r18novel Chapter 218 Susie's Day of Suffering
Chapter 218 Susie's Day of Suffering
Chapter 218 Susie's Day of Suffering
Lorne Lorne Disenk!
Audrey recognized him instantly at a glance. The ordinary-looking young man who seemed out of place in the shop was the very person "The World" from the Tarot Club had asked her to investigate!
What the hell is he doing here?!
Could it be that my investigation into him has been exposed?
When Audrey saw Lorne's gaze turn towards her, her heart skipped a beat.
No, Audrey, calm down! He doesn't know you, so don't lose your composure! Be a true, elegant lady!
As a qualified "spectator," Audrey calmed her emotions completely in an instant.
She quickly grasped the situation: she had only investigated indirectly through Fors and Hugh, never personally. Since Fors hadn't sent any unusual news, the other party couldn't possibly know her. It was just an unexpected coincidence.
Yes, it was a coincidence.
She quickly composed herself, adopting a slightly curious yet aloof gaze befitting a noblewoman as she met any potential glances. She even hesitated whether she should step forward to greet him as a matter of etiquette, but Lorne's gaze had already casually swept over her and turned elsewhere.
She's just an ordinary noblewoman, nothing special.
The golden retriever Susie seemed to sense her owner's emotional fluctuations. She gently rubbed her head against Audrey's leg and looked up at her with a curious expression.
Audrey reached out and gently rubbed its head, reassuring it with her eyes that it was alright.
"Hello, esteemed Miss Hall. Welcome."
As soon as the store manager, Bartolomeo, saw this important customer arrive, he immediately went up to greet him with great enthusiasm.
"Hello, Mr. Manager. Has the gift I ordered been prepared yet?"
"Of course," Bathory said with a smile. "We have already used the best materials and had it handcrafted by the most skilled artisans, just as you requested."
"That's wonderful! Mom will love this gift!" Audrey's face showed just the right amount of joy. She really was a genuine noblewoman. Lorne listened to their conversation and thought to himself.
But Hall? Is it that Hall family, the bankers and hereditary nobles?
I think I have some funds and shares that are related to their family. Should I take this opportunity to go up and say hello, maybe even try to make some connections?
He hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the idea.
Let's just forget about it. It's best not to cause trouble right now. Besides, I've heard that those high-ranking nobles are all incredibly arrogant.
"He didn't pay much attention to me—" Audrey cautiously observed Lorne out of the corner of her eye, secretly relieved.
"Sir, your belongings have all been packed."
At this moment, a waitress handed over two beautifully packaged gift bags.
"Would you like us to deliver it to your door?"
"No, no need. I can do it myself."
Lorne took off his monocle and put it back in his pocket, then took the two bags and prepared to leave.
Oh no! He's leaving!
Seeing Lorne preparing to leave, Audrey felt a surge of anxiety. She wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to thoroughly investigate him!
While the shop manager was away, she went to get something for her, reached out and stroked the golden retriever's head, and whispered to it:
"Susie, I need your help! Now it's your time to step in!"
"Woof?" Susie tilted her head.
Lorne carried two gift bags as he walked back to the hotel, his mind preoccupied with planning his visit to his pen pal the next day.
It's comforting to know that his pen pal lives in Backlund. He no longer has to go through the trouble of traveling to other places.
Perhaps I can go back to Tingen again after some time. And maybe I can also verify my idea. Sherlock, maybe he really is that acquaintance—
"Someone is following us."
Sharon's ethereal, emotionless voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Okay, I understand."
Lorne snapped out of his thoughts.
The premonition of "disaster" had no effect—it didn't seem like there was any danger.
He maintained his original pace without making a sound, and at a fork in the road, he suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a narrow alley.
"No—it's gone!"
Susie, who had been secretly following him, was momentarily stunned when her target suddenly disappeared.
"What should I do? I've lost them—"
It subconsciously sniffed.
Yeah! I'm a dog!
