The large room seemed extremely empty, and everything was quiet, so quiet that one could clearly hear the cold wind outside the window, the wood in the fireplace burning and collapsing, and the clock slowly advancing.
It was so comfortable and peaceful. Nestling by the fireplace in the winter, with someone accompanying me, even time seemed to slow down.
In the end, it was like a sea of silence that did not dare to be disturbed. Lorenzo sat on the sofa and looked at the girl under the window.
It was almost dark, but there were no lights in the room. The dim light fell from the window, making Lorenzo unable to see her clearly.
"It hasn't been like this for a long time."
Seliu sighed suddenly, with a slight smile.
"Since I became the heir, we haven't gotten along like this for a long time."
Lorenzo thought for a moment.
"You mean the time you vomited to death in the warehouse?"
The journey with Seleucid back to Inverge was full of hardships. Lorenzo spent a lot of effort to get two tickets to return to Inverge. At that time, the two of them got along quietly like this, but
The quietness at that time was because of the damn seasickness.
Seleu couldn't help but smile when she heard this. For her, this was a rare and beautiful memory, although for Lorenzo, he didn't want to experience it a second time.
"What kind of guest would that be?"
Breaking the peaceful silence, Lorenzo asked.
"A... guest who surprises you."
Seleucid replied that she seemed to enjoy upsetting Lorenzo.
"Aren't you a detective? Use your magical reasoning."
Looking at the lazy dog sitting on the sofa, this person is like a mist. You never know from what angle he will give you an unexpected surprise.
"That's not reasoning, Seleu, it's just cunning deception."
Lorenzo shook his head. To be honest, he was not really a great detective, but his deception was sophisticated enough to make everyone think he was a "detective".
"Then why not continue to use deception? You always have a way to get what you want."
Seliu turned back to look at him. There was obviously no extra light, but those blue eyes seemed to be emitting a faint light, as if they were the pupils of the beast, reflecting light in the dark night.
"Just like you lied to me before, you said you were my cousin and you came to take me home..."
In the winter many years ago, Lorenzo said this to Seleu, so the girl put down her guard and returned to Inverg with him.
It was a fateful meeting. You thought you were alone, but in the gray, someone reached out to you.
"Deception needs to be used flexibly, such as different moments and different angles."
Lorenzo answered calmly.
"This is what I taught you."
During that not-so-long journey, Lorenzo taught Seleu many strange things in order to make things easier for him, to pass the time, or to give Seleu some ability to protect herself.
"Yes, a convincing trick."
Seleu said slowly that she was very good at this, and even said that with her talent of seeing through the soul, she could do it better than Lorenzo.
"So you... also deceived me, right?"
The sound sounded like pebbles dropped on the silent water, causing slight ripples.
"Many times, deception is not only the trickster's own skills, but also requires the cooperation of the other party. It is not easy to make a deceived person cooperate with your deception..."
"Unless you know what she wants..."
Lorenzo took up Seleu's words.
Just like a crying woman whose husband has gone to the front line and does not know whether he will live or die, then the best way to deceive her is to hide her husband's life and death in words, because this is what she wants to know.
People's subconscious will protect themselves. Sometimes even if they know it is a lie, in order to feel better, people will easily believe the lie, even if it is full of flaws.
Seleucid and Mrs. Verde are a good example. An old woman lives alone. She must be longing for care from her descendants. Seleucid found this point, like a cunning fox. Perhaps Mrs. Verde
She is also aware of all this, but it is like a tacit performance and a short dream. She enjoys it and does not want to break it.
"Yes, letting a vigilant person leave you with peace of mind... That is the best deception."
For a helpless beggar, non-existent care is the best deception.
Seliu said calmly, her expression still frozen and cold. You would never be able to guess what she was thinking from her expression.
Just like a traveler who is about to freeze to death in the wilderness, even if you are lying to him to avoid the cold, he won't care more.
"Are you... angry?"
Lorenzo asked tentatively.
When he saw Seleu for the first time, he knew that this little girl was a troublemaker and he had to find a way to calm her down... He thought that was an unimportant lie.
"Lorenzo, you are an amazing guy."
Seliu did not answer directly. She looked at the scenery outside the window. The sunset in Old Dunling was always so magnificent. The gloomy clouds were dyed bright orange-red by the setting sun, extending to the end of the horizon. Countless smoke pillars came from the chimneys.
