The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Fran neither blamed him nor replied. He simply held up his moth-like gray veil with one hand, smiling silently.

After a moment's thought, she slowly spoke.

“The ‘blood plague’ only manifests symptoms in vampires who are over a hundred years old, and the symptoms become more severe with age, reaching its peak around the millennium.”

"The initial symptom is a craving for blood that far exceeds physiological needs. In the middle and later stages, it manifests as physical deterioration and the development of evil offspring. Even high-ranking vampires with titles are not entirely immune to its effects, right?"

Rosalie raised her hand to cover her mouth, a hint of surprise flashing in her deep red, almost black eyes.

"Yes, but... why are you so familiar with the specific symptoms of the blood plague?"

How could the Hunter's physician know so much about the Blood Plague? But apart from the Moon Familia, only the White Cup Order should know about it... Was it a leak from the Exorcists?

With a hint of doubt, she glanced at Child beside her.

Seeing Child scratching his face in bewilderment, Rosalie quickly came to a conclusion.

...White Cup always keeps its promises, so the possibility of it leaking secrets is very small.

But why does Fran know so much about the symptoms of the plague?

Accompanied by the flickering candlelight, Fran recounted the clinical cases he had encountered.

"Previously, I was researching a gene defect called 'Red Thirst'. I wanted to verify, using vampire materials... cough, vampire patients, whether there was a clinical similarity between Red Thirst and the physiological need to drink blood."

“It’s hard to find living vampires in Norrington, and even if there are, most of them are under the protection of the Moonbeam Oath. However, there are sometimes one or two who don’t follow the rules… One particularly special individual gave me a pleasant surprise.”

“During the physical examination, he showed a morbid craving for blood, and even when he was completely full, he did not give up eating. So I spent some time doing field research... and eventually learned the details of the blood epidemic.”

As an investigative journalist, Rosalie knew very well what "field research" meant.

Disguise, infiltration, data theft, recording... all fall into this category. If Dr. Fran could obtain the help of the Secret Service, learning about the secrets related to the Blood Plague wouldn't be difficult.

Rosalie sighed.

"Actually, the blood plague is not some kind of secret, but we don't want to attract too much attention from the outside world. Since you have some research on it, you should also know how troublesome it is."

"...I'm sorry to have bothered you, Dr. Fran."

Fran's face was veiled, his expression shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

“Miss Rosalie, you are overthinking it. The doctor will not be bothered... Because I am a fortune teller, I do not offer services other than fortune telling at the moment.”

She paused slightly, then gracefully approached Rosalie, her gaze lingering on the Holy Symbol of the Rebirth of the Moon around Rosalie's neck.

"But what if I said that the blood plague is not incurable?"

"impossible."

Rosalie responded decisively, seemingly having regained her composure.

"In order to escape the effects of the blood plague, the ancient Moon Clan even abandoned their physical bodies. But even as pure spirits, they could not escape their thirst for blood... No matter how resilient their souls were, they all gradually fell into evil spirits over the centuries."

Fran wiggled her slender, long index finger, neither confirming nor denying her statement.

“Miss Rosalie, fate is in a state of endless change. Don’t be quick to say ‘impossible’.”

"But what price are you willing to pay for the answer to this question? Your soul, your life, or all the rest of your long life?"

In a daze, Rosalie felt a chill that penetrated deep into her bones. It was as if if she opened her mouth to agree, she would be immediately taken away as a substitute.

"I……"

"Shh." Fran put his index finger to his lips, stopping her from finishing speaking. "Don't refuse or answer until you've thought it through completely."

"It's too early to talk about these things now. Relax, Miss Rosalie, let's talk about something else first?"

Although Rosalie had suggested changing the question at the beginning, Fran did not respond at the time... and only now did she bring it up again.

In a conversation, only the person in a dominant position has the right to ask questions.

The same question, whether asked or answered, can subtly influence the psychological state of both parties. This is why interrogators emphasize "don't answer questions with questions."

"Hmm." After a moment of silence, Rosalie decided not to continue this topic that made her feel dangerous.