Susie stuck out her tongue, carefully smelling the lingering scent in the air, and jogged after them.
Strange, the flavor abruptly stops here.
Susie came to a deserted, narrow alley and stopped in her tracks, somewhat puzzled.
Just as she was wagging her tail, preparing to return the way she came...
"Feed".
A somewhat cold voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
Lorne vaulted down from the tall wall beside them, landing right behind her. He stretched out his foot and gently kicked its rear end with the tip of his shoe.
"Sound!"
Startled by this sudden turn of events, Susie's fur stood on end! She immediately lay down on the ground and covered her head tightly with her two front paws!
"It's this dog?"
Lorne, standing behind Susie, raised an eyebrow. He had thought the gift shop was a trap and that he had been tricked.
It turned out to be the dog that was next to Miss Hall earlier.
He glanced warily at the alley entrance and whispered to the air around him, "Miss, could you please look around and see if anyone else is there?"
A barely perceptible gust of cold wind blew by, and the bodyguard left.
Now, only he and a dog behaving suspiciously remain.
Lorne walked slowly closer, and the golden retriever seemed to sense his intention. Its whole body stiffened, and it lay on the ground trembling, even covering its head with its two front paws, looking like a thief caught red-handed.
"Hey, little dog," Lorne crouched down with interest, looking it in the eye, "Why are you following me?"
"Woof—" Susie peeked at him through her paws, let out a soft whimper, and then buried her head even deeper.
"Is it necessary to be so afraid of me?" Lorne sensed no malice from it, only a pure, almost overflowing fear. He reached out a finger and tentatively poked the furry head.
"Sound—"
Perhaps sensing that Lorne's actions were not intended to harm, after a moment, Susie slowly raised her head and looked at him with her exceptionally innocent eyes.
Lorne scrutinized it closely. Its glossy, smooth fur, robust physique, and those overly human-like eyes.
Is this really just an ordinary dumb dog?
The man and the dog stared at each other like that.
"Woof." Susie barked suddenly, as if to break the awkward silence, then lunged forward and licked Lorne's cheek with her tongue.
"This—" Lorne recoiled as if electrocuted, instinctively touching his face. "Isn't this dirty—"
In that brief moment of distraction, a figure rushed up behind him with considerable force.
"Excuse me!" the man mumbled an apology, then turned and left the alley without looking back, disappearing at the end of the alley.
Lorne frowned, but didn't pay much attention, his focus quickly returning to the "culprit" in front of him.
"I didn't see any other extraordinary individuals," Sharon's voice seemed to seep into his ears from the air. "That noble lady is still in the shop."
"Woof woof~" Susie looked at Lorne timidly, trying her best to play the role of a frightened big, clumsy dog.
"Okay, little dog, I'll take it as you've mistaken me for someone else—" Lorne rubbed its head, his tone quite "cozy."
However, as he straightened up and casually picked up the gift bag from the ground, his movements suddenly stopped.
It's lighter!
He immediately opened the bag, only to find a box containing a camera inside. The other box, which contained an expensive fountain pen intended as a gift for a pen pal, had vanished.
Damn it! We've been robbed!
The camera box and the pen case were similar in size, with the camera even being slightly heavier. Yet, the thief precisely stole the more valuable pen.
No—Lorne's thoughts raced. If it were just a lost pen, my "premonition of disaster" shouldn't be so agitated.
His expression changed, and he immediately checked himself. The most important playing cards were still there, but—the monocle in his pocket, the tool that could help identify extraordinary items, was gone!
Since it was my first time at this kind of store, I brought it with me because I was afraid of being ripped off. Later, because the bodyguard was there, I put it in my pocket to avoid revealing my personal belongings.
It was the one that bumped into me just now!
"What's wrong?" Sharon's voice carried a hint of inquiry.
"Something's gone," Lorne quickly recounted the situation.
Clearly, he was completely distracted by the dog that suddenly appeared, which gave the pickpocket an opportunity.
