Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

We must not let him hit us again.

With each breath, Charlotte changed her mind, turned her right hand to brace against the cane, and used her foot to push off, leaping far away.

The momentum stopped, but the force didn't diminish. Using this lingering propulsion, the girl leaped and flipped like a pole vaulter, perfectly avoiding the heavy punch.

After three exchanges, a large patch of ground was left uneven, as if half of a smooth cement surface had been plowed away with a shovel.

"What a mudfish!"

He cursed under his breath. Although he didn't want to admit it, Fu En had realized that this ordinary girl was quite skilled in martial arts.

Despite not being an extraordinary being, and despite not possessing great speed or strength, his reaction speed and judgment were terrifyingly fast. Every thrust went straight for the vital points, and every punch and kick was incredibly cunning. If it weren't for the serpentine creature shaped by extraordinary abilities, he might even have been somewhat threatened.

The man was thinking, and the girl was observing.

The snake-like creature before her, made of flesh and blood, pounced swiftly and bit fiercely, but its movements were stiff and lacked the agility of ordinary snakes. Of course, only Charlotte had the right to disregard the snake-like creature's speed; an ordinary person would have no chance of dodging it.

Firearms have too little room to maneuver at close range, and besides, it seems that the ability to penetrate or open doors is mostly the effect of extraordinary items, so we must be prepared.

Rather than being constantly restrained and suffering at the cost of his life, it would be better to take the offensive instead of the defensive. The injuries to Fu En's physical body should not be ignored, as they will inevitably affect his judgment over time.

With a swoosh of footsteps, Charlotte took the initiative to move forward, restricting the other's space to advance or retreat.

He no longer allowed the snake-like creature on his arm to attack him at will. This flesh and blood creation was protecting him and could even withstand bullets, but if he released it, it might expose an opening.

However, his excessive focus prevented the man from noticing the gradual change in his surroundings.

Based on the feedback from the soles of her boots touching the ground, the girl could confirm that there was no empty area below, and that the former could not use any so-called extraordinary object to slip into it.

right here!

Even though the skin on her fingertips was already bleeding from the powerful impact, Charlotte did not hesitate for a moment.

As he silently recited it in his heart, a sharp arc of light flashed in his silver-gray eyes.

With her knees bent and her insteps drawn like a bow, the girl unsheathed a sword and flicked out a talisman as she passed by.

"Light!"

Just as Fu En was about to look closely, a dazzling light pierced his eyelids. He instinctively covered his eyes, and then a fierce gust of wind reached his ears.

The man lost sight of Charlotte, but the python was nowhere to be seen either.

It suddenly twisted its torso, opened its jaws to reveal sharp teeth, and its chilling triangular eyes flashed with a bright red light.

"What's wrong with giving it to you?"

Without flinching, Charlotte raised her elbow, spread her fingers, and turned her fist into a palm. In that instant, the snake's head snapped down.

"Bah!"

The four sharp teeth snapped shut, but the girl instantly pushed her right palm out, giving her elbows and wrists room to move again.

Blood spurted out as expected.

However, Charlotte ignored it, simply flipped over and bent over, using her left hand to brace herself and leap up, raising her toes high to kick Vaughn's side of the head like a boulder smashing a mountain.

Sensing danger, the python hissed angrily, its head striking first, about to bite the girl's toes, but suddenly, its neck caught in its throat, slowing it by half a beat.

Charlotte's right hand, which should have been bitten to pieces, forcefully held her neck.

dead!

The sole of the boot struck the man squarely in the temple, causing him to black out and his mind to go blank. A salty, metallic taste immediately surged from his mouth and nose. Then, a gunshot rang out, followed by a flash of light.

The frontal bone shattered, and fluid gushed out—it was the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel.

As if struck by lightning, the python thrashed wildly in the air, but gradually lost its life. After struggling several times, it finally lowered its head.

thump.

Charlotte's arms went limp, and she fell to the ground, her forehead dripping with sweat that soaked her clothes, looking utterly disheveled.

"This is truly an ugly display of behavior, not ladylike or elegant at all."

Lying on her back on the filthy earth, though she was uttering self-reproachful words, the corners of her lips uncontrollably turned up, brighter than any blooming flower.