Coincidentally, there's something that's been bothering her lately.

"Then... please tell me what new products 'Skylark' dessert shop will be launching in December."

Child, who was standing to the side, was slightly taken aback by Rosalie's question, somewhat surprised by its wide range.

The difference between the "blood plague" that concerns the survival of the Moon Familia and a new product from a dessert shop is quite significant... However, if we consider this as a test, it can be explained to some extent.

"That is indeed an interesting question."

Fran tilted his head, his amber eyes flickering slightly. Wu

...If it weren't for the need for a fortune teller to maintain a mysterious image, she probably wouldn't have smiled so restrainedly.

Rosalie was a little curious when she saw that Fran didn't take out props like pendulums or tarot cards like a typical fortune teller.

"Ms. Fran, is there no need for any preparations beforehand?" Liu

According to Professor Terence, Dr. Fran would take out a brass pocket watch if she wanted to conduct hypnosis, but at this moment she was holding a veil in one hand and had nothing in the other, so she didn't seem to have any such intention.

“If it were any other problem, I might need to use a tool or enter a dream. But for this… I’ll tell you, it’s a ‘kiwi sundae.’” —Tsuji

Fran's tone was quite confident.

"Really? But... how did you know?"

Rosalie was a little puzzled, since the dessert shop's new products changed every quarter.

"Do magicians perform tricks to expose their own schemes? Obviously not. The same goes for fortune tellers… I only offer answers, and I don't guarantee they'll be completely accurate."

Adhering to the fortune teller's consistent principle of not taking the blame, Fran deftly evaded Rosalie's further questioning and then turned to Childe.

"So, Mr. Child, is there anything you wish to have divined?"

"I want to know if this year's teaching assistant evaluation went smoothly."

His question was very common, but also very practical. After all, it concerned salary... which is important to every faculty member.

Oh, finally a normal question about fortune-telling... This question is simple, but Fran takes it quite seriously. After all, this is the first time in her career she has encountered such a straightforward question.

What exactly are the assessment criteria?

"Go to an ancient site for on-site exploration and write a research report. The content should include an analysis of the characteristics of the ancient artifacts and speculation on the possible principles of esoteric arts."

Child answered as meticulously as possible.

"Hmm... I understand the situation. Let's prepare to enter the dream. Compared to other forms, dream divination is more accurate."

Fran patted the plush crib next to him, gesturing for Child to lie down.

"it is good."

Having learned from his previous experience, Child was quite adept at it, and even his mind was much more relaxed. Without the aid of [Shepherd's Song], he was able to fall asleep within minutes.

In a hazy state, consciousness rises from the real world like clouds and mist, eventually knocking on the door of dreams.

Fran's eyes were slightly closed, his eyelashes intertwined, and he held the brass pocket watch on Child's forehead with one hand. A tranquil and peaceful atmosphere permeated the air, and even Rosalie, who was watching from the side, felt a touch of drowsiness.

Dream divination is a technique that only mirror polishers can truly master, and the pocket watch she possesses is of the type that causes mental disturbance... perhaps it is a relic from the White Cup or Moth sequence.

If Rosalie hadn't known some information about the doctor beforehand, she might have even thought Fran was a genuine lamp-wiping mirror man.

……

In the empty, dreamlike space, Luya slowly walked past Fran, casually nuzzling her with her side-mounted, glass-like blanket.

"Thank you for your hard work. Next time you want snacks, go to Sister Heda again."

Fran gently scratched Luya's chin, causing her to shyly tilt her head back. The deer's skin was intoxicatingly soft, but unfortunately, she only appeared in the dream dimension and could not be touched in reality.

"Na."

Luya let out a cry, then raised her hooves and led Fran step by step into the depths of Child's dream.

The illusions of the past are as elusive as fragments, while the omens of the future are even more elusive and unpredictable. Even Luara, a mythical creature capable of manipulating dreams, can only glimpse a trace of the future from the slightest clues of fate.

The previously blurry surroundings gradually coalesced, transforming into a knight clad in black armor.