Rise up like the stone pillars that support the sky and the earth.
"How to say?"
Lorenzo answered casually, thinking about how to change the subject. He had never been good at strange topics in adolescence.
Let yourself relax, reach for the desserts on the side, and at least eat and drink enough here.
"Haven't you realized yet?"
Seleu then said, in that brief moment of looking at each other, she seemed to see everything about Lorenzo.
"what you mean?"
Lorenzo put down the dessert he was about to stuff into his mouth, a little confused and a little curious.
Seliu did not continue the previous topic, she took the initiative to change it.
"Human emotions, although you are smiling now, are just your disguise. Under this skin, you are just a cold machine."
As if commenting on an exhibit, Seliu said seemingly casually.
"You should know that Eve, right?"
Lorenzo obviously knew the girl who saved him during the confrontation with Dean Lawrence.
"Um."
Lorenzo confirmed.
"Haven't you thought of it yet?"
Seliu was a little surprised. He didn't know whether it meant that Lorenzo was really that slow or that he was ruthless.
"You were about to give up on her at that time. Such a good girl, to give up right away... This is too cold."
She looked at Lorenzo. This kind of person is very strange. He will show kindness to you, but when it comes to his real goals, he can abandon you without hesitation, as if the experience between you is just
It's just a dispensable illusion.
"Lorenzo, you must have broken someone's heart."
It was a really desperate moment. The blade of death was pressed under her neck, like a drowning person being thrown into the glacier. She was about to die. The only person she could hold on to was Lorenzo, and Lorenzo
At that moment, he chose to give up on her.
His gray-blue eyes seemed to have solidified. He looked at the figure by the window, wondering if Seliu would mention this.
Of course Lorenzo knew what he had done, and he had been avoiding it since then, trying not to think about it.
"That was the optimal solution at the time."
"Is it just because of the 'optimal solution'?"
Seliu said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Actually, you are a colder person than me, Lorenzo."
Like an inhuman creature, he tries his best to imitate the appearance of a normal person, but when the real target appears, he will lose his disguise and look like a terrifying beast.
"But you have also seen that when fighting against monsters, excess emotions are just a stumbling block."
He answered almost ruthlessly.
The lesser of two evils, if sacrificing an Eve can bring about the death of Dean Lawrence, this would be perfect.
It was simply a bloody transaction, and no one had any emotions.
"So is that why you're like this?"
Seleu suddenly came over. She looked down at Lorenzo, as proud as that majestic sculpture. The dim light shone on her face, making the light and dark clear.
Lorenzo did not shy away this time. He looked directly at Seleu and nodded.
"How dare you look at me."
Seleu smiled. Sometimes Lorenzo was like a shy child, afraid to look at others, especially himself.
"I just don't know what kind of expression I should use to treat others. Smile or indifference? Sometimes communication between people makes people feel heavy, Seleu."
"That's why I like to deal with monsters. I just want to chop them to death with my sword."
Like a weather-beaten old man, Lorenzo pretended to have experienced vicissitudes of life and said.
"So you're always alienating everyone... is it because of the demon?"
An extremely precise blow hit the gap in the armor.
"Because of the disaster you caused, you don't want to have anything to do with anyone?"
Seleu is always like this, she can clearly see your hidden parts, then drag them out and beat them up.
"You have also seen the result. Not long after Eve only knew me, she almost died in the hands of the demon."
Lorenzo looked away and said.
"We call it 'contact'. The more it is related to the demon, the more dangerous it is..."
Suddenly I thought of Arthur. He wanted to send Eve away so much because of the demon. It was like an iron wall that separated the demon from his daughter's world.
"You are suppressing your emotions, Lorenzo. You are a human being and you are trying to turn yourself into a cold weapon."
Because of this, he became withdrawn and tried hard to pretend to be normal.
she concluded.
"Are you enlightening me?"
Lorenzo suddenly felt like he was being taught a lesson by a little brat.
"I guess so."
"Then what should I call you, Doctor Seliu? This is my first time in such a luxurious psychological clinic."
He began to talk nonsense, which relaxed the serious atmosphere a little, but Seliu still stared at him seriously. This method of diverting attention did not work for Seliu.
In the long silence, Lorenzo said slowly.
"Emotions affect reason."
