“Ha, this cat is quite beautiful. I haven't seen it around here before; is it a newcomer?” Mrs. Maggie the landlady said with a smile as she opened the door.
“Yes...”
Lynch glanced back in the direction the black cat had disappeared. It clearly looked like a house cat, complete with a collar. He had asked Madam Luna, who confirmed it was just a pet, but Lynch always felt there was something odd about it, though he could not put his finger on what.
It was as if the cat were deliberately spying on him.
Forget it. It’s nothing more than a stupid cat.
Lynch shook his head, casting the stray thoughts from his mind. He followed Mrs. Maggie into the house, naturally taking the vegetable basket from her and helping her carry it into the kitchen.
There was actually meat in the basket. Although it was just two pounds of minced pork wrapped in a large ball of oil paper, the sight of the red and white meat made Lynch’s heart race.
The cheapest pork cost ten pennies a pound, and the minced meat was nine—far more expensive than white bread.
Since crossing over, he had lived a life of hardship and simplicity, having only eaten a few slices of bacon. His memory of proper meat was limited to the last meal he had in a restaurant before his hanging. His stomach was so devoid of oil that even his burps tasted like nothing but dry bread.
“A small token of my gratitude. The food from last night and this morning was truly... thank you.” Mrs. Maggie also walked over to Lynch, lowering her head as she organized the food in the basket. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her voice was quite low. “And about that matter, thank you as well.”
“Are you thanking me for spanking Martha?”
“I’ve pampered her too much. I never imagined she would do such bad things. If you hadn’t taught her a lesson yesterday, there’s no telling what kind of grave mistake she might have made if she had continued down that path.” The blonde woman lowered her head, gripping the basket as her body trembled slightly. “But I went to the police station in the Crown District today and was chased out. They said those cases didn’t exist and told me not to cause trouble or make work for them. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“It’s not a bad thing that no one is pursuing it. Just guide her properly in the future so she stays on the right path. As for compensating the victims, we can think of other ways.”
“Sigh, ever since Duncan left, I don’t understand many things. Truly, no one told her what was right.” Tears slid down her cheeks. The blonde woman suddenly looked up, gripped Lynch’s hand tightly, and said with a choked voice, “Mr. Levive, thank you for disciplining her on my behalf. You are a learned man. If there is a chance in the future, please help Martha more. She isn’t a bad child; she just lacks guidance.”
Whew, Lynch felt like smoke was pouring from his head.
Even having lived two lives, where had he ever experienced such contact?
Being held by the hand by the beautiful landlady and feeling the warmth from her palm, Lynch felt his face burning. He subconsciously pulled his hand back with force, stumbling back a few steps and nearly knocking over a chair. Even his speech became stuttering.
“I understand. I’ll go back to my room first—no, I’ll go see Martha first. I’m leaving.”
Speaking incoherently, Lynch turned and ran. He was so startled by the soft chuckle coming from behind him that he bumped into the doorframe on his way out of the kitchen, seeing stars and having only one thought in his mind.
This world is truly terrifying. Not only are the cats scary, but how are women so dangerous as well?
However, flustered or not, politeness was mandatory. Having received Mrs. Maggie’s permission, Lynch knocked on Martha’s bedroom door.
The room was small but cozy. On the wardrobe in the corner, a brass lamp base extended from the wall, casting a dim, yellow light. As soon as Lynch entered, he saw the little girl lying on the bed in her pajamas, legs kicked up in a bored manner.
The moment she saw it was Lynch, her little face turned deathly pale. She raised her pillow to cover the back of her head, pretending there was no one there.
Lynch laughed out loud at the sight of this posture. It seemed he had been quite heavy handed; her bottom was already too swollen to lie flat.
Seeming to hear the laughter, two little eyes peeked out from under the pillow, glaring at him viciously as she muttered, “Hmph, what’s so funny? I told Mom about all the bad things. I’m not afraid of you now.”
“Is that so?” Lynch raised a hand.
The little girl immediately threw down the pillow, covered her bottom, and shrieked, “Don’t hit me! I was wrong, I was wrong! You can’t hit me again!”
