Chapter 61: Diva Divine
I look at her.
"Excuse me for asking, but what-- I mean who exactly are you apart from the obvious wedding planner?"
I could tell he was a man. Yes a man in a dress. If I didn't see his package I would have been misled completely.
"I am the one and only Diva Divine, I am an otherworlder like you lord Kaijuu"
I point at myself.
"You know about me?"
"Ofcourse, everyone does, the emperor made speeches about you before he sent the delegation after you."
"I see."
I bow my head.
"I'm sorry I interrupted you, you where saying."
"Yes, as you can probably tell, I am indeed a man, but I am a woman at heart. Back in our previous world I had the surgery, but after I came here I was turned back into a man, this world doesn't have a way for me to repeat my sex change, and even if it did, after going to sleep I would just turn back into a man again anyway so why bother. Or so I thought until I found my heart. Here's a picture."
She claps her hands above her head twice. A butler comes over and serves me a drawn picture.
"About 7 years ago I started working in a bar with a stage, the owner there put on live shows for people like us, we had so much fun. I got to know her really well. When she passed away 3 years ago I found out she left the bar to her adopted son, and she left me the necklace. At first I couldn't bear to wear it, however last year during the anniversary show, I put it on for the first time. I went home that night and I took it off and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and it was gone."
She grabs her package. My eyes keep going down I need to force myself to look up.
"I was finally who I was always meant to be. Can you imagine. a maiden's heart?"
She clasps her hands together in front of her.
"Please get my heart back."
That look, this is a guy, remember, this is A GUY.
My face gets hot. Shit. I put my hand over my face.
"Fine."
I take a breath and look at the picture again.
It is a square, about 5 X 5 cm with a round emerald in the top left corner, a long rectangular diamond dividing it from bottom left to top right and a triangular ruby in the bottom right corner. It has descriptions for the jewels. It has a gold frame with black in the middle except for the jewels.
I look at the empty case again.
"Did you find this in the empty case?"
I show her the card.
"No it was with my mail in the morning, I threw it away at first, but when I noticed my heart was missing, I dug through the trash to find it."
"I see. What makes you think this has anything to do with your necklace."
She hands me a cutout of a news article. It has the same logo.
It reads 'Notorious thief stole lord Rivers' ancient dragon fang'
"Ok got it, why did you turn back into a man?"
"To switch your sex you need to wear it for 2 hours uninterrupted the first day, that night you turn, after that you need to wear it for at least a hour a day to keep the effects, if you don't you turn back the following morning."
"One last thing, I don't mean to doubt your abilities or anything since the kin- I mean emperor recommended you,---"
She holds up her hand interrupting me.
"In my former life, It was always my dream to plan weddings, but as you know our old world has this way of killing our dreams, anyway once I arrived in this one and started working in the bar. The owner asked me to plan and execute his son's wedding, so I did. Then I started getting requests to do more, I had to quit my work at the bar, then one day I woke up and headed to the bar in a trance, I turned my passion into a job and lost all the fire in my soul. I decided right there in front of the bar I would never do it for money again. When I went inside the owner spotted me, he waved at me just like old times. When I approached her she said 'get changed your shift starts at 8' and waved me off. I was a bit confused at first."
Tears start forming in the corner of her eyes. she wipes it away with the back of her hand.
"When I went to the back my waitress dress was there inside my same old locker, I wept as I put it on, The other girls grabbed me and said 'Let's get that makeup on girl you can't serve customers looking like that' they plopped me down and started. I ended up buying that place from her son after she passed. It's the one place I felt at peace with who I was."
I didn't ask for your life story lady. Are all rich people so self absorbed.
I guess I did ask something along those lines, I did get one thing from this conversation, she's confident in her abilities.
Time to refocus on the case.
"How did the thief get in?"
She looked at the butler.
"Carl, go and get it"
"Right away madam."
He bows and leaves.
She looks at me again.
"He used this mysterious item to pry the door open after he broke the lock."
"Mysterious item?"
"Yes"
"Did it have fingerprints."
"Fingerprints, pfffft hahahahahaha"
She's looking at me all smug and starts pointing at me.
"How long have you lived in this world? Are you new, are you sure you can find my necklace."
I get angry and clench my fist. She notices this, and manages to contain her laughter barely
"What do you mean!?"
"Look closely at your fingers, notice anything off with them."
I look closely, what the hell? it's smooth.
How did I never notice this before. Well ofcourse I wouldn't, I mean who looks at their fingers after all. I notice she's still stopping herself from laughing.
I decide to calm myself.
The door opens.
"The mysterious item you requested madam."
That's a crowbar, it's a crowbar. Who hasn't heard of a crowbar.
"Pfffft Hahahahaaha"
I'm rolling around.
"What's so funny?"
I stop myself barely,
"N-no I-it's nothing. Pfft"
I hold my hand in front of my mouth.
I slap my knee. Am I gonna let her have it.
Am I.
No.
I'll be counting on her.
I'm doing this for them not myself.
I calm down.
Now she looks pissed.
She crossed her arms and is tapping her finger on her arm impatiently.
I wave my hand in front of my face as I say.
"I was just laughing at myself for never realizing we don't have any fingerprints."
She looks at me a bit stunned.
"And you found it that funny?"
"Yes, Don't worry I'll find your necklace."
I might need some help though. But first things first.
"Diva Divine-sama, may I take these."
I show her the card and drawn illustration again.
"What about this item?"
I turn around so she can't see my face. I barely stop myself again. I feel my shoulder's shaking.
"Lord Kaijuu are you okay?"
"Y-yes perfectly fine, just exited to start working... I'll take that too."
I point behind me to where I believe the butler is.
He brings the crowbar and I take it.
"Well I'm off."
I leave.