Chapter 60: A Misunderstanding Caused by Miss Wraith
After her conversation with Old Neil, Alice returned home. Reflecting on Neil's words that "wherever you are, those who love you will want you to be happy," Alice hesitated briefly before deciding to try integrating into this era once again.
In truth, Alice had attempted to fit in while in Tingen, but just as she began to feel a sense of belonging...
After some thought, Alice decided to start by visiting her neighbors—she realized it was quite inconsiderate that she hadn't tried to get to know them since moving in several days ago.
"Good evening, Mrs. Greenland," Alice said with a gentle smile as the lady of No. 35 opened the door. "I'm Briel Rose from No. 36. I moved in recently and I apologize for not visiting sooner."
"Oh, so you're the new neighbor!" Mrs. Greenland smiled warmly. "Hello, Miss Rose. Would you like to come in for a bit?"
"Thank you, I'd be delighted," Alice replied, following her inside. "Please, call me Briel."
"Briel, then," Mrs. Greenland said, leading Alice to the living room. "I noticed we had a new neighbor and was wondering when I'd get to meet you. What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?"
"Coffee, please," Alice answered after a moment's hesitation, still adjusting to her role as an adult. "I've been busy unpacking the past few days and only recently found time. This is my first time moving, so I'm a bit inexperienced..."
"Are you living alone?" Mrs. Greenland asked, surprised. "I don't mean to pry, it's just that you seem quite young."
"Yes, I am," Alice replied, lowering her head and letting her eyelashes flutter to convey a hint of loneliness. "My family... there were some issues, so..."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Mrs. Greenland's expression showed a mix of sympathy and motherly affection. "You know, I actually have a daughter about your age."
"Oh?" Alice looked up in surprise.
"She's 17... about two years younger than you. Unfortunately, she's not home today—she's visiting a friend. It would have been nice for you two to meet. Young ladies should spend time with peers their own age."
As Mrs. Greenland handed Alice the coffee with sugar, Alice took a sip and was relieved to find the bitterness tolerable. She couldn't help but think: *Actually, given my true age, your daughter should be older than me...*
For the rest of the visit, guided by Alice's questions, Mrs. Greenland told her about her daughter, Evelyn Greenland.
When it seemed an appropriate time had passed, Alice excused herself and returned home. Closing the door behind her, she immediately dropped her mature and brave facade. She raised her hand in a V-sign, jumping excitedly. "Yes!"
After her excitement faded, Alice became melancholy again, sighing deeply. "Ah... I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see everyone again..."
Feelings of nostalgia always seemed strongest when alone with idle time.
To avoid dwelling on sadness, Alice decided—she would go bother Klein!
...
We won't go into detail about how Klein expressed his displeasure at Alice's antics. Suffice it to say that over the next few days, Alice settled into a routine of morning prayers at church, working on her manuscript during the day, and randomly visiting a lucky neighbor each evening.
Without having to create the plot herself, Alice's writing progressed remarkably fast... That is to say, she successfully produced a new work under the name Briel Rose.
Excited by her first earnings, Alice lay awake at night and, feeling bored, decided to pray to Mr. Fool... which seemed reasonable enough.
However, Alice received no response from Mr. Fool.
"Perhaps... perhaps he's busy and can't reply right now. Maybe he's out following a lead or something..." Alice fell asleep with a faint sense of unease at the lack of response.
The next day, Alice still hadn't received a reply from Mr. Fool. It's fine, this is norm... normal my foot! Even if Klein was busy, he would at least curse at her through the gray fog!
Alice hesitated, ultimately deciding against rashly seeking out Klein—she resolved to try divination first.
Mentally focusing on "Klein's current situation," she entered the dream state, only to emerge confused. Alice finally realized why she could look at Klein directly—someone had placed an anti-divination spell on him, specifically targeting her!
Well, this was... Alice gritted her teeth, considering how to resolve the situation.
She knew Klein's address, of course, but the question was—what reason could she use to visit him?
"It shouldn't be too strange to seek out a private detective... right?" Alice mused aloud as she set out.
...
The moment he saw Alice, Klein understood why she had come looking for him.
It was because Miss Wraith had prevented him from accessing the gray fog to reply!
But couldn't she use divination?
"Hello, do you need to hire a detective?" Klein asked, staying in character. He began praying Alice would understand his hint.
"...I've lost my manuscript," Alice said, blinking twice as she watched Klein desperately trying to signal her with his eyes. She started to wonder if he was trying to say he couldn't talk now or if he had been kidnapped.
"I have an ongoing case at the moment, so I may not be able to help you right away." Klein emphasized the words "not be able to" heavily.
"Ah, that's too bad." Alice understood Klein's hint and feigned disappointment as she left his home.
At least he seemed to be alright. Alice reassured herself as she quietly waited for Klein to contact her.
...
When Alice appeared above the gray fog in her dream, she had to admit she was a bit bewildered.
This wasn't her fault—anyone would be startled to encounter such a situation in the middle of sleep. Comparatively, Alice suspected Klein might be deliberately getting back at her.
"Can't you sleep... huh?" Alice was about to question him when she noticed the Artificial World. She instinctively closed her mouth, then realized it wasn't moving at all. "What's this?"
"Let me introduce you to our new Tarot Club member," Klein proudly showed off his puppet.
"How did you manage this?" Alice curiously approached, examining the Artificial World. Finding no flaws besides its lifelessness, she reached out to poke and prod it.
"Hey!" Klein hurriedly stopped Alice's actions. "What do you think you're doing?"
The author is surrounded by snow but the cat is missing. Let me go find the cat (...)