He rode a tall white horse, moving forward methodically. His demeanor was calm and slow, exuding a solemn and dignified air that was difficult to look directly at.

The black-armored rider spurred his warhorse straight toward Fran, who simply stood still, making no attempt to evade him.

The two figures passed each other without making any contact; the knight seemed to be just an illusion. Or perhaps Fran was the illusion.

After passing Fran, the knight slowly removed his mask, revealing a pale, skeletal face beneath.

"Na."

Luya stomped her hoof, and the black-armored knight's figure vanished instantly.

Dreams can record the past, so Luara can recreate a scene relatively stably, just like the lost era doll workshop from last time.

As for the future that has not yet occurred, she can only depict the flow of fate in a more abstract form.

Clearly, that black-armored knight was some kind of ominous sign.

"It seems... Child's teaching assistant assessment isn't going too well. Does that mean there might be dangers during the ruins exploration?"

Fran was quite interested in the potential dangers lurking within the ruins. Hmm... he needed to figure out a way to infiltrate their history department's exploration team.

……

Fran and Child opened their eyes almost simultaneously, waking from their dream.

Rosalie sat quietly to the side, observing the entire dream divination. But for some reason, the funeral maid who had been staying by Fran's side gave her an extremely dangerous feeling.

Unlike Haida, who exuded a chilling killing intent, or Zangyiqing, who gave off a suffocating sense of oppression, she still felt a kind of physical discomfort. After only a short while, she already felt the urge to take stomach medicine…

Child got out of bed, rubbed his slightly curly brown hair, and asked about the results of the divination.

"Any findings, Dr. Fran?"

"It's hard to simply say whether it's good or bad, but what is foreseeable is that... your teaching assistant evaluation will probably not end smoothly."

As he spoke, Fran pulled a tarot card from a stack on the small table and handed it to Child.

A black-armored knight, riding a tall white horse, holding a black flag with a rose pattern... This is a Death card.

"This is really bad news..."

Child looked at the Death card in his hand, his expression slightly complicated. Although this card could be interpreted in a non-negative way, it most of the time meant misfortune and calamity.

“Mr. Child, this card is all I can tell you; I offer no further interpretation.”

Maintaining a harmless, business-like smile, Fran began preparing to see the customer off.

"Today's divination service has come to an end. Thank you for your patronage. You can settle the payment with Miss Tong En."

Sigrid opened the door as if to understand and led the two toward the corridor of the Mirror of Enlightenment Club.

As Rosalie drew closer to Sigrid, the discomfort intensified. Her limbs felt weak and listless, her thoughts were jumbled and confused, and her skin burned, like she had a severe cold…

These symptoms only subsided after leaving the Bewitching Mirror Club.

"Phew." Feeling that she was back to normal, Rosalie let out a long sigh of relief. At the same time, she was a little puzzled.

Why do I have a strange feeling whenever I get close to that funeral maid?

and also……

Was the doctor's statement that the blood plague was not incurable a joke, or did it have a deeper meaning?

Chapter 84 The Trial Officer of Foyport

After seeing Child and Rosalie off, Sigrid returned to the Mirror of Enlightenment Club.

Fran had already removed her veil, but was still wearing the Mirror Cleaner's Moth Robe. She was similar in build to Dorothy, so no alterations were needed; she could wear it directly… It must be said, the silk gauze from Ahanta was indeed very comfortable to wear.

"Dr. Fran, were you once a mirror-shiner for the Church of the Lamp?"

Sigrid walked to one side of the divination table and asked Fran about his past with some curiosity.

She can easily perform dream divination without the aid of rituals or secret arts, and can even directly tell the other party the result when faced with ordinary questions... This is really a bit too professional.

Even Dorothy, the consort of the Mirror of Enlightenment Club, might not be able to do this. Could it be that the doctor is also connected with the Moth Cult?

"Of course not. On the contrary, I don't really like dealing with those riddle-makers from the Obscure Society who can't express themselves clearly."

Fran shook his index finger, decisively denying it.

"'Dream divination' is not my ability, but rather comes from a patient. She is right beside us right now, just not in 'reality'."