"The royal family..." Klein muttered to himself as he held the letter sent by Isengard Stanton.

He looked up and saw raindrops falling outside the window. The gas street lamps emitted circles of quiet light.

Inside the living room, the coffee table was tidy, with a few stacks of newspapers placed in a corner, and there was no sound around.

Klein sat on the sofa, leaning forward slightly, and remained silent for a long time.

After nearly ten minutes, he exhaled, shook his head, and slowly and heavily threw the letter in his hand into the trash can.

He stood up slowly and walked to the second floor expressionlessly.

However, the letter from Isengard Stanton in the trash can quietly caught fire and quickly rolled up, turning into black ashes.

…………

On Monday morning, Klein stood in front of the bathroom mirror, pressed his right thumb and middle finger on both temples, and rubbed them slightly.

After doing all this, he turned on the faucet, lowered his body, scooped up the cold tap water and splashed it on his face, washing his face in a shiver.

Regaining his energy, he hung up his towel, went downstairs, and simply made a sunny-side-up fried egg with buttered toast.

Of course, a cup of black tea with a little lemon slice can quench your thirst and relieve greasiness.

After finishing breakfast and leisurely flipping through the remaining newspaper, Klein suddenly heard the doorbell jingle.

"Who? A new commission? Has the Mechanical Heart already explored the tomb of the Amon family? No, not so fast..." Klein muttered to himself, put away his napkin and newspaper, and walked slowly towards the door.

When he gripped the handle, the image of the visitor outside the door naturally emerged in his mind:

He was a middle-aged gentleman who was meticulously dressed. His shirt was snow-white and straight, his thick gray-blue vest perfectly hugged his stomach, and his long tuxedo had clear lines and no flaws.

The gentleman was wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes, and there was no sign of having walked through rain and mud.

He was wearing a pair of white knitted gloves, with a few strands of silver hair on his temples, deep wrinkles on his face, and his light brown eyes were so serious that they did not contain a trace of smile.

I don’t know him… Klein muttered and opened the door.

"Excuse me, who are you looking for?" he asked politely.

The middle-aged gentleman took off his hat, put it on his chest, and saluted in the most standard manner:

"I am a butler, and I am here to invite you on behalf of my master, Mr. Sherlock Moriarty."

"Do I know your master? Why did he come to see me?" Klein was completely confused.

But at this time, he had noticed a carriage parked across the cement road. The outer shell was thick and solid black, and there were curtains on the inside of the windows. It was obvious that it was not an ordinary item.

Low-key yet luxurious... Klein took a closer look and suddenly noticed a crest in a prominent position in the carriage.

The main body of the emblem is a sword pointing vertically downward, with a red crown on the hilt of the sword.

This... "Sword of Judgment"... the "Sword of Judgment" representing the royal Augustus family! Klein's heart trembled, and he roughly understood the butler's origins.

Perhaps he is still a relatively powerful Beyonder... Klein guessed in his mind.

The professional and rigorous butler paid no attention to his scrutiny and said with a polite smile:

"You and my master have never met, but we should be considered acquaintances. You have been providing him with clues about the organization symbolized by the tarot cards, and he has paid you the money you need."

Sure enough, it was the big shot that Talim mentioned. I have been using specious false information to defraud funds, and even transferred all the expenses that needed to be reimbursed from Old Kohler to him... It is not easy to refuse the other party's invitation now, especially since Talim is dead... Klein pondered for two seconds and said:

"My Lord, did you ask me to come over here because of Talim's death?"

"Yes, Talim was his friend. He was sad and confused about his death, and he heard that you were there." The old butler spoke clearly.

No, I didn’t… Klein subconsciously wanted to deny it, but in the end he could only nod:

"Yes, I watched Talim die in front of me."

"It's such a sad and regrettable thing." The old butler said sincerely, "Are you willing to accept my master's invitation?"

Do I have any reason to refuse? That would be very suspicious! You might kill me on the spot... Klein looked at him and said:

"I just happen to have nothing to do this morning."

"Okay, Mr. Moriarty, please." The old butler bent slightly, stretched out his right palm wearing a white glove, and pointed to the carriage across the cement road.

Alas, I have been avoiding contact with big shots, but in the end, I have to face the person behind Talim because of his death... I don't know if this will attract more attention or more in-depth background investigations... I have to make plans in advance and be ready to give up this base and this identity at any time... Also, I must get the characteristics of the human skin shadow and the hair of the deep-sea naga as soon as possible, and be promoted to a "faceless man" as soon as possible! In that way, my ability to resist risks will more than double! Klein changed his coat, put on his hat, and walked towards the carriage with the royal emblem. He had already thought of some follow-up things.

