The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 88

It was eerily silent. The old butler stared intently at Lloyd, not responding to his words. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"Yes, is she here?"

Lloyd shook his head vigorously. From his practiced demeanor, it was clear this scenario had played out many times before.

The old butler's rigid face finally softened a bit as he sighed deeply.

"Mr. Holmes, you don't mind if we search the place, do you?"

"Would it matter if I did?"

"Probably not."

The old butler's tone was indifferent.

He was Stuart's butler, and the Stuart family was at the heart of the vast Stuart noble consortium. Those ennobled by war had risen to even higher status during the Glorious War, and they were grateful, following the Stuart house's lead.

Such a family was the most troublesome. You might easily take one of them down, but you would then face the wrath of the entire group, from various trades and different social classes.

Before Lloyd could retort, the butler stood up and headed toward the bathroom, loading his gun as he walked.

He wouldn't harm the young lady, but an accidental shot to some detective's head could still happen.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

Lloyd flailed, trying to stop him, but to no avail.

Pulling back the shower curtain, the old butler and Lloyd were only a step apart.

"See, there's nothing here. Want to help scrub my back?"

Bubbles filled the entire surface of the water, and Lloyd's face was the picture of innocence. But the butler wasn't buying it; he glared at Lloyd until Lloyd nearly broke under the pressure. Finally, the butler holstered his gun and turned to leave.

"If you see the young lady, tell her to come home early. There's a family banquet tonight."

The old butler walked to the door, but as he was about to leave, something caught his eye. He turned and approached the wardrobe, causing Lloyd's heart to skip a beat. As a demon hunter, he wasn't afraid of these people, but some matters couldn't be solved with violence, especially when it came to these troublesome folks.

His hand was on the wardrobe, and at that critical moment, a gunshot rang out.

Mrs. Van Ruth stood at the door, looking furious, holding a revolver. A bullet hole smoked in Lloyd's floor.

"Who dirtied my carpet?"

This old lady, like a divine intervention during her decades-long menopause, had saved Lloyd.

The old butler hesitated, withdrew his hand, and just as he was about to apologize, Mrs. Van Ruth cut him off with another angry shout.

"Talk and leave, now!"

Lloyd felt so grateful he almost wanted to hug her.

The old butler tried to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, but clearly, it didn't work well against Mrs. Van Ruth.

He gave Lloyd a last, warning look before leading his men out.

Lloyd, wrapped in a towel, emerged, glancing downstairs and then at Mrs. Van Ruth.

"If you don't mind me being all wet, I'd like to give you a hug."

"Forget that, Lloyd. The repair for the floor will come out of your rent."

Mrs. Van Ruth didn't look any friendlier towards Lloyd as she turned and slowly walked down the stairs, muttering.

"Remember to take the cookies when you leave, Selene."

Lloyd spun around to see the wardrobe open. The culprit stood there, expressionless, as if nothing had happened, with a faintly smug curl to her lips.

Sometimes, he had to admit, Selene surpassed him in many ways, and not just by a little.

"So you're avoiding the banquet? You must have plenty of ways to hide."

Lloyd finally got dressed, feeling much better out of his towel.

"Not really. I just want to go somewhere, and you're the only one who can take me."

Selene put on her coat, tying up her pale golden hair and expertly donning a deerstalker hat.

If you only saw her from the back, you'd think she was a smaller version of Lloyd.

Lloyd's face darkened. As Selene Stuart, there were few places in Old Dunling she couldn't go. Eliminating each possibility one by one, only a troubling location remained.

"What do you want to do there?"

"Watch a show."

"A show?"

Selene nodded seriously.

"I've heard those pirates smuggled in some machinery from the East. I'm interested."

"Just for that? You could simply buy it."

"But Yawie is so strict, he doesn't even let me touch firearms."

Once again, Lloyd found himself as a tool. The best course was to quickly please this young lady.

He asked wearily.

"So where in the lower town?"

...

Night gradually fell over Old Dunling. The two detectives, one large and one small, wandered the streets, their breath forming faint white clouds that soon dissipated.

Lloyd had few friends in Old Dunling. Due to his line of work, most of his acquaintances were desperate people who might not see the next day.

He wasn't sure if Selene counted as a friend. Their relationship began with a job; they were like two desperate souls walking together, having traversed half of Gualunalo.

Maybe it was a mutual understanding among the desperate, or perhaps he didn't want to see this unlucky kid die, but on their way back to Old Dunling, Lloyd taught her many things, from using firearms to harnessing her keen insight into people. She learned well, almost mimicking Lloyd.

Lloyd had even considered making her his assistant back in Old Dunling, but when they arrived, a grand welcoming party awaited Selene. A few days later, she was confirmed as the lost scion of the Stuart family, bearing that noble name.

Only then did Lloyd realize he'd been played. He was supposed to infiltrate Gualunalo and retrieve Selene or rather, the secrets she knew about some important figures. She used this to blackmail Lloyd into bringing her back to Old Dunling.

It turned out to be a ruse. The girl had been cunning from the start, even earning Lloyd's reluctant admiration.

As the sole heir to the Stuart house, many had designs on her, but they were all kept at bay by the Stuart entourage. Now, he was escorting her to the lower town.

Thinking of this always filled Lloyd with regret. He had been so close to wealth and glory.

"Honestly, Selene, if you really care about me, could you avoid causing so much trouble?"

Thanks to their shared desperation, Selene often visited Lloyd after returning to Old Dunling. Initially, the old butler tolerated it, but when Lloyd taught her how to make headshots, they couldn't take it anymore.

"But they're all afraid. Only you are different."

She replied calmly.

Her azure eyes reflected on their shared journey. Everyone saw her as the mistress of Stuart, but to this madman, she seemed unchanged.

The great detective kicked open the dark door, and light streamed in, illuminating Selene as she had been.