Friendship

The greatest private detective in the Kingdom of Lande, the resident of 221 Villa Avenue, defender of Rhine’s order, and guardian of Lande pounds—Mr. Lynch Levive—had just been abducted by an old woman.

He only had enough time to pop back inside and shout a quick greeting before being hauled into the carriage.

It was an understated carriage that looked no different from any hired carriage found on the street. Only after being pulled inside did one realize there was far more to it than met the eye.

A natural fragrance of roses drifted through the enclosed cabin, where the air was fresh and moist without feeling the least bit stuffy. The floor was covered with a thick cashmere carpet that felt like walking on clouds, and the seats were plush, soft sofas. Pulling open the drawer of the small table before him revealed fresh dried fruits and warm black tea.

Sitting beside him was no longer the old woman who had grinned foolishly at him, but a young lady smiling foolishly in her place.

Miss Valente.

The young noblewoman wore an elegant green dress, with a feathered hat playfully tilted atop her head. A folding fan hid her red lips, leaving only her big brown eyes visible, glittering with amusement as she blinked up at Lynch. Unfortunately, her face remained drained of color, and even her light makeup could not completely mask her lingering paleness. Yet her spirit was lively, and her voice carried a clear, healthy vigor.

“Mr. Lynch, long time no see.” Her large eyes curved into sweet crescents, and her straight little nose wrinkled as she spoke in an extraordinarily relaxed, gentle tone. “Seeing that you are safe and sound is the greatest reward I could have asked for today.”

Looking at her delicate face and catching the faint fragrance wafting from her, Lynch opened his mouth, wanting to say something to celebrate Miss Valente's recovery. But he found his brain so thoroughly fried that he couldn't think of a single appropriate phrase. For a long moment, he could only scratch his head and laugh dumbly, until finally squeezing out: “Me too.”

“Huh?”

“Forget it, it's nothing. Just an idiot being foolish.”

How odd. Did my IQ suddenly hit rock bottom? Or did I never have one to begin with? It's not as if I've never seen a patient recover before—I've only just recovered myself. Why do I suddenly feel so excited that my chest actually aches?

Unable to fathom such a profound question, Lynch didn't bother trying. Following his instincts, he said with utmost sincerity, “I'm really glad to see you awake too. Though... could you stop fluttering that fan around? I'm a little terrified.”

???

Her smiling eyes instantly turned sharp. The pretty noblewoman lowered her head slightly and glared sideways at Lynch over her folding fan like a puffed-up little quail. Her wrist twitched, as if she were about to whack him with the fan at any moment.

“Wait! Let me think—there must be other topics!”

Cold sweat broke out on Lynch's forehead. Damn it, how do you talk to young women? Asking for advice online, urgent!

“Pfft, you really haven't lost your knack for getting on people's nerves.” The puffed-up quail burst out laughing, her smile returning. Hiding behind her folding fan, Miss Valente pulled a little face before turning serious. “Listen carefully, Mr. Lynch Levive. I will only say this once.”

“Hmm?”

“Your efforts unlocked the shackles that the Valente family bound upon itself for a thousand years, liberating us from our burden. The Valente family does not like offering verbal thanks; we prefer demonstrating it through action. Therefore, from this day forth, you are an eternal friend of our family. As long as the Valente family exists, our doors will forever remain open to you, and it will always be your second home.”

Lynch was visibly moved by such a resounding promise. He remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. “Can you truly represent the Valente family? There is no need to put yourself in a difficult position by making such a vow on behalf of the whole clan.”

“I cannot. The only person who can truly represent the family is Count Valente himself—currently, my father. However, knowing my family as I do, none of them will object to my pledge, so it is no trouble at all. And while I may not speak for the entire Valente family, I can at least speak for myself.”

Miss Valente said calmly, pressing a hand against her chest as she smiled.