To defeat the strong with the weak—that's truly my style.

Slowly, he straightened his back. The lingering excitement dissipated, and pain and fatigue surfaced on his face. This was the first time he had felt tired from this living puppet.

"A terrible feeling, ugh, and it hurts a bit."

She wiped the blood from the corner of her eye with her fingertips, but soon, the pain left another bloody streak on her cheek.

Ignoring the indelible marks, Charlotte struggled to her feet, gripped her cane, and looked around. There were no sounds of battle, no lurking dangers; the area was quiet except for the soft murmur of waves crashing against the shore.

Disregarding etiquette and refraining from making any loud noises, she put on gloves and quickly began searching for any remaining items on the body.

Perhaps due to the suddenness of the attack, the serial killer fled in extreme panic, without cash or materials, only a pair of cotton gloves that could penetrate things and the extraordinary properties that had just been extracted.

Unwilling to be disturbed by those delirious murmurs any longer, the girl casually tossed the soft, sticky substance into her suitcase, then took off the bell from her hair and used her own blood as a guide to draw the ritual pattern.

—She wanted to make the dead speak.

The spirit communication ritual was not complicated. On the eve of her departure, Ms. Mosang had explained the steps to her in detail. As the material needed to draw the core of the formation, spiritual blue blood was undoubtedly the best material.

Out of respect for the dead, since this Mr. Vaughn admitted to having blue blood, she decided to believe him and give it a try.

No, I'll kick him again under the pretext of wasting his time.

After tracing patterns around the man's body and sprinkling hydrosol and licorice powder around them to create a relatively tranquil environment, Charlotte calmed herself and began to softly recite the incantation written in the ancient Su language:

"Seeing the spirit of oneself."

"Seeking refuge from the spirit of nature."

"To communicate with the spirits of the deceased."

As the incantation echoed in her ears, the girl suddenly felt a powerful, hidden, and gentle force descend upon her.

Her silver-grey eyes shone even brighter, like dazzling stars or celestial beings in a lake.

Taking a deep breath of the delicate medicinal fragrance, Charlotte whispered to herself, following the sound:

"The extraordinary group of the India Party, the sequence rank of Bright Canning."

Her thoughts drifted into a dream; first she saw the gray earth and sky, then glimpsed the changing light and shadow, and then images and scenes appeared one after another.

“Keep it down, Vaughan. Count Bathory has warned us that we no longer need to create panic in Tingen in the near future.”

In an unfamiliar bar, standing in front of Vaughn was a well-dressed man. His shirt collar and sleeves were decorated with intricate layers, making him look exceptionally glamorous. Paired with tapered trousers, he was flashy and ostentatious.

Of course, his thin face was less vulgar than his rustic clothes, and was somewhat more pleasing to the eye.

"I understand, Mr. Bright."

"Yes, and Dewey, Hudgens, and Talon, keep your men in line and don't let them cause any trouble lately. I heard that the Goddess Sword is coming to Tingen. I don't think I need to elaborate on her incorruptibility."

The man lit a cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and chuckled smugly amidst the swirling smoke.

"It's quite a coincidence that it's only been five months since my last promotion, and I actually feel like I've almost finished digesting the potion."

"So, boss, you're going to become a Sequence Seven?"

It is flattery and pandering.

"It was just luck. Look at Fu En, isn't he making rapid progress, only lacking the ritual to reach the middle sequence?"

The constructed scene was fragmented, but the spiritual fluctuations were like water droplets, causing only a ripple in Charlotte's mind before disappearing without a trace.

Excluding Talon and Vorn, who died at my hands, there are only three Extraordinary members left in the India Party, and none of them are above Sequence Seven.

This is good news, and the descriptions of these individuals once again confirm that this union has long since betrayed the masses and joined the ranks of Count Bathory.

Charlotte didn't stop there. Although she had no hope, she still asked for the sake of the little peacock.

Where is Samuel Deal?

In the hazy, illusory dreamscape, the girl saw Fu En's figure again, along with another petite girl curled up.

Through those crimson hair strands, she could confirm that the other person was Sophie's younger sister, Samuel.

