Chapter 27: Agreement

After Hermann also passed the “test,” the attitude of the several officials softened considerably, and they lifted the restrictions on the two of them.

Next, Hermann led the way to the rooms of the other missing persons.

Left in the dining room were Rosie, the unconscious Hannah Carter, and the lady who controlled the chains, Yvette Lambe.

It was said to be for protection, but in reality, it was ‘supervision.’

Clearly, these few did not completely believe the ‘testimony’ from earlier.

Yvette did not seem to be a talkative person, or perhaps it was their regulation to minimize communication with ‘suspects.’

Rosie, after a day of great ups and downs, now seemed to have everything settled.

The tension in her mind finally eased, and she just felt extremely tired, too lazy to beat around the bush and probe for information.

This silence lasted for a while, until the sound of a somewhat noisy conversation came from the doorway.

“Officer, has it really been resolved?”

“The culprit is Miss Carter?”

“But she…”

“Mr. Nair, the case is still under investigation. There is no definite conclusion yet.”

“But rest assured, your personal safety will be guaranteed by us.”

“Then when can we leave this place?”

“Truth above all!”

“Officer Michelson, my wife, my children are still waiting for their husband and father to come home.”

Hearing Dewitt’s voice, Rosie’s expression became a little strange.

This man probably didn’t know yet that the “Mr. Rhys” beside him was the one his wife had hired to catch him with his mistress.

He’d probably return home, and before his butt was even warm on the seat, he would receive a divorce agreement from Mrs. Nair.

Harvey Michelson walked into the dining room, glanced at Hannah Carter, who was still unconscious under the influence of the occult artifact ‘Slumber,’ then withdrew his gaze and nodded to his colleagues.

He then walked to the center of the dining room and clapped his hands.

“Everyone.”

“I am very sympathetic and heartbroken about this terrible ordeal you have all experienced.”

“Truth above all, we will definitely see to it that the culprit receives the punishment they deserve.”

As Harvey Michelson spoke, he reached out and touched his forehead and chest, then laid his palm flat on his left shoulder.

“No need to worry. Next, you just need to sign an ‘agreement’ to prove that there are no problems with your faith.”

After speaking, Mullen Reed, who was behind him, took a step forward and pulled out a stack of folded papers from his coat.

“There is no need to hide your true faith.”

“Even if you don’t believe in the God of Fate.”

“As long as it is a legal and legitimate church, we will provide protection.”

Harvey added, then pulled out a piece of paper and handed it, along with a fountain pen that seemed to appear from nowhere, to the viscount’s daughter who was closest to him.

“Please, Miss Moulton.”

‘Faith?’

‘I’m not from this world. If I had to name one, considering the party dues I paid every year, my faith would have to be the red one.’

‘Truth above all, Truth above all, who says a new believer can’t be a follower of the God of Fate?’

‘I’ll definitely persuade Viscount Moulton to donate to the Church of Truth when I get home.’

After grumbling a bit in her heart, Rosie reached out and took the ‘agreement.’

Her eyes swept over it.

The content was very simple, with only two places that needed to be filled in.

One, the name of the church of the god you believe in.

Two, your own name.

After a slight hesitation, Rosie put pen to paper.

Church of Faith: Church of Truth. Signature: Rosie Moulton.

The moment she wrote the last stroke, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, the uncanny feeling of being scrutinized.

Fortunately, this feeling of being watched lasted only a moment before everything returned to normal.

‘Thank goodness, the one who signed was Rosie Moulton; it has nothing to do with him, Lin Yu.’

Rosie handed the agreement and the fountain pen back to Harvey Michelson, her expression unchanged.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Moulton.”

Harvey nodded, then shifted his gaze to the side.

“Next up, I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Hughes.”

‘It seems the signing order is based on the degree of suspicion.’

Hermann’s injured left hand had already been given simple treatment.

His clothes, torn into strips of cloth, were fixed to his chest, with the other end tied around his neck, making him look quite miserable.

However, his mental state was still good, his eyes still carrying a hint of casualness.

He didn’t waste any words, just picked up the pen, and not treating himself as an outsider, borrowed Officer Harvey’s shoulder to neatly and quickly sign his name with a few strokes.

Still, nothing happened.

While the others were still busy, Hermann sidled up to Rosie and smiled at her.

“See, I was right, wasn’t I? A pleasure working with you. We both successfully escaped.”

Rosie glanced at the man.

“Am I very familiar with you, Mr. Hughes?”

She deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the word “Hughes.”

“Hughes, Rhys, Rice… just like Mr. Sanbek. You can’t remember them anyway.”

“Miss Moulton can just call me Hermann.”

Hermann added casually, as if it were nothing.

“If you need anything solved in the future, you can find me at 13 Meyer Street, Red Bridge District.”

“For a friend, I can give you a discount.”

‘He’s telling me where to contact him later.’

Rosie’s heart stirred.

She had concealed the details of her cooperation with Hermann, so naturally, she couldn’t ask for the antidote in front of several officials.

For some reason she couldn’t fathom, he was tacitly cooperating with her.

Perhaps Hermann’s desire to enter Bredek’s aristocratic circles was not simply for wealth or power, but for a more hidden purpose.

For this purpose, he was even willing to take certain risks to help her cover up a part of the “truth.”

Of course, this was a good thing for her.

Just as she was pondering, suddenly, a shrill scream echoed in the empty dining room.

Rosie was startled and looked towards the source of the sound.

Bev Hardy, the young lady, was clutching her head tightly with both hands, her nails digging into her delicate cheeks, drawing bloody streaks.

Her mouth was wide open, making a heaving sound.

A lump suddenly bulged in her neck, moving up and down, as if something was trying to crawl out of her throat.

Yvette Lambe’s brown pupils were tinged with a faint blue.

She stretched out a hand, extending her index finger, middle finger, and thumb towards Bev Hardy, and softly uttered a single word.

“Seal.”

The chains, between illusion and reality, once again spread out from the void, coiling like nimble snakes around Bev’s arms, which were clawing at her cheeks.

The woman’s strength was immense; bloody shreds of flesh were stuck under her fingernails.

Blood flowed down Bev Hardy’s cheeks, but strangely, it formed a symbol that slowly spread towards her neck.

Dewitt was already scared stiff.

He watched as his beautiful lover, with whom he had shared a bed, turned into this state.

He felt his fear reach its peak, his heart beating faster and faster, as if it would leap out of his chest.

“Oof!”

He bent over and began to dry-heave, a fishy, sweet taste rising in his mouth.

Dewitt stared at the ground, at what he had just thrown up.

It was—

Half of a rotting heart.