“Speaking on behalf of Diana de Valente: you generously extended a helping hand to a lady in despair, regardless of the cost, asking for nothing in return, and even willing to harm your own body. So, please show that same generosity now and accept the friendship she offers, forever.”

What else could he possibly say at a moment like this? Lynch let out a soft sigh, took the hand Miss Valente offered him, and bowed slightly to brush a gentle kiss against the back of it.

“I fight for you, my lady.”

“Pfft, you can't say that! We aren't knighting a family knight right now—or do you actually want to become a knight of the Valente family? Otherwise, you ought to say, ‘The honor is mine.’”

“But I don't feel honored at all.” Talk about ruining the atmosphere! Besides, who knows how all these noble formalities work anyway? Plays never got into such specific detail. Lynch rolled his eyes, though an idea suddenly struck him. “Family knights get a salary, right? How much does it pay?”

“There is no salary. In fact, you have to pay a monthly fee of ten Lande pounds.”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

“Of course it's a joke! What do you think?”

Miss Valente brandished her little folding fan while gritting her teeth, seemingly imagining some act of violence against him. Lynch couldn't help but shiver at the sight, quickly shifting her attention. “Um, now that you're awake, what are your plans for the future? Going back to the capital?”

“That is impossible. Although my primary purpose was the sacrifice, nominally I was sent by the Church to be stationed in Rhine. I must continue working for the Church for a while longer at least—that is the tacit understanding between the nobility and the Church. Why? Are you asking because you have some sort of plan?”

“Elder Nikolai hasn't crawled back into his cave yet, has he?”

“Careful, or Elder Nikolai might come beat you up if he hears that.” Miss Valente shook her head with a beaming smile. “He hasn't left yet. He still needs to observe the situation for a while longer.”

“Now that the threat of Mordiggian has been thoroughly resolved, what are the Valente family's plans for the hillmen?”

“It mostly depends on their wishes and the progress of the tunnel. If the tunnel project doesn't move forward, they will return to their former lives and help our family develop the mines. If tunnel construction begins, our family will provide funds to relocate them elsewhere.”

“In that case, I have a plan...” Lynch licked his lips and made a gesture like he was counting banknotes. “What if we talk with Elder Nikolai and package the development rights of Zur Baha Sahr for sale?”

“Huh?”

“I know the Valente family is wealthy, but nobody says no to extra money. The hillmen's relocation resettlement fee, new housing construction fee, ancestral land loss fee, and mental damages fee—we should at least get the buyer to foot the bill for those. Add in excavation fees, cooperation fees, and pathfinding fees, and by a rough estimate, how could we not squeeze several thousand Lande pounds out of them? And if they complain it's too expensive, we hike the price by a thousand. One thousand more each time!”

“Can... can you really do that?” Miss Valente stared in dumbfounded disbelief.

“Of course.” Lynch curled his lip. Stuffy otherworldly folk—have you never heard of demolition compensation and holdouts?

“I think you had better discuss this with Elder Nikolai yourself. The Valente family will simply offer assistance from the sidelines,” Miss Valente said with a forced laugh. “I will take you to see him tomorrow evening.”

“Tomorrow won't work. I have an invitation to a ball tomorrow.”

Lynch suddenly realized that the person before him was a high noble whose status wasn't a bit lower than some princess. He immediately recounted the entire affair to Miss Valente. To his surprise, as she listened, the noblewoman's eyes virtually gleamed with literal light.

Uh-oh. How could I forget that this girl is a hardcore detective novel fan?

“How intriguing! I shall accompany you tomorrow.”

“The invitation, the invitation—that was addressed only to me.”

“Heh. There are only three representatives of Count families from Lande in Rhine City. No matter what kind of princess she is, if she dares leave out any of us when holding an event, she'll be pinned as a laughingstock for decades to come.” Miss Valente spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “Come, accompany me home. I'll have someone rummage through the trash bins; we should be able to retrieve the invitation letter.”

Lynch's expression turned subtle, telling himself that in times like this, he just needed to smile.