The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 92: Truth Serum

"What do you think, Ms. Jenna?" Lumian smiled, responding with Jenna's own words.

"Damn," Jenna raised her hand in frustration, then turned and went back downstairs. Lumian thought for a few seconds, tapped the table in front of him, and said to Louis and Saccotta, "Give me a glass of absinthe."

As the "protector" of the Breeze Ballroom, he didn't have to pay for food and drinks there.

Considering that most of the ballroom's profits had to be handed over to the boss or used to bribe the police, he felt even less inclined to save.

Why be frugal at his own expense? Better to inconvenience the boss a little!

Lumian drank two glasses of the pale green liquid with its bitter taste and hallucinogenic effects and stayed at the Breeze Ballroom until nearly midnight.

He stood up and told Louis and Saccotta, "I'm going to sleep. You guys can head home after the ballroom closes." If anyone causes trouble, just throw them out. If you can't handle it, gather everyone together, and don't hesitate to shoot. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for whatever happens. Of course, what he left unsaid was: if I can't handle it, the boss can deal with it.

—The Breeze Ballroom stayed open until 2 a.m. every day and opened again around 10:30 to 11 in the morning.

"Yes, boss," Louis and Saccotta replied in unison.

Back in his room, Lumian waited another fifteen minutes, then picked up the brown suitcase containing Aurore's magical notes, climbed out the window, and jumped from the second floor.

He landed smoothly, moving swiftly through the shadows, turning off Market Avenue into Whitecoat Street, and entering the safehouse he had rented earlier.

After hiding the magical notes and scattering some sulfur to repel pests, Lumian left the room and took a detour down the alley behind Whitecoat Street, planning to head to the Golden Rooster Inn to sleep there tonight.

After walking about a dozen steps, he saw a pile of trash by a barricade. The scavengers and cleaners wouldn't come until the next morning, so for now, it was a haven for rats, cockroaches, flies, and stray dogs.

Seeing the rats and stray dogs, Lumian suddenly remembered something: there was still one metal vial from that pervert Hedeves that he hadn't identified.

Might as well test it... Lumian gave a barely noticeable nod.

With his exceptional skills, quick reflexes, agile movements, and keen observation, he soon stepped on a gray-black rat. Squatting down, he took out the somewhat heavy metal vial and poured some of the odorless, colorless liquid into the "prey's" mouth.

The rat squeaked loudly but showed no other unusual signs.

"Given that pervert's style, I thought it might be an aphrodisiac. But it doesn't seem like it... Then again, that pervert had a natural ability to incite desire, so he wouldn't need a redundant potion..." Lumian lifted his foot, watching the rat scurry over to its companions, squeaking loudly but doing nothing else.

Weird... Lumian watched for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

Suddenly, a clear voice like water sounded behind him: "What are you doing?"

Lumian turned sharply and saw Franca, the "Red Boots," emerging from the shadows at the end of the alley.

She was still wearing red boots, beige riding pants, a woman's shirt, and a black-and-white checkered tweed jacket. Her light-brown hair was simply tied back.

Why are you here? Lumian almost asked but quickly remembered that Franca lived at 3 Whitecoat Street.

He could only answer casually, "Just conducting an experiment."