"But sometimes lies and emotions are more important in life than logic and reason."
Lorenzo was startled, and he didn't know whether he was lamenting that a little kid could talk sense or something else. He laughed and said casually.
"Seliu, there are some things you won't understand. Everyone has different problems."
"The existence of trouble is to be solved."
"But there are many things that have no answers."
Lorenzo hesitated for a moment as he spoke. When he said these things, even he was shaken. Can the so-called demon really be eradicated? This is like a journey with no end in sight. Even Lorenzo
Zuo didn't know how long he could hold on.
Suddenly, a pair of slender hands grabbed Lorenzo's collar, with a hint of anger in the ice blue light.
There was a stalemate for a long time. Lorenzo was like a dead pig and refused to cooperate with the serious atmosphere. And she seemed to know that this would not lead to results. Seleu let go of Lorenzo and walked aside to turn on the light. The sky outside the window.
It's already darkened.
"You are like a patient who refuses treatment, Lorenzo, paranoid as hell."
The doctor issues a diagnosis to the patient.
"You lack a goal, a goal that can keep you alive."
"How is it possible? I have always persisted in my goal."
Monsters, eradicate all monsters, Lorenzo never changed.
"Can that kind of thing really be considered a target? Lorenzo, you must be willing to give up your identity just for it, right?"
Seryu muttered.
"The lesser of two evils."
Compared with that grand goal, the mere humanity is nothing worth mentioning.
Both of them were silent, and finally parted on bad terms.
The seemingly closed Seleu opened up his heart, while the relaxed and somewhat neurotic Lorenzo was a serious autistic child.
Just like using some damn fatalism to justify himself, Lorenzo didn't care at all in order to eradicate the demon.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, leading to the next chapter of this unpleasant conversation.
"Get ready, Lorenzo, the guests are coming."
Without seeing who the visitor was, Seleu made a conclusion and walked out to greet the guest.
Lorenzo sat upright and straightened his clothes so that he didn't look so messy.
According to Seliu, she was the one who introduced her to that customer and received a generous reward.
Not long after, Seleu walked in again, followed by Yawei. The old butler held a pile of letters and books in his hands, and steadily placed them on the low table next to Lorenzo, and then
Standing aside like a guard, looking serious.
"Where are the guests?"
Lorenzo asked with some confusion, but before he could ask more, Seleu sat opposite him, and the two of them stayed together again.
Looking at this familiar girl, Lorenzo seemed to know who this guest was.
"I will discuss this entrustment with you as your representative."
Seleu opened the letter as he spoke, and Lorenzo asked doubtfully.
"Who do you represent?"
"The Stuart Group."
Seleu replied softly.
"Lorenzo, your mission is important this time."
Saying that, Seleu handed the opened letter to Lorenzo. It was a letter from a member of the Stuart regiment. They mailed it here together to report the same thing.
"hound?"
Lorenzo looked at the description in the letter. In the dark night, all members related to Stuart saw strange hounds. They howled hoarsely and surrounded everyone's residence.
"We thought it was a hallucination at first, but it's impossible for everyone to have the same hallucination, right?"
Seliu said.
"Not to mention, the group's members are spread throughout Yernweg."
"When did this phenomenon occur?"
Lorenzo frowned and asked.
"Not sure."
Seliu dug out more letters, which were feedback from the members.
"We were confused at first and didn't know where to investigate, until I discovered the demon..."
"Do you think this has something to do with demons?"
Lorenzo became alert, and Seleu nodded.
"This is what you taught me. If all possibilities are eliminated, no matter how weird the remaining options are, it is the only answer."
They were just words to kill the boredom of the journey, but even now Seliu still remembers them.
"Then do you have any idea?"
Lorenzo became somewhat interested, and like a beast that smelled blood, he would keep chasing the monsters.
Seliu did not answer, but looked at Yawei. The old butler hesitated for a moment, then picked up an ancient book and handed it to Lorenzo.
"Are you aware of the curse that hangs over Stuart?"
"curse?"
Lorenzo felt a little strange. Normally, any scandal in such a big family would be promoted to the sky, let alone any weird curses, but he had never heard of these in his time in Old Dunling.
"My family has served the Stuart family for many years, so long that our family can be considered the living history of the Stuarts, so I know many secrets that the outside world doesn't know."