very interesting attitude toward life."

"Yes."

Xia De revealed a smile:

"Although I don't consider myself a good person in the traditional sense, at least someone has certified that I belong to the Lawful Good alignment."

He stood up as he said this:

"I should be going. Miss Brown is still waiting for me. Also, can you give me some anti-inflammatory herbs? That lady treated her own gunshot wound. If she is to live in the sewers, she needs more medicine. You know, special materials like holy water are best not touched by ordinary people."

Xia De made this request for medicine, but immediately thought that the Princess in front of him actually held a grudge against Miss Brown, who had deceived her for eight years, so he shook his head again:

"No, I'll go into the city and buy them myself. MI6 shouldn't be monitoring everyone who buys medicine for gunshot wounds. After all, this is just a defecting agent, not the legendary Gray Hawk."

"You actually know about the 'Gray Hawk'..."

Princess Margaret asked, and as Xia De was about to shake his head, she said again:

"Tonight, I have a ship departing from the Terraril River, transporting goods to the downstream town of Bels, and then from Bels, it will be loaded onto trucks and transported back to Karsenrik by rail and train."

Although it was winter, the Terraril River, which ran through the city, was used by steam companies to discharge high-heat sewage, so it was miraculously not going to freeze completely until late December, at least in the river sections within the city.

This week was likely the last time cargo ships could pass through before the river froze.

"So..."

Xia De looked at her, unable to believe it.

Princess Margaret hummed softly:

"I'm just telling you this. That cargo ship is transporting local specialties from Tobesk back to my country; it counts as me doing some of my own business while visiting. The captain is my man, but if you show him this, he will be very willing to provide you with help."

As she spoke, she went to the desk and wrote a letter. But after signing her name and putting it into an envelope, she did not hand it to Xia De, but placed it on the desktop:

"I will not help her. She deceived me, and she deserves to be caught by MI6."

Those eyes still held hostility:

"I will not forgive those who have deceived me. This is my principle."

After finishing, she said to Xia De somewhat coldly:

"Detective, let's end today's visit here. I have other things to do tonight. You've been running around all day for a stranger; in my opinion, you'd be better off thinking more about your own affairs instead of being so willing to help others."

"Going to investigate that maid today wasn't to help others, it was to help you."

Xia De smiled, and the Princess's face seemed to flush:

"Leave quickly, Xia De. I don't want to see you again today."

"What an interesting personality."

Xia De whispered in his heart, then stood up from the sofa:

"Then, Your Highness, I shall take my leave. I wish you a pleasant evening."

He went to the desk, picked up the letter, and left with it.

Margaret Anjou stood in the study for a long time without speaking. Suddenly, she walked from the desk to the window and looked out at the courtyard.

At this moment, the detective, who was striding toward the manor gate for fear of wasting time, appeared in her field of vision. The gas lamps on both sides of the path illuminated his figure:

"Truly a nice person. This is what they call the spirit of chivalry, I suppose."

She said softly, her eyes fixed on Xia De's hurried back:

"Pity, I still want to become... the teacher's apprentice... Yes, I will not change."