"Don't let her die. This blue blood is extremely precious. I never thought that old woman Kshia would be less of a surprise than this girl I met by chance."

As he beckoned to the hired maid, Fuen's face revealed greed, and the sound of waves lapping against the shore could be heard as he spoke.

This is probably... a pleasant surprise? Samuel seems to still be alive.

Although I don't feel anything, Xiao Na Hua Kongque used to give me attitude, and now she's not only seriously injured herself, but she's also brought back the little sister she's been longing for. How wonderful is that?

I'd like to see how you'll try to bluff or repay me.

Taking into account the proximity to the dock, the arrangement of chimneys, and the view from the window, Charlotte quickly identified the building where the girl might be.

After destroying as many traces as possible on the corpse and erasing the footprints that had formed in the mud, the girl leaped onto the roof, and with a single push and a leap, she plunged onto the balcony and the rooftop of the house.

She must have heard sobbing nearby. She raised the corners of her lips, and with a swift and decisive step, shattered the glass French windows. She landed on the table with a graceful and skillful gait, and then, like a hero making a grand entrance, leaped to the red-haired girl's side.

It was a speed faster than the wind, and a joyful and carefree laugh.

"Sister, who are you?"

Samuel stared blankly at the girl, tears welling up involuntarily in his eyes.

The somber moonlight shone down, and the sky was filled with countless stars, yet none could compare to the captivating beauty of those clear, bright eyes.

Seeing the knife marks on the girl's wrist, Charlotte wiped the blood from her forehead and tried to keep her smile as gentle as possible.

He broke the shackles, lifted her hips and legs, and carried the girl, who was as light as a sheet of paper, on his back. He murmured softly in a low voice.

"Names don't matter, I'll guide you—"

"go home."

......

In the stillness of the night, the clock's short hand had already ticked to the eleventh mark, yet a candle was still lit in the small, enclosed room.

This is a narrow alley in the Marais district, in one of the dirtiest and most crowded apartment buildings.

She wrapped herself tightly in the blankets, burying her face deep inside, and the red-haired girl simply shed tears, letting the bitter tears wet her blood-red eyes.

As a young girl in the prime of her life, she should be able to close her eyes and sleep soundly, but she can't fall asleep. Even if she covers her eyes and holds her breath, she can't calm her mind no matter how much she tosses and turns.

It's like feeling guilty and having no words to say.

Sophie, why did you say those things to Watson when she had been helping him for free from the very beginning?

She could have been high above, looking down on herself in the mire, but she willingly leaned down to help her humble and powerless self up.

Whether as a friend or an acquaintance, one should not unleash one's emotions on another. Having already lost Samuel, one should not let the only person who could listen to one's true feelings drift away.

"Josephine, I'm sorry."

Perhaps her self-blame had come true; before her sorrowful thoughts could even arise, a familiar knocking sound came from not far away.

She hurriedly lit the lamp and got up. She opened the door and was delighted to see the silver-haired girl she had been longing for.

"Watson..."

A cold wind blew in, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Sophie first called out in surprise, but when she saw Charlotte's appearance clearly with her clear red eyes, all her emotions were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Dust, mud, bloodstains, filth, indecent, undignified... layer upon layer, dreamlike and illusory, a haggard and sickly figure, a tattered trench coat and trousers, covered with overflowing red stains, like a fine work of art, a fragile piece of glass.

The little peacock had never seen Watson like this before. Her former dashing and composed demeanor was completely gone, and her elegant cunning in conversation had vanished. Only the slight curve of her lips seemed to still carry a trace of her former vitality.

Gently setting the red-haired girl down, the young woman patted her shoulder lightly, then raised her snow-white neck as before, displaying her own little bit of pride.

"Sophie, I kept my promise~"

The thin lips uttered weak words, a promise still etched in their hearts.

Her body swayed slightly, her eyes closed slightly, and after speaking, she simply—

She fell into Sophie's arms.

Notice! Take a look!!

First of all, thank you all for reading this far. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to catch up on the previous updates, especially the latest chapter!

And then, although I'm a little sorry, this book is about to be released, so please don't leave! ┭┮﹏┭┮

I wrote about 14,000 words the day before the book went on sale (which is today) to express my determination to keep writing and to ask for your support.