There are actually many problems in the world that cannot be solved by fighting, for example, a fully loaded gun cannot decide what to have for dinner, nor can it make a slightly rebellious girl hurry home. When these two problems come together, they become a significant trouble.

In the street restaurant, Lorenzo looked at the glass covered in water droplets due to the heat, pedestrians moved in the mist like a lone boat sailing in the sea of white fog. Streetlamps lit up one by one, diffused through the mist, like tiny stars.

"I suppose they must be searching for you everywhere."

Lorenzo shifted his gaze and looked at the girl opposite him. Even though in a month she would become the so-called Duchess, she didn't have any semblance of an adult, being very willful.

It's easy to deal with plain willfulness, but when the child is gifted and taught by someone, everything becomes particularly complicated.

"Yawei and I have an unspoken understanding. If he can't find me, he'll give up, and I'll return home safely before midnight, like an unspoken rule."

"Yawei seems to suffer from your torment too."

"It's just a mutual compromise."

Selyu cut the food with a knife and then put it into her mouth, the action looked a bit clumsy, seemingly unaccustomed.

A few years ago, Selyu did not have the life she has now. On cold nights, she had nowhere to go, hiding in street corners eating frozen bread. Even meeting Lorenzo meant a journey of escape, eating barely warm food. The changes over the years are like a dreamy fantasy, even now recalling brings a feeling of a dream-like reverie.

Lorenzo relaxed his chin, Selyu's icy expression always served as her best disguise, sometimes even Lorenzo couldn't guess what she was thinking.

"Are you used to living here?"

"Barely, people always have to adapt to their living environment, don't they?"

"Your 'barely' is quite excessive! Barely Duchess?"

Lorenzo glanced at Selyu. Perhaps the girl's life became monotonous impacted by wealth. But it makes sense, only after getting bored of those luxurious banquets, would she be interested in those strange things from the Far East.

"You taught me to remember what I used to be."

Selyu wasn't even bothered to look at Lorenzo, maybe her naturally indifferent personality made her have no reaction at all.

"All this feels like an illusion, even the ugly duckling turning into a phoenix pales in comparison."

The dinner knife cut down, the food on the plate was eaten clean, sitting upright in the chair with a chilling aura.

"Old Dunling, the beginning of new life, if there really is a new life, you wouldn't be a detective, would you?"

"This has been my lifelong dream, Selyu."

Lorenzo earnestly retorted; he was very attached to the detective profession.

"A gun-wielding detective? Essentially still living days of fighting and killing, just using the so-called detective as disguise. We are very alike, Lorenzo, we don't trust the current situation, we can only trust ourselves. Even if it's a new life, it's just a beast resting and sharpening its teeth, because he knows such a life is just a short dream."

Reflected in the deep blue sea's surface was Lorenzo's face, showing a mix of anger and realization, like the dead drowned under the Ice Sea.

Lorenzo slightly trembled, then raised his index finger and shook it vigorously.

"No, no, no, Selyu, you're prying into me again. You'll have no friends like this."

This damn girl, she's like she has magic power, no one can escape from her gaze. If there's talent, then this term belongs to Selyu.

Selyu didn't say much, she just moved her gaze away, looking at the hazy window outside. Water droplets condensed into big chunks on the glass and slid down, cutting the whole mirror surface into pathways, light penetrating through, in a psychedelic manner.

This calmness lasted a long time when Lorenzo suddenly asked.

"So why do you think all this is just an illusion? You will become the Duchess of Stuart in a month, the whole Old Dunling will celebrate for you, those aristocrats of the Stuart group will become your Knights, and even in a few years you will become the most powerful person in Old Dunling."

"You're no longer the child shivering in the street corner, nor will you be anymore, so what are you afraid of?"

They are similar people, having similar worries and confusion, maybe that's why Lorenzo would pull Selyu out of that alley, just like he would give to those orphans.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Selyu didn't answer Lorenzo's question, instead, she repeated it his way. Lorenzo didn't respond.

She stood up, her face expressionless, lifting the corners of her mouth with difficulty to form a weak arc.

"I had a good time tonight. See you next time."

Lorenzo slightly raised his eyebrows. To be honest, it is very difficult to perceive emotions from Selyu's little face. Sometimes Lorenzo wonders if she has facial paralysis.

The conversation just vanished, similar people easily forget the unpleasantness. Lorenzo asked.

"Shall I take you home?"

"No need, Yawei is already here."

Selyu pointed to the door, the doorbell had just rung, the elderly butler stood there like a lion, although aged, his large body still blocked the entrance. Looking at the bulge in the black clothes, judging by the shape, Lorenzo guessed it was a gun.

"Well... goodbye."

Lorenzo waved at Selyu but couldn't help but focus on Yawei. Since Yawei entered, he had been staring at Lorenzo intensely, the resentment and hostility almost becoming tangible.

Lorenzo even felt that maybe when Selyu left, a barrage of gunfire would be the end for him to stay here forever.

Thankfully, until the black sedan drove away, none of that happened.

Selyu nestled in the comfortable back seat, the scenery outside slowly changed, Yawei's stature was too large, he had to hunch and curl up inside the car.

"Hmm... do you not like the banquet?"

Yawei waited a long time before asking with his aged voice.

"Not really, just wanted to see that exhibition today."

Selyu lightly tilted her head and leaned against Yawei, the droplets on the window stretched into lines, spreading to places beyond Selyu's view.

"If you need anything, please tell me."

"You've done enough, Yawei."

Selyu shook her head, thinking carefully, everything was actually fine.

When she first became Stuart's child, Selyu was pretty scared; she didn't really understand what she was afraid of, like a bewildered young deer crashing around. At that time she gave Yawei a lot of trouble because living in the cold corners, Selyu's survival skills were stronger than he imagined.

That night, Yawei searched for her for a long time, finally found her sleeping on straw in the stable. Yawei told her if she wasn't used to it, everything could be changed. Subsequently, the old butler placed blankets and pillows in all the places Selyu avoided.

Since then, Selyu felt this old butler was actually not bad, just expressing in a clumsy way, like always threatening Lorenzo with a gun.

That might have been the beginning of her compromise with everything.

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