No, even if my attention is diverted, there is absolutely no way an ordinary person could steal something from me without alerting me.
Absolutely extraordinary!
He immediately pulled a penny from his pocket and skillfully performed divination.
The answer given was that the thief was still in the neighborhood.
However, the exact location was unclear, indicating that the opponent clearly possessed a certain ability to retake the position.
Seeing Lorne standing there talking to himself with an unpredictable expression, Susie secretly moved her paws little by little, preparing to slip away.
"You're not allowed to leave."
A cold voice rang out above her head, and Lorne swiftly blocked Susie's path.
"Woof?" Susie stopped abruptly, frozen in place.
"I can tell you're not an ordinary dog, right?"
"Woof woof?" Susie was startled by the sound and stuck out her tongue and panted even more, putting on an attitude of "I'm just a silly dog, I don't understand anything".
"Your acting is terrible," Lorne said deliberately, a smile suddenly appearing on his face. With the most amiable expression, he uttered the coldest words, "If you keep pretending you don't understand, I'll kill you~"
An aura of danger and killing intent instantly enveloped Susie.
"Woo—" Susie's fur stood on end, and she let out a mournful cry.
"You know what I mean, right?" Lorne's smile remained unchanged.
"Woof." Susie nodded frantically.
Very good. Lorne's smile widened. This dog wasn't as smart as Rachi; it gave itself away as soon as it was startled.
It's probably some kind of extraordinary animal, possessing considerable intelligence and able to understand human speech, but unable to speak, that a noble lady keeps an extraordinary pet. Hmm, luxurious yet reasonable.
"Why are you following me?" Lorne asked.
"Hey, did you notice something unusual about my surroundings and that's why you followed me?"
2
"Woof, woof." Susie nodded repeatedly.
Hmm—dogs have incredibly sharp senses, could it have sensed the bodyguard? Wait, a dog's senses—its nose!
Lorne had a sudden inspiration and looked at Susie with a big smile.
"As you can see, I've been robbed."
"A large part of the responsibility lies with you. So, I need you to use your dog's special ability—your nose—to help me find that thief."
As he spoke, he gently rubbed Susie's head with tenderness.
"If you disagree, I'll kill you~"
"Woof! Woof woof!" Susie nodded repeatedly, indicating that she completely agreed and would cooperate fully.
"Very good." Lorne stood up and clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Stay with me until we find the thief."
"Oh no, I'm doomed! Audrey, please come save me!"
"That's strange, why hasn't Susie come back yet?" I'll have it secretly follow that Lorne Disenke for me and see if we can find his residence.
Has Susie been discovered?
Audrey, who was waiting for Susie to return in the gift shop, was getting impatient. In order to buy time, she patiently listened to the shop manager introduce one item after another.
But this has taken far too long—
Although she had told Susie to come back immediately if things went wrong.
But, after all, Lorne Disenke was also labeled a dangerous individual by Mr. World.
No, I have to go find it.
In the alley, Susie was lying on the ground, sniffing hard, dutifully playing the role of a search dog (albeit under duress).
"Indeed," Lorne remarked, "in situations where divination is unclear, physical methods like a dog's nose are indeed more effective than mystical methods."
Sigh—if Rachel had been here, she probably wouldn't have been robbed—when did I become so careless?
"Woof, woof!"
Before long, the golden retriever reacted and started barking wildly at a manhole cover.
"Oh, found it." Lorne was surprised by the other party's efficiency.
"You mean the thief is in the sewer?" Lorne pointed to the manhole cover under Susie.
"Woof, woof." Susie nodded.
"Alright, come down with me to look for it."
"Go down the drain! No, no! My fur will get all messy, and the drain smells awful! I'm a dog!"
"Hmm?" Seeing the big dog's clearly unwilling expression, Lorne's smile became even more "kind," and he slowly asked, "What, you don't want to?"
"Wang Ming—"