At this time, the servant brought by the old butler helped him open the car door.

Walking on the thick brown carpet, looking at the wooden cabinets and crystal-polished cups containing red wine, white wine, champagne, Lancia, and Blackland, Klein felt a little awkward for a moment and found a seat by the window to sit down.

——Lonzi refers to strong distilled liquor brewed from pure malt. There are many types, such as the "Strong Lonzi" that sailors love to drink the most. The bottles in the cabinet now are obviously high-end products. As for Black Rand, it refers to a strong distilled liquor fermented from other grains. Like Lonzi, it is a specialty of Loen.

Watching the carriage driving through the wet streets, Klein asked casually:

"To Queens?"

"No, my master is waiting for you at Red Rose Manor on the outskirts of Queens." The old butler did not hide it.

It looks like it’s a royal manor… Klein thought for a moment and asked with a smile:

"Can you tell me the identity of your master now?"

The old butler's already straight back became even straighter, and his chin was raised:

"He is the descendant of the 'Founder' and the 'Protector'. He is the descendant of the 'Strong One'. He is the fifth child of His Majesty the King, Count Rustin, His Royal Highness Prince Edessac Augustus."

It turned out to be the third prince, the second youngest one, but he seemed to be about twenty-one or twenty-two years old... Klein recalled what he saw at the Krag Club and the occasional descriptions in newspapers and magazines.

The carriage drove through one street after another, bypassing the area with the artificial lake and heading northwest. It took more than an hour and finally arrived at a large manor.

At the entrance of the manor, Klein was inspected by two soldiers wearing white trousers and red uniforms. He did not hide the presence of the gun bag and revolver under his armpits.

He believed that there must be people around Prince Edessak who could tell that he was carrying a gun, and if he tried to deceive with illusions, it would easily backfire.

Anyway, the prince knows that I'm a private detective, and his men will definitely not send the guest to the police station just because I'm illegally carrying a gun... Klein watched the soldiers take away the gun bag and revolver, and was told to pick them up when he came out.

After another double check, Klein followed the old butler around the main house and came to a wide area with hills and streams.

The only drawback here is that the grass and trees have long since withered due to the severe winter, and the place is completely barren.

Da, da, da, several horses came running from a distance and stopped in front.

A young man in white trousers, high black boots, a slim shirt and a dark riding suit dismounted swiftly and walked over, and the others followed closely behind him.

He took off the helmet-like hat that protected his head and said to Klein with a smile:

"Nice to meet you at last, Detective Moriarty."

When he saw him, Clainton felt his eyes light up, not because he was so handsome, but because he looked very much like Henry Augustus I printed on the 5-pound note.

Edessac Augustus also had a round face and a pair of narrow eyes, but he was not serious at all. Instead, he always had a smile on his face, looking young and energetic.

“I didn’t know before that it was you, Your Highness, who commissioned me.” Klein bowed.

Edsak took the whip, weighed it in his palm, and laughed:

"I heard about the important role you played in the 'Serial Killer' and 'Apostle of Desire' cases. Talim's recommendation was indeed good. Alas, who would have thought that he, who was racing horses with me a few days ago, would pass away like this and go to the land of storms and lightning."

Since the founding of the country, the Augustus family has always believed in the "Lord of Storms".

Without waiting for Klein to respond, he said with a gloomy expression:

"I have not been involved in the investigation of Talim's death, Mr. Moriarty. I want you to help me find the truth."

The conclusions given by the rest of the royal family? Your two brothers? I can’t stand this level of oppression right from the start... And, Your Highness, your style is really direct... Klein sighed:

"It's a shame, but I still want to say that Talim died of a sudden heart attack."

"Really? There's news from the Mandated Punisher that a great detective named Sherlock Moriarty has pointed out that Talim has traces of the curse on his body." Prince Edessak chuckled.

Klein could only respond with a wry smile:

"Your Highness, you should know my principles. I want to live another fifty years."

"Isn't Talim your friend?" Prince Edessak asked immediately.

Klein was wondering how to answer when a maid suddenly came from the main house, quickly approached the prince, and spoke a few words in a low voice.

Edsak's face suddenly turned stern:

"Tell her she can't go out!"

After he finished speaking, he took two steps, his serious expression softened, and his blue eyes became a little softer and more helpless:

"But I allow her to leave her room and walk around the manor as she pleases."