“I think you just need a beating.” Lynch let out a cold hum and sat down on a nearby chair. “Does it still hurt?”
“It hurts.”
“That’s good. If it hurts, you’ll remember the lesson. Let’s see if you dare to do bad things next time.”
The little girl covered her bottom and said aggrievedly, “But I don’t understand. If it’s good for everyone, why can’t we do it?”
Lynch hesitated for a moment, sighed, and said, “I’m not a zealot who loves justice, and I don’t know much about the conflict between the residents of the Crown District and those outside, so I’m not qualified to judge your actions. But regardless, taking other people’s property is wrong. Even if the discussions you’ve heard from those around you make you feel that they are also taking things from you, that is no reason for you to do the same. Them being wrong doesn’t make it right for you to be wrong. Moreover, whatever the reason, using someone else’s kindness to harm them is the most despicable act. It only makes everyone afraid to show you kindness again, and in the end, you are the ones who suffer.”
“Oh... but what about the other children? If I don’t organize them, they’ll go back to how they were before very soon.”
“Try to keep them in check for now,” Lynch thought for a moment. “I’ll try to think of a way during this time. Your Uncle Lynch here has actually met a few big shots. I can’t handle things that are too far away, but helping the children around me isn’t a difficult task.”
“Really? Then I’ll make them behave for a while. You’re not allowed to lie!” The girl’s spirited gaze peeked out from under the pillow again, carrying the same cunning he had seen over the past few days. For some reason, her voice held a hint of expectation. “Then, Uncle Lynch... if I do something wrong again, will you spank me?”
Hm? Is this kid addicted to being spanked?
Lynch raised an eyebrow, lifted a hand, and revealed a sinister smile. “Of course. From now on, you will do exactly as I say. Otherwise, I will beat your bottom until it’s pulp, and not even Mom will be able to save you. Do you hear me?”
“Eek! You really are a perverted, disgusting adult! Mom, help! Quickly, kick him out!”
The little thing immediately burrowed back under the pillow, shrieking softly. Lynch, caught between laughter and tears, knocked her on the head through the pillow. “Reflect on your behavior. I’m going back upstairs. Get well soon; I’m still waiting for you to bring me tea every day.”
“Uncle Lynch.” Just as Lynch was about to leave, little Martha’s childish voice came from behind him. He looked back to see the little one staring at him with her large, blue eyes, saying earnestly, “I know you spanked me yesterday because you were genuinely worried about me. Although I don’t know what dangerous thing I did, but... thank you. And, I’m sorry about the last few days.”
“It depends on your performance. If you behave well, I’ll spank you often in the future.”
Lynch tipped his flat cap, waved at the little girl, and left the children’s room with a smile. This little thing’s fate was still quite bumpy; he wondered how long she could stay safe. He hoped it would last for a long time, otherwise, it would be too much of a blow to Mrs. Maggie.
Hearing the sound of water in the kitchen, Lynch did not disturb them again and returned to his room on the second floor alone. He looked at the dim sky outside the window, turned on the gas lamp on the wall, and sat on the sofa to open the few folk mythology books he had brought back from Maya’s cabin.
There actually were stories about ghouls. Some books even had pictures printed in them, though they were drawn so strangely that they didn’t look like anything at all.
They were a group of monsters that fed on corpses, terrifying nightmares hidden in sewers or underground tunnels. If mangled corpses were found in such places, most were victims who had accidentally stumbled upon a ghoul.
And in one of the books, Lynch saw a piece of information that caught his attention, though the description was vague to the extreme.
The King of Gloomy Cold Bones, the object of worship for all ghouls.
It had another name that humans called it by: Mordiggian.
“Ding, ding, ding.”
Before Lynch could recover from his surprise, there was a knock at the door. Lynch guessed it was Mrs. Maggie coming to call him for dinner.
Opening the door, it was indeed Mrs. Maggie, but it had nothing to do with dinner.
“Detective Levive, there is a client who wishes to visit you.”
The first guest had arrived.
Rate on N.U.
